5 March 2025

Free sample articles newly available from International Journal of Surface Science and Engineering

The following sample articles from the International Journal of Surface Science and Engineering are now available here for free:
  • Tribological characteristics of carbon fibre reinforced epoxy composite filled with ceramic particles: influence of multi-walled carbon nanotubes
  • Nanofibre composite PCL/HA coating by spray method on metallic implant materials for medical applications: a study on the different spraying distances and pressures
  • Effect of ceramic particles on the mechanical and tribological properties of short carbon fibre reinforced epoxy composites
  • Ultraprecision error compensation turning for high-gradient aspheric surface based on B-axis platform
  • Effect of impingement angle and impact velocity on slurry erosive wear behaviour of particulate reinforced aluminium composites

Research pick: Size zero, business style - "Unravelling net zero practices, strategies and barriers among businesses in a UK region"

As we endeavour to address climate change issues, businesses must play an increasingly important role in reducing greenhouse gas emissions. A study in the International Journal of Business Performance Management, has looked at the net-zero emissions target and identified the difficulties businesses are encountering and suggests a tailored approach to solving the problems different sectors face.

Net-zero emissions mean balancing the amount of greenhouse gases – carbon dioxide and other compounds – a business releases with those it removes or offsets. Achieving a balance is part of a broader effort to curb climate change and lead us into a sustainable future. The study, by Luisa Huaccho Huatuco and Juan Ramon Candia of the University of York, Ruby Christine Mathew of York St John’s University, and Graciela Zevallos Porles of the University of East Anglia, UK, included interviews with senior managers from various industries. The team found that while many organizations are taking steps towards net-zero, there are many obstacles in their way that are stymieing efforts in many instances.

The team found that businesses rely heavily on technological improvements and management changes as part of their strategy to reduce emissions. However, infrastructure limitations, a lack of government guidance, and insufficient funding are holding back the transition to a greener future. As such, targets are not being hit.

The team points out that classifying businesses according to their efforts can help identify the problems and perhaps help them in their greening efforts. For instance, most of the organizations referenced in the study were classified as ‘opportunity-seeking,’ meaning they view the transition to net-zero emissions as a chance to innovate and grow. By contrast, businesses in the agricultural sector were seen to be taking a ‘conformance’ approach. In other words, they were focused on meeting regulatory requirements rather than pursuing new opportunities through the transition. Fortunately, it seems that no businesses were actively resisting or delaying their net-zero efforts.

The bottom line seems to be that there is no off-the shelf approach to suit all types of business. In other words, the study suggests that businesses might benefit from more tailored support systems, with policies designed to address the unique needs of different industries.

Huaccho Huatuco, L., Candia, J.R., Mathew, R.C. and Zevallos Porles, G. (2025) ‘Unravelling net zero practices, strategies and barriers among businesses in a UK region’, Int. J. Business Performance Management, Vol. 26, No. 8, pp.1–22.

Free Open Access article available: "Regional economic forecasting based on structural equation modelling and time series"

The following paper, "Regional economic forecasting based on structural equation modelling and time series" (International Journal of Information and Communication Technology 26(4) 2025), is freely available for download as an open access article.

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

Free sample articles newly available from International Journal of Complexity in Leadership and Management

The following sample articles from the International Journal of Complexity in Leadership and Management are now available here for free:
  • Methodological implications of studying customer orientation from a complex responsive processes perspective
  • Authentic leadership approach for enhancing innovation capability: a theoretical investigation
  • Leadership is not a destination but a place to come from Gandhi's contribution to evolutionary excellence
  • The importance of multimethods and mixed methods research in understanding complexity in leadership

4 March 2025

Free sample articles newly available from International Journal of Computer Applications in Technology

The following sample articles from the International Journal of Computer Applications in Technology are now available here for free:
  • A comprehensive review of electroencephalography data analytics
  • A novel shape-based time series classification with SAX-Ensemble
  • Effects of big data analytics capability on performance of internet enterprises: chain mediating effects of strategic flexibility and strategic innovation
  • Model and simulation of tracking motion for accurate welding using a universal Cobot
  • Cooperative game amongst prefabricated building chain stakeholders based on improved Shapley value method
  • Experimental study for makespan reduction in enterprise application integration processes using bio-inspired algorithms
  • Implementation of an IoT system for environment monitoring and remote web control using ARM Mbed cloud and GUI

Free Open Access article available: "Reciprocating compressor start-up fault monitoring based on sensor and limit learning machine"

The following paper, "Reciprocating compressor start-up fault monitoring based on sensor and limit learning machine" (International Journal of Information and Communication Technology 26(4) 2025), is freely available for download as an open access article.

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

Free sample articles newly available from International Journal of Enterprise Network Management

The following sample articles from the International Journal of Enterprise Network Management are now available here for free:
  • Ensemble classifiers for bankruptcy prediction using SMOTE and RFECV
  • Edge controller-based deep learning framework for data-driven view in 5G cellular network
  • Effectiveness of digital forensic investigation through excavation methods of various Linux based tools
  • Novel design and implementation of irregular fractal arrow head structure microstrip antenna for sub 6 GHz 5G applications
  • Hybrid sparse and block-based compressive sensing algorithm for industry based applications
  • Supplier selection and evaluation using Alteryx tool AHP in gear manufacturing industry
  • Financial inclusion on women entrepreneurs - review
  • Promotion of entrepreneurship through accessibility of formal micro credit in emerging countries - a case study of India

3 March 2025

Free Open Access article available: "Adversarial learning-based image generation algorithm for AI art creation"

The following paper, "Adversarial learning-based image generation algorithm for AI art creation" (International Journal of Information and Communication Technology 26(4) 2025), is freely available for download as an open access article.

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

Research pick: Startup struggles - "Business ecosystems and development of start-ups in Albania: a correlational analysis"

A study in the International Journal of Economics and Business Research has looked at the challenges facing one post-communist nation, Albania, in terms of its business start-up culture. The research investigates the role played by the country’s business ecosystems but shows that while globally, start-ups are perceived as engines of economic growth, innovation, and job creation, Albania is lagging behind its European counterparts, particularly Estonia and Lithuania, in nurturing this part of its economy.

Valbona Mehmeti, Bajram Korsita, and Erisa Musabelli of the Aleksander Moisiu University of Durres in Albania, have compared the business environments of Albania, Estonia, and Lithuania, and specifically the relationship between each country’s business ecosystem and the number of active start-ups. The researchers used time-series data, to rank ecosystem quality and innovation capacity, as well as the total number of active start-ups in each country. The findings reveal a strong, and perhaps not surprising, positive correlation between how conducive a country’s business environment is to start-ups and the number of such active businesses.

Other post-communist nations such as Estonia and Lithuania have 1100 and 500 active startup companies per one million population. For Albania, the number is rather sobering. Albania hosts just 88 startups per million inhabitants. This enormous gap could be of great concern given the increasing importance of start-ups in driving economic growth globally. Indeed, the research suggests that this low level of startup activity is stifling economic development in Albania.

The researchers suggest that development could be nurtured by a more favourable business ecosystem, but this will take a lot of effort from government, policymakers, the extant businesses, and other stakeholder, perhaps even international partners. The point is that it is not simply about the raw data, but about the quality of start-ups. The study suggests that public institutions, the private sector, and society at large must now collaborate to create the right conditions for start-ups to flourish in Albania. Funding, supportive regulatory frameworks, and strong collaboration between universities, industry, and government are needed.

Mehmeti, V., Korsita, B. and Musabelli, E. (2025) ‘Business ecosystems and development of start-ups in Albania: a correlational analysis’, Int. J. Economics and Business Research, Vol. 29, No. 9, pp.1–12.

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.
  • Optimisation and security fuzzy control of power wireless private networks in internet of things and 5G environments
  • Risk quantitative evaluation method of power communication network based on fuzzy analytic hierarchy process
  • Application of 3D modelling in virtualisation of real works of art
  • Adversarial learning-based image generation algorithm for AI art creation
  • Reciprocating compressor start-up fault monitoring based on sensor and limit learning machine
  • Regional economic forecasting based on structural equation modelling and time series
  • A time series neural network-based early warning system for thermal power station

Free sample articles newly available from International Journal of Data Mining, Modelling and Management

The following sample articles from the International Journal of Data Mining, Modelling and Management are now available here for free:
  • An empirical approach towards detection of tuberculosis using deep convolutional neural network
  • HARUIM: high average recent utility itemset mining
  • K-means and DBSCAN for look-alike sound-alike medicines issue
  • Hybrid classifier model for big data by leveraging map reduce framework
  • Developing a data pipeline solution for big data processing

Free Open Access article available: "Application of 3D modelling in virtualisation of real works of art"

The following paper, "Application of 3D modelling in virtualisation of real works of art" (International Journal of Information and Communication Technology 26(4) 2025), is freely available for download as an open access article.

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

1 March 2025

Free sample articles newly available from International Journal of Blockchains and Cryptocurrencies

The following sample articles from the International Journal of Blockchains and Cryptocurrencies are now available here for free:
  • Application of blockchain technology in trade finance
  • NFTs and property tokenisation: advancements and applications in blockchain technology
  • Blockchain in the IoT: security, applications, technologies, and challenges
  • Exploring the potential impact of blockchain technologies in Health Canada's cannabis supply chain

Free sample articles newly available from International Journal of Mathematics in Operational Research

The following sample articles from the International Journal of Mathematics in Operational Research are now available here for free:
  • Risk analysis on product quality improvement and supply chain performance for return contract with warranty
  • A single server Markovian differentiated working vacation queue with server breakdown
  • Optimal order quantity and credit period for a time-dependent deteriorated green item under two-level trade credit with reminder cost: a new approach
  • Approximately optimum strata boundaries under super population model
  • RAMD approach to performance estimation of fog-to-fog collaboration using software-defined networking
  • A new heavy-tailed exponentiated generalised-G family of distributions: properties and applications

Free Open Access article available: "Risk quantitative evaluation method of power communication network based on fuzzy analytic hierarchy process"

The following paper, "Risk quantitative evaluation method of power communication network based on fuzzy analytic hierarchy process" (International Journal of Information and Communication Technology 26(4) 2025), is freely available for download as an open access article.

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

28 February 2025

Research pick: Social ties drive business - "Building your network, building your wealth"

Family-run micro-enterprises in India rely on more than just business acumen for financial success, according to a study in the International Journal of Social and Humanistic Computing. Researchers have explored the key factors contributing to the success of such businesses and have found that social networks, financial literacy, and entrepreneurial ambition play important roles in driving financial performance.

S. Bharathithasan and K. Sakthi Srinivasan of VIT University in Tamil Nadu, India, looked at the interactions between these factors and found that entrepreneurs with the strongest social networks, including connections with family, friends, and their local community, were more likely to achieve financial stability. Financial stability in this context being represented by a steady income, manageable debt, and overall financial security. Such stability then allowed those business owners to make better decisions to drive their company’s long-term growth.

The researchers suggest that the importance of social networks in this context cannot be overstated. In environments such as those in which many Indian micro-enterprises find themselves, resources are limited and competition is fierce. Social capital, an essentially intangible asset drawn from one’s personal and business relationships, plays a vital role in allowing business owners to face the many challenges. Strong connections within the community provide entrepreneurs with access to financial resources, business advice, and emotional support. Moreover, family and community ties offer micro-business owners a distinct advantage, helping them to mitigate risks, adopt new technologies, and respond more readily to market changes.

While social networks are clearly important, the researchers also showed that financial intelligence plays an important part in the success of micro-businesses. Financial intelligence refers to the ability to manage money effectively in terms of budgeting, investing, and making informed financial decisions. That said, the study found that the importance of financial literacy was not in terms of greater long-term financial success directly but rather in working synergistically with social capital.

The team adds that entrepreneurs with obvious ambition are more likely to take calculated risks and make decisions that contribute to sustainable growth. However, it is the foundational support of family and community that sets them up to realise their ambitions.

Bharathithasan, S. and Srinivasan, K.S. (2024) ‘Building your network, building your wealth’, Int. J. Social and Humanistic Computing, Vol. 4, No. 3, pp.253–276.

Free Open Access article available: "Optimisation and security fuzzy control of power wireless private networks in internet of things and 5G environments"

The following paper, "Optimisation and security fuzzy control of power wireless private networks in internet of things and 5G environments" (International Journal of Information and Communication Technology 26(4) 2025), is freely available for download as an open access article.

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

Free sample articles newly available from International Journal of Biotechnology

The following sample articles from the International Journal of Biotechnology are now available here for free:
  • Detection of virulence-associated genes of Fusarium oxysporum and Geotrichum candidum strains in tomato cultivars from Nigeria
  • Bacteriological profile of blood culture isolation and their antibiotic susceptibility pattern in BIMR Hospital, Gwalior, India
  • The CHO cell line as a potentially safer host for cetuximab therapeutic antibody production than the Sp2/0 cell line
  • Perceptions of types, influences, and how select Central European entrepreneurship ecosystems developed in the biopharmaceutical sector
  • The yield and price effects of growing genetically modified corn: evidence from the US corn belt

Free Open Access article available: "Abnormal accrual estimation: an automation data analysis technique"

The following paper, "Abnormal accrual estimation: an automation data analysis technique" (International Journal of Data Analysis Techniques and Strategies 17(5) 2025), is freely available for download as an open access article.

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

Free sample articles newly available from International Journal of Advanced Mechatronic Systems

The following sample articles from the International Journal of Advanced Mechatronic Systems are now available here for free:
  • Finding the optimal path in a 3D environment with predefined obstacles
  • An echo state network-based feedforward feedback controller for application in dynamic systems control
  • Robust control for automatic voltage regulator system based on learning sliding mode control
  • TTower-345: a multi-categories multi-perspectives benchmark for automatic naming of transmission line inspection photos
  • Model-free design in a dual-rate system using finite impulse response filter

Research pick: Who’s smiley now? - "When emojis go bad: emotional and cognitive concerns on their exaggeration, mis-application and excessive usage"

Emoji are cartoon representations of human faces, animals, and various objects that were in some sense an extension of the text-character based representations known as emoticons or smileys. The term derives from Japanese – e “picture” + moji “character”, so the “emo” is a happy, and ironic, coincidence.

Emoji have become an integral part of digital communication, especially in the age of social media, helping convey emotions and tone in text-based interactions that often lack the nuances of face-to-face conversation. However, research in the International Journal of Social and Humanistic Computing suggests that inconsistency in the use of emoji can lead to confusion, frustration, and negative reactions, particularly in the context of social media.

Emmanuel Adu-Mensah, Solomon Odei-Appiah, and Raphael Amponsah of the Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration in Accra, Ghana, surveyed 400 users to see how exaggeration, misapplication, and excessive use of emoji might distort communication and provoke unintended emotional responses. The team used the Cognitive Dissonance Process Model (CDPM) and found that discrepancies between a sender’s intended meaning and the recipient’s interpretation of a given emoji can create a sense of psychological discomfort, known as cognitive dissonance.

Cognitive dissonance occurs when there is a mismatch between a person’s attitudes or beliefs and their behaviour, leading to mental discomfort. In this case, when the use of emoji does not align with the message being conveyed, it triggers negative emotions such as frustration, confusion, and irritation. The study reveals that these emotional responses not only affect the quality of communication but also have the potential to affect detrimentally the relationships between sender and recipient. Emoji are often used as shorthand for expressing one’s feelings, but the study shows that their overuse or misapplication can cloud the original message.

A common issue that can arise is when a given user imagines a certain meaning for a specific emoji that isn’t the usual interpretation and their correspondent understands the emoji to mean something else. In the language of text messaging a similar issue arises with the use of LOL for instance, most people understand the meaning to be “laugh out loud”, but others infamously took it erroneously to mean “lots of love”. Similarly, in the world of emoji, a sender might that sharing the aubergine/eggplant, cucumber, banana, avocado, peach, or pineapple emoji that they are innocently discussing fruit and veg, whereas others would place an entirely NSFW (not safe for work) interpretation on the use of those emoji. Other examples of potentially confusing emoji are given in the footnote.

When things go wrong the “face with tears of joy” may well go all “sad face” and nobody will be “LOL” any more.

Adu-Mensah, E., Odei-Appiah, S. and Amponsah, R. (2024) ‘When emojis go bad: emotional and cognitive concerns on their exaggeration, mis-application and excessive usage’, Int. J. Social and Humanistic Computing, Vol. 4, No. 3, pp.277–306.

Footnote

More putatively confusing emoji
🤔 Thinking Face: Suggestive of a pondering expression, but can also be interpreted as a sarcastic or uncertain face.
😕 Confused Face: It’s meant to show confusion, but some people might read it as just a neutral or slightly frustrated face.
🙄 Face with Rolling Eyes: This emoji can indicate annoyance or sarcasm, but it could also be used to show disinterest or exhaustion.
🥴 Woozy Face: Is this someone who’s drunk, sick, or just extremely tired? The context really changes how it is perceived.
😬 Grimacing Face: This emoji can be used for awkward situations, nervousness, or even a forced smile, so its meaning can vary widely.
💀 Skull: Commonly associated with death, but also used humorously to mean “I died laughing”.
👀 Eyes: While it usually means someone is watching or observing, it can also be used to draw attention or suggest something is shady or suspicious.
🤯 Exploding Head: It’s meant to allude to something mind-blowing, but can also come across as meaning overwhelmed or confused.
🙈 See-No-Evil Monkey: This could be interpreted as “I don’t want to see that,” but might also be playful or used to express embarrassment.
🥺 Pleading Face: While many people see it as a pleading or begging expression, others might interpret it as a coy or overly dramatic look.

27 February 2025

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.
  • Accurate positioning system in complex environment based on Beidou dual frequency differential positioning technology
  • Automatic separation robot system of insulated optical units of OPGW optical cable combined with machine vision
  • Intelligent monitoring of icing condition of transmission lines based on intelligent vibration model
  • Image fusion using a transfer learning-based convolutional neural network
  • A light end-to-end comprehensive attention architecture for advanced face parsing
  • Analysis of English learning community interaction patterns in social networks based on knowledge graphs
  • Analysis and application of college students' academic emotions based on deep learning and psychological status
  • Optimisation of visual communication design methods based on scalable machine learning

Free sample articles newly available from International Journal of System of Systems Engineering

The following sample articles from the International Journal of System of Systems Engineering are now available here for free:
  • Code smells and refactoring: a tertiary systematic literature review
  • Performance analysis of internet of things-enabled WSN for agriculture
  • Battery ageing management using war optimisation in electric vehicle applications
  • Wireless sensor network data gathering using a multi-fold gravitational search algorithm with a mobile agent
  • Enhancing the performance assessment of network-based and machine learning for module availability estimation

Free Open Access article available: "Digital transformation in higher education: tertiary students’ perspectives on online learning and its implications for the future"

The following paper, "Digital transformation in higher education: tertiary students' perspectives on online learning and its implications for the future" (International Journal of Innovation and Learning 37(5) 2025), is freely available for download as an open access article.

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

Free sample articles newly available from International Journal of Services, Economics and Management

The following sample articles from the International Journal of Services, Economics and Management are now available here for free:
  • The study of consumers' post-purchasing behavioural intentions towards organic foods in an emerging economy: from the S-O-R model perspective
  • Forecasting symbiosis in tourism enterprise networks: Monte Carlo simulation of risk and return
  • High degree of informality in tourismscape: a threat to tourism service sustainability
  • Motivation and organisational culture from the perspective of SME employees - a case study at the time of COVID-19 pandemic
  • Effect of perceived supervisor support and social support on employees work engagement: how career optimism mediates the relationships
  • Investigating the influence of service quality on loyalty in banking industry: the role of customer engagement

Prof. Amir Hasnaoui appointed as new Editor in Chief of International Journal of Management and Network Economics

Prof. Amir Hasnaoui from Excelia Business School in France has been appointed to take over editorship of the International Journal of Management and Network Economics.

Research pick: That’s what friends are for - "Network effects in friend-to-friend resource sharing network"

We could all get by with a little help from our friends, a new study on a novel networking protocol suggests. Research in the International Journal of Social and Humanistic Computing has looked at Friend-to-Friend (F2F) systems, which are decentralized networks that allow individuals to exchange computing power and storage. F2F systems are the kissing cousins of P2P, peer-to-peer networks that allow files to be shared. They allow resources, rather than simply digital entities (images, documents, video etc) to be shared without the need for a central server or any intermediaries.

The research by Pramod C. Mane of the Indian Institute of Management Rohtak in Haryana, India, highlights the role of network effects, known as externalities, in determining the flow of resources and how the formation of new connections between peers influences resource availability across the system.

For F2F systems, the value of a network increases as more participants join or interact within the system. In other words, each new friend has the potential to enhance the availability of shared resources. The research investigates both local and global network effects and the impact of new connections not only on the peers directly involved but also on other members of the broader network.

Mane has found that a crucial effect on the network is the distance between peers when a new link is formed. If the physical or logical distance between two connected peers is greater, so the local network effect, the benefits to friends, becomes weaker. Conversely, when peers are more closely connected, the best of friends one might say, there is more chance that the new link will positively impact the broader network, increasing the availability of resources to nearby participants.

However, it is worth noting that one can have too many friends. The density of the network, the number of active connections, has a complex relationship with resource availability. While adding more connections increases value it also introduces unpredictability. In highly dense networks, the creation of new links can negatively affect resource distribution. The research thus suggests that it is worth controlling network density or prioritizing connections that reduce the distance between peers. If no one told you life was going to be this way, keep your friends close, but your enemies closer to ensure the F2F system can continue to distribute resources reliably.

Mane, P.C. (2024) ‘Network effects in friend-to-friend resource sharing network’, Int. J. Social and Humanistic Computing, Vol. 4, No. 3, pp.232–252.

Research pick: Digital learning’s equity challenge - "Digital transformation in higher education: tertiary students’ perspectives on online learning and its implications for the future"

Research in the International Journal of Innovation and Learning has looked at the rapid transition to online learning at Hong Kong’s tertiary institutions. The study sheds new light on the problems and opportunities presented by digital education and reveals that students from lower-income households face particular challenges.

Jessie Ming Sin Wong, William Ko Wai Tang, and Kam Cheong Li of Hong Kong Metropolitan University in Homantin surveyed 400 students in higher education to uncover what factors, such as access to technology, educator competency, learning environments, and privacy concerns, influenced the student experience.

One of the most striking findings is the disparity in the ability of different students to access and benefit from online learning. While most participants had the necessary devices, issues such as poor internet connectivity and disruptive home environments emerged as significant barriers to effective learning, particularly for students from lower-income families. These students were more likely to experience problems that hindered their academic performance. Many students noted that while they valued the flexibility of online classes, they struggled to maintain focus without the structure of in-person teaching. Social interaction, a key component of traditional classrooms, was another missing element that students cited as negatively impacting their overall learning experience.

Nevertheless, the team found that most students surveyed found that their instructors were reasonably proficient with the digital tools required for online teaching. Concerns about privacy were, however, often mentioned. Students expressed unease about the use of webcams and the security of their online interactions, particularly regarding data privacy. This finding underscores the need for institutions to not only address educational quality but also ensure that student privacy is protected.

The team suggests that a hybrid or agile-blended learning model, one that combines online education with in-person sessions, would give students more balance in their learning. This approach would allow universities to take advantage of the flexibility of online learning while also providing face-to-face interaction.

Wong, J.M.S., Tang, W.K.W. and Li, K.C. (2025) ‘Digital transformation in higher education: tertiary students’ perspectives on online learning and its implications for the future‘, Int. J. Innovation and Learning, Vol. 37, No. 5, pp.1-18.