24 March 2023

Special issue published: "Social Commerce and Technological Applications for Enhancing Consumer and Business Interactions: Opportunities and Challenges"

International Journal of Technology Transfer and Commercialisation 20(1) 2023

  • Investigating shopper motivations for purchasing on Instagram
  • Exploring the role and significance of consumer relationship quality and participation within online fashion brand communities
  • Social media, s-commerce and social capital: a netnography of football fans and organisations
  • Social commerce promotes sharing economy: a case study of Mercari, Japan
  • Online branding strategies of Saudi Arabian bakeries: a qualitative approach
  • The bridge to higher education - scaffolding the transitional experience of prospective higher educational learners using a small online course
  • Understanding sporting brands and entrepreneurship using netnography and social network analysis

Free sample articles newly available from International Journal of Environment and Waste Management

The following sample articles from the International Journal of Environment and Waste Management are now available here for free:
  • Extraction of precious metals from electronic waste by using supercritical fluid technology
  • Mechanism and kinetic model of the oxidative degradation of Rhodamine B dye in aqueous solution by ultrasound-assisted Fenton's process
  • Smart waste management paradigm in perspective of IoT and forecasting models
  • Procedure for economic analysis of projects for selective collection of used PET bottles
  • Generation and management of solid waste in Udu Local Government Area of Delta State, Nigeria

A life-long educational lifeline

The concept of lifelong learning has been with humanity throughout history. There have always been those whose curiosity is forever piqued, who need new skills as they go through life, and those for whom change brings with it obstacles and opportunities that can be addressed with new knowledge. In the modern context, lifelong learning as a more formal concept and aspiration for society as a whole is probably newer, Indeed, we might see arguments for a new paradigm in learning beyond childhood and youth as emerging just 25 years ago or thereabouts. At that time, researchers began arguing for more innovative learning models that were personalized to those who wanted to learn and also giving these life students a chance to have a more active role in deciding what, when, and how to learn.

Writing in the International Journal of Grid and Utility Computing, a team from Spain discusses the current need for flexible, efficient, universal, and lifelong education especially given the rapid evolution of information and communications technologies.

Jordi Conesa, Montserrat Garcia-Alsina, Josep-Maria Batalla-Busquets, Beni Gómez-Zúñiga, María J. Martínez-Argüelles, Tona Monjo, and Enric Mor Universitat Oberta de Catalunya, Barcelona and María Del Carmen Cruz Gil Universidad de Zaragoza, Zaragoza, Spain, point out that lifelong learning needs to be integrated fully into society, but because it differs from regular learning in many ways, there are issues that must be addressed to allow this to happen, for the benefit of individuals and society as a whole.

It is worth noting, that lifelong learners are by definition older, and perhaps more mature, than those in conventional educational environments such as school and higher education. They may have much broader interests and have experience and skills that have not yet been achieved by younger learners. Lifelong learning may also work at many different levels and depths, not all lifelong learning will be aimed at passing exams or completing a dissertation to be presented to professors. Indeed, much lifelong learning may not be in any way vocational, it might not relate to work and could very well be more about family, leisure, sporting activities and other hobbies. Of course, for lifelong learners there is also the possibility of limited flexibility because of balancing commitments to home, work, and leisure, with that very learning.

As with many aspects of life, a personalised approach, tailored to fit the individual can be the most constructive way forward. Existing models of personalised learning have not yet been adapted to the needs of lifelong learners or society at large. The researchers have now examined the current state of lifelong learning, reviewed the relevant literature, and discussed the challenges we face in creating innovative electronic-learning models to promote self-determination life-students.

It is self-determination that is central to success for lifelong learners. It gives learners more control over how they are educated, and how they teach themselves, allowing them to make choices to fit their interests and goals better.

The team suggests that the development of innovative e-learning models that promote self-determination needs an interdisciplinary approach that brings expertise from education, psychology, technology, and other pertinent fields. Identifying the most effective ways to personalize learning and to develop appropriate tools and technologies is the way forward, for supporting self-directed learning, the team suggests. There is also a need to develop assessment frameworks to measure the efficacy of the personalized e-learning models being developed to ensure that they are working in the way the life-learners need and want them to work for them and for society.

Conesa, J., Garcia-Alsina, M., BatallaBusquets, J-M., Gómez-Zúñiga, B., Martínez-Argüelles, M.J., Monjo, T., Mor, E. and Cruz Gil, M.D.C. (2023) ‘A vision about lifelong learning and its barriers’, Int. J. Grid and Utility Computing, Vol. 14, No. 1, pp.62–71.

Special issue published: "COVID-19 Before The Courts: Where to Draw the Line"

International Journal of Private Law 10(2/3/4) 2022

  • The legality of the emergency defence orders in Jordan issued during corona pandemic: compliance or derogation
  • Pandemics and health equity issues: effects of disparities and social health determinants
  • Vaccine sell ban as a corollary of the Peruvian response to COVID-19
  • Thoughts on institutional tax framework: a comparative study in the context of COVID-19
  • Legitimacy of fake news regulations on touchstone of freedom of speech and expression: a comparative study of Singapore and India
Additional papers
  • Retention of limitation of liability in maritime claims in modern business environment in the UK, USA, and Nigeria
  • Codification of private law in the Republic of Kosovo: the influence of European codifications, European law and challenges
  • Three essential aspects of child support: a comparative analysis between China and Australia
  • The statutory framework regulating the withholding of retirement benefits in South Africa: an argument for a uniform approach

23 March 2023

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:
  • Protagonist of public service advertising in changing attitude in a specific territory: empirical study in COVID-19 era
  • Effect of international entrepreneurship indicators on innovative performance: the mediating role of motivation
  • The impact of monetary and non-monetary motivation on employees' performance: a case study of Hyderabad Electric Supply Company
  • Management the new innovation source of energy biogas: a project spider case study
  • Servant leadership and ambidexterity: the mediating role of talent management in pharmaceutical companies at Egypt
  • Ownership structure management and its effect on dividend policy in the Tunisian stock exchange enterprises: an empirical study
  • Assessing student experience of online learning during COVID-19 crisis and identifying the factors for effective online learning environment
  • The role of policy for a more sustainable path: economic effects of sustainability indicators
  • Pooled ordinary least-square, fixed effects and random effects modelling in a panel data regression analysis: a consideration of international commodity price and economic growth indicators in 35 Sub-Saharan African countries
  • Effectuation: exploring a moderating role between leadership and management innovation

Research pick: Emotional intelligence makes the virtual team work - "Systematic review of emotional intelligence in virtual teams"

Research from a team in India published in the International Journal of Public Sector Performance Management looks at the notion of “emotional intelligence” in the context of virtual teams. While it demonstrates an obvious relationship, the literature is still in the nascent stage and so precludes solid conclusions.

Anu Singh Lather of Ambedkar University in Delhi and Simran Kaur of Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University are well aware that research into emotional intelligence and its effects in virtual teams is still in its infancy and so hoped to offer new insights through a systematic review of the research literature as it stands. Emotional intelligence refers to the ability of individuals to recognize and manage their own emotions, as well as to understand and effectively respond to the emotions of others. Emotional intelligence can be broken down into several key components, including self-awareness, self-regulation, motivation, empathy, and social skills.

These components allow individuals to navigate complex social situations, build strong relationships with colleagues and stakeholders, and communicate effectively with others.

In the public sector, emotional intelligence is particularly important for managers and leaders, who need to be able to build trust and rapport with employees, collaborate effectively with other organizations, and respond to the needs and concerns of the public. By cultivating emotional intelligence, public sector employees can improve their ability to communicate, manage conflicts, and build strong, collaborative relationships with others, ultimately leading to more effective and efficient public services.

There is a wealth of information about how emotional intelligence affects our interactions in the “offline” world, but how it plays out in the virtual environments of online video conferencing, for instance, might well be different. Indeed, many virtual teams are built ad hoc and may exist only transiently unlike the more obvious teams present in the physical workplace. Even those virtual teams that are well-established and meet regularly will most likely have a very different dynamic to a team that meets face-to-face.

The team has reviewed a range of papers published during the first couple of decades of the 21st Century on the subject of emotional intelligence in virtual teams. They find that emotional intelligence is, of course, important. A relationship between virtual team performance and emotional intelligence of the team members was obvious from the research. However, there still remains a dearth of high-quality research published in this area and so we cannot yet extract a clear understanding of the factors that affect emotional intelligence in this online realm.

Given the pressures that arose during the COVID-19 pandemic, there will likely be research from the period following the team’s original review that will fill some of the gaps in this research field in the coming months and years and provide new insights into the emotional intelligence of virtual teams. If, as they say, teamwork makes the dream work, then emotional intelligence is the back-end code to make the virtual team work.

Lather, A.S. and Kaur, S. (2023) ‘Systematic review of emotional intelligence in virtual teams’, Int. J. Public Sector Performance Management, Vol. 11, No. 2, pp.149–164.

Special issue published: "Internet of Things: Security, Privacy and Best Practices"

International Journal of Autonomous and Adaptive Communications Systems 16(1) 2023

  • Vulnerability detection of the authentication protocol in the IOT based on improved wavelet packet
  • Network dynamic routing and spectrum allocation algorithm based on blockchain technology
  • Access control method of laboratory cloud data based on internet of things technology
  • Real time detection of intrusion trace information in sensor network based on Bayesian belief network
  • Security key distribution method of wireless sensor network based on DV-hop algorithm
  • Optimum design of distance education assistant system based on wireless network
  • Dynamic key distribution method for wireless sensor networks based on exponential algorithm
  • A new IoT resource addressing method based on rough set neural network
  • Design of DC measurement traceability system of charging pile by considering internet of things and fuzzy clustering

Free sample articles newly available from International Journal of Grid and Utility Computing

The following sample articles from the International Journal of Grid and Utility Computing are now available here for free:
  • The use of intelligent remote monitoring system in ship energy efficiency management based on internet of things
  • Comparison of static and dynamic characteristics of electromagnetic bearing using machine learning algorithm
  • The use of edge computing-based internet of things big data in the design of power intelligent management and control platform
  • Implementation of fitness and health management system utilising deep learning neural network and internet of things technology
  • Exploration of new community fitness mode using intelligent life technology and AIoT
  • The use of deep learning and AIoT technology in loan word translation
  • Exploring the role of sports APP in (campus fitness) intelligent solutions using data fusion algorithm and internet of things
  • Analysis of electronic bill authentication and security storage performance utilising machine learning algorithm
  • Application of de-noising automatic coding method in freight volume prediction under intelligent logistics
  • Construction method of knowledge graph under machine learning
  • Design and planning of urban ecological landscape using machine learning

International Journal of Powertrains to invite expanded papers from 6th Webinar of Birmingham CASE Auto Centre for potential publication

Extended versions of papers presented at the 6th Webinar of Birmingham CASE Auto Centre (27 April 2023, online event) will be invited for review and potential publication by the International Journal of Powertrains.

22 March 2023

Free sample articles newly available from International Journal of Powertrains

The following sample articles from the International Journal of Powertrains are now available here for free:
  • Effect of multi-speed transmission design on the drive cycle performance of a series-parallel hybrid electric vehicle
  • Dynamic performance analysis of front-wheel drive hybrid electric vehicle architectures under different real-time operating conditions
  • IoT-based electromagnetic actuator for CVT: basic design and prototyping
  • An active DoE method for the automated driving function ACC controller calibration
  • A fog-based approach for distributed cloud testing: a VR-assist rental testing case study

Special issue published: "The COVID-19 Crisis and its Impact on the Automotive Industry: Industrial Policies Transformation of Markets and Company Strategies"

International Journal of Automotive Technology and Management 23(1) 2023

  • A government-driven sectoral transformation? French and German policy responses to the COVID-crisis in the automotive industry
  • The Italian Government's industrial policies in the automotive sector
  • COVID-19 crisis and the automotive industry in Mexico: public policies and firm strategies
  • '2022 – the first year of the EV era in Japan?' The COVID crisis and its impact on the Japanese automobile industry
  • China's auto industry: regimes of production and industrial policy in the age of electric cars

Free sample articles newly available from International Journal of Information and Decision Sciences

The following sample articles from the International Journal of Information and Decision Sciences are now available here for free:
  • Testing the validity of Cauchy model based on the informational energy
  • What determines the household decision to borrow for investment or repayment of old debt? The Indian story
  • Stock price forecasting using hidden Markov model
  • Human decision making modelling for gambling task under uncertainty and risk
  • An adaptive neuro-fuzzy inference for blockchain-based smart job recommendation system

21 March 2023

Free sample articles newly available from International Journal of Automotive Technology and Management

The following sample articles from the International Journal of Automotive Technology and Management are now available here for free:
  • The USMCA and the Mexican automobile industry: Towards a new labor model?
  • New trade rules, technological disruption and COVID-19: prospects for Ontario in the cross-border Great Lakes automotive industry
  • COVID-19 and industrial resilience in the Global South. A case study on the auto parts sector in Mexico
  • Why Industry 4.0 is not enhancing national and regional resiliency in the global automotive industry
  • Emerging models of networked industrial policy: recent trends in automotive policy in the USA and Germany
  • Trade agreements and the geography of motor vehicle production in North America and Europe

Research pick: Will AI be sinister or singular? - "Human and artificial intelligence in education"

What we might loosely refer to as artificial intelligence (AI) has become a part of our daily lives, from mobile phone voice assistants to self-driving cars. That said, many of the tools and technologies we refer to as AI, while seemingly intelligent are actually computer algorithms trained on large amounts of data to perform in a certain way. The chat bots and image generators that are frequently in the news are models that simulate neural networks to create apparently novel content from a prompt or question. We are certainly a long way from the sci-fi notion of artificial intelligence as meaning sentience in machines.

Nevertheless, researchers writing in the International Journal of Smart Technology and Learning have looked at how the concepts of artificial intelligence sit alongside what we perceive as human intelligence. We commonly think of the brain as being the most complicated object in the known universe. It is the result of billions of years of evolution, is self aware and capable of incredible creative and destructive thoughts all seemingly emerging from the interactions of billions of nerve cells within our so-called grey matter.

We know that human intelligence encompasses a wide range of abilities, including problem-solving, learning, creating new ideas, and remembering details…and critically being aware of all of this. In contrast, what we consider to be AI at this point in technological history is defined as systems that can perform tasks that are typically done by experienced humans or can be used to assist less experienced individuals perform certain tasks more efficiently. There is not yet any allusion to sentience in AI.

However, as AI becomes more and more sophisticated could it perhaps advance towards the notion of the singularity put forward by author Vernor Steffen Vinge and later discussed in depth by futurologist Ray Kurzweil? The singularity being the point at which technology does indeed become sentient and then perceives humanity itself as redundant to its wants and needs. As such, there are pressing ethical and moral questions to be answered in terms of whether AI will always be our helpful guide in so many tasks or whether it could eventually lead us to darker place from which humanity might not return.

Even experts in the field are uncertain about how to answer the questions. Of course, if history teaches us anything it is that regardless of whether we answer the moral questions, there will always be people willing to take us down the path that divides us morally and ethically.

In his paper, Jonathan Michael Spector of the Department of Learning Technologies at the College of Information at the University of North Texas in Denton, Texas, USA, points out that while the human brain may well be the product of millions of years of evolution and is highly adaptable to the “modern” problems we face and capable of finding solutions, physically it has changed very little in many millennia. We are born with the same physiology as our prehistoric ancestors, after all. By contrast, we are almost at the point where AI tools are beginning to improve other AI tools…which some observers see as the next step towards the technological singularity.

Spector hopes his article will trigger conversations about the future of AI and human intelligence. As we continue to develop and integrate AI into our lives, it is, he suggests, very important for us to consider the implications and impact it will have on us as individuals and as a society.

Spector, J.M. (2023) ‘Human and artificial intelligence in education’, Int. J. Smart Technology and Learning, Vol. 3, No. 2, pp.163–167.

Free sample articles newly available from International Journal of Autonomous and Adaptive Communications Systems

The following sample articles from the International Journal of Autonomous and Adaptive Communications Systems are now available here for free:
  • Capacity detection of massive MIMO channel in 5G environment based on symmetric correlation matrix
  • The automatic positioning method for defect data of 5G mobile communication based on cloud computing
  • Research on digital forensics method of 5G communication system in the future based on direct intermediate frequency sampling
  • The intrusion data mining method for distributed network based on fuzzy kernel clustering algorithm
  • Resource monitoring method of the expandable cloud platform based on micro-service architecture
  • Research on the wake-up method for active sleeping node in wireless sensor networks

Special issue published: "New Approaches in Diagnostic and Safety Evaluation of Cultural Heritage" (includes Open Access articles)

International Journal of Masonry Research and Innovation 8(2/3) 2023

  • How structural engineering can help archaeology?
  • The baths complex of Villa San Marco at Stabia: investigations in a risk-assessment perspective
  • Experimental investigations on glass fibre reinforced composites with gypsum-earth matrix to strengthen the earth walls of the Noh-Gonbad Mosque in Balkh, Afghanistan [OPEN ACCESS]
  • Seismic assessment of historical buildings through multilevel approach: the complex of the 'Galleria dell'Accademia di Firenze'
  • An integrated experimental and numerical approach for preventive Cultural Heritage conservation. The San Marco Museum case study
  • Methodological approach to the restoration of historical buildings based on microclimatic monitoring: the case of 'La Specola' Museum in Florence
  • Protection of artworks to blast hazards: the Fountain of Neptune in Florence
Additional papers
  • Analysis of a nonlinear model arising in chemical aggression of marble
  • Review of thermal performance, hygrothermal behaviour, and carbon sequestration in hemp concrete in order to make it an energy-efficient and eco-friendly material
  • Literature review on mechanical properties estimation of historical masonry buildings: application of an evaluation method for the Algerian case
  • Experimental, analytical, and numerical investigations on bond behaviour of basalt TRM systems [OPEN ACCESS]

20 March 2023

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:
  • Improving internal management capabilities to increase supply chain resilience and financial performance - a dynamic capabilities perspective
  • Employee satisfaction in the sales department of the automobile industry in Beijing, China: an approach with Herzberg's two-factor theory
  • To develop an index measuring financial awareness amongst the rural women beneficiaries of a microfinance institution
  • Antecedents of job satisfaction and organisational commitment - PLS-SEM approach
  • Financial literacy education and high school students - overview, analysis, suggestions and implications

Special issue published: "Emerging Economies and Globalisation of National Borders: A Knowledge Management Perspective of International Human Resource Management"

European Journal of International Management 19(4) 2023

  • An empirical assessment of antecedents able to attract the prospective talented workforce for information technology industry across borders
  • Human resources and internationalisation processes: a cognitive-based view
  • Applying a company stakeholder responsibility approach to HR management: the external human resources model
  • The role of HR best practices of Saudi graduates from foreign universities on the performance of a mining company
  • Successful knowledge transfer through HRM practices and absorptive capacity: empirical evidence from cross-border M&As
  • Inside talent management: the strategic role of knowledge sharing and ICT capabilities in MNEs' performance
Regularly submitted paper
  • Disentangling the antecedents of relationship between dynamic internationalisation capability and international performance: the moderating role of absorptive capacity

Research pick: Road traffic accidents and mobile phone addiction - "Relationship between mobile phone addiction and driving accidents in two groups of drivers with and without accidents"

Research in the International Journal of Vehicle Safety looks at the relationship between mobile phone addiction and road traffic accidents in two groups of drivers those who were involved in an accident and those who were not. The team surveyed 240 drivers about their mobile phone use, split between the two groups and found, perhaps obviously, that the drivers who revealed themselves to have an “addiction” to mobile phone use were more likely to have been injured in a road traffic accident than the ones who were not addicted.

Afarin Akhavan and Adel Ashrafi of the Department of Industrial Engineering at the Science and Arts University and Gholam Hossein Halvani, Moein Nemati, and Rohollah Fallah Madvari of the Department of Occupational Health Engineering at the Shahid Sadoughi University of Medical Sciences in Yazd, Iran, write that road traffic accidents are listed as the leading cause of death by the World Health Organisation with some 20 to 50 million people dying each year in such accidents.

The mortality rate in low-income countries is significantly higher than in richer nations. Iran suffers disproportionately from road traffic deaths, with an incidence of five times the global average. Increasing numbers of vehicles on our roads, changes in lifestyle and driving behaviour seem to be nudging those figures upwards each year. The team hoped to identify a relatively recent factor that may be contributing to the increasing number of deaths on the roads – mobile phone addiction – and focused on one of the regions in Iran, Khuzestan, where the accident rate is notably higher than elsewhere.

Given that earlier research suggests that 93 percent of accidents are caused by human behaviour rather than vehicle or road failure, with tiredness and distractions being responsible for many. Of course, the use of mobile phones while driving is prohibited in many places and limited to hands-free use, there is inevitably a large number of drivers who continue to use their devices despite the obvious risks. The demonstration of a direct link between mobile phone addiction and road traffic accidents points to the need for more research into this phenomenon and perhaps ways to combat mobile phone addiction, as well as the need to educate drivers who are users in an effort to reduce the deaths on Iranian roads and elsewhere.

Akhavan, A., Ashrafi, A., Halvani, G.H., Nemati, M. and Madvari, R.F. (2022) ‘Relationship between mobile phone addiction and driving accidents in two groups of drivers with and without accidents’, Int. J. Vehicle Safety, Vol. 12, Nos. 3/4, pp.344–352.

Associate Prof. Ping Wang appointed as new Editor in Chief of International Journal of Computers in Healthcare

Associate Prof. Ping Wang from James Madison University in the USA has been appointed to take over editorship of the International Journal of Computers in Healthcare.

17 March 2023

Free sample articles newly available from International Journal of Machining and Machinability of Materials

The following sample articles from the International Journal of Machining and Machinability of Materials are now available here for free:
  • The dependence of the ploughing forces on the cutting speed
  • Form variation management of products in Inconel 718 obtained through EDM process with circular shape brass electrodes
  • Experimental investigation on effect of inclusion of graphene while machining Ti6Al4V
  • A dual-layer approach for enhancing the tribological and machining performance of carbide tools in dry turning of mild-steel alloy
  • Performance analysis of uncoated, TiN coated and cryotreated micro tungsten carbide tools while micromilling of Ti-6Al-4V
  • Fuzzy logic expert system-based machinability analysis in end milling of aluminium nitride ceramic
  • Theoretical model for prediction of surface roughness in abrasive slurry jet polishing of glass
  • Optimisation and impact of process parameters on tool-chip interaction while turning of A286 iron based nickel superalloy
  • Assessment of features from multiple sensors in monitoring titanium milling
  • Methods for dimensional stability improvement of end measurement tools

Research pick: AI disentangles quantum patents - "Global innovation and competition in quantum technology, viewed through the lens of patents and artificial intelligence"

A new study in the International Journal of Intellectual Property Management, demonstrates how so-called artificial intelligence (AI) techniques can be used instead of conventional text analysis to disentangle information from a large body of work. Proof of principle was undertaken using a patents database and focusing on research and technologies utilising the field of quantum science. The specific case revealed interesting dynamics concerning global innovation and national organisational profiles pertaining to competition in this area between China and the USA.

Zeki Can Seskir of the Institute for Technology Assessment and Systems Analysis at Karlsruhe Institute of Technology and Kelvin W. Willoughby of the HHL Leipzig Graduate School of Management, Germany, built an operating definition of quantum technology and then used AI to create a global patent database. The approach allowed them to extract pertinent information in this field that could be useful to policymakers and managers looking to understand international innovation in this field. The same approach might work just as well in other fields. The approach blended human analysis and AI processing of the body of work.

Billions of Euros and dollars are being ploughed into the burgeoning area of quantum technology with the aim of bringing discoveries and innovations “out of the lab and into the market”.

Quantum technology (QT) refers to a broad range of emerging technologies that build on the principles of quantum mechanics to develop innovative and disruptive applications. Quantum mechanics is a field of physical science that emerged in the first half of the twentieth century as our understanding and experiments with atoms and their constituent parts as well as energy began to evolve. Many of the findings confound common sense and yet reveal themselves to represent a valid model of physical reality in many settings. Indeed, semiconductors, lasers, and transistors, and electronics in general rely on an understanding of quantum mechanics and as our understanding develops so too will the technology.

Quantum technology uses the often paradoxical properties of subatomic particles, such as superposition, entanglement, and wave-particle duality, to achieve things that cannot be done with classical systems based on earlier models of the subatomic realm. Examples of quantum technologies include quantum computing, quantum communication, quantum cryptography, quantum sensing, and quantum metrology, among others. Quantum technology could soon change the way in which finance, healthcare, energy, transportation, and security, are undertaken as well as leading to advances in science and engineering.

Seskir, Z.C. and Willoughby, K.W. (2023) ‘Global innovation and competition in quantum technology, viewed through the lens of patents and artificial intelligence’, Int. J. Intellectual Property Management, Vol. 13, No. 1, pp.40–61.

Special issue published: "Energy and Environment Related Solution"

International Journal of Global Warming 29(3) 2023

  • Evaluation of environmental impacts of a building-integrated photovoltaic system by the RIAM method
  • Cleanroom validation processes and reducing greenhouse gas emissions through automation
  • Big dilemma in face mask consumption: environmental sensitivity versus the fear of COVID-19
  • Hydrogen energy usage in railway vehicles in terms of environmental and economic value assessed by Pareto analysis
  • A novel position determination method for the modular snake-like natural gas pipeline inspection robot in a GPS denied environment
  • CO2 emissions of trams and automobiles: a case study
  • An evaluation of carbon-based adsorbents for post-combustion CO2 capture
Additional paper
  • Effective drought analysis by different methodological integrations in Yeşilirmak Basin, Turkey

Free sample articles newly available from International Journal of System Control and Information Processing

The following sample articles from the International Journal of System Control and Information Processing are now available here for free:
  • Improved approximation of SISO and MIMO continuous interval systems
  • A variational autoencoders approach for process monitoring and fault diagnosis
  • Soft measurement of dioxin emission concentration based on deep forest regression algorithm
  • Controller design via model order reduction for interval systems using Kharitonov theorem and Nevalinna-pick theory: a case study
  • Non-fragile event-triggered control of positive switched systems

16 March 2023

Free open access article available: "Experimental investigations on glass fibre reinforced composites with gypsum-earth matrix to strengthen the earth walls of the Noh-Gonbad Mosque in Balkh, Afghanistan"

The following paper, "Experimental investigations on glass fibre reinforced composites with gypsum-earth matrix to strengthen the earth walls of the Noh-Gonbad Mosque in Balkh, Afghanistan" (International Journal of Masonry Research and Innovation 8(2/3) 2023), is freely available for download as an open access article.

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

Prof. Daphne Halkias appointed as new Editor in Chief of International Journal of Environment, Workplace and Employment

Prof. Daphne Halkias from École des Ponts ParisTech in France has been appointed to take over editorship of the International Journal of Environment, Workplace and Employment.

Research pick: A slimline tonic for the pharmaceutical industry - "Lean operations and competitive advantage in the pharmaceutical industry"

Research in the International Journal of Services and Operations Management, has looked at the pharmaceutical industry in Jordan from the perspective of lean manufacturing practices and operations demonstrating that a lean approach can be beneficial to costs, speed, and reliability in the industry but does not apparently affect quality or innovation significantly.

The concept of lean operations is an approach to manufacturing that emphasizes the elimination of waste and the optimization of efficiency. It was first developed by the Toyota Motor Corporation in the 1950s and has since been adopted by many other manufacturers. The goal of lean operations is to create value for customers while minimizing waste, such as overproduction, defects, excess inventory, unnecessary movement, waiting, over-processing, and unused talent. A number of tools and techniques are used to facilitate lean operations, such as value stream mapping, continuous flow, pull systems, standard work, visual management, error-proofing, and continuous improvement.

Abdel-Aziz Ahmad Sharabati of the Business Faculty at the Middle East University in Amman, Jordan, surveyed 116 managers from 10 of 14 Jordanian pharmaceutical manufacturing organizations on how lean operations are used in their organisations. Alongside the above findings, the work also showed that lead-time, setup time, inspection time, and delivery time were significant factors in determining a company’s competitive advantage, while inventory was not.

The work suggests that similar research might be usefully carried out in other industries across Jordan and in the pharmaceutical industry in other countries to see whether the findings are more widely applicable. In an increasingly globalised world, this research could help companies recognise what needs to be done to improve their competitive edge in the face of international competition. Of course, for the pharmaceutical industry itself, any such changes in practices and operations must also comply with regulations in the industry at the national and international level.

Sharabati, A-A.A. (2023) ‘Lean operations and competitive advantage in the pharmaceutical industry’, Int. J. Services and Operations Management, Vol. 44, No. 3, pp.293–316.

Free sample articles newly available from International Journal of Dynamical Systems and Differential Equations

The following sample articles from the International Journal of Dynamical Systems and Differential Equations are now available here for free:
  • A new hybrid collocation method for solving nonlinear two-point boundary value problems
  • On the initial value problem of impulsive differential equation involving Caputo-Katugampola fractional derivative of order q ∈ (1, 2)
  • Global stability of virus dynamics model with capsids and two routes of infection
  • Explosive tritrophic food chain model with herd behaviour of prey and finite time blow-up of the top predator
  • Eventual periodicity of solutions for some discrete max-type system of third order