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18 pages, 532 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Relevance of Cognitive and Affective Factors to Explain the Acceptance of Blockchain Use: The Case of Loyalty Programmes

by Mar Souto-Romero, Mario Arias-Oliva, Jorge de Andrés-Sánchez and Miguel Llorens-Marín

Computers 2025, 14(1), 8; https://doi.org/10.3390/computers14010008 - 28 Dec 2024

Viewed by 1219

Abstract

Blockchain technology has been highlighted as one of the most promising technologies to emerge in the 21st century. However, the expansion of blockchain applications is progressing much more slowly than initially expected, despite its promising properties. These considerations motivate this study, which evaluates [...] Read more.

Blockchain technology has been highlighted as one of the most promising technologies to emerge in the 21st century. However, the expansion of blockchain applications is progressing much more slowly than initially expected, despite its promising properties. These considerations motivate this study, which evaluates the drivers that facilitate the adoption of this technology through blockchain-based loyalty programs (BBLPs). The analytical framework used is the conceptual groundwork known as the cognitive–affective–normative model. Thus, we propose to explain the behavioural intention to use BBLPs (BEHAV) with two cognitive variables, namely perceived usefulness (USEFUL) and perceived ease of use (EASE); two affective variables, namely positive emotions (PEMO) and negative emotions (NEMO); and a normative factor, namely, the subjective norm (SNORM). A partial least squares-structural equation modelling analysis suggests that, to explain the expected response of BEHAV, only the positive relationships of the cognitive constructs with the response variable are significant. The results of the quantile regression suggest that the cognitive constructs, especially USEFUL, have a consistently significant positive influence across the entire response range of the response variable. The affective variables are significant in explaining the lower quantiles of BEHAV but not across the full response range. NEMO consistently has a significant negative influence on BEHAV in the percentiles at or below the median response. PEMO has a significantly positive influence on some of the BEHAV percentiles below the median, although this impact is not consistent across the lower quantiles of the median. The normative variable appears to have a residual influence on BEHAV, which, when significant (at the 90th quantile), is, contrary to expectations, negative. The results highlight that, while cognitive variables are essential in the acceptance of BBLPs, emotions—particularly negative ones—play an especially significant role among potential users whose level of acceptance falls below the central trend. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue When Blockchain Meets IoT: Challenges and Potentials)

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13 pages, 1337 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Access Control Verification in Smart Contracts Using Colored Petri Nets

by Issam Al-Azzoni and Saqib Iqbal

Computers 2024, 13(11), 274; https://doi.org/10.3390/computers13110274 - 22 Oct 2024

Viewed by 824

Abstract

This paper presents an approach for the verification of access control in smart contracts written in the Digital Asset Modeling Language (DAML). The approach utilizes Colored Petri Nets (CPNs) and their analysis tool CPN Tools. It is a model-driven-based approach that employs a [...] Read more.

This paper presents an approach for the verification of access control in smart contracts written in the Digital Asset Modeling Language (DAML). The approach utilizes Colored Petri Nets (CPNs) and their analysis tool CPN Tools. It is a model-driven-based approach that employs a new meta-model for capturing access control requirements in DAML contracts. The approach is supported by a suite of tools that fully automates all of the steps: parsing DAML code, generating DAML model instances, transforming the DAML models into CPN models, and model checking the generated CPN models. The approach is tested using several DAML scripts involving access control extracted from different domains of blockchain applications. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue When Blockchain Meets IoT: Challenges and Potentials)

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26 pages, 2756 KiB

Open AccessArticle

A Blockchain-Based Electronic Health Record (EHR) System for Edge Computing Enhancing Security and Cost Efficiency

by Valerio Mandarino, Giuseppe Pappalardo and Emiliano Tramontana

Computers 2024, 13(6), 132; https://doi.org/10.3390/computers13060132 - 24 May 2024

Cited by 10 | Viewed by 3644

Abstract

Blockchain technology offers unique features, such as transparency, the immutability of data, and the capacity to establish trust without a central authority. Such characteristics can be leveraged to support the collaboration among several different software systems operating within the healthcare ecosystem, while ensuring [...] Read more.

Blockchain technology offers unique features, such as transparency, the immutability of data, and the capacity to establish trust without a central authority. Such characteristics can be leveraged to support the collaboration among several different software systems operating within the healthcare ecosystem, while ensuring data integrity and make electronic health records (EHRs) more easily accessible. To provide a solution based on blockchain technology, this paper has evaluated the main issues that arise when large amounts of data are expected, i.e., mainly cost and performance. A balanced approach that maximizes the benefits and mitigates the constraints of the blockchain has been designed. The proposed decentralized application (dApp) architecture employs a hybrid storage strategy that involves storing medical records locally, on users’ devices, while utilizing blockchain to manage an index of these data. The dApp clients facilitate interactions among participants, leveraging a smart contract to enable patients to set authorization policies, thereby ensuring that only designated healthcare providers and authorized entities have access to specific medical records. The blockchain data-immutability property is used to validate data stored externally. This solution significantly reduces the costs related to the utilization of the blockchain, while retaining its advantages, and improves performance, since the majority of data are available off-chain. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue When Blockchain Meets IoT: Challenges and Potentials)

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25 pages, 9733 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Blockchain-Powered Gaming: Bridging Entertainment with Serious Game Objectives

by Dimitrios Stamatakis, Dimitrios G. Kogias, Pericles Papadopoulos, Panagiotis A. Karkazis and Helen C. Leligou

Computers 2024, 13(1), 14; https://doi.org/10.3390/computers13010014 - 3 Jan 2024

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 5698

Abstract

The advancement and acceptance of new technologies often hinges on the level of understanding and trust among potential users. Blockchain technology, despite its broad applications across diverse sectors, is often met with skepticism due to a general lack of understanding and incidents of [...] Read more.

The advancement and acceptance of new technologies often hinges on the level of understanding and trust among potential users. Blockchain technology, despite its broad applications across diverse sectors, is often met with skepticism due to a general lack of understanding and incidents of illicit activities in the cryptocurrency domain. This study aims to demystify blockchain technology by providing an in-depth examination of its application in a novel blockchain-based card game, centered around renewable energy and sustainable resource management. This paper introduces a serious game that uses blockchain to enhance user interaction, ownership, and gameplay, demonstrating the technology’s potential to revolutionize the gaming industry. Notable aspects of the game, such as ownership of virtual assets, transparent transaction histories, trustless game mechanics, user-driven content creation, gasless transactions, and mechanisms for in-game asset trading and cross-platform asset reuse are analyzed. The paper discusses how these features, not only provide a richer gaming experience but also serve as effective tools for raising awareness about sustainable energy and resource management, thereby bridging the gap between entertainment and education. The case study offers valuable insights into how blockchain can create dynamic, secure, and participatory virtual environments, shifting the paradigm of traditional online gaming. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue When Blockchain Meets IoT: Challenges and Potentials)

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23 pages, 1427 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Ontology Development for Detecting Complex Events in Stream Processing: Use Case of Air Quality Monitoring

by Rose Yemson, Sohag Kabir, Dhavalkumar Thakker and Savas Konur

Computers 2023, 12(11), 238; https://doi.org/10.3390/computers12110238 - 16 Nov 2023

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2118

Abstract

With the increasing amount of data collected by IoT devices, detecting complex events in real-time has become a challenging task. To overcome this challenge, we propose the utilisation of semantic web technologies to create ontologies that structure background knowledge about the complex event-processing [...] Read more.

With the increasing amount of data collected by IoT devices, detecting complex events in real-time has become a challenging task. To overcome this challenge, we propose the utilisation of semantic web technologies to create ontologies that structure background knowledge about the complex event-processing (CEP) framework in a way that machines can easily comprehend. Our ontology focuses on Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) data, asthma patients’ activities and symptoms, and how IAQ can be related to asthma symptoms and daily activities. Our goal is to detect complex events within the stream of events and accurately determine pollution levels and symptoms of asthma attacks based on daily activities. We conducted a thorough testing of our enhanced CEP framework with a real dataset, and the results indicate that it outperforms traditional CEP across various evaluation metrics such as accuracy, precision, recall, and F1-score. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue When Blockchain Meets IoT: Challenges and Potentials)

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Review

Jump to: Research

28 pages, 1185 KiB

Open AccessReview

Integrating Blockchains with the IoT: A Review of Architectures and Marine Use Cases

by Andreas Polyvios Delladetsimas, Stamatis Papangelou, Elias Iosif and George Giaglis

Computers 2024, 13(12), 329; https://doi.org/10.3390/computers13120329 - 6 Dec 2024

Viewed by 1262

Abstract

This review examines the integration of blockchain technology with the IoT in the Marine Internet of Things (MIoT) and Internet of Underwater Things (IoUT), with applications in areas such as oceanographic monitoring and naval defense. These environments present distinct challenges, including a limited [...] Read more.

This review examines the integration of blockchain technology with the IoT in the Marine Internet of Things (MIoT) and Internet of Underwater Things (IoUT), with applications in areas such as oceanographic monitoring and naval defense. These environments present distinct challenges, including a limited communication bandwidth, energy constraints, and secure data handling needs. Enhancing BIoT systems requires a strategic selection of computing paradigms, such as edge and fog computing, and lightweight nodes to reduce latency and improve data processing in resource-limited settings. While a blockchain can improve data integrity and security, it can also introduce complexities, including interoperability issues, high energy consumption, standardization challenges, and costly transitions from legacy systems. The solutions reviewed here include lightweight consensus mechanisms to reduce computational demands. They also utilize established platforms, such as Ethereum and Hyperledger, or custom blockchains designed to meet marine-specific requirements. Additional approaches incorporate technologies such as fog and edge layers, software-defined networking (SDN), the InterPlanetary File System (IPFS) for decentralized storage, and AI-enhanced security measures, all adapted to each application’s needs. Future research will need to prioritize scalability, energy efficiency, and interoperability for effective BIoT deployment. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue When Blockchain Meets IoT: Challenges and Potentials)

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16 pages, 714 KiB

Open AccessReview

Integrating Machine Learning with Non-Fungible Tokens

by Elias Iosif and Leonidas Katelaris

Computers 2024, 13(6), 147; https://doi.org/10.3390/computers13060147 - 7 Jun 2024

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1353

Abstract

In this paper, we undertake a thorough comparative examination of data resources pertinent to Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs) within the framework of Machine Learning (ML). The core research question of the present work is how the integration of ML techniques and NFTs manifests across [...] Read more.

In this paper, we undertake a thorough comparative examination of data resources pertinent to Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs) within the framework of Machine Learning (ML). The core research question of the present work is how the integration of ML techniques and NFTs manifests across various domains. Our primary contribution lies in proposing a structured perspective for this analysis, encompassing a comprehensive array of criteria that collectively span the entire spectrum of NFT-related data. To demonstrate the application of the proposed perspective, we systematically survey a selection of indicative research works, drawing insights from diverse sources. By evaluating these data resources against established criteria, we aim to provide a nuanced understanding of their respective strengths, limitations, and potential applications within the intersection of NFTs and ML. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue When Blockchain Meets IoT: Challenges and Potentials)

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25 pages, 752 KiB

Open AccessReview

Security and Privacy of Technologies in Health Information Systems: A Systematic Literature Review

by Parisasadat Shojaei, Elena Vlahu-Gjorgievska and Yang-Wai Chow

Computers 2024, 13(2), 41; https://doi.org/10.3390/computers13020041 - 31 Jan 2024

Cited by 25 | Viewed by 34739

Abstract

Health information systems (HISs) have immense value for healthcare institutions, as they provide secure storage, efficient retrieval, insightful analysis, seamless exchange, and collaborative sharing of patient health information. HISs are implemented to meet patient needs, as well as to ensure the security and [...] Read more.

Health information systems (HISs) have immense value for healthcare institutions, as they provide secure storage, efficient retrieval, insightful analysis, seamless exchange, and collaborative sharing of patient health information. HISs are implemented to meet patient needs, as well as to ensure the security and privacy of medical data, including confidentiality, integrity, and availability, which are necessary to achieve high-quality healthcare services. This systematic literature review identifies various technologies and methods currently employed to enhance the security and privacy of medical data within HISs. Various technologies have been utilized to enhance the security and privacy of healthcare information, such as the IoT, blockchain, mobile health applications, cloud computing, and combined technologies. This study also identifies three key security aspects, namely, secure access control, data sharing, and data storage, and discusses the challenges faced in each aspect that must be enhanced to ensure the security and privacy of patient information in HISs. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue When Blockchain Meets IoT: Challenges and Potentials)

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