Anh Le-Tuan, Darshan Hingu, Manfred Hauswirth, Danh Le-Phuoc
RDF stores provide a simple abstraction for publishing and querying data, that is becoming a norm in data sharing practice. They also empower the decentralised architecture of data publishing for the Web or IoT-driven systems. Such architecture shares a lot in common with blockchain infrastructure and technologies. Therefore, there are emerging interests in marrying RDF stores and blockchain to realise desirable but speculative benefits of blockchain-powered data sharing. This paper presents the first RDF store with blockchain that enables lightweight edge devices to control of the data sharing processes (personal, IoT data). Our novel approach on the deep integration of the storage design for RDF store enables the ability to enforce controlling measures on access methods and auditing policies over data elements via smart contracts before they fetched from the sources to the consumers. Our experiments show that the prototype system delivers an effective performance for a processing load of 1 billion triples on a small network of lightweight nodes which costs less than a commodity PC.
The problems of Permutation Routing via Matching and Token Swapping are reconfiguration problems on graphs. This paper is concerned with the complexity of those problems and a colored variant. For a given graph where each vertex has a unique token on it, those problems require to find a shortest way to modify a token placement into another by swapping tokens on adjacent vertices. While all pairs of tokens on a matching can be exchanged at once in Permutation Routing via Matching, Token Swapping allows only one pair of tokens can be swapped. In the colored version, vertices and tokens are colored and the goal is to relocate tokens so that each vertex has a token of the same color. We investigate the time complexity of several restricted cases of those problems and show when those problems become tractable and remain intractable.
In MOOCs, the learning resources authentication is a matter of great concern for the learners and teachers. Its construction is faced with the challenges of information security and privacy protection. Considering that the blockchain has the advantages of decentralisation, autonomous and non-tampering, this paper provides a solution to implement the construction based on blockchain technology, which includes the system architecture, experimental validation and key technologies such as decentralised transaction and tamper-resistance. The results prove the technical feasibility and safety reliability of blockchain to learning resource management in MOOCs.
Salvatore Esposito De Falco, Nicola Cucari, Emanuele Canuti, Stefano Modena
Blockchain technology can influence various aspects of the business even if empirical studies are still lacking to estimate the effective application of technology on corporate governance. Beyond its scientific-practical trendiness, blockchain should not be a matter of “if”, but a matter of “how” organizations are willing and able to integrate blockchain practices into their vision of the future, with ways to manage shareholders issues down to regular operations reaching and managing different levels of activism. It seems almost paradoxical that still not all companies subscribe to the “next best practice”. Therefore, this paper aims to answer the following research question: What is the expected impact of blockchain technology on corporate governance? The purpose of this study is to provide a starting point for research that can be used for further examination of these aspects
Systems that use blockchain technology to improve the know-your-customer (KYC) process have only been proposed at a conceptual level and all share certain attributes that make their adoption very difficult. We propose and program a blockchain-based system that reduces and shares out among the financial institutions (FIs) that work with a customer the costs of the KYC process and also makes it possible for FIs to dynamically update information related to customers and disseminates this information among participating FIs. Additionally, our system addresses some of the attributes that hinder the adoption of previously proposed solutions by FIs. The result is a stand-alone solution that reduces the cost of the KYC process without requiring any central instance to store the customer's data, and in which FIs share the initial costs of the KYC process as well as the running costs of keeping the information about customers up to date.
Blockchain technology has been applied in many fields to improve the management and data security of the information systems. In this paper, we describe the applications of blockchain technology in Electric Management Information System. First, the components and structure of the blockchain framework are introduced. Then the blockchain based authentication application is studied to integrate with existing IT infrastructure. Finally, the benefit and limitations of the proposed integrated framework are analyzed. As industrial application research, this paper could give a reference example for the applications of blockchain in the data management system.
Nowadays, Blockchain is one of the most desired technologies, because almost every industry seeks to apply it. Tourism was no exception. Manufacturers of services on the basis of a distributed database claim that thanks to the blockchain it is possible to completely get rid of the monopoly in the market, which in turn will lead to lower prices for services and increase the level of tourist comfort. The technology was first applied to the Bitcoin network. Now blockchain finds application in a wide variety of areas, from processing financial transactions to storage of data on the purchase of virtual cats. The tourism sector can use the blockchain to store publicly available information about the quality of hotels and the behaviors of tourists, to process transactions for the purchase of tickets and reservation of housing, to create databases for storing identity cards, etc. The subject of the article research is the use of blockchain in the tourism industry. The goal is to analyze the current state and determine the prospects for using blockchain technology in the tourism business. The tasks are to highlight the main problems and prospects for using the blockchain, as well as formulating a strategy for using this technology in the tourism market as a means of improving the quality of travel. The study uses theoretical, methodological and systematic methods of source analysis, including statistical materials, regulatory documents, scientific articles to assess the state of the use of blockchain technology in tourism and the prospects for its application. The following results were obtained: the main directions of the use of the blockchain in tourism were identified, its influence on the creation of a more diverse and flexible offer in the tourism services market. It is concluded that blockchain technology can provide greater security and transparency in the tourism industry thus increasing its profitability, which in turn affects the creation of new jobs and the standard of living of the population.
Blockchain technology is a revolutionary technology for its potential to build systems where strangers can transact with each other without the need of any intermediary to oversee the transaction between the parties. In our traditional degree certificate system, employers need to trust the intermediaries e.g. certificate holder, teacher and university officials for the legitimacy of the certificate. Because of trust, there are vulnerabilities to fraudulent activities by the intermediaries to produce fake diplomas or fake degree certificates. Fake certificates cause significant damages to the society. In this research, using design science research methodology (DSRM) process model, we have developed a conceptual model of a blockchain-based certificate system where blockchain technology replaces the need of trust on intermediaries in the certificate system and prevent the fraudulent activities to produce fake or illegitimate certificates. Our conceptual model addresses the fraudulent activities which are not addressed by the existing blockchain-based certificate systems. Developed artefact the conceptual model can be used for developing prototype and further research. This research also contributes to the research field of blockchain technology as a trust-free technology and fraud activities in degree certificate system.
Algan Tezel, Eleni Papadonikolaki, İbrahim Yitmen, Per Hilletofth
Blockchain, a peer-to-peer controlled, distributed database structure, has the potential to profoundly affect \nthe current business transactions in the construction industry through smart contracts, cryptocurrencies, and \nreliable asset tracking. The construction industry has often been criticized for being slow in embracing \nemerging technologies and not effectively diffusing those technologies through its supply chains. Often, the \nextensive fragmentation, traditional procurement structures, destructive competition, lack of collaboration \nand transparency, low-profit margins and human resources are shown as the main culprits for this. As \nBlockchain makes its presence felt strongly in many other industries like finance and banking, this paper \ninvestigates how to prepare construction supply chains for Blockchain technology through an explorative \nanalysis. Empirical data for the study were collected through semi-structured interviews with 17 subject \nexperts and focus groups. Alongside presenting a SWOT (strengths, weaknesses opportunities, threats) \nanalysis, the paper exhibits the requirements for and steps toward a construction supply structure facilitated \nby Blockchain.
Mark Bell, Alex Green, John Sheridan, John Collomosse · 8 authors
Archives have well-established practices which have been developed over years of working with analogue records. Now they face huge challenges due to the inexorable development of digital technologies. Not only is the heterogeneous nature of the records, their instability and the rapid pace of technological development a threat to the records’ survival, but the ease with which digital records can be altered has put archives in a technology arms race with those parties who would seek to falsify our digital inheritance and undermine democracy.In order to tackle these challenges, the ARCHANGEL project is breaking new ground by using blockchain to record checksums (cryptographic hashes) and other metadata derived from either scanned physical records or born-digital records to allow verification of their integrity over decade- or century-long time spans. This data is permanently preserved through peer-to-peer distribution and consensus checking without the need for a trusted third party, thereby enabling archives to prove the authenticity of the records in their custody.
Blockchain Technology is one of the latest technological advancements and has the potential to benefit many organizations. The focus of this paper is to provide an overview of Blockchain Technology to render a better understanding of what it is and how it operates. Another section of this paper will include a variety of questions that should be asked to determine if Blockchain Technology is the optimal solution for organizations. Within this section, how Blockchain Technology can be beneficial to organizations will also be summarized. Subsequently, there is a discussion showing how different industries are currently learning how to utilize the technology in order to gain an advantage in their sectors. This paper will also examine the results of a study conducted to assess public knowledge of Blockchain Technology.
Significant aspects of firm governance can (and, in coming years, likely will) be conducted on blockchains. This transition has already begun in some respects. The actions of early adopters illustrate that moving governance to blockchains will require legal adaptations. These adaptations are likely to be legislative, regulatory, and judicial. Firm management, policy-makers, and judges will turn to legal counsel for education and guidance.\nThis article describes blockchains and their potentially expansive use in several aspects of the governance of publicly traded corporations and outlines ways in which blockchain technology affects what business lawyers should know and do — now and in the future. Specifically, this article describes the nature of blockchain technology and ways in which the adoption of that technology may impact shareholder record keeping and voting, insider trading, and disclosure-related considerations. The article then reflects on implications for business lawyers and the practice of law in the context of corporate governance.
M. Abdeen, Salman Jan, Sohail Khan, Toqeer Ali Syed
Takaful – an Islamic alternative to conventional in-surance – is fast becoming one of the most important constituents of modern Islamic financial market. The fundamental difference between the two forms of risk mitigation is entrenched from the type of contract selected. The conventional insurance work on the principle of bilateral contracts between the customer (insured) and insurance provider where the insured pay regular premium in return for payment of compensation, in case of a predefined event occurs. On the other hand, Takaful works on the principle of mutual guarantee, cooperation and indemnity where the participants in the scheme mutually insure each other. The Takaful providers are mainly responsible for managing, administering and investigating the Takaful funds according to Islamic laws. This studies provides a decentralized architecture that securely implements Takaful risk mitigation system accord-ing to its principles. Since all major banking sectors are shifting towards Blockchain technology, as it is currently the only viable solution to offers security, transparency, integrity of resources and ensure trustworthiness among customers. The proposed studies offer state-of-the-art Blockchain technology and focus provide a Takaful system that strictly follows the underlying Islamic laws for this risk mitigation system. Moreover, the proposed platform provides all Takaful transactions over Blockchain that brings confidence and transparency to the community involved in the process.
Blockchain, introduced in bitcoin system is disrupting the way transactions are done in businesses via charging small transaction fees. It is observed that the acceptance of blocks in the blockchain is based on transaction value. Transmittals through blockchain are favoured due to low transaction cost and grander security. However, attempt of implementing blockchain to revolutionise business processes writhes from problem of waiting time for blocks. In this paper, the transaction-confirmation-time is appraised using queuing theory, where the approval rate of blocks in blockchain is concocted using Markov queue model. Four specific use cases of 1, 3, 6 and 60 confirmations are considered for practical purposes.
Md. Abdur Rahman, M. Shamim Hossain, Md. Mamunur Rashid, Stuart J. Barnes · 6 authors
Although ElectroEncephaloGram (EEG) signals allow subjects suffering from neuromuscular disorders to interface their brains with the cyber-physical world, occupational therapy can be enhanced with the introduction of further modalities better assist the disabled person. In this paper, we propose an in-home occupational therapy environment, which leverages a rich set of occupational therapy-related activity recognition modalities, namely, EEG signals to understand brain activity, ElectroMyoGram (EMG) signals for muscle activity, gesture-tracking sensors for forward and inverse kinematics activities, and smart home appliance control sensors. To support a wide variety of disabled people's in-home occupational therapy, we have incorporated both selective attention and motor imagery processes for mapping a mental command with that of an occupational therapy-related command within a serious game environment. To attain higher accuracy and to avoid a higher number of false positives, a subject is first recommended to use a selective attention-based serious game in which a digital avatar of the subject acting as a model therapist will guide the therapy session. Once familiar with the generation of proper motor imagery, an advanced user can use self-paced motor imagery signals to perform occupational therapy activities within the serious game environment. The occupational therapy consists of a serious game environment in which smart home appliances are mapped with therapeutic activities through forward and inverse kinematics. The therapy data has been secured through blockchain and off-chain-based distributed repositories. The test results show the viability of using the framework in a clinical environment.
We present a Blockchain collaboration mechanism on optimisation problems between distributed participants who work with building information modelling tools. The blockchain mechanism is capable of executing smart contracts, acting as a reward mechanism of independent designers attempting to collaborate or compete on optimising a design performance problem. Earlier work has described the potential integration through different levels of Computer Aided Design and Blockchain. We present an expanded version of that integration and we showcase how a team can collaboratively and competitively work, using BIM tools, through the blockchain. The original contribution of the paper is the use of the design optimisation performance as a consensus mechanism for block writing in blockchains. To accomplish that we introduce mechanisms for BIM to Blockchain Integration but also describe a special category of blockchains for architectural design and the built environment. The paper concludes with an analysis of the relationship between trust and values as encapsulated in the blockchain and how these could affect the design collaboration.
Land administration and title registration system is the system for storing land title information and managing<br>transactions involving land titles. Due to the sensitivity of land issues, land administration and title registration<br>system should be strong to avoid any document forgery, available all the time, and take a short time to complete<br>tasks. Thus, this study aims at designing a model for such system based on blockchain technology. The proposed<br>model is designed using UML diagrams and then tested for verification using statistical usage models (Markov<br>chains). The proposed model integrates the Integrated Land Management Information System (ILMIS) with<br>factom and bitcoin blockchains which enables encryption of information from ILMIS to get the fingerprint<br>information of each land title and store it to the blockchains. The model further encrypts the land information<br>from ILMIS when needed and then compare it with fingerprints from blockchains for verification. Such<br>implementation of the proposed model will help ILMIS to have the capability of providing tamper proof for<br>stored data, providing the self-notarization mechanism, and availability of evidence for the land title from<br>distributed databases. Furthermore, the society is expected to benefit from this study as the time and cost for<br>registering land title will decrease and the possibilities of a piece of land having more than one owner will not be<br>there.
This article describes an Integrated Decision Making Environment modeled after the human anatomy and various naturally occurring phenomena and processes, like swarming, and the human neural decision making process. Observing the natural fractals related to decision making, which can be clearly seen in bee swarms, ant colonies and human neurons, together with the organic capabilities of storing and distributing information using the DNA and the overall anatomy of the human body, we want to define a coherent organic Decision Making Environment custom-tailored for the human society by nature itself. In order to properly replicate the organic operating system used by the human body to govern itself we must first start looking at how data is distributed between cells and stored inside the DNA. In order to reproduce this kind of distributed and decentralized database we decided to use Blockchain technology as it shares a lot of the key properties with human DNA.
Blockchain is a decentralised, replicated, transparent and immutable data store. Blockchains are best described not as 'trustless', but on the basis of distributed trust: trusting everyone in aggregate. Consensus protocols are the heart and soul of the blockchains as they help in achieving this distributed trust. Blockchains are updated via the consensus protocols that guarantee their consistency and integrity over geographically distributed network nodes. Various algorithms can be applied to achieve a consensus based on the requirements like performance, security, scalability, consistency, and failure redundancy. Creating a global fair decentralised consensus protocol is of prime importance, in order to address above-mentioned requirements sufficiently. This paper focuses on analysing the already proposed consensus protocols adopted by popular blockchain platforms to determine their feasibility and efficiency. Parameters that are critical in evaluating blockchain consensus protocol are also discussed. This paper also analyses the hardness of achieving the fair decentralised trust with proof.