International Journal of Electronic Trade to invite expanded papers from International Forum on Knowledge Asset Dynamics (IFKAD 2023) for potential publication

Extended versions of papers presented at the International Forum on Knowledge Asset Dynamics (IFKAD 2023) (7-9 June 2023, Matera, Italy) will be invited for review and potential publication by the International Journal of Electronic Trade.

Research pick: Smarter farming in the developing world via the Internet of Things - "Impact of internet of things in social and agricultural domains in rural sector: a case study"

The Internet of Things (IoT) can be described as a loose network of physical devices that might be embedded with sensors, software, and connectivity. While a holistic view would see the IoT as being all the devices in the world with internet connectivity, it is often the case that these portable or remote devices are accessible within clusters or around hubs with specialist access and applications. Nevertheless, devices in the IoT can collect and exchange data with other devices or systems over the internet.

IoT devices can range from everyday consumer devices like smartphones, home appliances such as refrigerators, security cameras, and wearable monitors, and fitness devices, to industrial equipment and infrastructure in smart cities, factories, and transportation systems. The data generated by these objects can be analysed and used to gain insights, automate processes, and improve decision-making across various industries and domains.

Research in the International Journal of Cloud Computing, has looked at the need to improve technologies associated with database management in order to be able to better handle the large amounts of data generated by the IoT. The paper focuses on the use of IoT technology in the social and agricultural domains in rural sectors. In that context, there is a need for improvements that could benefit monitoring, farming conditions and practices. If it were possible to provide and implement adaptive, efficient remote and logistic operations using IoT devices, such as actuators and valves, then dynamic integration might be possible to improve various processes in farming, such as timely irrigation. This would allow savings on water, for instance, but also optimise irrigation to improve crop yields based on changing weather and other conditions.

The same analysis of IoT data might allow monitoring of pest activity and weed growth and so allow for more judicious application of pesticides and herbicides or even allow the farmer to avoid their use altogether by exploiting alternatives in a timely manner.

Zdzislaw Polkowski of the Jan Wyzykowski University in Polkowice, Poland, and colleagues in India, point out that there are many constraints and challenges facing farmers in the developing world. However, where technology can assist those in the developed world so too might it improve practices and conditions in the developing world.

Polkowski, Z., Mishra, S.K., Mishra, B.K., Borah, S. and Mohanty, A. (2023) ‘Impact of internet of things in social and agricultural domains in rural sector: a case study’, Int. J. Cloud Computing, Vol. 12, No. 1, pp.90–105.

Open access special issue published: "Comparative Migration Law: Methods, Debates and New Frontiers"

International Journal of Migration and Border Studies 7(2) 2023

The following special issue articles are all freely available to read:

• A critical-contextual approach in comparative migration law
• Coloniality and case law on the Australian asylum offshoring scheme
• Comparative international law: enhancing migration law enquiry?
• Methods for comparative migration law: insights from the social sciences
• Legal transfers of migration law: the case for an interdisciplinary approach
• Network analysis and comparative migration law: examples from the European Court of Human Rights

Free open access article available: "Experimental, analytical, and numerical investigations on bond behaviour of basalt TRM systems"

The following paper, "Experimental, analytical, and numerical investigations on bond behaviour of basalt TRM systems" (International Journal of Masonry Research and Innovation 8(2/3) 2023), is freely available for download as an open access article.

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

Special issue published: "The Coronavirus Pandemic Economic Impact: Challenges, Opportunities and Recovery Paths for Emerging Countries"

International Journal of Economic Policy in Emerging Economies 17(2) 2023

• The relation between stock return and air quality in Vietnam under impacts of COVID-19
• Post-COVID-19 economic growth scenarios for Mexico City
• The impacts of monetary policy responses to COVID-19 pandemic on national currencies: an emerging country case
• Government intervention and business response as determinants of business continuity amid COVID-19: the case of Jordan and Morocco
• Tax capacity assessment for COVID-19 resource mobilisation: evidence from an Indian state
• Testing for farmer stock market-unemployment hypothesis during the COVID-19 pandemic in Malaysia
• Analysing Muda under COVID-19 pandemic: a case study in a Spanish supermarket

Special issue published: "Recent Trends and Advancements in Marine Transportation Electrification"

International Journal of Heavy Vehicle Systems 29(6) 2022

• Modular tri-port converter with switched reluctance motor based hybrid electrical vehicles for fault tolerance
• Modelling of coordinated development between marine agglomeration industry ecological industry chain and natural environment
• Design of reliable video image transmission system for underwater vehicle
• Stability modelling and control algorithm of electric vehicle power steering
• Mounting position effect on hydraulic cylinder subjected to impulse force
• Analysis and verification of splash lubrication for electric vehicle gearbox

Research pick: Nanotech offers a boost to agriculture - "Effect of copper nanoparticles on growth parameters of maize seedlings"

Copper oxide nanoparticles might be used to provide an essential mineral nutrient to growing maize seedlings, according to work published in the International Journal of Nanotechnology.

Nanoparticles are tiny particles, which can range from 1 to 100 nanometres in diameter, sometimes a little bigger. Metallic nanoparticles smaller than 1 nanometre are considered to be atomic clusters. Particles exceeding 500 nanometres are usually thought of as microparticles, unless they are nanotubes or fibres, which can be longer, but are nanoscopic in cross-section. Being nanoscopic gives a particle unique properties when compared with atomic clusters or bigger particles. As such they have been researched extensively across many different sectors, including materials science, engineering, medicine, and agriculture.

Given that copper is an essential nutrient for plant growth, the idea that copper, or more specifically copper oxide, nanoparticles (CuO NPs) might have useful properties to help plants assimilate the mineral readily and so to grow better has been discussed. Physicist Ali Raza of the University of Agriculture in Faisalabad, Punjab, Pakistan, and colleagues have investigated the effects of dosing the growing medium of maize seedlings with Cuo NPS. The researchers wanted to see how well the CuO NPs could enter and move through the plants, and if they would affect the growth of maize seedlings. They also needed to know whether this type of nanoparticle would be toxic. Metallic copper nanoparticles, as opposed to CuO NPs can have a positive effect on seed germination but are phytotoxic to growing wheat, Triticum aestivum, seedlings.

The basic conclusion from their study is that CuO NPs are taken up by the seedling roots and lead to improved growth over the course of eighteen days. The seedlings produce longer roots and shoots when dosed with CuO NPs, even at the relatively high concentration of 800 milligrams per litre of CuO NPs the nanoparticles were not toxic to the seedlings.

However, chlorophyll content fell and catalase activity decreased, which would ultimately have a deleterious effect on photosynthesis above that concentration. Samples dosed at 550 milligrams per litre (mg/l) showed a proportionately lower enhanced growth rate when compared to the 800 mg/l samples and against undosed control, suggesting a dose-related uptake at these concentrations.

The team suggests that the nanoparticles have a beneficial regulatory effect on enzyme activity in the seedlings, given that copper is a component or co-factor in many plant enzymes.

Raza, A., Ahmad, S., Mateen, A., Arshad, A., Rehman, A. and Oliveira, H.A.L. (2022) ‘Effect of copper nanoparticles on growth parameters of maize seedlings’, Int. J. Nanotechnol., Vol. 19, No. 12, pp.1143–1157.

Free sample articles newly available from International Journal of Cloud Computing

The following sample articles from the International Journal of Cloud Computing are now available here for free:

• Big data in healthcare made simple to save people's lives
• A microcontroller-based system for patient and elderly community assistance
• A study on automated toll collection: towards the utilisation of RFID-based system
• An optimal selection of virtual machine for e-healthcare services in cloud data centres
• A comparative study on various pre-processing techniques and deep learning algorithms for text classification
• Analysis of breast cancer prediction and visualisation using machine learning models
• Implementation of data mining to enhance the performance of cloud computing environment
• A novel filter for removing image noise and improving the quality of image
• Tangles in IOTA to make crypto currency transactions free and secure

Special issue published: "Digital Technologies and Solutions for Sustainable Future"

International Journal of Business Information Systems 42(3/4) 2023

• A comprehensive approach to study the adoption and implementation of cloud-based ERP among SMEs
• How does Snapp interact with customers? Investigating customer engagement solutions in Snapp's digital organisation with netnography method
• An advanced comparative analysis of proposed deep learning architectures for musculoskeletal disorder classification
• Digital signal analysis of a WK algorithm
• Identifying Ethiopian National Mining Cadastre System post implementation success factors: the case of Ministry of Mines of Ethiopia
• An empirical investigation on continuance intention for e-commerce among SMEs
• Commodities vs. S&P 500: causal interaction, temporal analysis and predictive modelling using econometric approach, machine learning, and deep learning
• Mobile payment adoption by citizens of tier-II cities with special reference to COVID-19: extending UTAUT with intrinsic motivation and perceived credibility

Additional papers

• Role of e-voting system for void of errors in the electoral manipulations: a case study of Nigeria
• Journey to SAP S/4HANA intelligent enterprise: is there a risk in transitions?
• The impact of e-marketing and marketing orientation on firm performance with moderating role of social media usage

Special issue published: "Cloud and Edge Systems and Applications"

International Journal of Grid and Utility Computing 14(1) 2023

• Quality of service prediction model in cloud computing using adaptive dynamic programming parameter tuner
• Towards a cloud model choice evaluation: comparison between cost/features and ontology-based analysis
• An evaluation environment for high-performance computing combining supercomputing and cloud
• A survey on auto-scaling: how to exploit cloud elasticity
• An effort to characterise enhancements I/O of storage environments
• A vision about lifelong learning and its barriers

Free sample articles newly available from International Journal of Internet Protocol Technology

The following sample articles from the International Journal of Internet Protocol Technology are now available here for free:

• Security enhancement of an auditing scheme for shared cloud data
• The study of dynamic resource allocation on aggregation of unlicensed spectrum in LTE-A networks
• Efficient IPv4-IPv6 translation mechanism for IMS using SIP proxy
• On the minimisation of resource utilisation for cost reduction in space division multiplexing based elastic optical networks
• Policy-based heterogeneous server utilisation using controller framework
• Small area purification and recognition of network intrusion signals based on the second-order matching filter detection

Research pick: Privacy in the cloud - "Legal issues of consumer privacy protection in the cloud computing environment: analytic study in GDPR, and USA legislations"

Data privacy issues have come to the fore in the world of cloud computing and there has been something of a backlash against this burgeoning area in some quarters. However, there are many individuals and organisations that rely on it on a daily basis. Unfortunately, the laws around data privacy in cloud computing have not kept apace with the technology and are often unclear and contradictory. This problem needs to be addressed urgently according to researchers writing in the International Journal of Cloud Computing.

Alaeldin Alkhasawneh of the Department of Private Law at Yarmouk University in Jordan and also the Department of Private Law at UAEU University in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, and Fawaz A. Khasawneh of the Department of Software Engineering and IT at the University of Quebec, Montreal, Canada, have explored the laws surrounding data privacy in cloud computing and identified several gaps in the legislation. The team offers several proposals as to how the laws might be improved to create a better experience and service for cloud consumers as well as increased protection for personal, sensitive, and private data.

Cloud computing is an essential service provided by many companies and used by many more. It offers various benefits to users by providing storage and computing services through remote servers rather than the user having to have their own on-site systems. There are costs, but the benefits of often distributed systems means that users within a multinational organisation can access those services anywhere in the world rather than overburdening a single-site server. Users of cloud computing might be private individual, small and medium-sized enterprises, governments and non-governmental organisations, as well as large companies and international corporate entities.

The team suggests that fundamentally cloud computing service providers should be required by law to take greater responsibility for the protection of their users’ data. The team also suggests that the various local and regional laws need to work in concert to avoid contradictions and to allow cloud computing thrive without compromising the protections the various laws offer users.

Alkhasawneh, A. and Khasawneh, F.A. (2023) ‘Legal issues of consumer privacy protection in the cloud computing environment: analytic study in GDPR, and USA legislations’, Int. J. Cloud Computing, Vol. 12, No. 1, pp.40–62.

Special issue published: "Disruption in Business"

International Journal of Public Sector Performance Management 11(2) 2023

• Systematic review of emotional intelligence in virtual teams
• FinTech driven financial inclusion - the hype and the reality of missed targets
• Impact of digitalisation on youth consumer dynamics: a review of literature using R-software
• Next generation leadership skill set for Industry 4.0
• Predictors of knowledge sharing in public sector organisations: a proposed model
• Affective as mediator of normative commitment to behaviour relationship and professional commitment as salient predictor of citizenship behaviour: empirical confirmation
• Innovation capability and effectiveness in public sector organisations: knowledge-based performance management practices

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

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

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

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

The following sample articles from the International Journal of Environment and Waste Management are now available here for free:

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

Research pick: A life-long educational lifeline - "A vision about lifelong learning and its barriers"

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

• The legality of the emergency defence orders in Jordan issued during corona pandemic: compliance or derogation
• Pandemics and health equity issues: effects of disparities and social health determinants
• Vaccine sell ban as a corollary of the Peruvian response to COVID-19
• Thoughts on institutional tax framework: a comparative study in the context of COVID-19
• Legitimacy of fake news regulations on touchstone of freedom of speech and expression: a comparative study of Singapore and India

Additional papers

• Retention of limitation of liability in maritime claims in modern business environment in the UK, USA, and Nigeria
• Codification of private law in the Republic of Kosovo: the influence of European codifications, European law and challenges
• Three essential aspects of child support: a comparative analysis between China and Australia
• The statutory framework regulating the withholding of retirement benefits in South Africa: an argument for a uniform approach

Free sample articles newly available from International Journal of Technology Transfer and Commercialisation

The following sample articles from the International Journal of Technology Transfer and Commercialisation are now available here for free:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The following sample articles from the International Journal of Grid and Utility Computing are now available here for free:

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

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

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

Free sample articles newly available from International Journal of Powertrains

The following sample articles from the International Journal of Powertrains are now available here for free:

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

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

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

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

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

The following sample articles from the International Journal of Information and Decision Sciences are now available here for free:

• Testing the validity of Cauchy model based on the informational energy
• What determines the household decision to borrow for investment or repayment of old debt? The Indian story
• Stock price forecasting using hidden Markov model
• Human decision making modelling for gambling task under uncertainty and risk
• An adaptive neuro-fuzzy inference for blockchain-based smart job recommendation system

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

The following sample articles from the International Journal of Automotive Technology and Management are now available here for free:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The following sample articles from the International Journal of Autonomous and Adaptive Communications Systems are now available here for free:

• Capacity detection of massive MIMO channel in 5G environment based on symmetric correlation matrix
• The automatic positioning method for defect data of 5G mobile communication based on cloud computing
• Research on digital forensics method of 5G communication system in the future based on direct intermediate frequency sampling
• The intrusion data mining method for distributed network based on fuzzy kernel clustering algorithm
• Resource monitoring method of the expandable cloud platform based on micro-service architecture
• Research on the wake-up method for active sleeping node in wireless sensor networks

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

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

• How structural engineering can help archaeology?
• The baths complex of Villa San Marco at Stabia: investigations in a risk-assessment perspective
• Experimental investigations on glass fibre reinforced composites with gypsum-earth matrix to strengthen the earth walls of the Noh-Gonbad Mosque in Balkh, Afghanistan [OPEN ACCESS]
• Seismic assessment of historical buildings through multilevel approach: the complex of the 'Galleria dell'Accademia di Firenze'
• An integrated experimental and numerical approach for preventive Cultural Heritage conservation. The San Marco Museum case study
• Methodological approach to the restoration of historical buildings based on microclimatic monitoring: the case of 'La Specola' Museum in Florence
• Protection of artworks to blast hazards: the Fountain of Neptune in Florence

Additional papers

• Analysis of a nonlinear model arising in chemical aggression of marble
• Review of thermal performance, hygrothermal behaviour, and carbon sequestration in hemp concrete in order to make it an energy-efficient and eco-friendly material
• Literature review on mechanical properties estimation of historical masonry buildings: application of an evaluation method for the Algerian case
• Experimental, analytical, and numerical investigations on bond behaviour of basalt TRM systems [OPEN ACCESS]

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

The following sample articles from the International Journal of Services, Economics and Management are now available here for free:

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

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

European Journal of International Management 19(4) 2023

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

Regularly submitted paper

• Disentangling the antecedents of relationship between dynamic internationalisation capability and international performance: the moderating role of absorptive capacity

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The following sample articles from the International Journal of Machining and Machinability of Materials are now available here for free:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Special issue published: "Energy and Environment Related Solution"

International Journal of Global Warming 29(3) 2023

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

Additional paper

• Effective drought analysis by different methodological integrations in Yeşilirmak Basin, Turkey

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

The following sample articles from the International Journal of System Control and Information Processing are now available here for free:

• Improved approximation of SISO and MIMO continuous interval systems
• A variational autoencoders approach for process monitoring and fault diagnosis
• Soft measurement of dioxin emission concentration based on deep forest regression algorithm
• Controller design via model order reduction for interval systems using Kharitonov theorem and Nevalinna-pick theory: a case study
• Non-fragile event-triggered control of positive switched systems

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The following sample articles from the International Journal of Dynamical Systems and Differential Equations are now available here for free:

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

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:

• Application of integrated environmentally failure modes and effects analysis and environmentally conscious quality function deployment for sustainable product design
• A queuing network and Markov chain approach for balancing assembly line: a case study
• The dissemination of operational capabilities in manufacturing networks: a coevolutionary perspective
• Buffer estimation in the critical chain method by considering internal and external risks
• Analysing impact of strategies adopted by decision makers on performance parameters of bi-criteria transportation problem

Research pick - Beyond the Bucks: supporter recognition is key to crowdfunding success

Crowdfunding is an approach to raising money to kickstart a project or business venture. It usually involves soliciting small contributions from a large number of people, often via the internet. The idea behind crowdfunding is that many people can pool their money together to support a project, which can make it possible for entrepreneurs, artists, and other creatives to get the funding they need to turn their ideas into reality. The supporters are often rewarded with early access to a product or service once it becomes available or exclusive rewards, such as special editions, signed versions, or attractive paraphernalia associated with the product or its creators.

The approach allows entrepreneurs and creatives to sidestep the traditional gatekeepers of funding, such as banks and venture capitalists. They can engage with potential investors who have an intrinsic interest in supporting innovative projects and ideas rather than simply looking for a return on a financial investment. Some supporters will even be keen to feel that they are part of a pioneering community around the venture. Another aspect of crowdfunding is that the supporters can give direct and invaluable feedback to the creatives and entrepreneurs about their offering.

Much of the research into crowdfunding that has been carried out over the years, focuses on how trust is established and maintained around the transactions and relationships. Writing in the International Journal of Entrepreneurship and Innovation Management, an international team considers that “recognition” rather than trust per se should be a focus of theoretical frameworks aimed at improving our understanding of the dynamics of crowdfunding.

Jack Wroldsen of the Orfalea College of Business at California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo, California, USA and Djamchid Assadi of the Burgundy School of Business, Campus Lyon, France, explain that recognition, or the sphere of solidarity, is what emphasises the mutual relationships and respect between entrepreneurs and supporters and how these translate into value for the former and meaning for the latter in the realm of crowdfunding. The team has undertaken several case studies to demonstrate where recognition is present or absent and how this impacts the outcomes of a given project. Overall, they suggest that the concept of recognition, rather than trust alone, provides a more accurate and holistic view of crowdfunding.

The team shows that recognition involves nurturing a reciprocal relationship of mutual respect, not simply maintaining trust. In the case study where the crowdfunding relationship was broken, they explain, it was not that erstwhile supporters lost trust in the venture it was that they were ultimately excluded from the community of collaborators, early-adopters, and developers that had built up around the product. They were no longer recognised.

Wroldsen, J. and Assadi, D. (2023) ‘Trust is not recognition: an exploration of revolts in crowdfunding’, Int. J. Entrepreneurship and Innovation Management, Vol. 27, Nos. 1/2, pp.1–18.

Free open access article available: "Visual management in the era of Industry 4.0: perceived advantages and disadvantages of digital boards"

The following paper, "Visual management in the era of Industry 4.0: perceived advantages and disadvantages of digital boards" (International Journal of Advanced Operations Management 15(1) 2023), is freely available for download as an open access article.

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

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

The following sample articles from the International Journal of Technology, Policy and Management are now available here for free:

• Big data mechanism of railway tunnel base void and degradation damage based on discrete element method
• Research on model mechanism of B2B transaction based on delivery means of blockchain
• How does green operational policy impact on corporate social responsibility and enterprise image? Evidence from South Korean construction enterprises
• Enterprise green management on the optimisation of financial management system
• Artificial intelligence technology in modern logistics system
• Research on paths to emerging markets through business model innovation: the case of Taiwan-funded enterprises entering China mainland market
• Spatial coordination perspective of regional sustainable development: control of spatial difference in Guangdong-Guangxi Economic Zone
• Using the system dynamics model on sustainable safety development of civil aviation

Special issue published: "Improving the Sustainability of Industrial Operations Through Cleaner Production and Energy Efficiency"

International Journal of Global Energy Issues 45(2) 2023

• Prediction method of energy consumption in industrial production based on improved grey model
• Carbon emission measurement method of heavy industry based on LMDI decomposition method
• Prediction of energy conservation and emission reduction potential of new energy vehicle industry based on grey model
• Industrial coal utilisation efficiency prediction based on Markov Chain Model
• Risk evaluation method of renewable energy investment based on fuzzy analytic hierarchy process
• Hedging behaviour in China's crude oil futures market
• Optimisation of natural gas supply chain considering pipeline transportation cost reformation in China

Research pick: Social media impact on government policy - "Social media use for public policymaking cycle: a meta-analysis"

A review and meta-analysis of the appropriate research literature spanning 2010 to 2020, shows that social media has played a significant role in shaping government policies. The work is published in the publication Electronic Government, an International Journal.

Social media refers to websites and applications, mobile apps, that allow users to create, share, and exchange information and content with others in virtual communities and networks. The concept is often referred to as Web 2.0 to contrast it with Web 1.0, which largely involved the traditional model of users passively consuming the output from websites in much the same way as they had for generations of consumers of newspapers, magazines, radio and television broadcasts. Social media gained traction in the early 2000s, with platforms such as Myspace and Friendster, which quickly gathered users and demonstrated some of the potential of this new online realm.

It was not until the launch of Facebook in 2004 that social media began to revolutionize the way people communicate and connect online. Of the services that emerged at the time and soon after, several are still active and represent a large proportion of online activity for many people. These various services are often at the centre of controversial activity. During the period of 2010-2020, social media became even more pervasive and diverse, with platforms including Twitter, Instagram, and Snapchat becoming so popular that they displaced conventional news and entertainment sources for many people.

Social media is used in a wide range of sectors, including politics, business, education, news, and entertainment. Politicians have frequently exploited social media to help them fulfill their agenda and aspirations. Businesses find new ways to engage with putative customers but occasionally also see the negative impact of going viral when their activities are controversial. The same happens for celebrities and others. In education, social media has been used as a tool for online learning and communication between students and teachers and was a boon during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. Indeed, some aspects of social media use still retain their utility. In entertainment, social media has become a world of so-called influencers, a new breed of celebrity whose talents may not lie in the traditional fields of art, music, or acting, but nevertheless allow them to gather an audience around them, build a personal brand to whatever end they can imagine.

Now, Achmad Nurmandi, Herpita Wahyuni, Salahudin, and Isnaini Muallidin of the Universitas Muhammadiyah Yogyakarta in Indonesia, and Maria Dolores Guillamon of the University of Murcia in Spain used a method known as meta-modelling to process several hundred documents from the literature published in that decade-long period. They hoped to determine what researchers had found during the period regarding the influence of social media on public policymaking and governance through data acquisition, opinion tracking, fast data processing, and public opinion analysis and measurement. Critically, the work looked at the impact on scientific developments in social media and government policies.

The team writes that “The use of social media in various policymaking processes has had a significant effect.” They add that “Open access can make public spaces understandable and help achieve common goals.” They conclude that “Future research should examine approaches to making reliable policies and promoting transparency through social media.”

Nurmandi, A., Wahyuni, H., Guillamon, M.D., Salahudin and Muallidin, I. (2023) ‘Social media use for public policymaking cycle: a meta-analysis’, Electronic Government, Vol. 19, No. 2, pp.123–145.

International Journal of Migration and Border Studies to invite expanded papers from YCC 2023 Comparative Law Book Seminar #5 for potential publication

Extended versions of papers presented at the YCC 2023 Comparative Law Book Seminar #5 (27 March 2023, 9-10am EDT) will be invited for review and potential publication by the International Journal of Migration and Border Studies.

Free open access article available: "Social media use for public policymaking cycle: a meta-analysis"

The following paper, "Social media use for public policymaking cycle: a meta-analysis" (Electronic Government, an International Journal 19(2) 2023), is freely available for download as an open access article.

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

Free sample articles newly available from International Journal of Data Science

The following sample articles from the International Journal of Data Science are now available here for free:

• Group student profiling in massive open online courses using educational data mining
• Machine learning approach to predicting a basketball game outcome
• Scheduling faculty for lunch and dinner meetings with candidates during campus visits
• State-of-the-art and possible fields of application for the integrated support of merger and acquisition processes by means of artificial intelligence
• Test of equality of proportional hazard models with jointly censored data

Special issue published: "Latest Scientific and Theoretical Advances in Systems, Signals and Image Processing"

International Journal of Innovative Computing and Applications 14(1/2) 2023

• Performance evaluation of energy reconstruction methods for the ATLAS hadronic calorimeter using collision data
• Light leaf spots segmentation algorithm based on colour difference vectors
• Detecting acute leukaemia in blood slides images using a CNN ensemble
• Evaluation of banknote identification methodologies based on local and deep features
• Multilevel CNN for anterior chamber angle classification using AS-OCT images
• Transfer learning-based lung segmentation and pneumonia detection for paediatric chest X-ray images
• Wind turbine fault detection: a semi-supervised learning approach with two different dimensionality reduction techniques
• Heuristic-based approaches for fracture detection in borehole images

Additional papers

• New architectural optical character recognition approach for cursive fonts: the historical Maghrebian font as an example
• Fuzzy improved firefly-based MapReduce for association rule mining

Research pick - Finding your feet on civvy street: navigating a second career after military service

A nation’s armed forces rely on personnel to defend that nation through their strength, determination, and ability to adapt to modern warfare whether their role is on land, sea, or in the air. In most countries, young recruits join the military willingly as a career choice. There are, of course, some countries that have national service, or conscription. This might also change in times of conflict. Those who sign up are generally well aware that their careers will have a duration that is far shorter than that of someone working in civilian life in general, unless of course, they rise through the ranks to the upper echelons of service, when retirement might come later.

Commonly military personnel will complete their service between the ages of 35 and 50, perhaps having joined when they reached adulthood or shortly thereafter. Civilian employment generally sees individuals reaching “retirement” age in their mid to late 60s, although that age varies considerably and in some places people tend to retire before they reach 60, in others, there is a push to raise the retirement age to 70 to ensure an active workforce in the face of an aging population.

Given the much younger retirement age of military personnel, there is generally a pressing need for those retiring from the armed forces to seek out a second career. These individuals are often highly skilled and disciplined and should be seen as a valuable, national asset with talents that can be used to allow them to earn a good living as well as play their part in society after their military service is complete. However, many veterans struggle to find appropriate second careers. This problem is often exacerbated by physical and mental health problems that may have arisen during active service, for example, in peacekeeping activities or war zones.

The issue of age at retirement can also be a problem for those leaving service later in life and hoping to jump into a new career when they may be many years older than others seeking training and employment in a given sector, such as construction or commercial driving.

A study in the International Journal of Society Systems Science by a team from the Mittal School of Business at the Lovely Professional University in Phagwara, Punjab, India, has looked at how strategies and principles might be developed to help ex-military personnel, veterans, determine their need and desire for a second career after military service and to assess those aspirations realistically.

The team of Sarabjit Singh Walia and Rajesh Verma suggest that their findings are crucial for society as a whole but in particular for helping veterans who have dedicated their lives to serving their country. The team highlights many of the challenges veterans face when transitioning from the military and finding themselves back on what is colloquially known as “civvy street”, in civilian life, in other words. They highlight the need for support and resources to assist with this transition.

The team points out that employers may need education so that they can learn to recognize the value of taking on military veterans and so open up new opportunities where unique skills and experience can be used. Conversely, training for ex-military personnel that focuses on self-employment and entrepreneurship could be a focus for those who see a second career outside the realm of conventional employment.

The work looks specifically at the armed forces of India and reveals the differences in transition needs for those leaving the army, the navy, and the airforce. Although points out that, ultimately, all such personnel, once they change out of their uniforms find themselves in a similar position on civvy street. There is a pressing need to address society’s shortcomings in order to help retiring military personnel make a successful transition from service back into civilian life.

Walia, S.S. and Verma, R. (2022) ‘Second career – availability and aspirations of ex-servicemen’, Int. J. Society Systems Science, Vol. 14, No. 2, pp.163–179.

Free sample articles newly available from International Journal of Emergency Management

The following sample articles from the International Journal of Emergency Management are now available here for free:

• Medical incident commander leadership during a full-scale exercise in an underground mining environment: a qualitative single-case study
• Mapping the new elements of local government disaster management capability: a systematic analysis of research trends 2003-2018
• Inter-organisational communication and situational awareness in an emergency operation centre during major incidents
• Strengthening community resilience through network building
• Landslide risk, resilience and resistance: confronting community resilience with economic benefits in landslide-prone areas in Kerala
• Management of infectious animal diseases: the Korean experience

Free sample articles newly available from International Journal of Project Organisation and Management

The following sample articles from the International Journal of Project Organisation and Management are now available here for free:

• Adopting an integrated project delivery collaboration framework: a case study of a wastewater treatment plant project in Vietnam
• Project portfolio management practices - a theoretical base and practitioner guidelines
• Absorptive capacity in information technology projects: a multiple case study in the telecommunication industry
• A multi-purpose model for optimising project selection and activities scheduling by balancing resource allocation
• Adopting scrum methodology in the project of organising a concert

Research pick: Seeing greenwashing companies true colours - "Greenwash, show your true colours: how verbal and visual messages influence consumers’ perception?"

Research in the International Journal of Environment and Sustainable Development shows that there is a gap between the environmental messages given to consumers in verbal or visual form and the perception of and trust in those messages and whether consumers recognise some of them as nothing more than greenwashing.

Greenwashing is a neologism that refers to the scurrilous actions of some companies or organisations using misleading marketing tactics to create a false impression that their products or services are environmentally friendly or sustainable when they are not. The term “greenwashing” is a play on the term “whitewashing,” which refers to the practice of covering up or hiding negative information. Greenwashing is used to conceal unsustainable or environmentally harmful practices. If consumers recognise greenwashing, then the company’s fake appeal to environmentally conscious consumers in order to gain a competitive advantage in the market will be stymied.

Kenny Basso, Jandir Pauli, Priscila Cerutti, Marcia Perin, Vitor Francisco Dalla Corte, and Leila Dal Moro in the Faculdade Meridional, IMED, Brazil carried out a single-factor experiment. In this experiment, participants were shown either text or image-based materials. The researchers found that those individuals exposed to the text format materials engaged with it far less than those exposed to an image. Indeed, those people presented with images were more likely to be suspicious of greenwashing than the text-only group because they were more likely to engage with the material.

The findings of this study highlight the need for consumers to be wary of greenwashing tactics used by companies. The use of images is more engaging and so makes it harder for greenwashing claims by unethical companies to be accepted by consumers.

As climate change and environmental problems continue to be pressing global issues, it is crucial that companies and consumers work together towards more sustainable practices. This study sheds light on the need for more transparent communication from companies, and the importance of consumers educating themselves and taking a proactive role in buying from companies that do not greenwash their products and services.

Basso, K., Pauli, J., Cerutti, P., Perin, M., Dalla Corte, V.F. and Moro, L.D. (2023) ‘Greenwash, show your true colours: how verbal and visual messages influence consumers’ perception?’, Int. J. Environment and Sustainable Development, Vol. 22, No. 2, pp.210–225.

 

Free open access article available: "Global innovation and competition in quantum technology, viewed through the lens of patents and artificial intelligence"

The following paper, "Global innovation and competition in quantum technology, viewed through the lens of patents and artificial intelligence" (International Journal of Intellectual Property Management 13(1) 2023), is freely available for download as an open access article.

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

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

The following sample articles from the International Journal of Innovative Computing and Applications are now available here for free:

• Fuzzy logic control based high step up converter for electric vehicle applications
• Modified adaptive inertia weight particle swarm optimisation for data clustering
• An efficient image compression using pixel filter for social media applications
• Research on coordinated control method of urban traffic based on neural network
• Business intelligence and data analytics framework: case study of humanitarian organisations refugees' registration system
• Research on intelligent city parking guidance method based on ant colony algorithm

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

The following sample articles from the International Journal of Environmental Technology and Management are now available here for free:

• Peptides: antimicrobial properties and applications
• Optical design of integrated line and point focus solar collector for process heat generation
• Development of bacteriocins from dairy wastes
• Investigation on elevation of sloshing liquid in the square tank under excitation using CFD and RSM
• An in-silico approach for the identification of potential anticancer phytochemicals from Simarouba glauca against the human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 protein
• Liver cancer detection based on various sustainable segmentation techniques for CT images
• Identification of earthworm for sustainable agriculture - a review

Free open access article available: "A structured approach for comparing monetary theories"

The following paper, "A structured approach for comparing monetary theories" (International Journal of Pluralism and Economics Education 13(3) 2022), is freely available for download as an open access article.

Research pick: The dark side of relationship marketing

Work published in the International Journal of Business Innovation and Research offers a theoretical perspective on whether an innovative form of marketing is a double-edged sword for business owners who operate in the business-to-business, B2B, sphere.

In conventional marketing, businesses hope to profit from essentially one-time transactions and sales. There was a nod to customer loyalty, but on the whole, this was largely ignored as long as one-time sales kept rolling in. In today’s world, there is an increasing push towards repeat transactions, brand awareness, and customer loyalty meaning ongoing sales and so profits. This so-called “relationship marketing” builds long-term relationships between one commercial concern and a business customer rather than focusing on those one-time transactions.

The obvious goal of relationship marketing is to establish a strong and lasting connection with customers through loyalty programs, personalized marketing campaigns, and customer service initiatives. The benefit to the company is almost guaranteed repeat business and an increase in word-of-mouth referrals to potential new customers thanks to the satisfaction of the loyal customer. The benefits to the loyal customer of the relationship are loyalty bonuses, better, more personal, service and communication regarding their purchases, as well as product offerings tailored to their needs and budget.

Deepika, Shashank Vikram Pratap Singh, and Mohinder Paul of the University of Delhi, India, suggest that this form of marketing for all its mutual benefits may have a dark side. It may be a win-win, but it could also be a double-edged sword. They offer a theoretical perspective on the downsides of this popular business strategy.

The researchers point out that relationship marketing can lead to negative outcomes between companies that adopt this strategy. Earlier research has perhaps ignored this aspect of the approach, but the team argues that it is an important area that deserves more attention. They suggest that there are two factors at play. The first is time – over time, a relationship can become routine and boring, losing the spark that made it special in the first place. The second factor is opportunism – when one partner has the chance to take advantage of the other, it can sour a positive relationship.

The researchers provide a framework for understanding the variables associated with relationship marketing. The positives of trust and commitment and the negatives of vulnerability, complacency, and suspicion. They argue that if a partner has the opportunity to engage in opportunism this can be detrimental to the relationship. Those positives soon become negatives and the relationship fails. The team suggests that, as with many other relationships, keeping the spark alive and avoiding complacency is key. They also suggest that while partners can, of course, be trusting of each other it is as well to be aware of the early signs of opportunism and cheating and to nip them in the bud for the sake of the relationship.

The team adds that future research might consider the other factors at play such as reduced vigilance, dependence, the quality of available alternatives, agent-specific knowledge, dissatisfaction, and lack of innovation. All of these factors can affect relationships between businesses buying and selling products and services from each other.

Deepika, Singh, S.V.P. and Paul, M. (2023) ‘Does relationship marketing have a dark side? A theoretical perspective’, Int. J. Business Innovation and Research, Vol. 30, No. 3, pp.389–406.

Free sample articles newly available International Journal of Web and Grid Services

The following sample articles from the International Journal of Web and Grid Services are now available here for free:

• Cost-aware edge server placement
• Adaptive practical Byzantine fault tolerance consensus algorithm in permission blockchain network
• Resource discovery and scalability-aware routing in cloud federation using distributed meta-brokering paradigm
• An adaptive enhanced differential evolution strategies for topology robustness in internet of things

Free sample articles newly available from International Journal of Product Development

The following sample articles from the International Journal of Product Development are now available here for free:

• Intelligent wristband human abnormal behaviour recognition method based on machine vision
• Fingertip positioning and tracking method of intelligent moving bracelet based on improved Kalman filter
• Accuracy evaluation method of sports bracelet monitoring based on grey comprehensive clustering
• An intermediate interpolation of VR glasses display animation based on hierarchical constraints
• An adaptive median filtering of visual product image based on gradient direction information
• Human-computer interaction experience evaluation method of intelligent electronic product interface
• Multi-objective optimisation method of human-computer interaction interface layout of music electronic products based on adaptive particle swarm optimisation
• Monitoring method of use frequency of sports electronic products based on non-uniform sampling
• Study on spatial layout evaluation of game UI interface based on grey interval clustering
• Fast fusion method of virtual image of product shape based on progressive fill line algorithm
• Product 3D virtual display scene modelling based on augmented reality technology
• Evaluation method of smart bracelet health monitoring accuracy based on multi-level data fusion
• User experience evaluation of intelligent sports bracelet based on multi-factor fusion
• Real-time information sharing model of product supply chain based on Internet of Things
• User experience measurement methods of e-commerce products based on cloud model
• Product design difference perception model based on visual communication technology
• Personalised recommendation of smart home products based on convolution neural network
• Defect detection method of product appearance design based on visual communication model
• Adaptive adjustment method of intelligent industrial product dimension accuracy
• Colour difference detection method of product packaging based on local enhancement
• Visual communication method of graphic language in industrial product design

Free sample articles newly available from International Journal of Manufacturing Research

The following sample articles from the International Journal of Manufacturing Research are now available here for free:

• Exploiting the drill cutting lip to quantify the contributions of process parameters to cutting pressures - a response surface analysis
• Prediction of tool wear during micro-milling Inconel 718 thin-walled parts
• Efficiency evaluation of manufacturing firms in China. The case of patent-intensive industries
• Exact and metaheuristic approaches for the single-machine scheduling problem with flexible maintenance under human resource constraints
• Automatic identification of mechanical parts for robotic disassembly using the PointNet deep neural network

Research pick: Machine learning predicts suicide risk in patients with anxiety and stress

Anxiety and depression are serious mental health problems that a growing number of people seem to be facing. These conditions can tragically lead to suicidal thoughts and actions. As such, new research in the International Journal of Biomedical Engineering and Technology is being undertaken to help find modern solution to help prevent such tragic outcomes. The work focuses on how machine learning might be used to identify patients who may be at risk of suicide and allow interventions to be made in a timely manner.

According to the World Health Organisation, approximately 700,000 die by suicide each year. That represents more than one person every minute. Many more people attempt suicide and the WHO suggests that a prior attempt is ultimately the biggest risk factor for suicide. Suicide is a multidimensional disorder that arises from the interaction between biological, genetic, psychological, sociological, and environmental factors. In places where mental health services are not readily available, people at risk often see a physician rather than a psychiatrist. Research has shown that between one in five and three in five of people who commit suicide had seen a physician in the month prior to their death.

Anju Bhandari Gandhi and Devendra Prasad of the Panipat Institute of Engineering and Technology in Haryana, Umesh Kumar Lilhore and Sarita Simaiya of Chandigarh University in Gharuan Mohali, Punjab, and Deepak Kumar Verma of the Chhatrapati Shahu Ji Maharaj University in Kanpur Uttar Pradesh, India, have investigated how computer algorithms can be used to analyze data from patients suffering from anxiety and stress. They compared several different types of algorithms to see which might be best suited to predicting suicidal behaviour based on the patient data.

The results are promising. The team explains that the random forest algorithm was able to predict with 95% accuracy which patients were at risk for suicide. This kind of analysis could be used to screen patients more efficiently, helping healthcare workers identify those who need help the most sooner rather than when it is too late. As healthcare workers continue to face increasing complexity and limited time, it is important to find innovative ways to identify problems. The WHO points out that suicide is the fourth leading cause of death among 15-29 year-olds. The team’s algorithmic approach to risk assessment based on monitoring anxiety levels works equally well for youngsters as it does for older people.

Obviously, software can never replace one-to-one care, but if it can reveal issues that might not be immediately apparent to a healthcare worker and flag problems early, then the healthcare worker might be in a better position to make a timely intervention and so save lives.

Gandhi, A.B., Prasad, D., Lilhore, U.K., Verma, D.K. and Simaiya, S. (2023) ‘Suicidal behaviour screening using machine learning techniques’, Int. J. Biomedical Engineering and Technology, Vol. 41, No. 2, pp.111–125.