30 April 2018

International Journal of Nanoparticles to publish expanded papers from 2018 IEEE Electron Device Kolkata Conference (2018 IEEE EDKCON)

Extended versions of papers presented at the 2018 IEEE Electron Device Kolkata Conference (24-25 November 2018, Kolkata, India) will be published by the International Journal of Nanoparticles.

Bricking arsenic from contaminated water

Arsenic contamination of drinking water is a serious problem for many people living in places are disparate as the Indian sub-continent, South America and the American mid-west. The problem affects mainly groundwater sources, and arises by dissolution of arsenic-containing rocks and ashes of volcaninc origin (and their weathering products), by oxidation of sulfur-containing minerals, and/or by mobilization of arsenic-retained iron oxides due to reductive dissolution and/or by arsenic desorption, which in turn is due to phosphate competition. These processes are in general naturally occurring, but human activities such as mining or mismanagement of groundwater resources can also be held responsible for arsenic pollution.

Chronic ingestion of arsenic at sub-toxic levels leads to a condition known as arsenicosis. The pathology of this disorder causes skin lesions such as dermatosis and keratosis, and ultimately skin, lung, bladder, kidney, and liver cancer, among other problems. The World Health Organization established guidelines on exposure and suggest that a total arsenic concentration of 10 micrograms per litre for arsenic in drinking water is the upper safe limit that balances likely levels in the developing world with a relatively safe rate that the body might clear this element once absorbed. Nevertheless, there are an estimated 226 million people exposed to much higher, and thus hazardous levels around the world.

In Argentina alone, around 4 million people, about one in ten of the population, are at risk of drinking groundwater containing natural, but nevertheless toxic, arsenic at concentrations exceeding the 10 micrograms per litre limit.

The decontamination of drinking water and well water is possible, but is generally rather costly and relies on technical equipment that is usually out of the reach of villages and other remote locations in the developing world, making thus necessary a continuous effort to develop new, more efficient and cheaper methods for arsenic removal. However, this decontamination will always generate a toxic waste product that itself must be contained to prevent arsenic leaching back into the environment and waterways.

Now, Jorge Martín Meichtry and Graciela Elizabeth De Seta of the Universidad Tecnológica Nacional, in Buenos Aires, Argentina, and their colleagues have devised a novel method of handling arsenic-containing waste in the form of a mortar formulation for the fabrication of materials that removes the arsenic from the environmental equation by locking it up into bricks made with Portland cement. The bricks can be safely used as construction hardcore or foundation materials or buried in a landfill with very little risk of the arsenic becoming soluble and leaching into soil and water. The team provides details of their work in the International Journal of Environment and Health.


De Seta, E.G., Reina, F.D., Mugrabi, F.I., Lan, L.E., Guerra, J.P., Laburu, A.P., Domingo, E.J. and Meichtry, J.M. (2018) ‘Safe disposal of solid wastes generated during arsenic removal in drinking water’, Int. J. Environment and Health, Vol. 9, No. 1, pp.50–65.

27 April 2018

Free sample articles newly available from International Journal of Work Organisation and Emotion

The following sample articles from the International Journal of Work Organisation and Emotion are now available here for free:
  • How and why emotions matter in interprofessional healthcare
  • What has emotional intelligence got to do with it: the moderating role of EI on the relationships between workplace incivility and mental health?
  • Country of origin, familiarity, the perceived difference and MNC attractiveness
  • Power of person-job fit: emotional labour for salespeople and its relation to job satisfaction

Special issue published: "Managing People and Organisations in Emerging Economies"

International Journal of Work Organisation and Emotion 9(1) 2018
  • Managing self towards managing people: role of perceived emotional competencies in healthcare organisations
  • Managing women's post retirement career in law enforcement organisations: lessons from developed nations for emerging economies
  • Selection and retention of talent
  • Workplace flexibility and organisational citizenship behaviour: an investigation of the mediating role of engagement and moderating role of perceived fairness
  • An exploration of global employability skills: a systematic research review
  • Student engagement in Indian context: UWES-S validation and relationship with burnout and life satisfaction
  • Examining a competency model of workplace learning: an assessment of participants' reactions

Free sample articles newly available from International Journal of Sport Management and Marketing

The following sample articles from the International Journal of Sport Management and Marketing are now available here for free:
  • Positive organisational behaviour in NCAA Division I football: a head coach's authentic leadership and assistant coaches' psychological constructs
  • Psychological contract fulfilment for volunteer youth sport coaches
  • Antecedents of a sport volunteer's sense of community
  • Fit theory, gender, and collegiate sport careers
  • Sport identification and employee pride: key factors in sport employee psychology
  • Job and career satisfaction in an austerity environment: the role of job security and passion towards work

26 April 2018

International Journal of Computational Vision and Robotics to publish expanded papers from 4th International Conference on Next Generation Computing Technologies

Extended versions of papers presented at the 4th International Conference on Next Generation Computing Technologies (21-22 November 2018, Dehradun, India) will be published by the International Journal of Computational Vision and Robotics.

Special issue published: "Advances in Sport Management in the Global Marketplace: Theory and Practice"

International Journal of Sport Management and Marketing 18(1/2) 2018

  • Consumer behaviour and sport services: an examination of fitness centre loyalty
  • On estimating the determinants of yearling thoroughbred prices
  • Identify and prioritise factors affecting sports consumer behaviour in Iran
  • An analysis of critical success factors on hosting professional golf tournaments using analytic hierarchy process - Korean experts' perspective
  • Strategic corporate social responsibility or responsible performance of sporting organisations in Australia
  • Investigating the effect of brand identity and character on brand loyalty of football team fans
  • Exploring the determinants of 2022 FIFA World Cup attendance in Qatar
  • Shedding light on the profitability of Italian professional football clubs where a different business model is performing
  • An application of the option-pricing model to the valuation of a football player in the 'Serie A League'

Free sample articles newly available from Latin American Journal of Management for Sustainable Development

The following sample articles from the Latin American Journal of Management for Sustainable Development are now available here for free:
  • The integrated business strategy of a Central American denim apparel manufacturer
  • A design framework for enabling sustainability in the clothing sector
  • Brazilian sugarcane sector: an economic and environmental approach
  • Social license to operate: a case study from a Brazilian mining industry
  • Synergies and trade-offs between climate change mitigation and adaptation strategies: lessons from social technologies in the semiarid region of Bahia, Brazil, Latin America

Inderscience Editor elected as Member of European Academy of Sciences and Arts

We are pleased to report that Prof. Desheng Dash Wu, Editor in Chief of the International Journal of Financial Services Management and International Journal of Services Sciences, has been elected as Member of the European Academy of Sciences and Arts.

25 April 2018

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

The following sample articles from the International Journal of Environment and Waste Management are now available here for free:
  • Comparative effects of composting and vermicomposting on quality of organic amendments prepared from MSW and nitrogen rich Guatemala plant residues
  • Spatial distribution and pollution evaluation of heavy metals in soils surrounding a typical municipal solid waste incineration plant in Hang-Jia-Hu plain
  • Application of the assignment technique to optimisation of solid waste management in Enugu region
  • Policies and practices of biomedical waste management in different healthcare facilities in a developing country
  • Need of an online e-waste market in India
  • Studies on synthesis of lactic acid from molasses and cheese whey in semifluidised bed biofilm reactors

Special section published: "Governance and Financial Markets"

International Journal of Auditing Technology 3(4) 2017
  • Evidence of effectiveness of management excellence practices used by organisations of the third sector
  • Mandatory IFRS adoption and managers' compensation: the moderating effect of corporate governance
Special Section on Governance and Financial Markets
  • Corporate social responsibility and earnings management within the managerial psychological context
  • Valuation of the surrender option in equity-linked life insurance contracts
  • Effects of the specific characteristics of the CEO on accounting conservatism: a study in the US context

Free sample articles newly available from International Journal of Advanced Operations Management

The following sample articles from the International Journal of Advanced Operations Management are now available here for free:
  • An analytical framework for supplier evaluation and selection: a multi-criteria decision making approach
  • Analysing performance-based contract for manufacturing systems using absorbing state Markov chain
  • An integrated production-distribution planning with transshipment between warehouses
  • An integrated QFD and ANP model for improving the quality of financial services in consulting engineering firms

24 April 2018

International Journal of Innovation and Sustainable Development to publish expanded papers from EDaSS VII International Conference

Extended versions of papers presented at the EDaSS VII International Conference (17-20 October 2018, Madrid, Spain) will be published by the International Journal of Innovation and Sustainable Development.

Special issue published: "Green and Material Processing Technology for Sustainable Environment"

Progress in Industrial Ecology, An International Journal 11(3) 2017
  • Investigation of combustion, performance and emission characters of compression ignition engine fuelled with diesel blends of linseed and cottonseed oil
  • Dimensionless analysis of spray characteristics of Chicha oil methyl ester and diesel fuel in a spray chamber
  • Preparation of Co3O4-H2O nanofluid and application to CR-60 concentrating solar collector
  • Modelling and analysis of energy conservation in turning of lead free micro alloyed steel using D-optimal design
  • An empirical study on environment risk management in small and medium enterprises (SME)
  • Finite element modelling of electromagnetic forming of tractor muffler
  • Suitability of twisted natural fibre Calotropis Gigantea in automobile interior components

23 April 2018

Middle East Journal of Management increases issues

The Middle East Journal of Management has announced that it will be increasing issues from four to six from 2019 onwards.

Research Picks – 23 April 2018

Infant mortality
Infant mortality under the age of one year had fallen from 8.4 million 1990 to 5.4 million 2010 according to the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF). However, researchers from South Korea point out that this improvement has varied significantly by country depending on very different environmental factors infants face. Reducing the infant mortality rate is goal 4 of eight in the millennium development goals (MDGs) established by United Nations (UN). The team has attempted to predict the future infant mortality rate of 21 OECD countries from the year 2015 to 2050 using experience curve modeling and has compared the results to the two other well-known projections by the United Nations Population Division and the US Census Bureau in the context of the MDG targets. Their work suggests that as many as 18 of those 21 countries and no fewer than four of them may well not meet the targets by 2050.
Chang, Y.S., Lee, J. and Kwon, H.J. (2018) ‘When will the 2015 millennium development goal of infant mortality rate be finally realised? – Projections for 21 OECD countries through 2050‘, Int. J. Data Analysis Techniques and Strategies, Vol. 10, No. 1, pp.1-20.

Faster photos
The image compression formation known as JPEG (named for the Joint Photographic Experts Group) and often compressed to “jpg”, is a lossy compression format. A computer algorithm usually examines the pixels in an image, whether photograph or drawing, and makes decisions about discarding some pixels while retaining others and replacing repetitive information with a summary of the repeats in the image. Running such algorithms requires computer time and resources and so there is always a need to find ways to optimize the baseline algorithm especially as pixel numbers and detail in images rises with every iteration of camera and imaging technology. A team in India has applied a problem approximation surrogate model (PASM) to assist the differential evolution (DE) algorithm and found that they can reduce compression and decompression time of JPEG images relative to conventional approaches without losing any additional detail or quality in the process.
Vinoth Kumar, B. and Karpagam, G.R. (2018) ‘Reduction of computation time in differential evolution-based quantisation table optimisation for the JPEG baseline algorithm‘, Int. J. Computational Systems Engineering, Vol. 4, No. 1, pp.58-65.

Securing your Android
The Android operating system used by many mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets is growing in popularity but remains a target for malware writers, as does any popular operating system on any computer device. Researchers in China have turned to the cloud to help them protect Android devices. Their malware static detection scheme based on cloud security structure is both highly efficient and accurate in detecting malware that might otherwise compromise the operating system. Proof of principle was demonstrated against more than 1100 known malware apps with a pool of almost 3000 genuine apps. By using the cloud to carry out the scanning, the requisite processing power is kept off-device. An accuracy of 99.02% was observed with much lower demand on the device than conventional anti-malware software would require.
Yu, B., Song, P. and Xu, X. (2018) ‘An android malware static detection scheme based on cloud security structure‘, Int. J. Security and Networks, Vol. 13, No. 1, pp.51-57.

Social media solves crime
Could online social networks such as Facebook, LinkedIn, Google Plus and Twitter with their vast data sources be mined to detect and track crime? That’s the suggestion of researchers in the UK and their colleagues in Norway and Albania. Evidence might be gleaned from social media activity, for instance. The team has now developed an ontology, essentially a glossary, to facilitate forensic investigation of such evidence. The social media ontology, SMONT, gets around the problem facing investigators in that information from social networks has until now been mostly expressed in the form of classes rather than in terms of object properties. SMONT helps in the analysis of trends and behaviour of the public from the criminal investigator’s perspective.
Kalemi, E., Yildirim-Yayilgan, S., Domnori, E. and Elezaj, O. (2017) ‘SMONT: an ontology for crime solving through social media‘, Int. J. Metadata, Semantics and Ontologies, Vol. 12, Nos. 2/3, pp.71-81.

20 April 2018

International Journal of Public Sector Performance Management to publish expanded papers from 9th Annual International Research Conference, SIMSARC 2018

Extended versions of papers presented at the 9th Annual International Research Conference, SIMSARC 2018 (18-19 December 2018, Khadki, Pune, India) will be published by the International Journal of Public Sector Performance Management.

Free sample articles newly available from International Journal of Electronic Governance

The following sample articles from the International Journal of Electronic Governance are now available here for free:
  • Personalised community maps
  • SEPIR: a semantic and personalised information retrieval tool for the public administration based on distributional semantics
  • MuSe: a semantic solution for personalised recommendations of municipality services
  • Open data project for e-government: case study of Stockholm open data project
  • Quality of service improvement based on procedure analysis and reengineering: a case study in Cameroonian public service
  • A systems tool for structuring public policy problems and design of policy options

Special issue published: "CSR in a Globalised World: Emerging Issues and Challenges"

International Journal of Business and Emerging Markets 10(2) 2018
  • Do stringent corporate governance practices ensure diligent corporate social responsibility among organisations: investigating the link therein
  • Employee participation in corporate volunteering
  • Customer perceptions of product assortment leading to store patronage: a study of small retailers
  • Evolution of stakeholder management approach in business: a literature review
  • Employees' participation in CSR initiatives and job outcomes - affective commitment, job satisfaction, organisational attractiveness, organisational performance and turnover intention

New Editor for International Journal of Entertainment Technology and Management

Prof. George F. Fragulis from the Western Macedonia University of Applied Sciences in Greece has been appointed to take over editorship of the International Journal of Entertainment Technology and Management.

18 April 2018

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

The following sample articles from the International Journal of Surface Science and Engineering are now available here for free:
  • Impact of surface roughness and contact pressure on wear behaviour of PEEK, POM, and PE-UHMW
  • Effect of initial roughness and oxidation on the running-in wear of machined surfaces under dry sliding
  • Methods of nanostructured coatings deposition by magnetron sputtering and cathodic arc evaporation
  • Surface nanostructuring of Ti-6Al-4V alloy through ultrasonic shot peening
  • Tribological effects of nano-based engine oil diluted with biodiesel fuel
  • Mechanism of Al-Si codeposition on In738LC through single-step diffusion process

Special issue published: "Swarm Intelligence: Algorithms and Applications"

International Journal of Bio-Inspired Computation 11(2) 2018
  • Population-based variable neighbourhood search algorithm applied to unconstrained continuous optimisation
  • An alternative approach for particle swarm optimisation using serendipity
  • Feature selection based on binary particle swarm optimisation and neural networks for pathological voice detection
  • Embedded implementation of template matching using correlation and particle swarm optimisation
  • A memetic algorithm for power system damping controllers design
  • Using the metaheuristic methods for real-time optimisation of dynamic school bus routing problem and an application

Free sample articles newly available from International Journal of Migration and Border Studies

The following sample articles from the International Journal of Migration and Border Studies are now available here for free:
  • Coming and going: the impacts of precarious work and non-citizenship on immigrant in- and out-migration in New Brunswick
  • The rights of resettled refugees in the UK: lessons for 'new' resettlement states and rights based advocacy for refugees
  • Settling refugees in Australia: achievements and challenges
  • Refugee healthcare in Canada: responses to the 2012 changes to the interim federal health program
  • Aspirational yet precarious: compliance of New Zealand refugee settlement policy with international human rights obligations

Newly announced journal: International Journal of Blockchains and Cryptocurrencies

Blockchains and cryptocurrencies are now topics of substantial impact that academia and industry need to contemplate, exploit and adopt. The mission of IJBC is to be the premier resource for the most innovative scholarly and professional research information pertaining to the management and use of blockchains and cryptocurrencies. Its articles will be essential for anyone interested in this area. The International Journal of Blockchains and Cryptocurrencies is the first journal dedicated to this topic.

17 April 2018

Free sample articles newly available from International Journal of Mining and Mineral Engineering

The following sample articles from the International Journal of Mining and Mineral Engineering are now available here for free:
  • Identification of geochemical anomalies by the use of concentration-area (C-A) fractal model in Nakhilab region, SE Iran
  • Analysing equipment allocation through queuing theory and Monte-Carlo simulations in surface mining operations
  • A numerical modelling study of longwall face stability in mining thick coal seams in China
  • The 'golden ten years': underground coal mining and its impacts on land use and subsequent social problems: a case study on the Jining city region, China
  • Heuristic stope layout optimisation accounting for variable stope dimensions and dilution management

Free sample articles newly available from International Journal of Space-Based and Situated Computing

The following sample articles from the International Journal of Space-Based and Situated Computing are now available here for free:
  • Using trust to detect denial of service attacks in the internet of things over MANETs 
  • An energy-aware algorithm to migrate virtual machines in a server cluster 
  • Adaptive security provisioning for vehicular safety applications 
  • Design and evaluation of an ambient intelligence testbed for improving quality of life 
  • Implementation and experimental evaluation of an omnidirectional wheelchair for sports and moving in rooms with narrow spaces

Special issue published: "Borders, (Dis)Order, And Exclusion: Mapping Migration Governance From the Margins"

International Journal of Migration and Border Studies 4(1/2) 2018
  • Luxury limbo: temporal techniques of border control and the humanitarianisation of waiting
  • The Mexico-Canada border: extraterritorial border control and the production of 'economic refugees'
  • The ambiguous architecture of precarity: temporary protection, everyday living and migrant journeys of Syrian refugees
  • A visible geography of invisible journeys: Central American migration and the politics of survival
  • Immigrants or children? The expulsion of unaccompanied minors from two California towns
  • Proliferating borders and precarious queers: migrant justice organising beyond LGBT inclusion
Additional papers
  • Capital is key: a case for migrants' cultural capital
  • Borderzones and the politics of irregularisation: the Interim Federal Health Program and Toronto's everyday places of healthcare

Free sample articles newly available from International Journal of Intelligent Enterprise

The following sample articles from the International Journal of Intelligent Enterprise are now available here for free:
  • Hybrid modelling of an off line Arabic handwriting recognition system: results and evaluation
  • Security model on mobile banking application: attack simulation and countermeasures
  • Internet of things' business impact and its application layer protocol in embedded systems
  • Optimising business intelligence results through strategic application of software process model
  • Integrating WLI fuzzy clustering with grey neural network for missing data imputation
  • A logistical perspective on provisioning resources in ad hoc virtual cloud to access business modules for an enterprise
  • Modelling and simulation DC-DC power converter buck for mobile applications using MATLAB/Simulink
  • Beef and horse meat discrimination and storage time classification using a portable device based on DSP and PCA method
  • Integration of location-based information into mobile learning management system to verify scientific formulas in informal learning environment
  • The effects of e-banking quality on customers' trust-satisfaction and commitment: a field study on users of Jordanian banks
  • Towards data centre resource scheduling via hybrid cuckoo search algorithm in multi-cloud environment
  • Multi-user utility pattern based cloud service negotiation for quality of service improvement: an implicit interest prediction approach

16 April 2018

Special issue published: "Advances in Intelligent Machine Tools and Manufacturing"

International Journal of Mechatronics and Manufacturing Systems 11(1) 2018
  • Experimental investigation on tool wear and measurement method in micro milling with carbide tools
  • Transient morphology analysis and sparse representation for bearing fault diagnosis under variable speed condition
  • High strength aluminium alloy fatigue damage alert of high speed train gearbox shell using acoustic emission instrument
  • Experimental study on the effect of coolant on the thermal characteristics of gear grinding machine under load
  • Simulation of surface structuring considering the acceleration behaviour by means of spindle control
  • Dynamics and chatter analysis in robotic milling

Free sample articles newly available from International Journal of Critical Accounting

The following sample articles from the International Journal of Critical Accounting are now available here for free:
  • Small business units in Cameroon: the current informal situation and perspectives for a total state control
  • Double-entry bookkeeping as an institution
  • Academic freedom and a critique of 'top quality' accounting research
  • On neo-colonialism and the colonisation of accounting research
  • Regulating financial crises in the USA, the dialectic and beyond part A

Special issue published: "Supply Chain Quality and Sustainability"

International Journal of Intelligent Enterprise 5(1/2) 2018
  • Exploring environmental sustainability in the food service supply chains
  • An insight into centralised sourcing strategy for enhancing performance and sustainability of multi-tier supply network
  • Developing the preferred supplier relationships - a case study
  • Managing welfare driven supply chains: insights from the Indian PDS
  • Assessment of top management leadership and commitment to improve perishable food supply chain quality
  • Adoption of sustainable supply operation quality practices and their impact on stakeholder's performance and sustainable performance for sustainable competitiveness in Indian manufacturing companies
  • Sustainable supplier selection by way of managing knowledge: a case of the automotive industry
  • Coordination quality index: a metric for measuring the quality of coordination efforts in humanitarian supply chain
  • A practical quality management system implementation framework for small-sized companies
  • Supply chain risk management and quality: a case study and analysis of Indian automotive industry

Research Picks – 15 Apr 2018

Payback
Economic theory of the past suggested that individuals make decisions under emergency and risk situations following expected utility theory. However, research now suggests that this is not a realistic interpretation of human behaviour. Experiment shows that people act with reciprocity, paying other back in kind, whether in a positive or negative sense. A new study from Greece which had undergraduates playing two games of game theory – ultimatum and dictator – produced reliable conclusions about the two kinds of economic people. Ultimately, the study reveals that people have reciprocal behaviour even if this sometimes drives in irrational behaviour according to the economic theory. In other words, when being given an unfair offer, individuals will respond negatively even if the actual offer would maximize utility.
Avgeris, A., Kontogeorgos, A. and Sergaki, P. (2017) ‘Reciprocity in trades: an experimental game approach’, Int. J. Sustainable Agricultural Management and Informatics, Vol. 3, No. 4, pp.298–313.

Homogenising healthcare data
Wearable devices and mobile apps for healthcare activity monitoring are becoming increasingly widespread and yet there is no all-encompassing model of their use, according to scientists in South Korea. They point out that one of the problems is that the proliferation of such devices means there are huge and very disparate data streams to contend with at the individual and at the database end. They have now developed a model for sensors and activity monitors that removes the heterogeneity of all this big data and fuses the different types of data stream into reorganized personal healthcare activity logs that can then be used to visualize them in a more meaningful way. This will benefit personal medicine at the patient and the healthcare provider level, the team hopes.
Seo, D., Yoo, B. and Ko, H. (2018) ‘Information fusion of heterogeneous sensors for enriched personal healthcare activity logging’, Int. J. Ad Hoc and Ubiquitous Computing, Vol. 27, No. 4, pp.256–269

Cancel that echo
Researchers in India have focused on a ubiquitous problem in the world of acoustic echo in communication. Until now adaptive filters can be used to cancel echo but none of these work perfectly and some lead to signal degradation. The team has found a way to break down a large filter into smaller sub-filters that work more effectively. Their algorithm will thus circumvent some of the echo problems that arise because of a variety technical factors that are beyond the user’s control such as poor room acoustics, low-quality handsets, marginal microphones, the use of lengthy untwisted wiring, and bridge-taps.
Barik, A., Mohanty, M.N. and Das, K. (2018) ‘Convergence analysis of adaptive MSFs used for acoustic echo cancellation’, Int. J. Information and Communication Technology, Vol. 13, No. 2, pp.196–207.

Risky cyber business
Larger companies will have resources available to them to address the risks associated with their online activities. However, smaller companies often do not. A small business owner may find themselves managing their business as well as attempting to protect their internet connection, website, and digital assets. At best, often a family member, friend, or hired-hand may take on the “cybersecurity” role, but without those large-scale corporate resources, they may well remain vulnerable to malware, hackers, and denial of service attacks and other issues. A survey of several hundred small businesses by scientists in the USA suggests that this is a widespread problem. Small business owners seem to lack even the most basic of tools and skills to handle cybersecurity and often ignore best practice advice when it comes to using different strong passwords for each of their systems and accounts, for instance. There is a growing need for easy access to advice on policies, procedures, and training to help small companies to secure their information resources.
Berry, C.T. and Berry, R.L. (2018) ‘An initial assessment of small business risk management approaches for cyber security threats’, Int. J. Business Continuity and Risk Management, Vol. 8, No. 1, pp.1–10.

14 April 2018

Free sample articles newly available from Journal of Design Research

The following sample articles from the Journal of Design Research are now available here for free:
  • Dynamics of shifting viewpoints: an investigation into users' attitudes towards products
  • Designed to support or impede energy conservation? How design characteristics influence people's energy use
  • Is this a design-worthy dilemma? Identifying relevant and inspiring concern conflicts as input for user-centred design
  • Framing humanitarian action through design thinking: integrating vulnerable end-users into complex multi-stakeholder systems through 'Agenda Space mapping'

Free sample articles newly available from International Journal of Convergence Computing

The following sample articles from the International Journal of Convergence Computing are now available here for free:
  • Remote login password authentication scheme using tangent theorem on circle
  • Asymptotic expansions for approximate eigenvalues of integral operators with a weakly singular periodic kernel
  • Comparative numerical investigation of Burgers' equation with and without Hopf-Cole transformation
  • Local convergence for a derivative free method of order three under weak conditions
  • The b-chromatic number of Mycielskian of some graphs
  • Neuro-fuzzy-based smart DSS for crop specific irrigation control and SMS notification generation for precision agriculture

International Journal of Social and Humanistic Computing to publish expanded papers from 7th International Conference on Frontier Computing (FC 2018)

Extended versions of papers presented at the 7th International Conference on Frontier Computing (3-6 July 2018, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia) will be published by the International Journal of Social and Humanistic Computing.

13 April 2018

Free sample articles newly available from International Journal of Reasoning-based Intelligent Systems

The following sample articles from the International Journal of Reasoning-based Intelligent Systems are now available here for free:
  • Community detection using intelligent water drops optimisation algorithm
  • Multi-objective design optimisation of four-bar mechanisms using a hybrid ICA-GA algorithm
  • A 0-1 bat algorithm for cellular network optimisation: a systematic study on mapping techniques
  • An improved HBA metaheuristic
  • Rotation-invariant method for texture matching using model-based histograms and GLCM

International Journal of Social and Humanistic Computing to publish expanded papers from 9th International Conference on Information Technology in Medicine and Education (ITME 2018)

Extended versions of papers presented at the 9th International Conference on Information Technology in Medicine and Education (19-21 October 2018, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China) will be published by the International Journal of Social and Humanistic Computing.

Free sample articles newly available from African Journal of Accounting, Auditing and Finance

The following sample articles from the African Journal of Accounting, Auditing and Finance are now available here for free:
  • Accounting and the state in post-communist Romania
  • Corporate governance mechanisms and accounting information quality of listed firms in Ghana
  • Accounting accruals, earnings management and future performance of IPOs
  • Assessment of internal control systems to curb corporate fraud - evidence from Brazil

Special issue on: Smart Converging Technology"

International Journal of Convergence Computing 3(1) 2018
  • Development of an adaptive non-parametric model for estimating maximum efficiency of disc membrane
  • Designing and modelling of grid connected photovoltaic system (case study: EEU Building at Hawassa City)
  • Wheat yield forecasting using fuzzy logic
  • A novel method for reduction of leakage current in MOSFET
  • Development of real time monitoring system for intake water of surface water treatment plant with the help of segmented polynomial neural network

12 April 2018

Free sample articles newly available from International Journal of Value Chain Management

The following sample articles from the International Journal of Value Chain Management are now available here for free:
  • The effect of managers' pressure on innovation performance of Chinese enterprises
  • Job satisfaction of part-time vs. full-time workers in Turkey: the effect of income and work status satisfaction
  • The emergence of value chain thinking
  • The network business model of cloud computing for end-to-end supply chain visibility
  • The web and the consumer-company and buyer-seller interfaces - making sense of the the architecture of demand and supply chain management

Free sample articles newly available from International Journal of Managerial and Financial Accounting

The following sample articles from the International Journal of Managerial and Financial Accounting are now available here for free:
  • Do the media capture banking system risk? Evidence from the EU-15 countries
  • The failure processes and their relation to the business interruption moment
  • The influence of voluntary disclosure on the volatility of firms from a multi-stakeholder perspective
  • Do Tunisian firms manage earnings to attain thresholds?
  • Does mandatory IFRS convergence constrain rounding manipulations in accounting? Evidence from Chinese firms

Special issue published: "Application of Multimedia Technology in Intelligent Manufacturing"

International Journal of Reasoning-based Intelligent Systems 10(1) 2018
  • An effective foggy image acquisition algorithm in multimedia big data era
  • An effective system layout planning method for railway logistics centre in the background of big data
  • The development and popularisation of network platform of college sports venues in intelligent manufacturing
  • Bi-level optimisation model for greener transportation with intelligent transport system
  • Personalised ranking online reviews based on user individual preferences
  • Fuzzy self-learning control of glass tempering and annealing temperature based on the optimised genetic big data analysis algorithm
  • A medical big data analysis algorithm based on access control system
Additional papers
  • Social network analysis: friendship inferred by chosen courses, commuting time and student performance at university
  • Design of public bicycle scheduling model based on data mining algorithm

Free sample articles newly available from International Journal of Education Economics and Development

The following sample articles from the International Journal of Education Economics and Development are now available here for free:
  • Adding value by degree: a case study
  • Scaling up innovation: does research and development have a role to play in economic growth? A case of Hungary
  • The contribution of secondary education on regional economic growth in Greece, over the period 1995-2012s
  • Assessing student performance with the help of tutorials and lectures
  • An empirical study on student absenteeism in affiliated institutions of Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University
  • Foreign direct investment and higher education development in Pakistan: evidence from structural break testing

11 April 2018

Special issue published: "News in Acoustic Emission Testing and Heat Treatment and Surface Engineering"

International Journal of Microstructure and Materials Properties 12(3/4) 2017
  • Advanced signal analysis of acoustic emission data to discrimination of different corrosion forms
  • The use of b-value and Ib-value of acoustic emission in monitoring hydrogen-assisted cracking of martensitic stainless steel
  • Deformation and fracture analysis of nitrided steels by acoustic emission measurement
  • Analysis of fatigue processes of SLM materials by acoustic emission
  • Effectiveness of deep cryogenic treatment in improving mechanical and wear properties of cold work tool steels
  • Materials and process engineering aspects of warm deep rolling
  • Thermal characterisation of cooling power of quenchants and its influence on microstructure evolution in EN19 steels using Jominy end quench test setup
  • Powder metallurgy opens new ways for tool steels
  • Simulation of backup rolls quenching with experimental study of deep cryogenic treatment
  • Robust generation of bio-inspired ultrahydrophobic metallic surfaces by nanosecond pulsed lasers
  • The application of modern high-energy electron beam technologies
  • Development of microstructure and creep resistance of a martensitic creep resistant steel

Free sample articles newly available from International Journal of Intelligent Engineering Informatics

The following sample articles from the International Journal of Intelligent Engineering Informatics are now available here for free:
  • Impact analysis of application layer DDoS attacks on web services: a simulation study
  • Fuzzy brain storming optimisation algorithm
  • Improved human-computer interaction for mechanical systems design through augmented strain/stress visualisation
  • A multimodal tactile interface for immersive virtual experience
  • Towards distributed layered intrusion detection system for large scale wireless sensor networks

Special issue published: "Policy Incentives, Investments And Growth in Emerging Economies"

International Journal of Economic Policy in Emerging Economies 11(1/2) 2018
  • Farmer's prosperity: justice or profit?
  • Knowledge spillover through foreign direct investment in textile industry
  • Testing models of the measuring performance of mutual fund based on single and dual beta
  • Effect of petroleum product prices on Thailand's economic growth
  • Evaluation of emerging entrepreneurship policy
  • The role of organisational culture, intellectual capital and competitive advantage in supporting the government policies in education
  • Economic and social causes for a late development: India vs. Ethiopia
  • An exploratory study on employee assistance program for career development counselling
  • Earnings and engagement of seamen workers
  • The strategic formulation of competitive advantage on private higher education institution using participatory prospective analysis
  • Study program's evaluation using data envelopment analysis
Additional papers
  • In what way does the construction sector contribute to economic growth? Empirical evidence from India
  • The response of oil market to US monetary policy surprises

New Editor for International Journal of Network Science

Prof. Farid Naït-Abdesselam from the University of Paris Descartes in France has been appointed to take over editorship of the International Journal of Network Science.

10 April 2018

Free sample articles newly available from International Journal of Economic Policy in Emerging Economies

The following sample articles from the International Journal of Economic Policy in Emerging Economies are now available here for free:
  • Competency-based compensation system: as a strategic HR technique with special reference to Coimbatore
  • Economic regulation by judiciary during the Ottoman Era: samples from Istanbul courts between 17th And 18th centuries
  • Industry openness, firm characteristics, and wage inequality: evidence from Chinese manufacturing firms
  • Small firm growth in post-conflict Sri Lanka: micro-level evidence from two cities
  • Increasing values of hotel business using boutique and lifestyle hotel concept
  • Behavioural model of buying intention of counterfeited products
  • Value creation logic in buyer-seller relationships in garment industry in Thailand
  • Researchers' viewpoints towards commercialisation of agricultural technology for community development
  • Comparative analysis of metacognitive strategies used in the internet-integrated test to enhance English speaking ability in Thai tourism context

International Journal of Sustainable Aviation to publish expanded papers from International Symposium on Electric Aviation and Autonomous Systems (ISEAS)

Extended versions of papers presented at the International Symposium on Electric Aviation and Autonomous Systems (10-12 October 2018, Kiev, Ukraine) will be published by the International Journal of Sustainable Aviation.

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

The following sample articles from the International Journal of Space Science and Engineering are now available here for free:
  • Robust linear PID controller for satellite attitude stabilisation and attitude tracking control
  • Stabilisation of in-plane periodic motion of electrodynamic tether system by combining tether length control and current control
  • GPS-based orbital filter to reach the moon
  • Orbital-attitude coupling effects on the motion of a dumbbell space tether
  • Generalised multi-impulsive manoeuvres for optimum spacecraft rendezvous in near-circular orbit
  • The small reconnaissance of atmospheres mission platform concept, part 1: motivations and outline for a swarm of scientific microprobes to the clouds of Jupiter in 2030
  • Methods of the analysis of motion of small space vehicles around the centre of masses at deployment of space tether system

Special issue published: "Sustainable Entrepreneurship – Creating Environmental Solutions – Part I" (includes free OA article)

International Journal of Entrepreneurial Venturing 10(1) 2018
  • Sustainable entrepreneurship: creating environmental solutions in light of planetary boundaries
  • It's getting better all the time (can't get no worse): the why, how and when of environmental entrepreneurship
  • Ecopreneurs' creation of user business models for green tech: an exploratory study in e-mobility [open access - free full-text access]  
  • Exploring the role of entrepreneurial orientation in clean technology ventures
  • University support systems for sustainable entrepreneurship: insights from explorative case studies
  • 'Think big' or 'small is beautiful'? An empirical analysis of characteristics and determinants of success of sustainable crowdfunding projects

9 April 2018

Free sample articles newly available from International Journal of Vehicle Design

The following sample articles from the International Journal of Vehicle Design are now available here for free:
  • A comparative investigation of eight recent population-based optimisation algorithms for mechanical and structural design problems
  • Optimal design of variable assist characteristics of electronically controlled hydraulic power steering system based on simulated annealing particle swarm optimisation algorithm
  • A comparison of recent metaheuristic algorithms for crashworthiness optimisation of vehicle thin-walled tubes considering sheet metal forming effects
  • Multilevel optimisation method for vehicle body in conceptual design
  • Longitudinal dynamics simulation of a solar electric vehicle for driving strategy optimisation
  • A modified particle swarm optimisation algorithm and its application in vehicle lightweight design
  • Analytical investigation of the effect of thermodynamic and geometric parameters on the performance of a direct injection turbocharged diesel engine
  • Cross-sectional shape optimisation for thin-walled beam crashworthiness with stamping constraints using genetic algorithm
  • Development of a variable-profile cam to enhance the volumetric efficiency of IC engines
  • Fatigue-based structural optimisation of vehicle components
  • Hybrid real-code population-based incremental learning and differential evolution for many-objective optimisation of an automotive floor-frame
  • Lightweight design with weld fatigue constraints for a three-axle bogie frame using sequential approximation optimisation method

International Journal of Sustainable Aviation to publish expanded papers from International Symposium on Sustainable Aviation (ISSA)

Extended versions of papers presented at the International Symposium on Sustainable Aviation (9-11 July 2018, Rome, Italy) will be published by the International Journal of Sustainable Aviation.

Special issue published: "New Trends in Intelligent Systems Modelling and Control"

International Journal of Intelligent Engineering Informatics 6(1/2) 2018
  • Tardiness minimisation heuristic for job shop scheduling under uncertainties using group sequences
  • Enhanced approach to cascade reconfiguration control design
  • Skewness map: estimating object orientation for high speed 3D object retrieval system
  • Discovering dependencies between domains of redox potential and plant defence through triplet extraction and copulas
  • Ant colony optimisation combined with variable neighbourhood search for scheduling preventive railway maintenance activities
  • A two-stage hybrid method for the multi-scenarios max-min knapsack problem
  • Numerical program optimisation by automatic improvement of the accuracy of computations
  • Hybrid approach using multi-criteria methods and mathematical programming for outsourcing logistic problem
  • Local voting protocol step-size choice for consensus achievement
  • Application of multi-verse optimiser-based fuzzy-PID controller to improve power system frequency regulation in presence of HVDC link
  • EGSA: a new enhanced gravitational search algorithm to resolve multiple sequence alignment problem

8 April 2018

Research Picks – 8 Apr 2018

Saturn’s SIREN call
Small spacecraft have proliferated in recent years, largely thanks to NASA’s development of the CubeSat standard. Now, a Canadian team hopes that one such team of small spacecraft, going by the name of SIREN, will be able to investigate Saturn’s icy rings. The mothership for these smaller craft is based on the Saturn Ring Observer spacecraft and will deploy the smaller fleet from orbit around the gas giant. SIREN will allow in situ sampling of the environment of Saturn’s rings and of some of the particles comprising the rings themselves sometime between the years 2030 and 2040.
Shear, E.M. and Moores, J.E. (2018) ‘Saturn ice ring exploration network mission platform’, Int. J. Space Science and Engineering, Vol. 5, No. 1, pp.16–42.

Computers gathering dust
Computer-enhanced movies, animated features, video games, virtual reality applications and much more could benefit from more realistic natural phenomenon and efficient ways to render them visually in the computer. Now, a team from Malaysia has found a way to render dust particles in the air in a realistic manner. Their computer model realistically shows the scattering of light from dust particles in a three-dimensional space that could be used in creating a realistic dusty street scene, a darkened, shadowy room with light creeping in, and many other scenes. Rendering shafts of light and realistic shadows are what give the system its realism in reproducing how a scene would look were it pervaded with dust particles.
Ali, H.H., Sunar, M.S. and Kolivand, H. (2018) ‘Interactive rendering of light scattering in dust molecules using particle systems’, Int. J. Computer Aided Engineering and Technology, Vol. 10, No. 3, pp.274–286.

Making all online courses free
Massive open online courses (MOOCs) are commonly free courses offered with a range of options by universities and other educational establishments. They allow students anywhere in the world to take part in the education they offer virtually. There are critics of the free system, but researchers in India suggest that for their country at least efforts should be made to improve education and MOOCs have a useful role to play. They suggest that once MOOCs become available for primary education they will become a truly disruptive technology enabling near-universal education where it may well have been limited in many ways before. This could serve the nation well in the future allowing it to raise educated young people to address the country’s many problems.
Mohapatra, S. and Mohanty, R. (2018) ‘Making online courses free for everyone – an empirical study to determine the feasibility’, Int. J. Business Innovation and Research, Vol. 15, No. 4, pp.403–430.

Social housing in the UK
A preliminary investigation to understand customer perception and expectations of service delivery in relation to social housing within the UK has been undertaken by a team based at Nottingham Trent University. The research shows that there are many factors affecting customer expectations including quality of accommodation, fair rent, value for money, services, and the quality of repairs undertaken either as part of day to day repairs or in the form of planned maintenance. The findings could help inform tenants and landlords alike to improve the status of social housing.
Sagoo, A. and Khalfan, M.M.A. (2017) ‘What do customers expect from social housing providers in the UK?’, Int. J. Sustainable Society, Vol. 9, No. 4, pp.294–310.

6 April 2018

Free sample articles newly available from International Journal of Web Based Communities

The following sample articles from the International Journal of Web Based Communities are now available here for free:
  • Representations of 'trolls' in mass media communication: a review of media-texts and moral panics relating to 'internet trolling'
  • Streaming trend detection in Twitter
  • Twitter for crisis communication: lessons learned from Japan's tsunami disaster
  • A typology of social networking sites users
  • The 'WeTube' in YouTube – creating an online community through video sharing
  • SIOC: an approach to connect web-based communities
  • Social interaction in virtual communities: the significance of technology
  • Designing and evaluating online communities: research speaks to emerging practice

Special issue published: "Recent Advances in Vehicle Noise, Vibration and Harshness"

International Journal of Vehicle Performance 4(2) 2018
  • Mathematical modelling and simulation of epicycloidal path type centrifugal pendulum vibration absorber applied on three-staged stiffness clutch damper
  • Simulation and experimental validation of damping characteristic for a valve-controlled adjustable shock absorber
  • Experimental evaluation on vehicle aerodynamic noise performance
  • Free modal analysis of wet friction plates with three different kinds of oil groove structures
  • Parameters optimisation of vehicle suspension system for better ride comfort
Additional paper
  • Progressive multistep press forming of a truss core panel for floor structure of electric vehicle

Free sample articles newly available from International Journal of Environment and Health

The following sample articles from the International Journal of Environment and Health are now available here for free:
  • Understanding medical tourism within the field of neo-institutionalism: an ethical insight
  • Corporate social responsibility and sustainability: theory and practice in Lebanon
  • Sustainability reporting of logistics service providers in Europe
  • Life cycle assessment as a tool to integrate environmental indicators in food products: a chocolate LCA case study
  • A service-system paradigm for governing corporate sustainability: the (forgotten) role of governing body in shaping sustainability and context

Special section published: "Recent Advances in Fuzzy Logic, Machine Learning and Data Mining"

International Journal of Intelligent Systems Design and Computing 1(3/4) 2017

Regular papers
  • Optimal control of cyber physical vehicle systems
  • A prediction-based handoff scheme for QoS in WLAN systems
  • A survey of detecting pedestrians from low resolution imagery
  • Stochastic modelling for traffic flow: a review
  • K-means Atkinson clustering approach for collaborative filtering-based recommendation system
Special Section on "Recent Advances in Fuzzy Logic, Machine Learning and Data Mining"
  • An improved harmony search-based functional link higher order ANN for nonlinear data classification
  • Periodic pattern mining in weighted dynamic networks

5 April 2018

Free sample articles newly available from International Journal of Innovative Computing and Applications

The following sample articles from the International Journal of Innovative Computing and Applications are now available here for free:
  • On the influencing mechanism of unsafe behaviour of coal miners based on hierarchical regression
  • Properties of two-layer FHE and their applications
  • An information hiding method based on context-based adaptive variable length coding
  • Intrusion detection techniques based on improved intuitionistic fuzzy neural networks
  • Detecting blurred image splicing using blur type inconsistency
  • Selective maintenance for maximising system availability: a simulation approach
  • Improved phrase search construction over encrypted data in cloud storage

Special issue published: "Interdisciplinary Approaches to the Sustainability of the Environment"

International Journal of Environment and Health 9(1) 2018
  • Use of speciation modelling of heavy metals in Los Patos lagoon, Argentina, to improve waterbody management
  • Applying reactive transport modelling in a chromium-contaminated site in the Matanza-Riachuelo basin, Buenos Aires, Argentina
  • Study of physicochemical changes of polluted sediments from Reconquista river basin (Argentina) after remediation processes
  • Safe disposal of solid wastes generated during arsenic removal in drinking water
  • Atmospheric gas-particle partitioning of E-EHMC and Z-EHMC estimated from their liquid vapour pressures at 298.15 K
Regularly submitted paper
  • Pollution in the Uruguay - Argentina border: critical data analysis from two rivers and the pulp mill effluent

First issue: International Journal of Intelligent Machines and Robotics (free sample issue available)

The International Journal of Intelligent Machines and Robotics is an academic platform which puts the emphasis on disseminating state-of-art technology in the interdisciplinary fields of machine intelligence, advanced robots and real-life applications. This is important because of the ubiquitous nature of intelligent machines and their increasing impact on society. Aiming to fill the gap between academia and industry, IJIMR also welcomes the contributions on robotics and automation education.

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

Free sample articles newly available from International Journal of Computational Biology and Drug Design

The following sample articles from the International Journal of Computational Biology and Drug Design are now available here for free:
  • In silico prediction and evaluation of interaction between protein arginine N-methyltransferase 5 cancer target and curcumin derivatives by molecular docking and simulation
  • Modelling response of excitable cells induced by electromagnetic fields
  • Interactions of phytic acid with anticancer drug targets
  • In silico virtual screening of PubChem compounds against phosphotransacetylase, a putative drug target for Staphylococcus aureus
  • A KLD-LSSVM based computational method applied for feature ranking and classification of primary biliary cirrhosis stages
  • Developing target-specific scoring using black-box optimisation
  • Implication of biotransformation of berberine and its derivatives on FtsZ protein: an in silico study

4 April 2018

Special issue published: "Advances in Web Search and Analytic Approaches for Big Data"

International Journal of Web Based Communities 14(1) 2018
  • Twitting bad rumours - the grexit case
  • Becoming the MTBoS: Predicting sense of belonging for a grassroots blogging network
  • Prediction of missing links in social networks: feature integration with node neighbour
  • Multi process prediction model for customer behaviour analysis
  • Plague of cross-site scripting on web applications: a review, taxonomy and challenges

Free sample articles newly available from International Journal of Agricultural Resources, Governance and Ecology

The following sample articles from the International Journal of Agricultural Resources, Governance and Ecology are now available here for free:
  • Agriculture land suitability evaluation for wheat cultivation using geomatics for Patan District, India
  • Evaluation of physicochemical, thermal and tribological properties of sesame oil (Sesamum indicum L.): a potential agricultural crop base stock for eco-friendly industrial lubricants
  • Does inward foreign direct investment affect agriculture growth? Some empirical evidence from Pakistan
  • Integrated farming in Greece: a transition-to-sustainability perspective
  • Short-term and long-term price forecasting models for the future exchange of Malaysian natural rubber market
  • Risk assessment within agricultural production: soil conservation strategies and its environmental and economic aspects - a case study for Bavaria

Special issue published: "Recent Advances in Computational Systems Biology and Bioinformatics"

International Journal of Computational Biology and Drug Design 11(1/2) 2018
  • Evaluation of biological and technical variations in low-input RNA-Seq and single-cell RNA-Seq
  • Heterogeneity in untreated, stressed and drug-tolerant cells: insights into the evolution of cancer resistance
  • A flexible approach to reconstruct the genomic spatial structure by the genetic algorithm
  • A GPU-CPU heterogeneous algorithm for NGS read alignment
  • Signal translational efficiency between mRNA expression and antibody-based protein expression for breast cancer and its subtypes from cell lines to tissue
  • Native state of complement protein C3d analysed via hydrogen exchange and conformational sampling
  • Inhibition of polyamine biosynthesis for toxicity control in Serratia marcescens strain WW4 by targeting ornithine decarboxylase: a structure-based virtual screening study
  • Identifying the dynamic gene regulatory network during latent HIV-1 reactivation using high-dimensional ordinary differential equations
  • Risk-associated and pathway-based method to detect association with Alzheimer's disease
  • Neural signature of event-related N200 and P300 modulation in parietal lobe during human response inhibition

International Journal of Entrepreneurial Venturing added to CABS Academic Journal Guide

Inderscience Publishers are pleased to announce that the International Journal of Entrepreneurial Venturing has been accepted by and added to the Chartered Association of Business Schools' Academic Journal Guide.

3 April 2018

Free sample articles newly available from International Journal of Transitions and Innovation Systems

The following sample articles from the International Journal of Transitions and Innovation Systems are now available here for free:
  • IT-ITES trade of SAARC countries: does kaleidoscopic comparative advantage work?
  • Innovation and competitive factors of non-R&D industrial enterprises. The case of north-eastern Poland
  • Measuring the impact of knowledge sourcing and cooperation on innovation success: some empirical evidence from Turkey
  • Determinants of firm performance in a less innovative transition system: exploring Vietnamese longitudinal data
  • Assessing quality in professional services: a framework for gap analysis

Special issue published: "Role of Smart Devices in Teaching and Learning"

International Journal of Mobile Learning and Organisation 12(2) 2018
  • Factors influencing mobile learning: a literature review of selected journal papers
  • A sustainable model for deployment of mobile learning in schools
  • Mood-tracking application as persuasive technology for reduction of occupational stress
  • An evaluation of the learning effectiveness of a formulated ideal social collaborative mobile learning environment application towards cognitive level in biology
  • Factors of students' performance based on cognitive level in a mobile learning environment

Free sample articles newly available from International Journal of Public Policy

The following sample articles from the International Journal of Public Policy are now available here for free:
  • Cultural diplomacy in post-apartheid South Africa's international relations: cosmetic or genuine change?
  • The new CPF Life plans as portfolios
  • A MARKAL-MACRO modelling approach to estimate carbon mitigation cost in India
  • Practice what you preach: the failure of the welfare state and the discovery of total equality through capitalism
  • How toxic is public debt?
  • Leading by example: Canada and its Arctic stewardship role
  • Emulating models of good governance: learning from the developments of the world's least corrupt countries
  • The gender gap in policy orientation: how relevant is locality?

Special issue published: "Observer-Based Fuzzy, Neural and Adaptive Control: Advances and Applications: Part II"

International Journal of Automation and Control 12(2) 2018
  • Design of a proportional integral observer based on sliding mode principle for uncertain Takagi-Sugeno fuzzy systems: applications to a turbo-reactor
  • Sliding surface-based obstacle avoidance for second order multi-agent systems
  • Synchronisation control for ships in underway replenishment based on dynamic surface control
  • Fuzzy sliding mode control for three-tank system based on linear matrix inequality
  • Adaptive iterative learning control of nonlinearly parameterised strict feedback systems with input saturation
  • Robust fuzzy fault tolerant control for induction motor subject to sensor fault
  • Design and analysis of BFOA optimised PID controller with derivative filter for frequency regulation in distributed generation system

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

The following sample articles from the International Journal of Information and Decision Sciences are now available here for free:
  • Pchrome: indexing the distributed materialised views
  • Location of a new banking agency in Sfax: a multi-criteria approach
  • Coastal ports efficiency evaluation and analysis when considering undesirable output
  • Mining of electricity prices in energy markets using a hybrid linear ARMA and nonlinear functional link neural network trained by evolutionary unscented H-infinity filter

1 April 2018

Research Picks 1 Apr 2018

Peer pressure
Researchers from Israel have recently questioned whether or not the voluntary model on which the peer review system of academic journals remains valid in the age of growing publisher profits and open access publications with novel publication models. For their specific area of research, the business and sociology of tourism and hospitality, they ask whether or not refereeing papers in this field should remain an altruistic academic tradition or become a service to be paid for? A commercial model might reduce many of the problems associated with the current voluntary model such as the “tragedy of the reviewer commons” and the “free-rider problem”, as well as relieving the heavy burden on journal editors of finding suitable referees to review submissions. However, the opposite perspective is that journal review is an enlightened academic tradition that ought not to be compromised by commercial concerns on the part of the referees. The researchers argue that the conventional model is broken and a commercial approach offers the only valid way forward.
Shani, A. (2018) ‘Reviewing articles for tourism and hospitality journals: an altruistic academic tradition or a service to be paid for?’, Int. J. Tourism Policy, Vol. 8, No. 1, pp.73–82.

The power of Tesla
A collaboration between researchers in Germany and Italy has looked at the impact of severe disruptions, such as random catastrophic events, manmade or natural, workers strikes, and political crises, on supply chain performance in an automotive closed-loop supply chain. They take as their focus a case study of Tesla and look at its resilience and how disruption in the reverse supply chain can affect the financial and operational performances of such a company.
Gianesello, P., Ivanov, D. and Battini, D. (2017) ‘Closed-loop supply chain simulation with disruption considerations: a case-study on Tesla’, Int. J. Inventory Research, Vol. 4, No. 4, pp.257–280.

Controlling commercial e-vehicles
Czech and French researchers have looked at driving range as a serious issue with electric vehicles and determined that for commercial vehicles it might be possible to improve range by using predictive control of the vehicle, its onboard computer having been given a priori route information. The computer can take control of torque and braking depending on given parameters programmed in parallel with the route within legal boundaries of speed and control so that the drain on the power supply is slowed as much as possible between charging stations. Their modelling shows what strategies would work to reduce power consumption and how range might be compromised if other approaches to predictive control were used instead.
Steinbauer, P., Husák, J., Pasteur, F., Denk, P., Macek, J. and Šika, Z. (2018) ‘Predictive control of commercial e-vehicle using a priori route information’, Int. J. Powertrains, Vol. 7, Nos. 1/2/3, pp.53–71.

Social culture
Culture affects how individuals respond to social media according to a study from Finland and the USA. The researchers have looked at content generated by companies on social media in Finland and Poland. Their findings suggest that reveals it is not the intensity of social media use that differs among cultures with different levels of in-group collectivism, as was previously thought, but whether or not user responses to firm-generated content are public (content sharing, commenting, or clicking “like”), or private (reading and watching content). They suggest that cultural dimensions must not be studied in isolation and that previously neglected cultural dimensions such as masculinity versus femininity and indulgence versus restraint can shape user responses to firm-generated content.
Chwialkowska, A. and Kontkanen, M. (2017) ‘How culture shapes user responses to firm-generated content on social media: the role of cultural dimensions of in-group collectivism, indulgence, and masculinity’, Int. J. Export Marketing, Vol. 1, No. 4, pp.328–356.