Free Open Access issue published by International Journal of Information and Communication Technology

The International Journal of Information and Communication Technology has published an Open Access issue. All of the issue’s papers can be downloaded via the full-text links available here.

• Music score recognition and stylised music generation based on multi-scale feature fusion CRNN and GAN-transformer
• Towards dynamic knowledge graph-based RAG system optimisation for power system large language models
• Explainable knowledge tracking for industry-education integration based on a causal attention mechanism
• Simulation of copper ore formation based on multi-source geological data and deep learning
• Pattern recognition of digital trade flows in manufacturing clusters using graph neural networks

New Open Access article available: "Likes and subscriptions: a discursive analysis of the path from entrepreneurial motivation to leadership"

The following International Journal of Business Innovation and Research article, "Likes and subscriptions: a discursive analysis of the path from entrepreneurial motivation to leadership", is freely available for download as an open access article.

It can be downloaded via the full-text link available here.

Free Open Access issue published by International Journal of Business and Globalisation

The International Journal of Business and Globalisation has published an Open Access issue. All of the issue’s papers can be downloaded via the full-text links available here.

• Strategy in transition: evolving beyond competitive advantage
• Economic policy uncertainty and corporate finance: a bibliometric review with a focus on cash holdings and financial stability

Research pick: Natural diamonds are not quite forever - "Comparative analysis and price modelling of natural and lab-grown diamonds"

Natural diamonds consistently command higher prices per carat than laboratory-grown, synthetic, diamonds, according to a large-scale analysis of online diamond sales in the International Journal of Electronic Marketing and Retailing. This perhaps not-surprising finding does suggest that the two products should be treated as distinct market segments.

The researchers analysed almost 200,000 diamond listings collected from an online retailer. Just over three-quarters of the listings were for natural diamonds, and the remainder were synthetic. They found that carat weight, the diamond’s mass, with one carat equal to 0.2 grams, was the strongest influence on price for both categories. Colour and clarity, which describe a stone’s hue and the presence of internal or external imperfections, respectively, were secondary to mass.

However, when they compared prices across groups defined by carat range, colour and clarity, examining both round and intricately shaped stones, they found that bigger natural diamonds had a higher per-carat value in every subgroup of the round-diamond analysis, while the same broad difference was also found among intricately shaped stones.

The findings bolster the need to make this increasingly important distinction in the jewellery trade. Synethetic diamonds have exactly the same chemical composition and crystal structure as natural diamonds but are produced artificially, using high-pressure, high-temperature synthesis, and chemical vapour deposition. Whereas natural diamonds are mined from natural sources that are millions of years old.

The researchers argue that the observed price differences provide a basis for treating lab-grown diamonds as a separate market and for further research into pricing, investment diversification, and consumer valuation. The analysis also offers a framework for examining how attributes traditionally used to value mined diamonds operate in the growing lab-grown market.

The findings might invite a broader question: why do we attach such extraordinary economic and cultural importance to what are essentially chunks of carbon when much of their value is socially constructed around scarcity, provenance, and the subjective concepts of luxury?

Huang, C., Wang, H.Y. and Zhang, L. (2026) ‘Comparative analysis and price modelling of natural and lab-grown diamonds’, Int. J. Electronic Marketing and Retailing, Vol. 18, No. 5, pp.1–25.

News media may use this press release as source material, in whole or in part, provided the content is not materially misrepresented. A link back to the original article is appreciated.

Free Open Access special issue on "Intelligent Multimedia Technologies in Cultural Tourism: Enhancing Artistic Expression and Humanistic Engagement – Part 2" published by International Journal of Arts and Technology

The International Journal of Arts and Technology has published an Open Access issue. All of the issue’s papers can be downloaded via the full-text links available here.

• The analysis of new media art expression in the metaverse environment based on artificial intelligence and internet of things
• The impact of vocal music teaching in the context of cultural tourism based on the fuzzy auxiliary cognitive system of brain intelligence
• Neuroscientific effects of main melody films on audience patriotic sentiment in the context of culture tourism integration: an IoB perspective
• Construction of an AHP-based innovation and entrepreneurship evaluation system driven by artistic creativity in the cultural and tourism context
• Optimisation of intelligent composition technology based on deep neural networks in the context of cultural tourism IoT
• Translation analysis of black earth cultural communication using multimedia artificial intelligence
• Optimisation of traditional cultural identity education strategies for ethnic minority college students under intelligent multimedia technology and cultural tourism
• The analysis of Chinese red classic literature communication culture tourism based on intelligent long short-term memory networks and deep learning
• Narrative optimisation and audience immersive conversion mechanism of cultural tourism short drama driven by generative artificial intelligence
• The analysis of algorithmic composition of polyphonic Miao folk songs using deep learning

Free sample articles newly available from International Journal of Technology Transfer and Commercialisation

The following sample articles from the International Journal of Technology Transfer and Commercialisation are now available here for free:

• Investigating factors and support systems in social entrepreneurship and intention
• Online switching behaviour: an empirical investigation using the pull-push-mooring model during the pandemic
• The willingness of consumers to pay for fruit and vegetables: does crisis-related health like COVID-19 matter?
• Casualisation of teaching workforce in higher education sector: a study of its impact on the relative performance of the employees
• Innovative resource management for strategic entrepreneurship and competitive advantage

Free Open Access issue published by International Journal of Information and Communication Technology

The International Journal of Information and Communication Technology has published an Open Access issue. All of the issue’s papers can be downloaded via the full-text links available here.

• BIM-based carbon emissions tracing and diagnosis for building operations and maintenance using constraint-based causal discovery
• Emotion computing for narrative salience in children's stage performances based on adaptive attention flows
• Stress level identification during sports competitions using clustering and recommendation algorithms
• Intelligent agent reinforcement learning integrated with knowledge graphs for optimising personalised learning paths
• Digital economy based on text mining and panel vector autoregressive-green policy synergy analysis

Research pick: Can you feel the force? - "Preparation and performance of supramolecular polymer-based piezoresistive damping composites"

Researchers have developed a polymer composite that combines vibration damping with reliable strain sensing. The material uses a thermoplastic polyurethane matrix containing UPy (2-ureido-4[1H]-pyrimidinone) units, which form reversible quadruple hydrogen bonds. These molecular links can break and re-form.

This property allows the material to dissipate mechanical energy while retaining its self-healing capacity. By adding two filler materials, a modified silica and and functionalised multi-walled carbon nanotubes, they were able to create a stable conductive network. Details are discussed in the International Journal of Materials and Product Technology.

The team explains how their work has overcome the challenge of damping that relies on molecular movement, while piezoresistive sensing requires a stable network through which electrical resistance changes predictably under strain. The team's tests showed that even after 10000 cycles at 50 per cent strain, the composite retained almost 92 per cent of its response.

Within the study, the researchers have also developed a model to predict how filler connectivity and molecular bonding affect the mechanical and electrical properties of the composite. That additional work will help in the development of materials designed to suppress vibration while monitoring structural deformation in demanding engineering and high-tech structural applications.

Wang, X., Yang, X., Li, Y., Lu, X., Chen, S. and Geng, Z. (2026) ‘Preparation and performance of supramolecular polymer-based piezoresistive damping composites’, Int. J. Materials and Product Technology, Vol. 70, No. 6, pp.123–145.

News media may use this press release as source material, in whole or in part, provided the content is not materially misrepresented. A link back to the original article is appreciated.

Free Open Access issue published by International Journal of Reasoning-based Intelligent Systems

The International Journal of Reasoning-based Intelligent Systems has published an Open Access issue. All of the issue’s papers can be downloaded via the full-text links available here.

• Design and application research of an AI teaching assistant for enhancing classroom instructional capabilities based on analysis of classroom audio and video
• Attention-enhanced linear discriminant analysis for robust facial recognition in dynamic attendance systems
• Optimising college English translation course teaching strategies by multi-modal representation learning
• A music style recognition system by multi-task LSTM and its application in Orff music pedagogy
• Feasibility of additive manufacturing for personalised lighting design: a multi-criteria assessment of process capability, optical performance and techno-economic viability
• Wear prediction of agricultural machinery contact parts based on Bayesian optimisation

New Open Access article available: "Agile framework for minimum viable capabilities in traditionally linear engineering acquisition cultures"

The following International Journal of Agile Systems and Management article, "Agile framework for minimum viable capabilities in traditionally linear engineering acquisition cultures", is freely available for download as an open access article.

It can be downloaded via the full-text link available here.

Free Open Access issue published by International Journal of Information and Communication Technology

The International Journal of Information and Communication Technology has published an Open Access issue. All of the issue’s papers can be downloaded via the full-text links available here.

• Research on the analysis of influencing factors and optimal control of cigarette ventilation rate stability based on machine learning
• Hybrid LLM fine-tuning and RAG algorithm for power communication: a weight optimisation model based on dynamic knowledge retrieval
• A physics-informed neural network-based edge-cloud collaborative digital twin for predictive maintenance of ageing railway signalling equipment
• User purchase intention prediction algorithm for e-commerce precise operation needs
• Self-supervised extraction of perspective cues from hand-drawn sketches in environmental design

Research pick: Laying down silica to build a better bridge - "Crack resistance and toughening mechanism of nano-SiO2 reinforced PVA fibre cement matrix composites in steel bridge engineering"

Research in the International Journal of Materials and Product Technology has demonstrated that adding a small amount of nanoscopic silica particles to a fibre-reinforced cement composite can improve its resistance to cracking. The finding could be used to improve durability in steel bridge structures, the team explains.

The researchers looked at cement-based composites made from cement, quartz sand, nano silica and polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) fibres. They tested six concentrations of nano silica, ranging from 0 to 2.5% by content. Adding 0.5% nano silica improved overall performance the most. Indeed, when compared to similar composites with no nano silica, the material was found to have a compressive strength 10 per cent higher, flexural strength improved by almost 14 per cent, and initial fracture toughness was more than 8 per cent higher. Fracture toughness measures a material's ability to resist the growth of cracks once they form.

The work could address a persistent challenge in composite steel bridges where the use of composite beams can reduce construction time, but leaves the concrete vulnerable to cracks in areas subjected to negative bending forces around supports. The team suggests that careful optimisation is needed to ensure that the right formulation is used for particular bridges and other demanding construction applications.

Wang, P. and Wang, Y. (2026) ‘Crack resistance and toughening mechanism of nano-SiO2 reinforced PVA fibre cement matrix composites in steel bridge engineering’, Int. J. Materials and Product Technology, Vol. 70, No. 6, pp.83–98.

News media may use this press release as source material, in whole or in part, provided the content is not materially misrepresented. A link back to the original article is appreciated.

New Open Access article available: "A standardised public procurement data architecture: a framework for tendering-stage analytics and decision support"

The following International Journal of Procurement Management article, "A standardised public procurement data architecture: a framework for tendering-stage analytics and decision support", is freely available for download as an open access article.

It can be downloaded via the full-text link available here.

New Open Access article available: "Developing and operationalising a sector-specific big data maturity model for the telecommunications industry"

The following International Journal of Business Information Systems article, "Developing and operationalising a sector-specific big data maturity model for the telecommunications industry", is freely available for download as an open access article.

It can be downloaded via the full-text link available here.

Research pick: A proper cuppa from a proper pot - "An intelligent fuzzy evaluation model for digital heritage design: a cyber-physical systems perspective on closed-loop feedback mechanisms"

The Yixing Zisha teapot sits neatly at the intersection of art, engineering, and heritage. As such, it makes for an intriguing test case for a technology increasingly taking on creative tasks across almost every field of human endeavour, artificial intelligence, or AI. Research in the International Journal of Systems, Control and Communications describes a computational system that can help AI generate new teapot designs without losing the cultural characteristics that make the craft distinctive.

That distinction matters. Generative AI may produce an attractive image or form, but calling the result design can obscure the human knowledge traditionally involved in making an object. At a time when AI-generated art is attracting widespread criticism for flooding creative spaces with superficially polished but culturally thin material, the researchers are attempting something more demanding. They hope to give the machine constraints that reflect the knowledge behind the tradition.

The researchers combined three methods: grounded theory, which identifies concepts from interview data; the analytic hierarchy process, which assigns relative importance to evaluation criteria; and fuzzy comprehensive evaluation, a mathematical method for handling uncertain or subjective judgements. The resulting system scores the cultural value of AI-generated teapot designs and feeds the results back into the generation process.

The team identifies four levels of cultural characteristics: instinctive, behavioural, reflective and evolutionary. These are derived through expert interviews and qualitative coding, allowing the system to identify departures from desired cultural and functional characteristics and signal adjustments.

In simulations, the system distinguished between designs and showed resistance to disturbances in the data. The wider significance is that AI might be used not simply to generate more heritage-inspired objects but to impose some of the cultural knowledge that makes them meaningful.

He, Y. (2026) ‘An intelligent fuzzy evaluation model for digital heritage design: a cyber-physical systems perspective on closed-loop feedback mechanisms’, Int. J. Systems, Control and Communications, Vol. 17, No. 6, pp.1–16.

News media may use this press release as source material, in whole or in part, provided the content is not materially misrepresented. A link back to the original article is appreciated.

Free Open Access issue published by International Journal of Information and Communication Technology

The International Journal of Information and Communication Technology has published an Open Access issue. All of the issue’s papers can be downloaded via the full-text links available here.

• Student facial expression recognition and learning status analysis based on LFM-FD model
• Taekwondo movement quality evaluation algorithm based on OpenPose skeleton extraction optimisation
• Prediction accuracy enhancement of student performance in nursing education using adaptive reinforcement learning
• Transformer fault diagnosis model for power system based on improved CNN-BiLSTM and multimodal feature fusion
• Cluster analysis of innovation and entrepreneurship education quality based on mutual information features

New Open Access article available: "Green omnichannel capability and brand loyalty management: organisational assessments of customer green perception and behaviour in Thai businesses"

The following International Journal of Business Innovation and Research article, "Green omnichannel capability and brand loyalty management: organisational assessments of customer green perception and behaviour in Thai businesses", is freely available for download as an open access article.

It can be downloaded via the full-text link available here.

New Open Access article available: "Comparative analysis and price modelling of natural and lab-grown diamonds"

The following International Journal of Electronic Marketing and Retailing article, "Comparative analysis and price modelling of natural and lab-grown diamonds", is freely available for download as an open access article.

It can be downloaded via the full-text link available here.

Free Open Access issue published by International Journal of Information and Communication Technology

The International Journal of Information and Communication Technology has published an Open Access issue. All of the issue’s papers can be downloaded via the full-text links available here.

• Artificial intelligence - driven digital transformation framework for smart universities
• 3D-SCN: a high-fidelity stylised generation model for ethnic music
• Spatio-temporal graph neural networks for dynamic warehouse logistics configuration in cross-border e-commerce
• Semantic association and cognitive-level adaptation of multimodal teaching resources using knowledge forest and transformer models
• Impact of wearable devices on exercise engagement and academic outcomes in college physical education

Free Open Access issue published by International Journal of Revenue Management

The International Journal of Revenue Management has published an Open Access issue. All of the issue’s papers can be downloaded via the full-text links available here.

• Exploring the moderating role of CEO overconfidence in the CSR-financial performance nexus: a quantile analysis in the banking sector
• Do top ranked ESG score countries provide diversification opportunities with global markets?
• Comparative study on classifying overinvestment by machine learning
• Factors affecting the use of cost management system information and financial performance in Vietnam manufacturers
• Governance quality and stock market returns: a comparative study of developed, emerging and frontier markets

Research pick: Responsive anti-counterfeit ink - "Preparation of intelligent responsive printing materials and their application in anti-counterfeiting and packaging"

Research in the International Journal of Materials and Product Technology describes a responsive printing system designed to make anti-counterfeit labels more durable, easier to produce at scale and simpler to verify with a smart phone.

The system combines three elements: temperature- and light-responsive microcapsules, an ultraviolet (UV) ink formulated for high-speed printing, and a portable detection terminal. The microcapsules are tiny polymer shells containing functional materials and can be produced at room temperature. Their use in the printing process allows the printed material to respond to both temperature and light.

The team has used nanotechnology linkers to strengthen connections within the polymer capsules so that they are stable even in hot and humid conditions. The ink, which contains no volatile organic solvent, works well with high-speed screen and inkjet printing. Colour fastness is at more than 83 per cent after five periods in cold storage.

A smartphone-based detector can then be used to measure how light interacts with the anti-counterfeit label. The data is then analysed using a machine-learning system to verify the origin of a given label. Tests showed the system to have almost 97.5 per cent accuracy when checking highly convincing imitation labels.

The researchers say the system could be used to make responsive anti-counterfeiting materials for packaging across many different sectors.

Wu, H., Zhou, X. and Li, Q. (2026) ‘Preparation of intelligent responsive printing materials and their application in anti-counterfeiting and packaging’, Int. J. Materials and Product Technology, Vol. 70, No. 6, pp.63–82.

News media may use this press release as source material, in whole or in part, provided the content is not materially misrepresented. A link back to the original article is appreciated.

Free Open Access issue published by International Journal of Renewable Energy Technology

The International Journal of Renewable Energy Technology has published an Open Access issue. All of the issue’s papers can be downloaded via the full-text links available here.

• Experimental investigation and optimisation of biodiesel production process
• Emerging techniques in islanding detection for microgrids: an extensive review
• Harnessing inverter technology for efficient demand response in residential apartments: a comprehensive review

 

Free Open Access issue published by International Journal of Information and Communication Technology

The International Journal of Information and Communication Technology has published an Open Access issue. All of the issue’s papers can be downloaded via the full-text links available here.

• Legal literacy assessment and prediction among students using logistic regression and latent structural modelling
• Real-time early warning of business and financial risks via temporal knowledge graphs and dynamic graph neural networks
• Enterprise financial fraud detection based on double-layer knowledge graph and graph-driven algorithms
• Learning emotional representations in oil paintings via knowledge distillation and multi-granularity semantic alignment
• Simulation of consumer sentiment and optimisation of retail decisions under multi-agent reinforcement learning

Research pick: Antibacterial fabrics to dye for - "Colour fixation process and colour fastness improvement strategies for natural plant dyes in functional clothing fabrics"

Research in the International Journal of Materials and Product Technology describes a metal-free dye-fixing process that could help make natural plant dyes more practical for high-performance textiles, addressing a longstanding obstacle to their wider use in sustainable clothing.

Natural plant dyes are biodegradable and generally produce less pollution than synthetic dyes, but they fade easily when worn and subsequently washed and when exposed to light. This has limited their use in functional textiles, antibacterial fabrics or those that help repel biting insects.

The new method replaces the conventional metal salts, or mordants, used to bind dye molecules to fibres. Mordants are major contaminants of wastewater from the textile dyeing sector. The new fixation system is based on a modified form of chitosan, a biopolymer derived from natural sources such as crustacean shells, and ellagic acid, which is found in many plants.

The dyes are held in place through electrostatic attraction between electrically charged molecules and hydrogen bonding, a chemical interaction that helps stabilise the dye without permanently altering the fabric. The researchers also optimised dyeing conditions, temperature, acidity, and steam treatment, to improve dye uptake while preserving the fabric’s functional properties.

In their tests on antibacterial fabrics, they showed that around 70 per cent of the dye remained on the fabric even after 25 washes, with water and light fastness remaining high even after many hours of exposure. Antibacterial performance remained above 90 per cent after repeated washing.

Han, J., Zhang, Z. and Chang, J. (2026) ‘Colour fixation process and colour fastness improvement strategies for natural plant dyes in functional clothing fabrics’, Int. J. Materials and Product Technology, Vol. 70, No. 6, pp.3–26.

News media may use this press release as source material, in whole or in part, provided the content is not materially misrepresented. A link back to the original article is appreciated.

Free Open Access issue published by International Journal of Reasoning-based Intelligent Systems

The International Journal of Reasoning-based Intelligent Systems has published an Open Access issue. All of the issue’s papers can be downloaded via the full-text links available here.

• Research on task management in English teaching based on multimodal fusion neural networks
• Chinese-English entity relation extraction method based on multi-layer semantic fusion and word information integration
• Media perception and emotional evolution of Weibo disaster events based on TextCNN
• A frequency-domain enhanced fusion framework for predicting students' physical health risks
• Tongue coating thickness level classification using local binary pattern features in TCM image diagnosis

Free Open Access special issue on "Multiscale Energy Systems for Renewable Energy Storage: Part 3" published by International Journal of Energy Technology and Policy

The International Journal of Energy Technology and Policy has published an Open Access issue. All of the issue’s papers can be downloaded via the full-text links available here.

• Current-sensing-array-based dielectric health monitoring system for secondary power circuits
• Enabling holistic insulation monitoring in secondary AC protection circuits: a diagnostic algorithm
• Noise emission prediction technology for converter stations based on digital intelligent networks
• Carbon information disclosure and equity financing costs in China: evidence from the dual-carbon policy framework

Free Open Access issue published by International Journal of Information and Communication Technology

The International Journal of Information and Communication Technology has published an Open Access issue. All of the issue’s papers can be downloaded via the full-text links available here.

• Attention mechanism improved ST-GCN model for character action recognition in virtual drama performance
• Predicting academic performance in electromechanical courses based on a knowledge-point association graph
• Deep generative simulation modelling for time-variant processes of vocal emotion features
• Classification and trend analysis of creative packaging pattern design styles based on clustering algorithm
• Routability prediction for FPGA integrated circuits using deep learning