Quantum key distribution (QKD) is a viable technique for safeguarding image transmission against numerous attacks. To address the limitations of existing methods in securing electronic medical records, we have explored an encryption technique using a set of real-time medical images along with existing standard images using QKD protocols including BB84 (Bennett-Brassard 1984), CASCADE (Cascading Error Correction Algorithm for Data Exchange), and differential-phase-shift (DPS) under the fiber-based (OFC) and free-space (FSO) channels. It utilizes the quantum bit-plane representation of the Real Ket (QBRK) model and a logistic chaotic system with XOR operation. The performance of the developed framework is tested via visual illustration and 11 different quantitative assessments. The average entropy of the scrambled image for the medical source image is 7.9896, which is quite near to the optimum value of 8. The UACI (Unified Averaged Changed Intensity) and the NPCR (Number of Pixels Change Rate) metrics values lie between 33.7879 to 33.9711 and 99.6014 to 99.8000 for the FSO channel. The BB84 QKD protocol achieves a QBER (Quantum Bit Error Rate) of 0.0028 for an FSO channel with DCR (Dark Count Rate), which improves to 0.0012 when DCR is ignored for a 10 km link range. In addition, we analyzed and compared the effect of OFC on system output as the quantum channel. From several experiments, it is observed that the BB84 provides better results against CASCADE and DPS. The proposed work is validated using the Optisystem 15.1 software under FSO and for OFC.

Heart disease is a major issue, and the severity of its effects can be reduced through early detection and prevention. ECG is an effective diagnostic tool. Automating ECG analysis increases the possibility of timely analysis and prediction of heart conditions, improving patient outcomes. The extraction of heart-related features further enhances the accuracy of ECG-based classification models, paving the way for more effective and efficient online detection and prevention of heart diseases. The image-vectorization technique suggested in this study produces a vector representation that precisely captures the distinctive features of the heart signal. It involves image cropping, erasing the ECG grid lines, and assigning pixels to distinguish the heart signal from the background. Compared to the feature vector produced by VGG16, the extracted feature vector is 589 times shorter than the feature vector produced by VGG16, which significantly decreased the amount of memory required, increased algorithm convergence, and required less computing power. The feature vector extracted using image-vectorization is used to create the training dataset, which is used to train artificial neural networks (ANNs). The results demonstrate that using image-vectorization techniques improved the performance of machine learning algorithms compared to using conventional feature extraction algorithms like CNNs and VGG16.

There is an emerging class of applications in which there is a need to reliably transport data from a large number of low rate devices (e.g., hundreds of thousands) to a central server. Atop the list of such applications is smart grid infrastructure. Other applications include meteorological applications, such as monitoring of weather, pollution, and allergy conditions. These applications are characterized by the existence of a large number of small Internet Protocol (IP) devices sending small packets at a low rate to the same server. Even though individual data rates are low, aggregation of these rates produce a significant amount of traffic that can disrupt the communication function of other applications. Because individual devices produce data at a low rate, the transmission control protocol's (TCP) congestion control mechanism is rendered ineffective, thereby causing (i) excessive retransmission of packets; and (ii) degrading the throughput of other competing applications. To address the above problems, we introduce the concept of aggregation at the communication transport level. A TCP aggregator node is added between the data sources and the central server. It splits the TCP connections between the sources (e.g., smart meters) and the data collection server. The aggregator collects data from the individual sources and reliably forwards the data to the collection server. The new strategy provides better response to traffic conditions and, most importantly, makes congestion control and flow control useful. Through extensive NS-2 simulations, we show the effectiveness of the TCP aggregator approach to mitigating the problems in terms of the throughput and packet drop rate performance metrics.

Supporting a conventional power grid with advanced communication capabilities is a cornerstone to transferring it to a smart grid. A reliable communication infrastructure with a high throughput can lay the foundation towards the ultimate objective of a fully automated power grid with self-healing capabilities. In order to realize this objective, the communication infrastructure of a power distribution network needs to be extended to cover all substations including medium/low voltage ones. This shall enable information exchange among substations for a variety of system automation purposes with a low latency that suits time critical applications. This paper proposes the integration of two heterogeneous wireless technologies (such as WiFi and cellular 3G/4G) to provide reliable and fast communication among primary and secondary distribution substations. This integration allows the transmission of different data packets (not packet replicas) over two radio interfaces, making these interfaces act like a one data pipe. Thus, the paper investigates the applicability and effectiveness of employing heterogeneous wireless networks (HWNs) in achieving the desired reliability and timeliness requirements of future smart grids. We study the performance of HWNs in a realistic scenario under different data transfer loads and packet loss ratios. Our findings reveal that HWNs can be a viable data transfer option for smart grids.

Understanding the behavior of the human postural system has become a very attractive topic for many researchers. This system plays a crucial role in maintaining balance during both stationary and moving states. Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a prevalent degenerative movement disorder that significantly impacts human stability, leading to falls and injuries. This research introduces an innovative approach that utilizes a hidden Markov model (HMM) to distinguish healthy individuals and those with PD. Interestingly, this methodology employs raw data obtained from stabilometric signals without any preprocessing. The dataset used for this study comprises 60 subjects divided into healthy and PD patients. Impressively, the proposed method achieves an accuracy rate of up to 98% in effectively differentiating healthy subjects from those with PD.