31 March 2015

Call for papers: "Beyond Virtual Prototyping: Trends in Novel Applications for Mixed Reality"

For a special issue of the International Journal of Intelligent Engineering Informatics.

This Special Issue focuses on studies and applications covering the full range of activities related to the multi-disciplinary area of virtual prototyping, considering both original methodologies and novel applications about virtual prototyping by adopting virtual reality, augmented reality and mixed reality technologies. Papers investigating new methods for virtual prototyping, new applications in virtual environments for virtual engineering and manufacturing, advances in virtual simulation and virtual prototyping technologies as well as new trends to create interactive and highly realistic mixed environments are welcome.
 
Topics include, but are not limited to, the following:
  • Virtual Prototyping techniques supporting mechatronics product design
  • Application of advanced Virtual/Adaptive Augmented/Mixed Reality technologies in mechatronics
  • Multimodal and multisensory interaction
  • Multi user virtual environments
  • Tools and methods for multidisciplinary and cooperative design
  • Virtual Prototyping and Hardware-in-the-Loop testing and simulation
  • Human-computer studies, validation of interaction and evaluation techniques
  • Virtual Prototyping oriented to create inclusive and adaptive smart objects
  • Innovative Virtual Prototyping-based approaches to handle complexity
 
Important Dates
Submission of Manuscripts: 30 May, 2015
Notification to Authors: 30 July, 2015
Final Versions Due: 31 August, 2015


Call for papers: "Soft Computational Approaches for Risk Exploration in Global Software Development"

For a special issue of the International Journal of Innovative Computing and Applications.

Global software development (GSD) gained momentum as a widely accepted practice in the software industry. The companies shifting to GSD paradigm are gaining various benefits: reduced cost, time, better development of software products etc. Consequently, GSD projects have facing a variety of risks such as those induced by the spatial and temporal distance between development teams. There is also a need for identifying the factors which may generate the risks in global software development processes: process planning, requirements engineering, design, development, software project management, distributed work force, product integration, and testing. Furthermore, significant research is required to elaborate the risk factors which affect project performance, product quality and project outcome in global software development projects.

The aim of this special issue is to facilitate a forum to enable a wide variety of researchers to exploit state of the art research in the field of soft computational (SC) approaches in relation to global software development risks, issues and challenges. In addition, soft computing approaches are concerned with the global software engineering tasks that are used to predict or estimate the risks concerned with project performance, project outcome, and product quality. Consequently, this special issue is envisioned to outline the benefits of applying soft computing methods and reveal the influential factors causing the risks in global software development projects.

This special issue expects to explore the works on novel contribution and bridges the gap between applying soft computational approaches in global software engineering. Paper acceptance and publication will be reviewed on the basis of quality, relevance to the special issue, clarity of presentation, originality, and accuracy of results and proposed solutions.

Suitable topics include, but are not limited to, the following:
  • Fuzzy logic techniques and algorithm for global software engineering
  • Multi-Criteria decision making approaches for identifying risk factors of GSD projects
  • Fuzzy and evolutionary computation
  • Intuitionistic fuzzy information and group decision making for software industry
  • Neural networks and genetic algorithm for global software process and its practices
  • Fuzzy neural systems for prediction and estimation of software risks
  • Hybrid machine intelligence techniques for global software development issues
  • Hybrid fuzzy systems (fuzzy-neuro-evolutionary-rough) for prediction of software performance and quality
  • Hybrid architectures for global software systems
  • Soft computing and quality management
  • Neural computing for software product quality, risk projection and success prediction
  • Evolutionary computing and optimisation methods for global software engineering
  • Empirical studies of risk management, software development, and computational intelligence.
  • Artificial intelligence, software design and its applications
  • Predictive and probabilistic models including Bayesian Networks and Chaotic theories

Important Dates
Submission deadline: 1 November, 2015
Review Notification: 31 December, 2015
Submission of Revised Papers: 15 February, 2016
Notification of Final Review Results: 1 April, 2016

30 March 2015

Special issue published: "Industrial Tools And Material Processing Technologies – Part 1"

International Journal of Microstructure and Materials Properties 10(1) 2015

Extended versions of papers presented at the 9th International Conference on Industrial Tools and Material Processing Technologies (ICIT&MPT).
  • Overview of heat treatment and surface engineering, influences of surface finishing on hot-work tool steel
  • Numerical modelling and experimental implementation of laser shock micro-forming of thin metal sheets
  • Combined surface heat treatment: state-of-the-art
  • Electrical resistivity measurements of Al-cast alloys during solidification

Special issue published: "Social Media and e-Marketing"

International Journal of Logistics Economics and Globalisation 6(2) 2014

Extended versions of papers presented at the National Conference on Social Media and EMarketing 2014.
  • Comparative study of mining algorithms for adaptive e-learning environment
  • Security issues in government portals: an Indian scenario
  • A comprehensive framework for sustainability awareness through social media - a system dynamics approach
  • Segmenting the urban Indian online buyer: an exploratory study
  • Segmenting online consumers using K-means cluster analysis

27 March 2015

Inderscience is media partner for Gas Storage and Transmissions 2015

Inderscience is a media partner for Gas Storage and Transmissions (17-18 June 2015, London, UK).


Int. J. of Environment and Sustainable Development to publish expanded papers from IFoU 2015

Extended versions of papers presented at the True Smart & Green City? 8th Conference of the International Forum on Urbanism (22-24 June 2015, Incheon, Republic of Korea) will be published by the International Journal of Environment and Sustainable Development.

Special issue published: "Advanced Surface Engineering in Manufacturing Processes"

International Journal of Surface Science and Engineering 9(2/3) 2015

Includes extended versions of papers presented at the 16th International Conference on Advances in Materials and Processing Technologies (AMPT 2013).
  • Wear and friction characteristics of surface-modified aluminium alloys
  • Cryogenic processing to improve tribological performance of die steels
  • Elucidating the optimal parameters of a helical passageway in abrasive flow machining
  • Experimental evaluation on tribological properties of nano-particle jet MQL grinding
  • Surface modification using a developed hybrid process of electrical discharge machining and abrasive jet machining
  • Multi-response optimisation of machining parameters during candlestick drilling composite material using membership function and Taguchi method
  • A novel detection method used to avoid the effect of mould damage on the performance of surface plasmon resonance measurement for measuring the residual layer thickness in nano-imprint lithography
  • Theoretical modelling and experimental verification of gradient thickness function for thin film deposition of linear variable filter
  • Three dimensional modelling of temperature distribution during belt finishing 
  • Relaxation of the water surface tension by humidification of the environment
  • Dry sliding wear behaviour of cast roller materials
  • Measurement and assessment of surface roughness for optimisation of laser cutting technology

25 March 2015

Paying off your student loan

Would-be participants of higher education must be given full and transparent advice before they accumulate debts as students that follow them into the workplace, according to a report published in the International Journal of Pluralism and Economics Education.

Deborah Figart of the School of Education, at The Richard Stockton College of New Jersey in Galloway, says that there is a dearth of pre-loan and post-loan counseling for undergraduate students using student loans to help finance their higher education. She has devised an assignment that can be adapted to a wide range of courses to help educate students about debt before it becomes a serious problem that can stay with them for life.

“The average student loan debt for a US graduate of the Class of 2013 was $28400, according to the Project on Student Debt,” reports Figart, “Each month, young adults are burdened with 25 to 30 percent or more of their net pay dedicated to student loan debt.” Anecdotes about telling horror stories of alumni with tens of thousands of dollars in interest-accruing debt earning minimal wages. Law graduates precluded from obtaining a license to practice despite passing the necessary bar exams because of a bad credit record, restaurant school graduates hoping to become chefs but earning a fraction of their debt peeling potatoes.

Most worryingly, Figart adds that the average student has around 8 to 10 loans and the total student debt far outweighs the nation’s total credit card bills. Figart has taught financial and economic literacy to students and teachers, covering subjects related to budgeting and consumer debt. And, while some states oblige courses to include a component related to budgeting and finance, too many students are “falling through the cracks”, she adds. She points out that the federal “Know Before You Owe Private Student Loan Act” does not go far enough in several ways and so also fails to protect students from debt.

Figart urges that students must be counseled in such topics as loan repayment options, average salaries for a wide range of jobs, suggested debt-to-income ratios, and the likely consequences of defaulting on loan repayments. “In an economy where job security and job quality are increasingly elusive, students pursue higher education as an investment, not simply a means of personal fulfillment,” she adds. While financial counseling may dash the dreams of some or at least postpone those dreams, it could nevertheless save thousands of students from a fate worse than debt.

Figart, D.M. (2014) ‘The teaching commons: is student loan debt good or bad debt?’, Int. J. Pluralism and Economics Education, Vol. 5, No. 4, pp.401–406.

Paying off your student loan is a post from: David Bradley's Science Spot

via Science Spot » Inderscience http://ift.tt/1btXE6I

Int. J. of Management Practice to publish expanded papers from ICAMT 2015

Extended versions of papers presented at the International Conference on Advances in Management and Technology in a Global World (18-20 December 2015, Uttar Pradesh, India) will be published by the International Journal of Management Practice.

Special issue published: "Strategy Transformation in Corporations"

International Journal of Technology Management 67(2/3/4) 2015
  • Strategy transformation under technological convergence: evidence from the printed electronics industry
  • Firm's typology and strategic innovation among Chinese cosmetic industry - a strategic transformation tool
  • The responsive-integrative framework, outside-in and inside-out mechanisms and ambidextrous innovations
  • Dynamic marketing capabilities and radical innovation commercialisation
  • Strategic business transformation through technology convergence: implications from General Electric's industrial internet initiative 
  • The effects of integrating innovative resources on organisational performance: the moderating role of innovation life cycle
  • The synergisitic impact of time-based technologies on manufacturing competitive priorities
  • Factors affecting product innovation performance according to dynamics of environment: evidence from Korean high-tech enterprises in manufacturing sector
  • Managing the change of strategy from customisation to product platform: case of Mabuchi Motors, a leading DC motor manufacturer

Call for papers: "3D Measurement and Modelling Methods for Creating Anthropometric Digital Human Models"

For a special issue of International Journal of the Digital Human.

Recent advances in digital technology have made it easy to digitize the surface of a human body into 3D geometrical data. New anthropometric measurement methods have made it even easier to collect and archive that data, as well as to improve the precision of the data. Consequently, many of the measurement tasks conducted on the human body are now supported by computational methods, which are used to improve the resulting anthropometric digital human models.

Therefore, although scanning methods are continuously being enhanced, it is also important to improve the associated computational methods to improve the resulting anthropometric digital human models and, in particular, to gain novel perspectives for new uses of the 3D body data. These new uses generate new requirements for the 3D scanning methods and, in turn, establish functional roles as scientific tools for the anthropometric measurement methods.

This special issue will present the latest research on methods for measuring and modelling 3D body surface data. As a result, the issue will describe state-of-the-art methods for gathering, processing and analysing 3D body shape data. Researchers are cordially invited to submit their original work on 3D body scanning methods, 3D anthropometric measurement methods and new uses of the 3D body data, such as biomechanics or other new uses of the 3D body data which are related to this special issue.

Suitable topics include, but are not limited to, the following:
  • 3D surface scanning methods: lasers, structured lights, IR transducers
  • 3D surface scanning methods for a body in motion
  • Data processing pipelines which improve throughput
  • Automatic landmark identification and dimension extraction methods
  • Statistical methods for analysing 3D body shape data
  • 3D modelling methods
  • Biomechanical analysis methods
  • 3D body data management methods
  • Interdisciplinary studies and new applications for 3D body data
  • High-level and semantic descriptors derived from 3D body data

Important Dates
Submission of manuscripts: 1 November, 2015
Notification to authors: 1 January, 2016
Final versions due: 1 April, 2016

24 March 2015

Int. J. of Electronic Governance to publish expanded papers from EGOV 2015 and ePart 2015

Extended versions of papers presented at the Dual EGOV 2015 and ePart 2015 Conference (30 August - 3 September 2015, Thessaloniki, Greece) will be published by the International Journal of Electronic Governance.

Call for papers: "China – The Emerging Market"

For a special issue of the International Journal of Business and Emerging Markets.

Since its open-door and reform policies were enacted more than three decades ago, China has experienced significant and sustained economic growth to become the world’s second-largest economy. This relatively recent and rapid elevation has become emblematic for a number of developing countries that are seeking to follow the Chinese example, many of which are themselves beginning to emerge as significant players in global marketplaces.

The Chinese experience has certainly been occasioned by a variety of well-documented opportunities and challenges. Less investigated has been the historical interplay between national and regional economic policies, business and management practices, and the values, culture and expectations held towards work and its governance.

Hence the purpose of this special issue, which will look at these questions through a series of studies that investigate the historical and contemporary interplay of these indicators. To this end a series of empirical and conceptually based articles will be included, which in combination will offer a depiction and analysis of China’s developmental state credentials.

Such an appraisal should be of interest to policy makers seeking to understand the way various political, business and social factors have partaken of one another to facilitate Chinese economic development. It should also be of interest to policy makers seeking to replicate the Chinese experience. It should finally be of interest to business and management practitioners presently operating in China or who are seeking to establish operations in the country.

Suitable topics include, but are not limited to, the following:
  • Social issues
    • Cross-cultural management
    • Cross-cultural marketing
    • Cross-cultural communications
    • Strategic management in a Chinese context
    • Expectations of work
    • Values held towards business, work and management
    • Historical changes in social values, culture and expectations of business, work and management
  • Policy issues
    • National policies relating to the regulation of business and labour
    • Regional policies
    • Ideological predilections held towards the regulation of work
    • Trade and investment policy targets and directions
    • Migration and local community policies
    • State-owned enterprises
    • Region and national focus of foreign direct investment
    • Historical evolution of national and regional policies relating to business, management, work and labour
  • Business and management issues
    • Outward and inward foreign direct investment
    • Economic performance
    • Business performance, domestic and foreign
    • Business management, domestic and foreign
    • Labour management, domestic and foreign
    • Organised labour
    • Historical evolution of business, management and work practices

Important Dates
Submission of manuscripts: 30 January, 2016
Comments to authors: 30 May, 2016
Revised papers due: 30 August, 2016

Special issue published: "Tomorrow's IT Leadership for Sustainable Development"

World Review of Science, Technology and Sustainable Development 12(1) 2015

Extended versions of papers presented at the International Conference on Sustainability, Technology and Education 2013.
  • Total design control within the sustainable engineering design process
  • Design education for sustainability: a case study for an inclusive approach to design in India
  • Scientific research support in developing sustainable transport in Romania
  • E-learning sustainability: creation of a new platform for designing new community identity through lifelong learning
  • International market competitiveness of Japanese green innovation technologies: an analysis using patent data

New Editor for the International Journal of Rapid Manufacturing

Associate Prof. Bahram Asiabanpour from Texas State University in the USA has been appointed to take over editorship of the International Journal of Rapid Manufacturing. He will be taking the place of Ali K. Kamrani, who will remain with IJRapidM as an Editor.

23 March 2015

Emission control

The notion of global warming was first mooted by French scientist and mathematician Joseph Fourier in 1824 and discovered by John Tyndall in 1860, he and later, Svante Arrhenius, pinned down the mechanisms. It is perhaps deceived wisdom that Arrhenius was the first to suggest that Sweden might once again be able to grow tropical fruit, such as bananas with a little geo-engineering, but Alexander Graham Bell in 1917 suggested that the unchecked burning of fossil fuels would force the very greenhouse effect and global warming we have observed since the Industrial Revolution. The data is there, despite the denialists and those who suggest the infrared spectrum of carbon dioxide is not enough to cause the effect and that atmospheric water vapour is the only relevant factor. I recently wrote of a decade’s worth of evidence that demonstrates once and for all that carbon dioxide is the forcing factor.

That notion of geo-engineering has been discussed at length in recent years, looking at ways of scrubbing out the carbon from polluters such as cars and fossil fuel power stations, sequestration of the gas from the atmosphere, anything to avoid having to actually do anything to reduce our reliance on fossil fuels or to actually cut emissions or offend the oil companies. It seems unlikely that we will give up our power any time soon even in the face of climate change. It could be that carbon sequestration is the only way forward.

Now, scientists in India have modelled the effect of physically removing carbon dioxide from the air. Their non-linear model takes into account particulates, water droplets and many other factors.

The team has applied their model to two possible scenarios. In the first, they assume that carbon dioxide would be removed from the atmosphere through the introduction of aerosols or particulates (calcium oxide) that would sequester carbon dioxide so that it would precipitate out of the atmosphere. The model suggests that greenhouse gases could be eliminated from the atmosphere using this approach. In the second scenario, absorption of carbon dioxide would be carried out by plant photosynthesising species.

Of course the feasibility of such geo-engineering relies on a carbon neutral technology for their implementation and the means to dispose of the precipitate in the first scenario and a sustainable use for the biomass that doesn’t simple regurgitate the greenhouse gas back into the atmosphere through decay or burning.

Shukla, J.B., Chauhan, M.S., Sundar, S. and Naresh, R. (2015) ‘Removal of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere to reduce global warming: a modelling study’, Int. J. Global Warming, Vol. 7, No. 2, pp.270–292.

Emission control is a post from: David Bradley's Science Spot

via Science Spot » Inderscience http://ift.tt/1B7M07p

22 March 2015

Call for papers: "Advances in Management and Technology in a Global World"

For a special issue of the International Journal of Management Practice.

The business world is advancing swiftly and continuously as a result of technological innovation. This special issue aims to disseminate information pertaining to the most recent trends, concerns and practical challenges encountered in the field of business and management and the solutions adopted. It seeks papers exploring upcoming new business practices and the changes technology has brought about in the way organisations function, and attempts to serve as a platform for information exchange on contemporary interests and concerns.

The special issue will have diverse coverage across several fields related to management and technology, thus creating an interdisciplinary environment for academic and pragmatic debates.

The issue will carry revised and substantially extended versions of selected papers presented at the International Conference on Advances in Management and Technology in a Global World 2015, but we also strongly encourage researchers unable to participate in the conference to submit articles for this call.

Suitable topics include, but are not limited to, the following:
  • New technologies and business
  • Managing distributed projects
  • Managing information security
  • Virtual communities and collaboration
  • Next-generation technologies
  • Internet for everything
  • Enterprise systems and business
  • Big data analytics
  • Enterprise 3.0 applications
  • New business models
  • Managing global enterprises
  • Human-computer interaction
  • New marketing
  • Social media and mobile marketing
  • Advances in B2B, B2C and C2C environments
  • Digital marketing and customer relationship management
  • Brands and consumer behaviour
  • Green marketing
  • Advances in operations management
  • Service operations management
  • Made in India - flexible manufacturing
  • ICT and innovations in operations
  • Sustainable supply chain management
  • Advances in quality management
  • Human resource management in today’s organisations
  • Employability skills and talent management
  • Contemporary leadership issues in organisations
  • Analytics in human resource management
  • Technology for training and development
  • Digital learning and organisations
  • Advances in Financial Management
  • Market volatility and financial innovation
  • Financial econometrics
  • Technology in banking and insurance
  • Investment management and high-frequency finance
  • Financial inclusion

Important Dates
Submission of full paper (online): 5 October, 2015

Call for papers: "Electronic Participation (eParticipation)"

For a special issue of the International Journal of Electronic Governance.

Electronic participation (eParticipation) refers to the use of information and communication technologies to enhance political participation and citizen engagement. eParticipation is by definition a multidisciplinary field of study. Today, eParticipation is particularly timely and relevant in various contexts and in diverse environments, e.g. digital democracy; participatory public service design; use of open government data in eParticipation initiatives; use of social media (e.g. Twitter, Facebook) by citizens, governments and civil servants; top-down and bottom-up eParticipation initiatives related to economic and welfare issues, etc.

The issue will carry revised and substantially extended versions of selected papers presented at the General eParticipation Track of this year's Dual EGOV 2015 and ePart 2015 conference, but we also strongly encourage researchers unable to participate in the conference to submit articles for this call.

Suitable topics include, but are not limited to, the following:
  • eParticipation research including theories, methods, models and approaches
  • The role of social and mobile media and Web 2.0 in eParticipation
  • Transparency and open access for eParticipation
  • Design and co-creation of participatory public services, bottom-up initiatives
  • Privacy, security and ethical considerations in eParticipation
  • Advances in eParticipation domains: online deliberation and discourse, participatory budgeting, eConsultation, ePolling, eLegislation, eElectioneering, eCampaigning and eVoting
  • Advances in participatory policy making using policy modelling, simulation, impact assessment and visualisation methods and tools
  • eParticipation and big data
  • Smart cities and the role of citizens
  • Environmental information systems and citizen participation
  • The role of eParticipation in national and global crisis situations
  • Comparative analyses of eParticipation practices
  • Impact assessment and public value considerations of eParticipation on real world decision making
  • Digital literacy and its consequences for eParticipation
  • eParticipation projects: design, implementation, evaluation, quality and impact

Important Dates
Submission of manuscripts: 27 November, 2015

21 March 2015

Special issue published: "Multiple Criteria Decision Making in Urban and Rural Settings"

International Journal of Information and Decision Sciences 7(1) 2015

Extended versions of papers presented at the HELORS 9th meeting of Multiple Criteria Decision Aid.
  • Multi-criteria route choice in road networks 
  • A web tool for sustainable energy communities
  • SWOT analysis for sustainable forest policy and management: a Greek case study
  • A comparative analysis of cloud computing services using multicriteria decision analysis methodologies
Additional paper
  • Enhancing students' skills of higher education: methodology, statistical analyses and survey outcomes

Call for papers: "Supporting Wireless Sensor Networks with Big Data and Cloud Computing Technologies"

For a special issue of the International Journal of Internet Protocol Technology.

Wireless sensor networks are collecting huge amounts of heterogeneous data for a wide variety of application domains thanks to their ability to operate in remote, distributed and harsh spatial environments. However, their limited memory, computation capabilities and battery lifetime are preventing them from processing the collected data appropriately. The increasing requirements to carry out various types of processing in real time are increasing the need for powerful and scalable high-performance computing and massive storage infrastructures.

Recent advances in cloud computing and big data are allowing significant amounts of data to be conveniently structured, stored, navigated, processed, queried and visualised, with extended scalability and flexibility and at low cost. Cloud computing and big data technologies are therefore providing attractive opportunities in complementing and supporting sensor network operations. The integration of these three technologies is creating new research and development opportunities towards supporting real-time event processing and management within large-scale infrastructures.

For this special issue, authors are invited to submit original contributions that address the use of cloud computing and big data technologies to improve current and future design and development of wireless sensor networks.

Suitable topics include, but are not limited to, the following:
  • Architectures and models for integrated big data and sensor networks
  • Big sensor data semantics
  • Large-scale sensor data modelling, storage and visualisation
  • Big sensor data analytics
  • Data analysis and mining for sensor networks
  • Big data processing in sensor networks
  • Big sensor data aggregation and filtering
  • Big sensor data querying
  • Complex event processing and big data
  • Data transfer protocol for big sensor data
  • Secure big sensor data management
  • Spatial data warehouses for sensor networks
  • Sensor data streaming via cloud computing systems
  • Sensor cloud systems for remote and real-time monitoring
  • Architectures and models for sensor-clouds
  • Design and integration of sensor-cloud systems
  • Sensor-cloud protocols
  • Cloud-based communication for sensor networks
  • Sensor-cloud applications
  • Secure sensor-cloud systems

Important Dates
Submission deadline: 30 November, 2015
Author notification: 30 December, 2015
Final papers: 20 January, 2016

20 March 2015

Int. J. of Big Data Intelligence to publish expanded papers from ESAS 2015

Extended versions of papers presented at the 2015 IEEE International Workshop on Engineering Semantic Agent Systems (1-5 July 2015, Taichung, Taiwan) will be published by the International Journal of Big Data Intelligence.

First issue: International Journal of Islamic Marketing and Branding (free sample issue available)

The International Journal of Islamic Marketing and Branding lays the foundation for and advances Islamic marketing as a new discipline. Mandated to become the leader in the field, it provides the international marketing community with up-to-date research on all aspects of Islamic marketing and the Islamic market. IJIMB furnishes information on marketing needs and trends that introduce new ideas and theories and give insightful and clear illustrations of Islamic marketing thought and practice.

There is a free download of the papers from this first issue.

Call for papers: "E-Health Systems and Semantic Web"

For a special issue of the International Journal of Big Data Intelligence.

E-health systems play a significant role in the well-being of individuals, both as medical solutions and for healthcare towards everyday well-being. New models and methods continue to be developed to produce safer healthcare environments. The rapid growth of using such devices and technologies in medical fields has generated new opportunities for emerging application improvement; however, huge challenges still need to be addressed in order to develop consistent, suitable, safe, flexible and power-efficient systems fit for medical needs.

Semantic web technologies render dynamic, heterogeneous, distributed, shared content equally accessible to human reader and software agents. This special issue aims to contribute to the vision of achieving a synergy with multi-agent technologies, whereby both semantics and agents will centre stage. Its goal is to garner the synergy of both technologies by taking up both the semantic web and the agent aspects of the common research issue in relation to e-health systems.

This special issue has the following complementary objectives:
  • Inquiring into the theory and practice of engineering semantic e-health systems, especially methods, means and best cases;
  • Exploring unifying software engineering methodologies employed in implementing semantic applications across domains; and
  • Deploying new technologies in the fields of semantic intelligence, e-health systems, m-health systems and applications, especially for distributed healthcare systems.
Recent developments in big data, wearable sensors and mobile and semantic technologies are significantly impacting the daily lives of people through people-centric systems extending human capabilities in obtaining, consuming and sharing personal information. Consequently, a flock of issues both beneficial and threatening await attention. Therefore the topics of interest (see below) span both theory and practice in big data, analytics, semantics and agents for e-health systems.

The issue will carry revised and substantially extended versions of selected papers presented at the 2015 IEEE International Workshop on Engineering Semantic Agent Systems (ESAS 2015), but we also strongly encourage researchers unable to participate in the conference to submit articles for this call.

Suitable topics include, but are not limited to, the following:
  • Smart e-health systems through web technologies
  • Autonomic analysis, monitoring and situation alertness
  • Body sensor networks and wearable sensor systems in e-health
  • Medical biofeedback
  • Medical decision support systems and tools
  • Context awareness and autonomous computing for ambient assisted living
  • E-health-oriented software architectures (agent, SOA, middleware, etc.)
  • E-health virtual and augmented reality
  • Emerging e-health applications
  • Health grid and health cloud
  • Health monitoring and traffic classification
  • Healthcare management systems
  • ICT-enabled personal health systems
  • Image and video processing in e-health
  • E-health devices and smart parts for healthcare systems
  • E-health big data: access, aggregation and use
  • Semantic web rule languages and e-health systems
  • Ontology engineering and inference in e-health systems
  • Semantic processing in e-health
  • Case studies

Important Dates
Submission deadline: 15 October, 2015
Completion of first-round reviews: 15 December, 2015
Revised papers: 1 February, 2016
Final papers due: 1 March, 2016

19 March 2015

Int. J. of Advanced Mechatronic Systems to publish expanded papers from ICAMechS 2015

Extended versions of papers presented at the 2015 International Conference on Advanced Mechatronic Systems (22-24 August 2015, Beijing, China) will be published by the International Journal of Advanced Mechatronic Systems.

More information is available here.

New Editor for the International Journal of Environment, Workplace and Employment

Prof. Pascal Paillé of Laval University in Canada has been appointed to take over editorship of the International Journal of Environment, Workplace and Employment.

Special issue published: "Muscle Strength and Fatigue Modelling - Theory, Development and Implementation"

International Journal of Human Factors Modelling and Simulation 5(1) 2015
  • Modelling three-dimensional human strength capacity: logistic vs. polynomial surface equations 
  • Development and validation of a rule-based strength scaling method for musculoskeletal modelling
  • Wrist joint torque-angle-velocity performance capacity envelope evaluation and modelling
  • The influence of head-neck position on wrist flexor strength
  • A review of occupationally-relevant models of localised muscle fatigue
  • Predictive model of the human muscle fatigue: application to repetitive push-pull tasks with light external load

Call for papers: "Applied Maxillofacial Systems"

For a special issue of the International Journal of Applied Systemic Studies.

This special issue will be devoted to the field of surgery and pathology pertaining to oral and maxillofacial systems. The topic of the issue is applied maxillofacial systems, and authors are invited to submit original research papers and reviews that enhance our knowledge of the systems approach to oral health problems for maxillofacial systems.
 
Our primary aim is to publish innovative ideas and research work which is helpful to academicians, scholars, consultants, industry experts and scientists in enhancing their research and development work.
 
Suitable topics include, but are not limited to, the following:
  • Oral and maxillofacial surgery systems
  • Molecular biology of oral cancer
  • Aspects of oral health protection systems
 
Important Dates
Submission deadline: 30 June, 2015

18 March 2015

Int. J. of Automotive Composites to publish expanded papers from ICCST10

Extended versions of papers presented at the 10th International Conference on Composite Science and Technology (2-4 September 2015, Lisboa, Portugal) will be published by the International Journal of Automotive Composites.

Special issue published: "Security in Multimedia Computing Industry"

International Journal of Information and Computer Security 6(4) 2014

Extended versions of papers presented at the International Conference on Digital Policy and Management 2013
  • Study of mobile virtualisation-based security technology for smartwork environment
  • Development AI traffic-safety system using RFID technique and USN theory
  • Image encryption method for depth + texture video contents
  • An iterative layered interference canceller scheme for OFDM in wireless mesh security networks
Additional papers
  • Cryptanalysis and improvement on a certificateless encryption scheme in the standard model
  • Hybrid encryption/decryption technique using new public key and symmetric key algorithm
  • Issues in user authentication using security questions

New Editor for the International Journal of Information Privacy, Security and Integrity

Prof. Leon S.L. Wang from the National University of Kaohsiung in Taiwan has been appointed to take over editorship of the International Journal of Information Privacy, Security and Integrity.

17 March 2015

Special issue published: "Beyond Middle Eastern Shores: Global Landscape for HRM and HRD"

International Journal of Human Resources Development and Management 14(1/2/3) 2014
  • Looking beyond the shores: emerging HRM and HRD trends in the Middle East
Research
  • Impact of organisational justice on work outcomes in the pharmaceutical industry in Kuwait 
  • Knowledge-based economic development as a unifying vision in a post-awakening Arab World
  • Influences of emotional intelligence on transformational leadership and leader-member exchange in Kuwait
  • Knowledge sharing attitude and behaviour in Saudi Arabian organisations: why trust matters
  • Leadership behaviour and employee engagement: a Kuwaiti services company
  • Organisational commitment of women working in leadership positions in Saudi Arabia
Perspectives on Practice
  • Increasing workforce productivity: smarter people and machines
  • From desert to destiny: knowledge, attitudes and practices of Saudi Arabian leadership

16 March 2015

Inderscience is media partner for Future Armoured Vehicles Eastern Europe

Inderscience is a media partner for Future Armoured Vehicles Eastern Europe (22-23 June 2015, Prague, Czech Republic).

The journals involved are:
Further information is available here.

Special issue published: "Healthcare Management: Quality and Standards in a Global World"

International Journal of Services and Standards 10(1/2) 2015
  • Systematic literature review of quality management in healthcare organisations: exploring and organising extant research using nVivo
  • Cost savings of diabetes outcomes: impact of nurse practitioner practice regulatory policy
  • A sensemaking approach to a discursive ethical skill in healthcare management: the case of an oncopaediatric service
  • Healthcare and motivation-medicine: a critical examination of health, the medical profession and the future of cell research
  • Healthcare management: do quality and standards vary based on national culture

13 March 2015

Special issue published: "Interdisciplinary Research on International Market Strategies and Performance"

International Journal of Trade and Global Markets 8(1) 2015

Includes extended versions of papers presented at the SIBRUniKL 2014 Conference on Interdisciplinary Business and Economic Research.
  • Unfair Contract Terms Act 1977: does it provide a good model in regulating risk allocation provisions in oilfield contracts in Malaysia?
  • Price and quality of remanufactured products related to consumer behaviour
  • Malaysia's commodity export performance during Asian currency crisis and US subprime mortgage crisis
  • Gravity model by panel data approach: empirical evidence from Nigeria
Additional paper
  • Performance evaluation of biotech crops in emerging markets: the case of India

Special issue published: "Durability of Concrete Structures"

International Journal of Structural Engineering 6(1) 2015

  • A durability performance-index for concrete: developments in a novel test method
  • Strength and durability of green concrete
  • Life prediction and verification of coastal concrete structures on relativistic information entropy
  • Effect of hybrid fibres on the shear and durability behaviour of high performance concrete
  • Chemically reactive enamel coating of steel rebar for enhanced durability of reinforced concrete structures
  • Modelling the effects of structural cracking on carbonation front advance into concrete

12 March 2015

Int. J. of Computer Aided Engineering and Technology to publish expanded papers from IICIST 2015

Extended versions of papers presented at the ICRIL-International Conference on Innovation in Science and Technology (20 April 2015, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia) will be published by the International Journal of Computer Aided Engineering and Technology.

Call for papers: "Cost and Technology Challenges for Higher Education in an Increasingly Globalised World"

For a special issue of the International Journal of Economics and Business Research.

The objective of this special issue is to publish papers that deal with higher education issues that relate to cost and technology. Costs are rising, owing to expensive investments in technology, instructors’ salaries and rising administrative costs; at the same time, governments can no longer afford to subsidise universities as generously as they used to. Furthermore, a technological revolution is challenging higher education’s business model. An explosion in online learning – much of it free – means that the knowledge once imparted to a lucky few is now available to anyone with a smartphone or laptop.

These financial and technological disruptions coincide with a third great change: whereas universities used to educate just a small elite, they are now responsible for training and retraining workers throughout their careers. How will they survive this storm – and what will emerge in their place if they don’t?

The issue will carry revised and substantially extended versions of selected papers presented at the 26thBusiness & Economics Society International Conference, but we also strongly encourage researchers unable to participate in the conference to submit articles for this call.

Suitable topics include, but are not limited to, the following:
  • Higher education and costs
  • Higher education and governmental support
  • Higher education and technology
  • The impact of the various clouds
  • Online education: positives and negatives

Important Dates
Submission of manuscripts: 30 June, 2015

New Editor for the International Journal of Energy Technology and Policy

Prof. Tugrul Daim from Portland State University in USA has left his Executive Editor appointment to become Editor-in-Chief of the International Journal of Energy Technology and Policy.

11 March 2015

Inderscience is media partner for Oil and Gas Cyber Security North America

Inderscience is a media partner for Oil and Gas Cyber Security North America (13-14 May 2015, Houston, USA).

The journals involved are:

Special issue published: "Multicriteria Decision Aid Methods and Applications"

International Journal of Multicriteria Decision Making 5(1/2) 2015

Expanded versions of papers presented at the 76th Meeting of the European Working Group ‘Multiple Criteria Decision Aiding’ (EWG-MCDA).
  • Multicriteria decision problem structuring: the strategic choice approach in the context of public projects in Italy
  • Decision-making in a coordinated control structure 
  • A multicriteria clustering approach to facility layout generation
  • A strategic model for selecting the location of furniture factories: a case of the study of furniture 
  • A framework for the optimal multicriteria design of networks of small hydro turbines in polluted streams 
  • PROMETHEE-GDSS revisited: applications so far and new developments
  • Flood disaster management with the use of AHP

Int. J. of Modelling, Identification and Control to publish expanded papers from ICMIC 2015

Extended versions of papers presented at the 7th International Conference on Modelling, Identification and Control (18-20 December 2015, Sousse, Tunisia) will be published by the International Journal of Modelling, Identification and Control.

New Editor for the International Journal of Knowledge Engineering and Data Mining

Prof. Madjid Tavana from La Salle University in the USA has been appointed to take over editorship of the International Journal of Knowledge Engineering and Data Mining.

10 March 2015

Call for papers: "Modelling and Simulation Support for System of Systems Engineering Applications: A Research Agenda"

For a special issue of the International Journal of System of Systems Engineering.

The book on “Modeling and Simulation Support for System of Systems Engineering Applications” (Rainey and Tolk 2015) addresses several of the original research agenda items identified by the community, such as described by Valerdi et al. (2008). Chapter 22 of this book explicitly enumerates topic of a research agenda, which are used for this special issue.

Our understanding of a system of systems (SoS) is captured in the second chapter of our book, in which Mark Maier summarises and extends his work in the context of support opportunities for modelling and simulation:
  • Operational independence of the individual systems: An SoS is composed of systems that are independent and useful in their own right. If an SoS is disassembled into the component systems, these component systems are capable of independently performing useful operations independently of one another
  • Managerial independence of the systems: The component systems not only can operate independently, they generally do operate independently to achieve an intended purpose. The component systems are generally individually acquired and integrated and they maintain a continuing operational existence that is independent of the SoS
  • Geographic distribution: Geographic dispersion of component systems is often large. Often, these systems can readily exchange only information and knowledge with one another, and not substantial quantities of physical mass or energy
  • Emergent behaviour: The SoS performs functions and carries out purposes that do not reside in any component system. These behaviours are emergent properties of the entire SoS and not the behaviour of any component system. The principal purposes supporting engineering of these systems are fulfilled by these emergent behaviours
  • Evolutionary development: An SoS is never fully formed or complete. Development of these systems is evolutionary over time and with structure, function and purpose added, removed, and modified as experience with the system grows and evolves over time
Modeling and simulation in general and agent-directed simulation (ADS) in particular already support systems engineering successfully. Yilmaz and Ören (2009) dedicated a whole book to the synergisms of agent-directed simulation and systems engineering. Simulated systems can be used to obtain, display and evaluate operationally relevant data in agile contexts by executing models using operational data exploiting the full potential of M&S and producing numerical insight into the behaviour of complex systems. ADS have been shown to have the ability to support the development of robust, fault tolerant, adaptive, self-optimising, learning, social capable, autonomous, and agile solutions. ADS also expose emergent behaviour similar to SoS, so that they can be used to better understand and utilise this criterion and enforce positive emergence while avoiding negative emergence.

While some problems have been solved by recent research results, other challenges are still obviously unresolved, but the application of M&S methods promises to offer an improvement. The list of recommendations below regarding topics for the research agenda is neither considered to be complete nor exclusive and is meant to be modified and extended by the community of scholars and practitioners to fit their needs. It hopefully can serve as a core to grow from. The topics below for a research agenda are compiled based on the chapter contributions to Rainey and Tolk (2015) serving as a starting point towards developing a common body of knowledge and educating the workforce on the SoSE approach. This special issue is the next step.

References
DeLaurentis, D.A. A taxonomy-based perspective for systems of systems design methods. Proceedings of the IEEE Conference on Systems, Man and Cybernetics, Vol. 1, pp. 86-91, IEEE Press (2005)
Kuhl, M. E., Kistner, J., Costantini, K., Sudit, M. Cyber attack modeling and simulation for network security analysis. Proceedings of the 39th Conference on Winter Simulation, pp. 1180-1188, IEEE Press (2007)
Rainey, L.B., Tolk, A. (eds.): Modeling and Simulation support for System of Systems Engineering Applications. Wiley, Hoboken, NY (2015)
Tolk, A., Adams, K.M., Keating, C.B. Towards Intelligence-based Systems Engineering and System of Systems Engineering. Tolk, A., Jain, L. (Eds.). Intelligence-based Systems Engineering, Intelligent Systems Reference Library, Vol. 10, pp. 1-22, Springer, Berlin, (2011)
Valerdi, R., Axelband, E., Baehren, T., Boehm, B., Dorenbos, D., Jackson, S., Madni, A., Nadler, G., Robitaille, P., Settles, S.: A research agenda for systems of systems architecting. International Journal System of Systems Engineering, Vol. 1, Nos. 1/2: 171–188 (2008)
Yilmaz, L., Ören, T. (eds.): Agent-Directed Simulation and Systems Engineering. Wiley, Berlin (2009)

Suitable topics include, but are not limited to, the following:
  • Taxonomy for SoSE. A literature research on SoSE methods immediately shows that the community is not speaking a common language. Publications are full of synonyms and homonyms, which make it hard to communicate and reuse results from other relevant domains. Mapping results to a common taxonomy will support a better understanding of the common concepts. DeLaurentis' (2005) work is already a good starting point. This common understanding of concepts, relationships, and processes is also critical for the efficient use of M&S methods to improve SoSE. This is because successful M&S methods can be associated with taxonomical concepts, ensuring their reuse; otherwise, experts from other SoSE domains may not recognise application specific elements as being relevant for them
  • Theoretic foundations for SoSE. Several authors have already requested a SoSE methodology, i.e., a rigorous engineering analysis that invests heavily in the understanding and framing of the problem under study (Tolk et al. 2011). In particular, modelling has been identified as a successful M&S method to support a better understanding (Zhou et al. 2011). Although these efforts are a good starting point, capturing the ideas in unambiguous and rigorous formal methods is needed as well. The authors are convinced that the field of cybernetics has the potential to better support these efforts. An example is Ashby's (1958) law of requisite variety for the control of complex systems. The application of this law will provide insight into what a common operating picture would look like for a SoS where coherence, as addressed above, is the objective. Beer's (1979) viable system model has the potential to facilitate a better theoretic understanding of resilience. Finally, system thinking (Boardman and Sauser 2008) and its formalisms needs to be re-evaluated in order to provide solid theoretic foundations. The theoretic foundations for SoSE seem to be present, but they may have to be compiled from the variety of related contributing domains into a more coherent body of knowledge
  • Organisational and human factors engineering. The human limit to handling complexity and the organisational constraints for systems with operational and managerial independence continue to be unsolved challenges. Currently proposed solutions often focus on technical proposals, but technical efforts cannot solve conceptual problems. A consolidated effort that brings together management expertise, an educated workforce, and supporting technical solutions is needed. Engineering management for SoSE needs to play a pivotal role to ensure that (a) the existing and new technical solutions are recognised by academicians, management professionals and (b) professional education of the workforce is provided
  • Engineering emergence. The emergent behaviour of SoS is recognised. The topic of guided emergence was recognised already in the 2006 workshop and evolved into a broader task, namely to actively pursue positive emergence and avoid negative emergence. Positive emergence should not be a welcomed coincident but rather the product of engineering efforts. Now researchers are starting to work on methods to gain a deeper understanding if and how this is possible (Chen et al. 2009). Agent-based simulation is well known for its ability to produce emergence as well. Using sophisticated SoS models to drive agent-based simulations to gain a better understanding is a logical resulting recommendation. One early application may be the use of such models within serious games to create problem awareness and better training for managers (Tolk 2014)
  • Cybersecurity. Another topic that evolved significantly over the last years is security. The operational and managerial independence creates a significant challenge for secure solutions. Every interface or access point provided by contributing systems within the SoS federation extends the attack surface exposed to potential threats. The security solutions proposed in the chapters of this book are necessary but not sufficient. Loosely coupling systems offers the rapid accessibility of new functionality, but it also opens the threat of unauthorised access or manipulation of sensitive information. As mentioned before, the development of new security protocols will make the SoS more secure, but managerial and educational processes to raise the awareness of these problems are also needed. Again, M&S methods can support procurement, testing, and training on multiple levels. Kuhl et al. (2007) give examples of efforts that are under development, and some of them are now in operational use to train cybersecurity personnel
  • Model-based SoSE. The advantages of model-based systems engineering are well recognised by the traditional systems engineering community by now. The use of a model-based common knowledge repository with a multitude of different facets to support customers, stakeholders, and team members of all life cycles and phases of a system in the form of a consistent system architecture with multiple views or viewpoints is becoming a common approach. These ideas, methods, and supporting tools need to be adapted and evolved to support SoSE as well. As already discussed by Tolk et al. (2011), it is highly recommended to ensure that all artifacts are machine-readable so that intelligent agents and other tools can use them to support users and managers, eventually evolving the state of the art towards M&S-based SoSE
  • Academic and professional SoSE education. Although SoSE gained significant academic attention over the last year, the professional education still needs improvement, as the new knowledge has not been transferred well from academia to the workforce. Specifically, managers and commanders at all levels within the command structure of complex organisations are not aware that the professional environment that they work in day-in and day-out is a SoSE application. This can be observed in government, industry and supporting Federally Funded Research and Development Centers. The requisite education will significantly enhance their daily situational awareness. One example in the focus of this book is the use of M&S methods. Several complex organisations still have adopted the discrete-event simulation paradigm as a "one size fits all" solution that worked well in the traditional environment, without awareness of the utility of agent-based simulation or hybrid approaches. As a result, decisions are not based on the latest scientific results and can be improved by providing better academic and professional SoSE education on all levels, including decision makers and managers. What exactly needs to get into curricula and continuous education lessons is open for discussion and needs to be captured as the research agenda progresses.

Important Dates
Submission of Manuscripts: 31 January, 2016
Notification to Authors: 31 March, 2016
Final Versions Due: 31 May, 2016

Special issue published: "Social Media"

International Journal of Intercultural Information Management 4(4) 2014

Extended versions of papers presented at the International Conference on Social Media for Business (ICSM 2014).
  • Challenges and opportunities of adaptability of social media practices in government organisations in India
  • Transforming the e-learning platform through its critical success factors
  • Effective use of social media recruiting
  • Effective use of social media for talent acquisition and recruitment
  • Technology failing CRM: current issues in the Indian banking industry
  • Factors affecting selection of online buying website: an analytical study among the Indian youth

In-car collision avoidance alarm

An in-car alarm that sounds when sensors on the vehicle detect an imminent crash could cut crash rates from 1 in 5 to 1 in 10 for drivers over the of 60 suffering tiredness on long journeys, according to a study published in the International Journal of Human Factors and Ergonomics.

Psychologist Carryl Baldwin of George Mason University in Fairfax, Virginia, USA, and colleagues there and at the Sentara Norfolk General Sleep Center, emphasize how fatigue poses a persistent threat to transportation safety. Alarms that sound when a vehicle senses an imminent collision or when a driver deviates from their lane have already been tested and shown to work with alert drivers. Baldwin and colleagues wanted to know whether an alarm would reduce the accident rate in older and younger drivers who were suffering from fatigue.

Two volunteer groups, one aged 18-29 years and the second 65-85 years were each split into two groups, four groups in all. They had each group of volunteer drivers take control of a car simulator for one and a half hours to induce driver fatigue and assessed this based on faltering lane discipline among the drivers. They were then tested to see how well they would respond when a single imminent collision event was simulated. Half the young drivers and half the older drivers were given an audible alarm when the collision was about to occur and the other half of each group, the controls had to try and avoid the collision with no auditory warning.

The team found that almost 18% of the drivers not given an auditory warning crashed in the simulated collision. However, only about 11% had a collision if the alarm was sounded. Auditory warnings were most effective in the older group with only one driver over the age of 60 being unable to avoid a collision despite hearing the alarm. Disappointingly, the team says, the auditory warning had little impact on crash rates in drivers under the age of 35. An additional finding, not reported in the paper for statistical reasons is that young female drivers also responded safely when the alarm sound but young males did not.

The team points out that average following distance and speed were fairly constant across the alarm and the control groups for each age range, although the over-60s tended to drive at a much greater following distance than the youngsters. Despite this, no auditory warnings meant even the older drivers, with presumably longer reaction times, than the younger drivers, had approximately the same collision rate.

The team suggests that an in-car collision alarm could be a useful safety device for vehicles. They also point out that the rate of fatigue-induced accidents in which drivers deviate from their lane or the road entirely might just as readily be reduced if alarms for those situations were part of such a safety device’s repertoire too, although the simulations are yet to be done for that type of accident. They do warn that as with all vehicle safety features, they must also be assessed for over-reliance to avoid drivers becoming complacent and ignoring the signs of tiredness.

The team has more recently been testing drivers’ reactions to different types of auditory and multimodal alarms.

Baldwin, C.L., May, J.F. and Parasuraman, R. (2014) ‘Auditory forward collision warnings reduce crashes associated with task-induced fatigue in young and older drivers’, Int. J. Human Factors and Ergonomics, Vol. 3, No. 2, pp.107–121.

In-car collision avoidance alarm is a post from: David Bradley's Science Spot

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Call for papers: "Awareness and Reflection in Technology-Enhanced Learning"

For a special issue of the International Journal of Technology Enhanced Learning.

Awareness and reflection are viewed differently across the disciplines informing technology-enhanced learning (including CSCW, psychology, educational sciences and computer science).

Considering the multitude of views on awareness and reflection distributed over a wide range of disciplines, we are aiming to present a special issue in which answers to the following questions can be found:
  • How can awareness and reflection support learning in different settings (work, education, continuing professional development, lifelong learning, etc.)?
  • What are the roles that technology can play in these contexts to support awareness and reflection for learning?
The issue will carry revised and substantially extended versions of selected papers presented at the ARTEL workshops at the European Conference on Technology-Enhanced Learning, but we also strongly encourage researchers unable to participate in the conference to submit articles for this call.

Suitable topics include, but are not limited to, the following:
  • Theoretical discussion of awareness and reflection in TEL and related concepts (e.g. collaborative learning, creativity techniques, experiential learning, etc.)
  • Methodologies to identify, study and analyse awareness and reflection in the context of (technology-enhanced) learning (quantitative and qualitative methods, learning analytics, visualisations, etc.)
  • Empirical studies about technology support for awareness and reflection
  • Technology (design, application, evaluation) supporting awareness and reflection
  • Designing awareness and reflection in TEL applications and processes
  • Using awareness and reflection support to enhance the learning experience
  • Awareness of social context, knowledge, artefacts and processes
  • Awareness and reflection in specific contexts, such as higher education, work-integrated learning, learning networks, etc.

Important Dates
Submission of manuscripts: 31 January, 2016

Escaping institutional destitution

Well over 500 people sleep rough on the streets of London, with an estimated 2500 people sleeping in shop doorways, bus shelters, car parks and other places across the UK. Half a million people live in temporary hostels, cold weather shelters and women’s refuges. Countless numbers survive in squats and it is thought that numbers close to half a million will rely on food banks and soup kitchens each year from 2016. Making poverty a think of the past never happened. Today, destitution has displaced that word as a severe form of poverty that logically should not exist in a country with a strong welfare state and social security system. And yet it does.

Deepak Gopinath of the School of the Environment, at University of Dundee, UK, suggests that an increase in the number of people relying on food banks for subsistence and inadequate housing provision point to more and more people entering a state of untold deprivation not seen for many decades. Writing in the International Journal of Human Rights and Constitutional Studies, he asks why this should be and in particular how the focus should be more on understanding of how people become or remain destitute rather than just focusing on particular groups such as asylum seekers.

Gopinath points out that measures of poverty do not often reflect the true standard of living, or lack thereof, for many people. Means-tested benefits and minimum income standards consider median incomes but do not take into account an individual’s unique circumstances, age, health, family status etc. Measures to counter poverty take “expert opinion” and divide people with a poverty line, but Gopinath argues that we need complementary, analytical lens that focuses on individual circumstances and identifies the vulnerabilities and conditions suffered in extreme poverty and the impact on dependents. He argues that destitution as “a state of poverty” sees an individual becoming wholly reliant on others, whether family, friends, charity, government or other agencies, to survive.

By creating a new framework for understanding the poverty trap, Gopinath hopes to make clear the routes by which people enter in such deprivation, how poverty becomes self-fulfilling even in the face of social care and importantly, how they might be helped in their escape from outright destitution.

Gopinath, D. (2014) ‘Re-thinking destitution in the UK: typologies, spaces and transitions’, Int. J. Human Rights and Constitutional Studies, Vol. 2, No. 4, pp.341-347.

Escaping institutional destitution is a post from: David Bradley's Science Spot

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9 March 2015

Special issue published: Selected Papers from the 4th International Workshop on Nanotechnology and Applications

International Journal of Nanotechnology 12(5/6/7) 2015

Extended versions of papers presented at the 4th International Workshop on Nanotechnology and Applications (IWNA 2013).
  • Specificity and processing rate enhancement of Mycobacterium tuberculosis diagnostic procedure using antibody-coupled magnetic nanoparticles
  • Detection of interleukin-8 mRNA using a gold nanowire-based biosensor with a stem-loop probe
  • Improvement of Raman enhancement factor due to the use of silver nanoparticles coated obliquely aligned silicon nanowire arrays in SERS measurements
  • Bactericidal activities and synergistic effects of Ag-TiO2 and Ag-TiO2-SiO2 nanomaterials under UV-C and dark conditions
  • Fabrication of silver nanoparticles-curcumin-agar nanocomposite film and its super antimicrobial activity
  • Fabrication of poly (lactic acid)/hydroxyapatite (PLA/HAp) porous nanocomposite for bone regeneration
  • Synthesis, characterisation, adsorption ability and activity of Cu,ZnO@UiO-66 in methanol synthesis
  • Synthesis, characterisation and photocatalytic activity of Co-doped ZnO nanoparticles
  • Solvothermal synthesis and photocatalytic activity of Co-doped TiO2 nanowires
  • Performance characteristics for oxygen reduction reaction of nanostructured Pt100−xCox supported on Vulcan carbon and carbon nanotubes catalysts
  • Study on preparation and properties of a novel photo-catalytic material based on copper-centred metal-organic frameworks (Cu-MOF) and titanium dioxide
  • Study of the formation of silver nanoparticles and silver nanoplates by chemical reduction method
  • Synthesis and characterisation of ZSM-5/SBA-15 composite material
  • Synthesis and characterisation of nanostructured TiO2/SBA-15 and Ag-TiO2/SBA-15 mesoporous composites
  • An optimisation of IDTs for surface acoustic wave sensor
  • Synthesis and characterisations of sol-gel-derived LaNiO3 thin-film electrodes on Si substrates
  • Investigation of the influence of different surfactants on controlling the size of silver nanoparticles
  • Synthesis and optical properties of colloidal Au-Ag alloy nanoparticles
  • Study on the fabrication of CdZnSe/ZnSeS ternary alloy quantum dots
  • Fabrication and upconversion emission processes in nanoluminophores NaYF4: Er, Yb and NaYF4: Tm, Yb

First issue: International Journal of Gender Studies in Developing Societies (free sample issue available)

The International Journal of Gender Studies in Developing Societies addresses key issues on gender studies in developing societies, including: the place of women in society; government policies to improve/empower women in developing societies; improvements to women's lives in post-independence developing societies during the last fifty years; the role of donor countries, international organisations and non-governmental agencies in the improvement/empowerment of women in developing societies. The interdisciplinary perspective of the journal acknowledges the complexity of the study of gender issues and encourages a reflective analysis of the human experience.

There is a free download of the papers from this first issue.

Thematic issue published: "European Family Business Research: Current Debates and Future Challenges"

European Journal of International Management 9(2) 2015
  • Family business research in the European context
  • Gender, ethnicity and identity work in the family business
  • An explorative study on family firms and open innovation breadth: do non-family managers make the difference?
  • The role of non-economic goals for psychological ownership in family firms
  • Servitisation and technological complexity in family and non-family firms: European evidence
  • The influence of family and non-family social capital on firm innovation: exploring the role of family ownership
Regularly submitted paper
  • Collaboration of foreign investors with local family business groups in Turkey: implications on firm performance

The changing face of meetings

In all but the most disconnected places, most of us are connected to our online social networks and contacts information throughout the working day and either side. Moreover, even in face-to-face meetings it is now common for people to check their phones periodically. Research to be published in the International Journal of Ad Hoc and Ubiquitous Computing suggests that the online world is now increasingly facilitating new relationships in the offline world.

Antonio Sapuppo of the Center for Communication, Media and Information Technologies, at Aalborg University, in Copenhagen, Denmark and João Figueiras of the Telecommunications Research Center Vienna (FTW), Austria, suggest that that the information we can gather about a putative offline contact means that people who may not know each other but ought to can make each other’s acquaintance through a virtual introduction. However, such a notion may come at the cost of privacy, they add. “Given that sharing of personal information is an intrinsic part of ubiquitous social networking, these services are subject to crucial privacy threats,” the team reports.

They have now been inspired by the usability and privacy limitations of existing design solutions, to help them identify, describe and qualitatively evaluate four major drawbacks that ought to be avoided when designing new ubiquitous social networking applications. They explain that by addressing these drawbacks, the services can be made more functional but at the same time ensure the end users’ privacy. With such foresight, the long-term success of the technologies might be guaranteed and those face-to-face meetings improve to mutual benefit without either party being compromised.

The four drawbacks discussed by Sapuppo and Figueiras are as follows:

First, ubiquitous social networking should not disclose personal information without taking into consideration the human data sensitivity of the current circumstances. In other words, the technology must consider the “variation of human data sensitivity”.

Secondly, these technologies must avoid disclosure of users’ personal information to third parties, instead, sharing information only between end users to mutual interest and networking benefits.

Thirdly, connections between end users should not require excessive user intervention, the connection process should be transparent, within the initial boundaries defined by each user.

Finally, end users must retain control over all of their personal data even after any given piece of information has been shared.

The team points out that none of the current technologies in the area of ubiquitous social networking do not take into account all four drawbacks in their design and so end users are compromised to different degrees by the technology as it now stands. The team suggests that addressing these four concerns will not provide a total security solution for this technology but will, given , a non-malicious infrastructure, prevent incidental and accidental data disclosure. They have also now designed a general framework for a privacy-aware ubiquitous social networking (PAUSN) platform that overcomes the four drawbacks and so allows users to make informed data disclosure decisions, maximising potential networking benefits and preserving personal privacy.

Sapuppo, A. and Figueiras, J. (2015) ‘Designing for privacy in ubiquitous social networking‘, Int. J. Ad Hoc and Ubiquitous Computing, Vol. 18, Nos. 1/2, pp.102-119.

The changing face of meetings is a post from: David Bradley's Science Spot

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8 March 2015

Call for papers: "Advanced Control Technologies and Applications"

For a special issue of the International Journal of Modelling, Identification and Control.

Control technology has played an essential role in a wide range of control systems, from the simple household appliance to high-performance industrial machines. It seeks to understand physical systems by using mathematical modelling methods; develop optimal control algorithms to enable the systems to behave in the desired manner; and implement the controllers in the physical systems.
 
To meet the requirements of ever-increasing product quality and productivity, innovative and effective control technologies are urgently needed. The goal of this special issue is to bring together recent research outcomes in the field of system identification, control theory and control applications.
 
We solicit papers that address the development of system identification, advanced control techniques ranging from linear robust control to nonlinear intelligent control methods, and control applications for a variety of industrial systems.
 
Suitable topics include, but are not limited to, the following:
  • Modal analysis and system identification
  • Robust and nonlinear control
  • Intelligent control methods
  • Advanced control techniques for robotic and mechatronic systems
  • Control of power electronics
  • Network control technologies

Important Dates
Deadline for manuscript submission: 15 May, 2015
Notification to authors: 15 July, 2015
Deadline for revised manuscript submission: 15 August, 2015
Notification of final manuscript acceptance: 15 September, 2015
Final manuscripts due: 15 October, 2015

Special issue published: "Ageing Society and the Changing Industrial Landscape"

International Journal of Technology, Policy and Management 15(1) 2015
  • Assessing pet industry in Korea using service quality improvement gap model
  • Leading the way into the future: the development of a (lead) market for care robotics in Japan
  • A second chance for the flexible specialisation with robotics? Ageing society in Korea as a case
  • Application of information technology in ageing society: a pursuit of creative economy in Korea
  • Strategic transformation of Shanzhai firms: evidence from a Chinese case
  • Policy dissonance and the challenges of managing the impacts of South Korea's industrial and demographic transition through immigration

7 March 2015

Inderscience journals to publish expanded papers from PRDC 2015

Extended versions of papers presented at the 21st IEEE Pacific Rim International Symposium on Dependable Computing (18-20 November 2015, Zhangjiajie, China) will be published by the following journals:

Special issue published: "Building Manufacturing and Services Capabilities: Challenges in the Age of Globalisation"

International Journal of Productivity and Quality Management 15(2) 2015
  • A survey of business network integration: implications for quality and productivity performance 
  • The impact of project management assets on the VRIO characteristics of PM process for competitive advantage
  • Virtual or vertical? Achieving integrated global supply chains: comparison and analysis of virtual integration and vertical integration in Japanese and Korean steel industry
  • Comparative efficiency assessment and strategic benchmarking of smartphone providers with data envelopment analysis
  • Improving service quality through managing customer contact: case of airlines
  • Two-stage approach to the mixed-model sequencing problem
  • A global knowledge transfer network: the case of Toyota's global production support system
  • Managing internal competition in multinational corporations: the role of home bases
  • Flexible supply capability driving total inventory reduction: an analysis of Omron Healthcare 

6 March 2015

Inderscience is media partner for West Latin America Oil and Gas 2015 Summit

Inderscience is a media partner for the West Latin America Oil and Gas 2015 Summit (16-17 June 2015, Cartagena, Colombia).

The journals involved are:

Inderscience journals to publish expanded papers from ICA3PP 2015

Extended versions of papers presented at the 15th International Conference on Algorithms and Architectures for Parallel Processing (18-20 November 2015, Zhangjiajie, China) will be published by the following journals:

Special issue published: "Security Aspects in Pervasive and Ubiquitous Computing"

International Journal of Ad Hoc and Ubiquitous Computing 18(1/2) 2015
  • Key revocation in wireless sensor networks: a survey on a less-addressed yet vital issue
  • Reconfigurable content-based image retrieval on peer-to-peer networks
  • Security analysis and improvement of a mutual authentication scheme under trusted computing
  • A quantitative and knowledge-based approach to choosing security architectural tactics
  • Anti-forensic steganography using multi-bit MER with flexible bit location
  • A new handover authentication protocol based on bilinear pairing functions for wireless networks
  • An improved biometric-based remote user authentication scheme for connected healthcare
  • Principal component analysis-based data reduction model for wireless sensor networks
  • Designing for privacy in ubiquitous social networking

5 March 2015

Inderscience is media partner for Uruguay Oil and Gas 2015 Summit

Inderscience is a media partner for the Uruguay Oil and Gas 2015 Summit (11-12 June 2015, Montevideo, Uruguay).

The journals involved are:

Int. J. of Big Data Intelligence to publish expanded papers from BDCA'2015

Extended versions of papers presented at the International Conference on Big Data, Cloud and Applications (25-26 May 2015, Tetuan, Morocco) will be published by the International Journal of Big Data Intelligence.

Call for papers: "Advanced Manufacturing of Engine Components for the Aeronautical Sector"

For a special issue of the International Journal of Mechatronics and Manufacturing Systems.

The current trend in the aeronautical sector demands more efficient aero-engines, which means more advanced manufacturing processes for new components and materials. This special issue will cover the state-of-the-art in manufacturing processes, machines, tools, metrology and inspection for the manufacturing of components for the aero-engine of the future.

Suitable topics include, but are not limited to, the following:
  • Advanced processes for aero-engine components manufacturing
  • Machining of superalloys and other advanced materials
  • New advances in machining processes (turning, milling, drilling, grinding, turn-milling, multitasking)
  • Non-conventional machining processes (EDM, chemical machining, ultrasonic machining and other processes)
  • Advanced welding processes
  • Advanced forming processes
  • Advanced casting processes
  • Lasers and laser processing
  • Additive manufacturing
  • Modelling of manufacturing processes for aero-engine manufacturing
  • Process dynamics modelling
  • Chip formation modelling
  • Modelling of temperatures
  • Modelling of surface integrity
  • Advanced machine tools and mechatronic systems for aero-engine components manufacturing
  • Innovative fixtures
  • New tools for aero-engine components manufacturing
  • New metrology and surface integrity control systems

Important Dates
Submission of manuscripts: 30 September, 2015

4 March 2015

Call for papers: "Big Data and Cloud Computing Challenges"

For a special issue of the International Journal of Big Data Intelligence.

This special issue aims to discuss the issues and challenges in maintaining big data and cloud computing, which is now a major threat to our technical environments. It discusses emerging problems such as the data which is growing at a speed greater than the computational speed and also challenges in storing such big data safely.

It also aims to discuss the challenges of virtualisation in cloud computing. It focuses on the development of cloud computing applications with hands on experience including virtualisation. The scope of “virtualisation technologies” includes techniques and concepts to enable virtual machines, virtual networks, virtual storage and virtual applications.

This special issue will also be a platform to create awareness with students, faculties and industrial community and with society regarding the usage of big data and cloud computing.

The issue will carry revised and substantially extended versions of selected papers presented at ISBCC 2015 (International Symposium on Big Data and Cloud Computing Challenges), but we also strongly encourage researchers unable to participate in the conference to submit articles for this call.

Suitable topics include, but are not limited to, the following:
  • Cloud architecture
  • Map reduce
  • Security and privacy
  • Cloud services and applications
  • Virtualisation
  • HPC on cloud
  • Big data science and foundation
  • Big data infrastructure
  • Big data management
  • Big data search and mining
  • Big data security and privacy
  • Big data applications
  • The 5Vs of the data landscape: volume, variety, velocity, veracity, value
  • Big data science and foundations, analytics, visualisation and semantics
  • Software and tools for big data management
  • Security, privacy and legal issues specific to big data
  • Big data economy, QoS and business models
  • Intelligence and scientific discovery
  • Software, hardware and algorithm co-design, high-performance computing
  • Large-scale recommendation systems and graph analysis
  • Algorithmic, experimental, prototyping and implementation
  • Data-driven innovation, computational modelling and data integration
  • Data intensive computing theorems and technologies
  • Modelling, simulation and performance evaluation
  • Hardware and infrastructure, green data centres/environmental-friendly perspectives
  • Computing, scheduling and resource management for sustainability
  • Complex applications in areas where massive data is generated
  • Big data and social networking concepts and applications
  • Emerging technologies in big data and social networking
  • Management issues of social network big data
  • Security challenges in big data and social networks
  • Social network and big data analytics
  • Open source tools for big data
  • Green computing for big data
  • Network infrastructure for social networking and big data
  • Social networks monitoring tools as a Service
  • Cloud computing for big data and social networks
  • Big data and the internet of things
  • Big data and decision making
  • Big data for wireless sensor networks
  • Visualisation tools for big data
  • Mobile cloud networks and big data
  • Social network data analysis tools and services on the cloud
  • Large scale bioinformatics data analysis and management
  • Case studies

Important Dates
Submission of manuscripts: 15 May, 2015
Notification to authors: 1 July, 2015
Final versions due: 1 July, 2015