The Dark Side(-Channel) of Mobile Devices: A Survey on Network Traffic Analysis

In recent years, mobile devices (e.g., smartphones and tablets) have met an increasing commercial success and have become a fundamental element of the everyday life for billions of people all around the world. Mobile devices are used not only for traditional communication activities (e.g., voice calls and messages) but also for more advanced tasks made possible by an enormous amount of multi-purpose applications (e.g., finance, gaming, and shopping). As a result, those devices generate a significant network traffic (a consistent part of the overall Internet traffic). For this reason, the research community has been investigating security and privacy issues that are related to the network traffic generated by mobile devices, which could be analyzed to obtain information useful for a variety of goals (ranging from device security and network optimization, to fine-grained user profiling). In this paper, we review the works that contributed to the state of the art of network traffic analysis targeting mobile devices. In particular, we present a systematic classification of the works in the literature according to three criteria: (i) the goal of the analysis; (ii) the point where the network traffic is captured; and (iii) the targeted mobile platforms. In this survey, we consider points of capturing such as Wi-Fi Access Points, software simulation, and inside real mobile devices or emulators. For the surveyed works, we review and compare analysis techniques, validation methods, and achieved results. We also discuss possible countermeasures, challenges and possible directions for future research on mobile traffic analysis and other emerging domains (e.g., Internet of Things). We believe our survey will be a reference work for researchers and practitioners in this research field.Comment: 55 page

Addressing the Passenger Transport and Accessibility Enablers for Sustainable Development

Sustainable Development (SD) is a fundamental objective in the European Union (EU) and transport is considered one of the key challenges necessary to achieve it. Although transport is mostly contested from the environmental dimension, an investigation of peer-reviewed literature along with EU policy documents suggests that the transport and accessibility (T&A) criteria of infrastructure, accessibility distance, and multimodality can positively contribute to SD. However, despite this synergetic relation between T&A and SD, a practical analysis of such enablers is unknown at the regional European level. Therefore, this study investigates the Mediterranean as a study area by analyzing 79 identified passenger ports as passenger transport land-sea interaction points. Based on open access data, port infrastructure and ship accessibility, hinterland accessibility, and multimodality are evaluated as the passenger T&A enablers for SD. Comparative geo-spatial analyses are also carried out among the passenger ports\u2019 levels of enablers by using the data normalization method. These data driven comprehensive analytical results can bring added value to SD policy and planning initiatives in the Mediterranean. This study may also contribute to the development of relevant passenger port performance indicators for boosting port or regional competition and attractiveness towards SD

Padova Resiliente : linee guida per la costruzione del piano di adattamento al cambiamento climatico

Risulta sempre più evidente come i cambiamenti climatici richiedano una sostanziale modifica degli approcci alla pianificazione della città e del territorio, sia in termini di riduzione della produzione di emissioni clima-alteranti (mitigazione) sia nel rendere i sistemi urbani più resilienti alla progressiva variabilità del clima (adattamento). La presente guida rappresenta un primo documento operativo nell’ottica di avviare la redazione di un piano per l’adattamento di Padova in stretto raccordo con gli strumenti di governo della città e dell’ambiente, già previsti dalle normative locali. Le linee guida affrontano la costruzione di un piano di adattamento valutando le maggiori criticità ambientali del territorio comunale e orientando i risultati alla costruzione di un inventario degli impatti potenziali a breve e medio-lungo termine. Il documento si completa con alcune ipotesi di soluzioni operative. Il percorso teorico metodologico presentato nella guida è stato sviluppato dall’Università Iuav di Venezia in collaborazione con il Settore Ambiente e Territorio del Comune di Padova

Urban digital center - innovation lab di Rovigo e l’uso dei dati aperti a supporto di decisioni di policy sostenibili per la città

Il Comune di Rovigo, grazie ad un bando POR FESR, ha potuto costituire un Innovation Lab dove è stata avviata una sperimentazione volta ad attivare un percorso di animazione territoriale con attenzione ai temi delle trasformazioni territoriali e con l’intento di produrre e valorizzare Open Data a supporto di decisioni di policy. Come partner, l’Università Iuav ha sviluppato un percorso di mappature partecipate sui temi dello Sviluppo Sostenibile su scala locale, oltre ad attività divulgative sugli SDGs dell’Agenda Onu. Questo percorso rappresenta un caso pilota nel coinvolgimento della cittadinanza nella produzione di dati territoriali e di utilizzo innovativo di dataset per le PA, utili per un’analisi osservante tematiche e fenomeni generalmente non considerati nelle fasi d’istruzione dei processi di pianificazione e politiche locali. Ai fini di ricerca, diventa pertanto interessante indagarne le potenzialità in ottica di un’integrazione con gli strati informativi tradizionali

Nanocrystalline lanthanum oxyfluoride thin films by XPS

Nanocrystalline lanthanum oxyfluoride thin films were synthesized by chemical vapor deposition (CVD) using La(hfa)3(diglyme) (hfa=1,1,1,5,5,5-hexafluoro-2,4-pentanedionate; diglyme=bis(2-metoxyethyl)ether) as precursor compound. The coatings were deposited on Si(100) and commercial silica slides in nitrogen+wet oxygen atmospheres, at temperatures between 200 and 500 \ub0C, with particular attention to the structural and compositional evolution as a function of the synthesis conditions and growth surface. The obtained samples were characterized by glancingincidence x-ray diffraction (GIXRD), secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS), x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and atomic force microscopy (AFM), for a detailed determination of their microstructure, chemical composition, and surface morphology. This work is dedicated to the XPS characterization of a representative LaOF thin film deposited on Si(100) at 500 \ub0C. Besides the wide scan spectrum, detailed spectra for the La 3d, F 1s, O 1s, and C 1s regions and related data are presented and discussed. Both the F/La atomic ratio and La 3d peak shape and position point to the formation of stoichiometric LaOF thin films. Moreover, carbon contamination was merely limited to the outermost sample layers

CVD of nanosized ZnS and CdS thin films from single-source precursors

A chemical vapor deposition (CVD) route to nanosized ZnS and CdS thin films was developed. The layers were deposited on SiO2 substrates in a N2 atmosphere at temperatures between 473 and 723 K using M(O-iPrXan)2 [M =Zn,Cd; O-iPrXan = S2COCH(CH3)2] as single-source precursors. Thermal decomposition and fragmentation of M(O-iPrXan)2 compounds were investigated by thermal analyses and mass spectrometry. The sulfide films were thoroughly characterized in their composition, nanostructure, and morphology by means of several analytical techniques. Surface and in-depth chemical composition was studied by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, X-ray excited Auger electron spectroscopy, and secondary ion mass spectrometry. Film nanostructure and surface topography were investigated as a function of the synthesis conditions by glancing incidence X-ray diffraction and atomic force microscopy, respectively. Optical absorption properties were also studied. Nanophasic and contaminant-free ZnS and CdS thin films with an average crystallite size lower than 25 nm were obtained. The layers mainly contained the hexagonal (alpha) sulfide phase and displayed a smooth and regular surface morphology. In the present work, the influence of synthesis conditions on film characteristics is analyzed and discussed

Silica-supported Ag-Au bimetallic nanosystems by XPS

Bimetallic Ag-Au/SiO2 nanosystems were synthesized by sequential deposition of Au and Ag on silica substrates via rf-sputtering. Sample preparation was accomplished at 60 \ub0C from Ar plasmas, using a constant sputtering time for gold (10 min), followed by silver deposition at different times (5-20 min) in order to vary the Ag/Au ratio as well as the total metal content. A proper choice of the synthesis conditions allowed us to obtain a controlled dispersion of silica-supported bimetallic nanoparticles with tailored size and shape, as evidenced by X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS), X-ray Excited Auger Electron Spectroscopy (XE-AES), Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM), Selected Area Electron Diffraction (SAED), and optical absorption spectroscopy. This work is devoted to the XPS and XE-AES characterization of a representative Ag-Au/SiO2 specimen with an average nanoparticle size of 9 +/- 5 nm. In particular, detailed scans for the C 1s, O 1s, Si 2s, Au 4 f, Ag 3d, and Ag MNN regions and related data are presented and discussed

Nanostructured cadmium sulphide thin films by XPS

Nanostructured cadmium sulfide thin films were deposited on SiO2 by a cold-wall low-pressure CVD reaction system starting from the single-source precursor Cd(O-iPrXan)2 [O-iPrXan = S2COCH(CH3)2]. Deposition experiments were carried out in an inert nitrogen atmosphere in optimized pressure/gas flow conditions. The obtained films were analyzed by x-ray diffraction (XRD), x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and atomic force microscopy (AFM) for a detailed determination of their microstructure, chemical composition, and surface morphology, while UV-Vis measurements were carried out in order to investigate their optical properties. Irrespective of the preparative conditions, all the films displayed the typical absorption spectrum of CdS, with an energy gap value Eg = 2.5 eV. AFM analyses showed that flat, uniform, and crack-free layers were obtained under all the adopted synthetic conditions. This result is of interest in view of potential applications in optoelectronic devices like solar cells, where a smooth and regular morphology is required. In this work, XPS analyses of a representative CdS thin film deposited at 400 \ub0C are presented. Besides the wide scan spectrum, charge corrected binding energies for the Cd 3d5/2, Cd 3d3/2, Cd MNN, S 2p3/2, S 2p1/2, O ls, and C 1s surface photoelectron signals are reported and discussed