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.

• A multimodal data fusion framework for online collaborative English learning interaction pattern analysis
• Predicting settlement in reinforced subgrades on highways using physics-embedded sequential large models
• Intelligent quantification of piano performance quality via bidirectional long short-term memory networks
• Knowledge graph enhanced interpretable interlanguage error correction model
• Toward decoupling string vibration modal features and objective correspondence for subjective guzheng timbre evaluation

Big data signal boost

Research in the International Journal of Business Information Systems discusses a sector-specific framework to help telecommunications companies assess how effectively they use big data. It addresses limitations in existing models that are often designed for organisations across other industries. The research involved 50 experts from academia and industry and refined and tested a big data maturity model revealing how well an organisation can manage, analyse, and use data.

The framework has seven dimensions: data governance, market strategy, network performance, business development, customers, investments, and innovation. These are sub-divided and assessed through five maturity levels, allowing weighted scores to be obtained that show where an organisation is performing well and where its capabilities need to be improved.

The researchers argue that generic maturity models can overlook the particular demands of telecommunications. In this sector, data is vital to network management, predictive maintenance, traffic optimisation, fraud detection, and the analysis of customer behaviour. The sector also increasingly relies on real-time data, distributed infrastructure and automated decision-making, so any framework needs to be operational rather than purely conceptual.

The researchers say the new approach could also help in the development of sector-specific maturity models for other data-intensive industries.

Desku, F. and Besimi, A. (2026) ‘Developing and operationalising a sector-specific big data maturity model for the telecommunications industry’, Int. J. Business Information Systems, Vol. 52, No. 7, pp.1–27.

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.

New Open Access article available: "Topology-aware modelling of regional energy systems using hierarchical graph networks for carbon peaking analysis"

The following International Journal of Global Warming article, "Topology-aware modelling of regional energy systems using hierarchical graph networks for carbon peaking analysis", 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 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.

• An exploration of a collaborative training framework for ESP vocabulary and dialogue using AR multimodal scenario data fusion and reinforcement learning-based reward mechanism optimisation
• Mindfulness state recognition and psychological resilience enhancement model based on CNN-Mamba and causal intervention
• Automatic identification and hierarchical analysis of pragmatic errors in teaching Chinese as a second language
• A computational model for urban spatial aesthetics based on multimodal graph convolutional networks
• Personalised colour harmony generation for clothing using a perception-guided diffusion model

Research pick: Use me once, more fool you - "Waste to wealth for single-use plastics: a literature review and future research agenda"

A review of research in the Interdisciplinary Environmental Review on single-use plastics argues that tackling the waste problem will require a shift from recycling alone to a broader circular economy approach, in which materials are kept in use through reuse, recovery, recycling, and redesign.

The researchers examined 336 research papers published over the decade 2015 to 2025. They then used bibliometric analysis, a kind of statistical pattern mapping, together with analysis of the content of studies, to follow the major themes in this area as well as the collaborations and research trends. They found that research into circular approaches to single-use plastics has grown rapidly since 2017. Recycling emerged as a dominant theme, while the literature also focused on plastic packaging, environmental impacts, and the effects of microplastics on human health.

The review identifies several factors that could determine whether circular systems will actually work in practice. These include public awareness and previous recycling behaviour, as well as policies such as green credit, which provides financial incentives for environmentally beneficial activity. There is an urgent need for effective reverse logistics to be put in place to allow used products and materials to be fed back into supply chains. There is also a need for better sorting, collection, and recovery of re-usable waste plastics.

Gupta, A., Kumar, D., Kaliyan, M. and Doreswamy (2026) ‘Waste to wealth for single-use plastics: a literature review and future research agenda’, Interdisciplinary Environmental Review, Vol. 25, No. 3, pp.259–292.

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: "The regulation method of agricultural internet of things services based on dynamic multi-objective optimisation"

The following International Journal of Computational Systems Engineering article, "The regulation method of agricultural internet of things services based on dynamic multi-objective optimisation", is freely available for download as an open access article.

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

Free Open Access special issue on "Behavioural Economics of Climate Change: An Interdisciplinary Approach – Part 1" published by International Journal of Environment and Sustainable Development

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

• Intelligent optimisation of financial decision-making for environmental initiatives and credit assessment framework under graph neural network
• The impact of fiscal investment in environment science and technology on the development of cross-border logistics in digital economy
• Analysis of environmental product/service marketing performance of e-commerce live streaming platform based on artificial intelligence and big data management
• Hotel interns' career choice intentions from a high-versus-low climate changing region background
• Ecological protection for prediction of freight volume of Pinglu Canal downstream based on integration of deep learning and internet of things

New Open Access article available: "World War II and its lasting legacy: an overview of socio-metabolic transition, environmental impacts and resource flows"

The following International Journal of Sustainable Development article, "World War II and its lasting legacy: an overview of socio-metabolic transition, environmental impacts and resource flows", is freely available for download as an open access article.

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

Free Open Access special issue on "Ecological Economics and Climate Change: Technology, Policy, and Management – Part 1" published by International Journal of Environmental Technology and Management

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

• Multimedia artificial intelligence technology for accurate translation of scenic area public notices from Chinese to English in ecological translation studies
• Structural optimisation and interpretable analysis of graph neural network for fault diagnosis of ecological power distribution system
• Entrepreneurship and organisational learning for sustainable protection of the Yellow River cultural heritage: a social cognitive study for ecological improvement
• Intelligent decision system for urban emergency management based on combined deep learning and optimisation algorithm
• Robust multi-source localisation by FOA using normalised intensity vectors: technologies, policies, and management for climate-resilient acoustic systems

Research pick: Don’t you know that they're toxic? - "Aflatoxin awareness and food security among smallholder farmers in Tanzania"

A study in the International Journal of Agriculture Innovation, Technology and Globalisation suggests that farmers know how aflatoxin spreads but only poorly understand the health risks. Smallholder farmers often recognise the conditions that cause aflatoxin contamination in stored crops, the research explains, but they have much less understanding of the health problems it can cause. The work has considered in detail the relationship between farmer awareness, crop practices, and food security.

Aflatoxins are toxic substances produced naturally by certain fungi, particularly Aspergillus species. They can contaminate maize, groundnuts, oilseeds, spices, nuts and animal products. Prolonged exposure to aflatoxin can contribute to serious illness, including liver cancer.

In the study, the team used survey data and a statistical method known as structural equation modelling to examine the relationships between various factors. They found that farmers in Tanzania were most knowledgeable about contamination during storage and were aware that moisture, dirt, and poor air circulation were serious risks of Aspergillus mould formation and so contamination of the food with aflatoxin. Unfortunately, awareness was weaker during crop preparation, planting, and harvesting, where factors such as soil fertility can influence contamination.

The team adds that many farmers knew the economic consequences, including lower yields and prices, but did not realise that contaminated food could cause severe health problems. Some reported feeding contaminated crops to livestock or mixing them with uncontaminated food.

The researchers suggest that there is an urgent need for practical agricultural education alongside better testing.

Waryoba, F.D. (2026) ‘Aflatoxin awareness and food security among smallholder farmers in Tanzania’, Int. J. Agriculture Innovation, Technology and Globalisation, Vol. 5, No. 3, pp.304–330.

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: "High-precision recognition method for sparsely arranged financial tables"

The following International Journal of Applied Pattern Recognition article, "High-precision recognition method for sparsely arranged financial tables", 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.

• 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