Free sample articles newly available from International Journal of Intelligent Systems Technologies and Applications

The following sample articles from the International Journal of Intelligent Systems Technologies and Applications are now available here for free:

• Performance analysis towards GUI-based vehicle detection and tracking using YOLOv3 and SORT algorithm
• A feature-level attention-based deep neural network model for sentence embedding
• A review on lung carcinoma segmentation and classification using CT image based on deep learning
• Thresholding-based decision map for CT-MRI fusion in wavelet domain
• Rotation vector and directional cosine matrix in problems of satellite attitude control

Research pick: Remedy needed for nursing no-shows - "Absenteeism among nurses: costs, working conditions, and related factors"

Nursing staff represent the heart of any healthcare system, but when they are absent, the impact on the quality of care and productivity can be significant and costly. New research in the International Journal of Productivity and Quality Management has looked at the implications for a university hospital of absenteeism among nurses.

Emad Adel Shdaifat and Najla Mohd Al-Ansari of the College of Nursing at Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University in Dammam, Saudi Arabia, Main Naser Alolayyan of Jordan University of Science and Technology in Irbid Jordan, and Najla Mohd Al-Ansari of the Department of Nursing at King Fahd Hospital of the University in Al-Khobar, Saudi Arabia, investigated the likely causes and frequencies of absenteeism among nurses. They found that minor illnesses and fatigue due to work overload were the most common reasons for absence. They determined that nurses who worked the A-shift (usually the first shift of the day beginning early morning and ending in the late afternoon or early evening) had children, worked in an intensive care unit were more frequent absentees. A common factor among them in terms of their own health being that they have a normal body mass index (BMI).

The results of this study highlight the need for healthcare organizations to invest in better working conditions for nurses, such as reducing workload and providing support for nurses with children. By doing so, the team suggests that university, or teaching, hospitals could reduce absenteeism and ultimately improve the quality of life for their nurses as well as patient care.

The findings come at a time when healthcare workers, including nurses, are demanding better working conditions and fair pay. The impact of absenteeism on productivity and patient care is one of the many factors driving this industrial action given that staff feeling pressure and becoming ill because of work overload are likely to take time off beyond their usual leave allowance. At this stage, more research is needed to improve our understanding of the relationship between absenteeism and the various factors affecting their working and personal lives of healthcare staff.

Shdaifat, E.A., Alolayyan, M.N., Rosario, A.B. and Al-Ansari, N.M. (2023) ‘Absenteeism among nurses: costs, working conditions, and related factors’, Int. J. Productivity and Quality Management, Vol. 38, No. 4, pp.518–544.

Free open access article available: "A multi-agent adaptation of the rule-based Wumpus World game"

The following paper, "A multi-agent adaptation of the rule-based Wumpus World game" (International Journal of Artificial Intelligence and Soft Computing 7(4) 2022), is freely available for download as an open access article.

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

Research pick: Positive stress leads to service success - "Emotional regulation strategies, eustress, and personal initiative-taking: evidence from frontline journalists"

A study in the International Journal of Work Organisation and Emotion, has looked at the effects of “positive” stress among frontline journalists. The findings suggest that this type of stress, so-called eustress, can help such workers handle the emotional challenges they face in their jobs.

Many people have pressured and stressful jobs. Indeed everyone from healthcare workers to firefighters, social workers to journalists, and most jobs in between will at one time or another describe their work as stressful. How individuals manage their emotional response to stress is critical to whether they can maintain their psychological well-being and indeed whether the stress they face can have a positive impact on their work rather than being a harmful hindrance.

Juliet E. Ikhide of the Department of Business Administration at the Eastern Mediterranean University in Famagusta, Turkey and Oluwatobi A. Ogunmokun of the Rabat Business School at the International University of Rabat in Morocco surveyed frontline journalists, which they classify as service employees in the media sector, using email. The team analyzed the data using the Job Demands-Resources (J-DR) theoretical framework.

The results suggest that eustress plays a vital role in mediating the relationship between emotional regulation strategies (deep- and surface-acting) and personal initiative-taking behaviour. In other words, the work implies, by having a positive approach to stress, frontline journalists can maintain their psychological well-being and counteract the negative emotional effects that would otherwise subdue their willingness to take the initiative in their work.

This work has implications theoretical studies of mental health in the workplace and in practice. It sheds light on how organizations can promote employee well-being and productivity by showing that positive stress can help service employees better manage their emotional responses. However, the findings also highlight the need for more research into the relationship between positive stress and emotional regulation strategies.

In conclusion, the researchers suggest that their findings can offer guidance to those who employ frontline journalists. “Managers can encourage employees to face and navigate challenging situations by providing valuable support, and eliciting a positive response from them,” they explain. “They can offer constructive suggestions and develop employees’ capacity for resilience, hope, and optimism on the job.” Such measures could help service employees develop a positive response to stress, which could improve their capacity to actively observe and display personal initiative at work, the team adds.

Ikhide, J.E. and Ogunmokun, O.A. (2023) ‘Emotional regulation strategies, eustress, and personal initiative-taking: evidence from frontline journalists’, Int. J. Work Organisation and Emotion, Vol. 14, No. 1, pp.24–44.

Free sample articles newly available from International Journal of Accounting, Auditing and Performance Evaluation

The following sample articles from the International Journal of Accounting, Auditing and Performance Evaluation are now available here for free:

• Towards a quantitative measure of audit quality: do auditor demographic characteristics in Egyptian settings matter?
• The UK public sector VfM audit expectations gap: evidence from the informed groups
• The Fraud theories: Triangle, Diamond, Pentagon
• The impact of ownership structure and corporate governance on capital structure decisions in the UAE
• Factors inhibiting effective organisational performance management: insights from the South African public sector

Research pick: Cleaning up smart home security - "Security in smart home environment: issues, challenges, and countermeasures – a survey"

A study in the International Journal of Security and Networks highlights some of the risks associated with the security of smart homes as the Internet of Things (IoT) continues to expand. The work emphasises the need for increased vigilance in the field of home automation.

The Internet of Things (IoT) generally refers to the growing network of physical objects or devices that are embedded with sensors, software, and other technologies that allow them to connect and communicate with other devices and systems over the Internet. This definition might encompass industrial and infrastructure systems as well as domestic equipment. Indeed, the IoT embeds smart home devices such as thermostats and smart lighting, domestic appliances such as refrigerators, ovens, and washing machines, smart TVs and sound systems as well as locks and security devices such as cameras, sensors and alarms. It also carries with it all the computers tablets, smartphones, wearables, and weather sensors, that are all connected to the smart home’s network.

This interconnectivity opens up huge possibilities for improving our quality of life through automation of mundane and repetitive processes. However, as with any technology, it is always open to abuse.

A team from Egypt and Yemen suggests that smart homes using IoT technology can be vulnerable to security threats. Redhwan M.A. Saad of Ibb University in Yemen and Cairo University, Egypt working with Khaled A.M. Al Soufy (Ibb) and Samir I. Shaheen (Cairo) hope to identify and unravel the complexities and vulnerabilities to provide a clearer picture of the impact the IoT might have on the overall security of a smart home.

The team has examined the latest technologies and security solutions in this environment, as well as discussing current security measures to counter malicious attacks by third parties. The findings offer invaluable insights into the challenges posed by security, authentication, and confidentiality in the smart home. The next step, the team says, will be to develop an integrated security infrastructure with an improved mitigation mechanism for smart home networks.

Saad, R.M.A., Al Soufy, K.A.M. and Shaheen, S.I. (2023) ‘Security in smart home environment: issues, challenges, and countermeasures – a survey’, Int. J. Security and Networks, Vol. 18, No. 1, pp.1–9.

Free sample articles newly available from European Journal of International Management

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

• European Journal of International Management: past, present and future
• The impact of knowledge creation and acquisition on innovation, coopetition and international opportunity development
• Trust, reciprocity and reputation in informal networks in post-Soviet Russia
• Successful knowledge transfer in IJVs: the role of trust, partner compatibility and expected benefits
• Does culture frame technological innovativeness? A study of millennials in triad countries
• Strategy and performance of Russian firms: an organisational capabilities perspective
• Factors affecting SMEs' strategic decisions to approach international markets
• The expanded model of cultural intelligence and its explanatory power in the context of expatriation intention
• The better, the worse, and the bicultural: examining bicultural competence and bicultural liability in elite football teams
• Between domestic and international new ventures: the relevance of entrepreneurs' and firms' characteristics

Research pick: Acer: Legends of the fall - "Study of the flight of the Acer negundo samara"

Plants have a wide range of seed dispersal techniques. Some seeds are embedded in delicious fruit that animals eat and pass intact seeds elsewhere. Some simply fall to the ground but are harvested by animals that carry them off and even bury them in the ground. Other seeds are wrapped in bristly or sticky cases that cling on to passing fur and fall off or are rubbed off some distance away. Some plants overhang water and have seeds that float away on the country to find themselves beached elsewhere. Others have evolved tiny flying machines that allow the wind to carry their offspring away.

In the latter, category, the plants we know as maples and sycamores have evolved winged seeds. Once detached from the tree, these seeds spin as they fall and that rotation extends the time they are in the air allowing the wing to carry them large away from their parent tree. Technically, such a flying system is known as a “pararotor”.

Research from a team in Argentina published in the International Journal of Aerodynamics has taken a look at the flight path of the seed of the native North American species Acer negundo, the boxelder maple, also known as the Manitoba maple or simply the box elder. This species’ winged seeds, known as samara, hang from the tree on stems with pairs of seeds attached to each other and flat, wing-like protuberances jutting out below.

The team describes this flying seed configuration as an aerodynamic rotary decelerator and suggests that its unique flying abilities represent natural inspiration for researchers and engineers working on rotator wing design. Indeed, it seems no coincidence that in some parts of the world, the winged seeds of sycamores and related trees are colloquially referred to as “helicopters”. The concentrated load and thin wing of a samara, represent a simple engineering feat on the part of nature that might be exploited in the design of novel aerodynamic decelerators, the team suggests. Samara-type artificial decelerators have applications as novel parachutes for skydivers and space probes, and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs).

The researchers have characterised the flight of samara by nutation (spinning) angle, falling, and rotation velocities. They then used this data to model and simulate the flight path with a view to using these to better understand how the structure and shape of such seeds give them their particular aerodynamic characteristics.

Porritiello, F., Nadal Mora, V. and Piechocki, J. (2022) ‘Study of the flight of the Acer negundo samara’, Int. J. Aerodynamics, Vol. 7, No. 3, pp.224–235.

Special issue of the International Journal of Export Marketing, in Memory of Professor Jorma Larimo (1954–2022) (Part 2)

International Journal of Export Marketing 5(3/4) 2022

• Professor Jorma Larimo's contribution to international business research: a memorial overview
• Institutional investments in international joint ventures: corporate entrepreneurship in emerging market regions
• Is this a new era for old goods? Analysing the motives for second-hand product resale in the platform economy
• Employer branding attractiveness for potential employees in an emerging economy: evidence of heterogeneity
• The CIS strategy as a driver of nation branding
• Apparel industry of Bangladesh and customer-based brand equity in developing consumers' purchase decision
• The role of employees' market-knowledge absorptive capacity in developing the export-market orientation
• Predictors of digital piracy behaviour among British lecturers/senior lecturers and postgraduate students: a mixed-method approach

Free sample articles newly available from International Journal of Business Performance and Supply Chain Modelling

The following sample articles from the International Journal of Business Performance and Supply Chain Modelling are now available here for free:

• The role of culture adoption in moderating the influence of country image, corporate image, brand image on brand attitude and purchase intention toward foreign brands
• Impact of revenue-sharing contracts on improving profits for manufacturers and suppliers in the supply chain of organic textile products
• Risk management in supply chains under COVID-19 conditions
• Development of levels of buyer-supplier collaboration: a Delphi study
• Modelling a sustainable agri-food supply chain: a theoretic system construct

Research pick: Put another record on - "A method for personalised music recommendation based on emotional multi-label"

With so much choice available online, music fans the world over often face a dilemma in terms of choosing what music to listen to for a given mood. The issue existed when one had a limited collection of “vinyl” to choose from but was perhaps not quite as acute given the potential for anyone of us with an internet connection to be able to listen to almost any available piece of music recorded music with the simple tap of an icon.

Music recommendations systems have been around for many years, almost as long as music downloads and streaming have been available to Internet users. Some work better than others, often simply recommending other artists in a genre. Research in the International Journal of Reasoning-based Intelligent Systems has taken a new approach and use multi-label tags associated with different songs to personalise your playlist based on the emotional content of the songs available.

The system has been developed by Yuan Luo of the Academy of Music and Dance at Hunan City University in Yiyang and Qiuji Chen of the Wenzhou Yue Theatre in Wen Zhou, China. It uses principal component analysis to analyze the emotional aspects of music. By reducing the dimension of music features, the system can process large amounts of data more efficiently. This analysis is combined with a method called cosine similarity, which calculates the similarity between songs based on their emotional content. The system also applies multiple labels to better define the character of each song.

To create personalized recommendations, the system calculates your interest in dozens of different emotional labels. This allows it to recommend music that aligns with your mood and preferences. In testing, the system was found to have a high accuracy rate of 98.3%. This means that the recommended songs were in line with the user’s preferences almost all the time. Additionally, the system is very fast, able to recommend 500 pieces of music in just under twenty seconds.

Luo, Y. and Chen, Q. (2023) ‘A method for personalised music recommendation based on emotional multi-label’, Int. J. Reasoning-based Intelligent Systems, Vol. 15, No. 2, pp.97–104.

Free sample articles newly available from International Journal of Computing Science and Mathematics

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

• Production simulation of tight oil reservoirs with coupled mathematical model
• A novel six-dimensional hyperchaotic system with self-excited attractors and its chaos synchronisation
• Modelling and empirical analysis of the VMI-3PL system of cloud service platform in industry supply chain
• Image encryption using anti-synchronisation and Bogdanov transformation map
• Research on localisation algorithm of large irregular workpiece for industrial robot
• Two combined methods for the global solution of implicit semilinear differential equations with the use of spectral projectors and Taylor expansions

Free sample articles newly available from International Journal of Work Innovation

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

• The integral role of nurses' knowledge in the multidisciplinary cancer care team for patients' safety and life stability
• Gender diversity: a qualitative review of Lebanese women contribution to boards of directors
• New perspective on platform work - internal crowdworking as an instrument to facilitate strategic human resources management
• Innovative culture of small and medium Kosovar enterprises: an empirical study
• Learning through co-configuration of a novel business model for sustainable innovation

Special issue published: "Exploring the Critical Issues in Globalised Emerging Markets"

Journal for Global Business Advancement 15(4) 2022

• Online reviews in tourism and hospitality industry: a meta-analytical perspective
• From traditional banking to technology-enabled banking services in India: a study of bank customers' perceptive
• The persistence of tax avoidance and its effect on the persistence of earnings
• Tour guides as a supportive tool for the experiential image of Jordan's destination: a French tourists' perspective
• A model for the competitiveness development of manufacturing firms in entrepreneurial exports
• Reproduction of social class hierarchy and cultural capital effects: what it means for children from weaker sections

Free open access article available: "Contour optimisation of polygon shaft-hub connections for gearbox applications"

The following paper, "Contour optimisation of polygon shaft-hub connections for gearbox applications" (International Journal of International Journal of Design Engineering 11(2) 2022), is freely available for download as an open access article.

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

Research pick: Chew on that: Edible cutlery on the menu - "An investigation on MX/G/1 queuing model of interrupted services in the manufacturing of edible cutlery process"

Plastic waste is an increasing problem the world over, with food packaging and single-use items such as plastic knives and forks representing a significant component of the waste stream. There have been efforts to replace disposable cutlery with implements crafted from wood or bamboo, but work in the International Journal of Mathematical Modelling and Numerical Optimisation has looked at a radical alternative – edible cutlery.

P. Vignesh and S. Srinivasan of the Institute of Science and Technology in Chennai, and S. Maragatha Sundari and S. Kishore Eswar of Kalasalingam University in Krishnankovil, both in Tamilnadu, India, explain that creating edible cutlery from millet is one possibility. However, as they explain the production of such items from this unusual source material requires a lengthy step-by-step process.

As mathematicians, the researchers recognised that such step-by-step processes lend themselves to being defined by a scientific queuing model that can be solved using supplementary variable queuing technology. They have thus developed a conceptual approach to queue theory that might be implemented in the creation of edible cutley and is displayed through a numerical and complex visual analysis.

Millet is a nutritious, gluten-free, and easily cultivable crop that is widely grown in many parts of the world, particularly in Africa and Asia. It is a general term for are small-grained, annual, warm-weather cereals in the grass family of crops. These plants are fast-growing and highly drought-tolerant. They could therefore be useful as a sustainable and accessible source material in the developing world.

If such edible cutlery were to become a sustainable alternative to plastic or wooden products, then there is a cradle-to-grave assessment to be made of energy and resource costs as well as a need for health and safety considerations. The team has surveyed potential users and found the concept largely acceptable. All that said, chewing and swallowing a millet knife and fork at the end of one’s meal may not be to everyone’s taste.

Vignesh, P., Srinivasan, S., Maragatha Sundari, S. and Eswar, S.K. (2023) ‘An investigation on MX/G/1 queuing model of interrupted services in the manufacturing of edible cutlery process’, Int. J. Mathematical Modelling and Numerical Optimisation, Vol. 13, No. 2, pp.173–201.

Research pick: Understanding vaccine hesitancy driven by social media in India - "Role of digital misinformation in analysing COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy"

Research in the International Journal of Management Practice, shows that Twitter in India expressed concerns and hesitancy towards COVID-19 vaccination, and that digital misinformation played a significant role.

Misinformation and so-called “fake news” about vaccination against the pandemic disease COVID-19 has been rampant on social media platforms the world over. Indeed, vaccine hesitancy is on the rise the world over. The spread of misconceptions about the safety and efficacy of the available vaccines have led to many people refusing to accept the efficacy of this preventative measure. Renuka Mahajan and Pragya Gupta of the Jaipuria Institute of Management in Uttar Pradesh and Pooja S. Kushawaha of the Jaipuria Institute of Management in Madhya Pradesh, India, have investigated the social media conversation regarding vaccine hesitancy and the misinformation in order to better understand how people in India reacted.

The team used a mixed-method approach, combining quantitative sentiment analysis with qualitative content analysis to identify the negative sentiments related to COVID-19 vaccination on the well-known microblogging Twitter. The researchers found various factors that affected attitudes: willingness, risk perception, and efficacy, affordability, allocation, prioritization, and outreach.

The team sought the opinion of medical experts for their qualitative responses. Their opinions supported the findings and recognized the importance of understanding the factors contributing to vaccine hesitancy. The team thus suggests that the insights they have gleaned from their study could help the government and policymakers take appropriate action to address the concerns and encourage vaccine acceptance in India. Simpler vaccinations were well accepted in previous campaigns in India, for instance, in vaccinating against polio and smallpox. But, the COVID-19 vaccination program was generally by injection and requires two doses and so requires more healthcare training and logistic sophistication. It is worth noting that a nasal spray vaccine was launched in India in January 2023 by Bharat Biotech.

This all remains an important point given the ongoing pandemic. Moreover, there is an urgent need to understand how society responded in the way it did during the COVID-19 pandemic given the ever-present risk of another emergent pathogen that might lead to another, perhaps worse, pandemic in the future.

Mahajan, R., Gupta, P. and Kushawaha, P.S. (2023) ‘Role of digital misinformation in analysing COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy’, Int. J. Management Practice, Vol. 16, No. 3, pp.284–318.

International Journal of Export Marketing to invite expanded papers from 17th Vaasa International Business Conference for potential publication

Extended versions of papers presented at the 17th Vaasa International Business Conference (16-17 August 2023, University of Vaasa, Finland) will be invited for review and potential publication by the International Journal of Export Marketing.

Free sample articles newly available from American Journal of Finance and Accounting

The following sample articles from the American Journal of Finance and Accounting are now available here for free:

• Predicting financial distress in an emerging market: corporate actions, accounting ratios, or both?
• Effect of the 2016 OPEC production cut announcement on the default likelihood of the oil industry and commercial banks
• Bubbles in the virtual finance: an application of the Phillips-Wu-Yu (2011) methodology on the bitcoin price
• A comparison of forecasting performance and systematic risk across different political environments
• How external auditor quality moderates the relation between internal audit committee effectiveness and accounting conservatism
• The behaviour of stock returns under price limits, a truncated time series approach
• Local information concentration and stock price informativeness

Special issue published: "The Foreign Investment Decision Process in Times of Digital Transformation: A Tribute to Yair Aharoni"

European Journal of International Management 20(1) 2023

• A review of the contribution of Yair Aharoni to the foreign investment decision process: a bibliometric analysis
• International M&As: horizontal, vertical or both?
• Still attractive for FDI? Location advantages of Visegrád countries in the digital era - the case of Poland and Hungary
• Challenging foreign investments with digital transformation: a tribute to Yair Aharoni
• Work ground: a new analysis unit for the understanding of production and value creation through digital platforms in the age of the fourth industrial revolution
• Women's self-employment intentions after global shocks: insights from Egypt and Spain
• International management of customer orientation

Research pick: Influencer emotional connection nudges social media followers - "Are social media influencers effective? An analysis of information adoption by followers"

Social media influencers can significantly nudge the purchasing decisions made by their followers through the emotional connection they create and the quality of information they provide, according to a study in the International Journal of Technology Marketing.

As more people turn to social media for recommendations and advice on the products and services they need, businesses must increasingly consider how best to use influencers to help them reach their target audiences and perhaps even open up new markets. The study by Juan Sebastián Roldan-Gallego of the Institución Universitaria Politécnico Grancolombiano, Javier A. Sánchez-Torres of the University of Medellín both in Medellín-Antioquia, Colombia, and Ana Argila-Irurita and Francisco-Javier Arroyo-Cañada of the University of Barcelona, Spain, has implications for technology marketing, as brands seek to capitalize on the influence of social media in the world of business.

Social media influencers are individuals with a large and loyal following on social media platforms such as Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok. Many have created a personal brand in a particular niche on social media and have gained a lot of traction and reach rather than starting out as de facto celebrities. Influencers are often young and attractive or have some unique selling point and appeal for their output. They can often drive public opinion among their followers through their behaviour and updates. To be a true influencer it is common that their output reaches way beyond the core audience and “goes viral” on the internet spreading to people way beyond the influencer’s usual reach.

Commonly, influencers focus on a particular niche or topic, such as beauty, fashion, fitness, or technology, and build a large following by creating engaging and entertaining content that resonates with the audience. Once they are perceived to have influence, they often collaborate with brands to promote products or services to their followers, earning a commission or fee in the process.

The influence of social media influencers has grown significantly in recent years, as more people turn to social media for product recommendations and advice. Businesses are increasingly recognizing the potential of influencers to reach and engage with their target audiences, making influencer marketing a popular and effective strategy in the world of technology marketing.

The team used the information acceptance model to analyse data from a survey of 381 social media users to investigate the impact of influencers on purchase intentions and actual purchases. The model homes in on attitudes, needs, credibility, and intentions, and was tested using structural equation modeling.

The analysis revealed that all factors in the information acceptance model are directly related to how influencers connect with their audience. Moreover, the researchers discovered that the emotional relationship between influencer and follower is critical to whether or not the follower accepts the information they provide.

Roldan-Gallego, J.S., Sánchez-Torres, J.A., Argila-Irurita, A. and Arroyo-Cañada, F-J. (2023) ‘Are social media influencers effective? An analysis of information adoption by followers’, Int. J. Technology Marketing, Vol. 17, No. 2, pp.188–211.

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

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

• The use of healthcare information systems: a research study about health professionals' needs
• The roles of primary care middle managers in the implementation of eHealth in Finland: a qualitative interview study
• Framework for a retrospective analysis of operating room schedule execution
• Value and organisational implications of big data and advanced analytics in healthcare: a case survey analysis
• An intelligent model for diagnosis of breast cancer

Special issue published: "Impact of Digitalisation, and Sustainability on Organisational Change and Performance"

Journal for International Business and Entrepreneurship Development 14(4) 2022

• An entrepreneur-driven technological innovation system for sustainable and inclusive international business: a case analysis of Lusophone-African MNEs
• Investigating the TOE context in achieving food supply chain network performance: the role of supplier collaboration capability
• Secondary consumer socialisation and adoption of e-commerce: a qualitative inquiry
• Technology, human capital, and economic growth: evidence from high income OECD countries
• The prominence of behavioural biases in analysts' earnings forecast accuracy
• Early internationalisation of entrepreneurial firms: the role of artificial intelligence enhanced business models

Special issue published: "Methods and Applications of Data Mining in Business Domains"

International Journal of Data Mining and Bioinformatics 27(1/2/3) 2022

• A risk identification method for abnormal key data in the whole process of production project
• An alarm data mining method for operation and maintenance support network based on stream computing
• Data security mining method of logistics supply chain based on degree of membership conversion
• Information source tracing method of electronic commerce supply chain based on blockchain
• An anomaly feature mining method for software test data based on bat algorithm
• Data mining method for monitoring students' distance learning behaviour based on decision tree
• Task scheduling method of production line workflow based on firefly algorithm
• Study on abnormal data acquisition method of industrial internet of things communication based on node clustering
• Automatic summarisation of product reviews using natural language processing and machine learning methods: a literature review
• Predictive model to determine the growth of mobile money transactions in Zambia using data mining techniques
• DSCC: a data set of cervical cell images for cervical cytology screening
• Biomedical text mining algorithm based on domain ontology
• Toxicity detection of small drug molecules of the mitochondrial membrane potential signalling pathway using bagging-based ensemble learning
• Classification of TCGA-related research articles based on cancer types and experimental strategy

Free sample articles newly available from International Journal of Business Continuity and Risk Management

The following sample articles from the International Journal of Business Continuity and Risk Management are now available here for free:

• Modelling for default risk in companies: evidences from Jordan
• Dynamic and adaptive resilience of small businesses after the 2015 Nepal earthquake
• An empirical assessment of information security best practices and information technology disaster recovery readiness in Ghanaian micro-finance sector
• Engagement risk management instrument for the Zimbabwean audit firms
• A framework for IS/IT disaster recovery planning

Research pick: Honing the 3 Vs of big data in medicine – volume, variety, and velocity - "The perils of big data: understanding the usage in precision medicine"

In recent years, the use of big data in healthcare has become more prevalent, and one area where it is proving particularly useful is in precision medicine. Precision medicine aims to provide more personalized healthcare by using large amounts of data to gain a deeper understanding of diseases.

Research published in the International Journal of Management Concepts and Philosophy has focused on the potential limitations of precision medicine and explores how it might be better integrated with clinical data, biomarker information, and genetics to better understand and so treat disease. Simone Malekar of the Oxford Internet Institute at the University of Oxford, UK and Shamira Malekar and Hung Chu of the Borough of Manhattan Community College in New York, USA, examine some of the problems seen when handling big data, including the issues of data ownership and potential bias.

The team also considers how to ensure that the information revealed by big data in the context of precision medicine using advanced computational techniques is as transparent as possible and explained to patients and healthcare providers.

Precision medicine treats each patient as an individual and uses the best available tools to help create a personalized medical treatment for that patient based on their individual characteristics, their genetics, environment, and lifestyle. It requires large amounts of data, big data, such as clinical information, biomarkers and test results, and genetic data, to provide a deeper understanding of the disease and to identify more targeted and effective therapies.

The potential of this new approach is not only to improve the patient’s prognosis but also to accelerate medical research and perhaps even reduce the overall cost of healthcare. Commonly precision medicine driven by big data is proving highly effective in treating certain types of cancer, such as breast cancer and malignant melanoma.

To move forward with precision medicine more broadly, we need to be able to handle big data more effectively than ever before and to understand the implications of using it. Big data refers to large, complex, and diverse sets of information that too big to manage and process with conventional data processing methods. Big data means volume, variety, and velocity – lots of different types of data generated rapidly, in other words.

Malekar, S., Malekar S. and Chu, H. (2023) ‘The perils of big data: understanding the usage in precision medicine’, Int. J. Management Concepts and Philosophy, Vol. 16, No. 2, pp.89–100.

Special issue published: "Advances in Simulation and Process Modelling"

International Journal of Simulation and Process Modelling 19(1/2) 2022

• A methodology to characterise simulation models for discovery and composition: a system theory-based approach to model curation for integration and reuse
• Simulation of pork supply chain based on system dynamics model
• Simulation optimisation of displaced left-turn intersection layout with multi-objectives
• Effect of cap gap and welded seam strength on concrete-filled steel tube arch bridge ribs
• Research on travel time prediction of expressway in peak period based on Greenberg model
• Research on fire escape paths for complex public buildings with multiple starting and end points
• A novel analytical model for estimating vehicle delay at isolated signalised intersections
• ARIMA-based time-series analysis for forecasting of COVID-19 cases in Egypt
• New boarding policies to improve the passenger experience in cable car transport systems

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:

• The role of emotional intelligence in the experience of burnout among South African leaders working in financial roles
• Wellbeing and work productivity of Indian educators during imposed online teaching in higher education institutions
• Satisfaction level of public relations practitioners with their profession in the context of the challenges of the PR industry in Poland
• Influence of spousal support and coworker support on satisfaction with work-family balance
• Gratitude and work-family enrichment among Indian female workforce: exploring the mediating role of psychological capital

Free sample articles newly available from International Journal of Vehicle Noise and Vibration

The following sample articles from the International Journal of Vehicle Noise and Vibration are now available here for free:

• Design and numerical investigation for reduction of hand-arm vibrations from steering wheel of an agricultural tractor
• The vibrational behaviour of the vehicle at the road humps with different suspension systems
• Investigation of liner and duct geometry discontinuities on the attenuation of resonator Helmholtz lined duct element
• Stator vibration analysis of in-wheel motor for electric vehicle based on harmonic response analysis method
• Numerical analysis of single dry clutch using functional graded aluminium matrix composite reinforced with silicon carbide
• A comparative study of properties of natural rubber and polyurethane-based powertrain mount on electric vehicle NVH performance
• Decoupling optimisation of 12-degree-of-freedom mount system

Research pick: Search engine optimisation - "State-of-the-art in the search engine optimisation world"

Search Engine Optimisation, SEO, involves improving a website’s content, the technical aspects of the site, and the user experience to make it more attractive to search engines, resulting in higher  rankings in the search engine results pages (SERPs), and to drive organic traffic. It requires a combination of keyword research, on-page optimization, technical improvments, content creation, backlink building, and continuous monitoring and analysis to achieve the best results.

Writing in the EuroMed Journal of Management, Jun-Cheng Chen of TBS Education in Paris, France, discusses the state-of-the-art in SEO. His work could help fill a gap in this area of research by highlighting what is known and what is yet to be investigated.

There are seven basic principles of SEO one should consider if hoping to improve the visibility of one’s website academic or commercial.

Keyword research is the first step in the SEO process. It involves identifying the phrases and words that users commonly try to search for the information they need. This step increases the chances of ranking higher on search engine results pages (SERPs) for the target keywords.

On-page optimization is the process of improving a website’s elements, such as title, tags, meta tags and descriptions, headings, and the content itself. This is done to make the website more relevant and attractive to both search engines and users. It ensures that the website is easily understood by search engines and provides valuable information to users.

Technical SEO involves improving the format, link structure, mobile-readiness, and accessibility as well as reducing page-load times and making it easier for the search engines to crawl the website.

Content creation and optimization is a critical aspect of SEO. High-quality, relevant, and engaging content is important for ranking well on search engines. Websites with duplicate, spammy, or poor-quality content are generally ranked lower.

User experience (UX) is a crucial factor in SEO. Metrics such as bounce rate, time on site, and engagement metrics indicate website relevancy and usefulness to search engines. A well-designed, user-friendly website with intuitive navigation and clear calls-to-action can improve both user experience and SEO.

Backlink building is the process of obtaining high-quality links from authoritative websites that point back to the website, these will boost a site’s ranking providing they are not acquired through spammy, or black-hat, techniques.

Finally, monitoring and analysis play a key role in SEO. Regular analysis of a website’s performance and traffic can help identify areas for improvement and measure the effectiveness of SEO efforts.

Chen’s detailed review, has studied the literature and shows that best practices in SEO can be cost-effective and improve ranking but take time to come to fruition. In undertaking SEO with regards to the seven points above, it is possible to improve the quality of a website and ultimately boost traffic to the site.

However, in the age of social media a lot of the impetus for SEO has been lost as external microblogging and video sites take up a large proportion of user attention and distract from traditional web browsing. It is likely that the true state-of-the-art is perhaps not solely in SEO, but rather in driving traffic to one’s social media in order to gain traction and reach and a secondary effect then being to nudge those users towards the website.

That said, it is worth pointing out that search engines remain the primary way in which many people continue to discover information online. Websites offer long-term visibility unlike the fleeting existence of a social media update. There is perhaps geater credibility and trust in a website than a 30-second video clip or 240-character update on social media.

SEO and social media can work synergistically with social media helping promote content, engage with users, and drive traffic to a website, while SEO ensures that the website ranks well on search engines to attract organic traffic.

Chen, J-C. (2023) ‘State-of-the-art in the search engine optimisation world’, EuroMed J. Management, Vol. 5, No. 2, pp.151–167.

Free open access article available: "Determining the optimal parcel delivery method using one drone and one truck"

The following paper, "Determining the optimal parcel delivery method using one drone and one truck" (International Journal of Mathematics in Operational Research 24(4) 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: "Structure Properties and Application of Advanced Engineering Materials"

International Journal of Materials and Product Technology 66(3/4) 2023

• Comparative analysis of different multi-criteria decision-making techniques for materials selection of filler reinforced thermoplastic composite
• Compressive behaviour and energy absorption capacity of a lattice structure generated by topology optimisation
• Flexural behaviour of CFRP RC beams having a ductile cementitious composite layer in compression zone: an analytical study
• Experimental investigations for the characterisation of an SMA-bias spring actuator in a flexible tube manipulator
• Experimental investigation on the effect of process parameters on machinability and surface integrity during end milling of Mg-TiO2 nanocomposite
• Processing of natural lignocellulosic coir fibres for enhanced flame retardancy using aluminium trihydrate
• Analysis of multi-layer solid lubricating film on improving the corrosion resistance of transmission gears
• Experimental study on adsorption properties of functional magnetic nanomaterials for heavy metal pollutants
• Effect of polyvinyl alcohol to starch ratio on the nutrient release and water absorption behaviour of slow release fertiliser
• The effect of the double-horizontal-shaft vibrating mixing on the performance of UHPC
• Study on static moisture absorption characteristics of porous humidity regulating ceramic building materials
• A control method of energy consumption of thermal insulation material for exterior wall of green building based on load prediction
• An analysis of mechanical properties of inorganic non-metallic materials for civil buildings

Free sample articles newly available from International Journal of Nanomanufacturing

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

• Influence of rake angle and nose radius on optical silicon nanomachining feed rate and surface quality: a modelling, prediction and optimisation study
• Construction C/g-C3N4 with synergistic performance toward high photocatalytic performance
• Carbon microsphere anchored g-C3N4 for enhanced photocatalytic properties
• Spectrophotometric determination of buspirone HCl and doxazosin mesylate using citrate-capped silver nanoparticles
• Research on non-contact ultrasonic vibration assisted rotating electrical discharge machining (EDM) machine tool

Research pick: Shipping Turkish talent - "Talent management functions: a qualitative research on container shipping industry"

According to research published in the International Journal of Shipping and Transport Logistics, talent management is crucial to the success of Turkey’s container shipping industry. The study carried out by Ramazan Ozkan Yıldız, Sedat Bastug, and Soner Esmer of Iskenderun Technical University in Iskenderun, Hatay, Turkey, opens a porthole on practices and offers new insights for practitioners and researchers alike. The work suggests that understanding the local context and tailoring talent management practices can help attract, retain, and develop good people in a fiercely competitive industry.

The team carried out an extensive literature review, collected data, and undertook interviews to help them define talent management functions. Fundamentally, their work moves away from the conventional Western approach and opens up new channels for understanding the shipping industry in the context of a country that sits on an important axis between east and west. The research reveals that talent management in terms of recruitment and training, performance evaluation and career development are markedly different from their counterparts elsewhere. The differences arise through cultural norms, labour market dynamics, and regulatory requirements.

Talent acquisition and retention strategies have to be carefully crafted to ensure a skilled workforce that can navigate the complexities of global trade and meet the ever-evolving demands of customers around the globe. They have to focus on building specialist skills and knowledge in container handling, logistics operations, and supply chain management, all of which are critical to the success of the container shipping business.

The findings could have implications for companies beyond the container shipping industry in Turkey by allowing companies to see how they might adapt to the local context and go full steam ahead in their ventures.

Yıldız, R.O., Bastug, S. and Esmer, S. (2023) ‘Talent management functions: a qualitative research on container shipping industry’, Int. J. Shipping and Transport Logistics, Vol. 16, Nos. 3/4, pp.320–359.

Dr. Abdessamad Didi appointed as new Editor in Chief of International Journal of Power and Energy Conversion

Dr. Abdessamad Didi from the Centre National de l'Energie, des Sciences et des Techniques Nucléaires in Morocco has been appointed to take over editorship of the International Journal of Power and Energy Conversion.

Free sample articles newly available from International Journal of Logistics Economics and Globalisation

The following sample articles from the International Journal of Logistics Economics and Globalisation are now available here for free:

• Modelling the barriers of supply chain transparency in the post-COVID-19 scenario
• Impact of sustainable supply chain management on performance of SMEs amidst COVID-19 pandemic: an Indian perspective
• Prolonging retailer-supplier relationship: a study of retail firms during COVID-19 pandemic
• A study on reviews of online grocery stores during COVID-19 pandemic using sentiment analysis
• Applying linear programming for logistics distribution of essential relief items during COVID-19 lockdown: evidence from Bangladesh

Free open access article available: "The effect among innovative accountant competency, business management efficiency, financial reporting quality, and firm growth"

The following paper, "The effect among innovative accountant competency, business management efficiency, financial reporting quality, and firm growth" (International Journal of Business Innovation and Research 30(4) 2023), is freely available for download as an open access article.

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

Research pick: Weathering the poverty trap - "Who escapes from poverty? Understanding the link between environmental stress, adaptation choices and poverty dynamics in Ethiopia"

In the face of the climate crisis, which brings with it repeated extremes of weather around the world, new work in the International Journal of Economics and Business Research is timely. Research by Mulat Goshu Gebeyehu of the Department of Economics at Debre Markos University in Debre Markos Town, Amhara Region, Ethiopia, suggests that policymakers and agricultural experts should strive to increase the effectiveness of adaptation practices and introduce new options, infrastructure, and education to help protect rural households from the devastating effects of weather variability to preclude those households falling into chronic poverty.

It is now well recognised that climate shocks, such as droughts, can have a serious, detrimental, and sometimes lasting impact on those in poverty or close to poverty in the developing world. Ethiopia is a particularly vulnerable country in this respect, especially given that the nation’s economy is underpinned almost entirely by agriculture, which, of course, goes through cycles of boom and bust following the extremes in weather. Those households with workers outside agriculture are to some extent protected from the whims of the weather, but there remains a need even for them to educate, support, and protect them from poverty.

Gebeyehu has examined the relationship between environmental stress, adaptation options, and poverty dynamics in Ethiopia. He analysed three years worth of data collected from 825 rural households in the Nile Basin of Ethiopia by the Ethiopian Development Research Institute’s Environmental and Climate Research Center. Using a linear fixed effects model, he found that variability in the weather significantly affected welfare across those households.

Specifically, his analysis showed that an increase in average rainfall initially has a positive influence on per capita spending for a household. However, an extreme rise in average rainfall measured by a squared average rainfall negatively affects expenditure. He also revealed that anomalies in precipitation and temperature have an adverse effect on total per capita spending, and food expenditure.

Interestingly, an increase in average rainfall reduces the likelihood of households falling into transient poverty. In contrast, an increase in temperature increases the probability of a household falling into transient poverty and thence chronic poverty.

Gebeyehu, M.G. (2023) ‘Who escapes from poverty? Understanding the link between environmental stress, adaptation choices and poverty dynamics in Ethiopia’, Int. J. Economics and Business Research, Vol. 25, No. 3, pp.309–329.

Prof. Jin Chen appointed as new Editor in Chief of International Journal of Technology and Globalisation

Prof. Jin Chen from Tsinghua University in China has been appointed to take over editorship of the International Journal of Technology and Globalisation.

Inderscience Editor surpasses 20,000 references on Google Scholar

Prof. Constantin Zopounidis, Editor in Chief of the International Journal of Multicriteria Decision Making and International Journal of Financial Engineering and Risk Management, has recently surpassed 20,000 references on Google Scholar. According to the AD Scientific Index 2023, Prof. Zopounidis is one of the most prominent researchers in Greece in the fields of business, management, decision sciences and operations management. He has published more than 120 books, more than 40 special issues in scientific journals and over 500 papers in international scientific journals, and his students are all full professors in universities across Greece and beyond.

Research pick: Exergy boost for energy drink - "Exergetic growth efficiency of Kluyveromyces fragilis on complex organic and minimal inorganic media"

Research in the International Journal of Exergy has implications for the food and beverage industry, dieticians, and health-conscious consumers who are interested in the production and nutritional value of the fermented milk drink kefir.

Kefir is thought to have originated in the Caucasus region of Eastern Europe, it is made by fermenting milk with kefir grains, small, gelatinous clusters of bacteria and yeast. The drink is tangy and slightly fizzy with a creamy consistency similar to yogurt but with a distinct taste. The health benefits of kefir have been discussed for many years. It is a source of so-called probiotics, beneficial bacteria thought to support digestive health. It also contains protein, calcium, and other nutrients.

Mustafa Özilgen of the Department of Food Engineering at Yeditepe University in Istanbul, Turkey, has turned to the concept of exergy to study efficiency and cultivation in this organism with a view to optimising the growing media and food supply for the yeast to obtain maximum growth and the shortest period of time.

Exergy is a term from thermodynamics, related to energy, enthalpy, and entropy. It represents the maximum useful work that a system can do as it reaches equilibrium with its surroundings, taking into account thermal and mechanical components. It is usually described as a measure of the capacity of a system’s energy to do useful work and is commonly discussed in the context of energy management, efficiency, and sustainability.

In this work, Özilgen evaluated how efficiently Kluyveromyces fragilis can be grown on different types of system containing one of the sugars glucose or lactose on an organic or minimally inorganic medium. He found that although the highest amount of cellular mass was produced in the complex organic media, the cultivation of K. fragilis was more exergy-efficient in the minimal inorganic media. This difference might be explained by a phenomenon known as the Crabtree effect. The Crabtree effect is seen in various yeast species and other microorganisms, where they exhibit reduced respiration and increased fermentation rates in the presence of high levels of glucose or other fermentable sugars. This leads to the preferential use of fermentation as a metabolic pathway for energy production, even in the presence of oxygen, which would otherwise be used for respiration, rather than the production of cellular mass.

In Özilgen’s work, the Crabtree effect reduces exergy efficiency in the presence of glucose in organic media, but not with the minimal inorganic media. Indeed, the highest exergetic efficiency, a measure of how effectively energy is used, was 61.2% in the minimal inorganic medium with glucose, while the lowest efficiency of 24% was observed in the minimal organic medium with glucose. This would suggest that K. fragilis cultivation for use in kefir production would benefit from using glucose and minimal inorganic material in the culture medium to reduce overall energy costs. The drive towards sustainability in food production is important in the context of pollution and climate change. It might be suggested that is especially the case for foods aimed at improving health.

Özilgen, M. (2023) ‘Exergetic growth efficiency of Kluyveromyces fragilis on complex organic and minimal inorganic media’, Int. J. Exergy, Vol. 40, No. 3, pp.336–346.

Special issue published: "Antecedents and Outcomes of Emotion Management in Service Organisations"

International Journal of Work Organisation and Emotion 14(1) 2023

• Role of emotional labour in driving sabotage behaviours among frontline healthcare workers
• Emotional regulation strategies, eustress, and personal initiative-taking: evidence from frontline journalists
• Perceived organisational support, job satisfaction and turnover intention in the developing context: moderating role of emotional intelligence
• Employees' insecure attachment styles and time theft: a moderated mediated model
• A review on impact on human emotion while listening and reciting Quran
• Examining the relationship of paternalistic leadership, extent of centralisation and employee's voice behaviour

Free sample articles newly available from International Journal of Monetary Economics and Finance

The following sample articles from the International Journal of Monetary Economics and Finance are now available here for free:

• Stock price crash risk: the role of systematic skewness
• The bank liquidity creation channel of monetary policy transmission in a multiple-instrument environment
• Empirical evidence of the monetary approach to the exchange rate determinants under a fully flexible regime: the case of Mexico
• A trend analysis of Eurobond yields in Africa
• Do macro-economic factors drive life insurance growth? An empirical analysis

Free sample articles newly available from International Journal of Knowledge-Based Development

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

• Pluriactivity and polyvalence as territorial adaptation strategies in protected areas in Amazonas State, Brazil
• "Nothing happens in a vacuum here": university-industry collaboration in Iceland
• Co-production in public management: a case study towards a smart city
• Promoting continuous streams of innovation: evidence from professional service providers

Research pick: Better shipping with machine learning - "Logistics performance index estimating with artificial intelligence"

Research in the International Journal of Shipping and Transport Logistics has used a novel, machine learning approach known as MGGP to rank and prioritize performance criteria in evaluating a country’s logistics performance using the World Bank’s Logistics Performance Index (LPI). The LPI itself consists of six different components that measure and rank international logistics performance. The components in question are: customs, infrastructure, ease of arranging shipments, quality of logistics services, tracking and tracing, timeliness.

The team from Turkey writing in an open-access paper in IJSTL, explain how the MGGP approach can build linear or nonlinear prediction models. The team used a selection of LPI datasets from 2010 to 2018 consisting of some 790 records to train their models and to test the predictions they can make against the other, non-training, datasets.

Bilal Babayigit and Feyza Gürbüz of Erciyes University and Berrin Denizhan of Sakarya University showed that the MGGP approach outperforms other methods in predicting the LPI score. Moreover, whereas previous tools have not examined the relative effects of each component of the LPI, this new approach reveals which components are most important.

The team discusses the six components in the following context:

Customs: The efficiency of border clearance. Infrastructure needed to clear customs and move goods. International shipments with respect to the simplicity of arranging competitively priced shipments. Logistics service quality that allows fulfilment by logistics service providers. Tracking and tracing to ensure the smooth flow of goods from source to destination. Timeliness, a measure of schedule and expected delivery time.

The team suggests that the predictions generated by MGGP could be an invaluable tool for policymakers and researchers in the logistics field charged with developing more effective logistics plans. The work could thus have important implications for global trade and economic development by allowing better-informed decision-making in logistics policy and planning to be made. This could lead to improved logistics performance at the international level and perhaps even reduce energy use and emissions.

Babayigit, B., Gürbüz, F. and Denizhan, B. (2023) ‘Logistics performance index estimating with artificial intelligence’, Int. J. Shipping and Transport Logistics, Vol. 16, Nos. 3/4, pp.360–371.

Free open access article available: "Mobile cellular network security vulnerability detection using machine learning"

The following paper, "Mobile cellular network security vulnerability detection using machine learning" (International Journal of Information and Communication Technology 22(3) 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 Trade and Global Markets

The following sample articles from the International Journal of Trade and Global Markets are now available here for free:

• Survival mode strategy for traditional market in Indonesia based on consumer behaviour perspective
• How do institutional pressures effect knowledge transfer activities within university-industry partnership?
• Effects of information and communication technology adoption and innovation capability on export performance: study of Purwakarta ceramic industry in Indonesia
• Tax compliance of individual taxpayer in DKI Jakarta, Indonesia
• Financing SMEs in Ghana: evidence of the optimal credit guarantee ratio
• The effectiveness of local government financial statement audit by public accounting firm
• Financial inclusion in the industry 4.0: the effects of financial inclusion on electronic payments in Thailand
• Trade policy preferences: a case of Thailand
• Earnings persistence: systematic risk, audit quality and growth
• The impact of corporate governance, capital structure, company size, and assets structure on financial performance: a study on the corporate governance perception index participants
• Country risk and the interaction between gold price and gold stock index return volatilities: evidence from the South African market
• The effect of economic, financial and political country risk factors on the JSE mining index: an ARDL approach
• The system-forming factors of social pollution at work on the developing country examples
• The effect of transfer pricing and tax haven on cross-border acquisition

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

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

• Integration technology of logistics information resources in electric power enterprises based on web services
• Information supervisory model for financial risk prevention and control based on twin-SVM
• Feature extraction modelling of enterprise innovation behaviour data based on morphological gradient
• Trajectory information acquisition method for library borrowing behaviour based on RFID technology
• Research on digital management method of market information based on fusion information
• Early warning method for enterprise financial informatisation caused by tax difference
• Research on visualisation transmission method for business innovation strategy data based on structural characteristics
• Research on real-time acquisition method of logistics location information of electric commerce based on ranking threshold
• Establishment of business risk information value assessment model based on RAROC
• Mobile payment risk prediction of communication operators under new business model
• Research on efficiency evaluation of financial refinement management based on DEA
• Research on integrated management of sales and inventory information in circulation enterprises based on case-based learning
• Optimisation decision model of enterprise financial risk management combining stochastic demand

Free sample articles newly available from International Journal of Human Factors Modelling and Simulation

The following sample articles from the International Journal of Human Factors Modelling and Simulation are now available here for free:

• Estimation of body surface area coverage by garment items: different approaches using mesh base modelling
• Design and development of a game-engine-based simulator specialised on ships evacuation
• Biomechanical investigation of a passive upper-extremity exoskeleton for manual material handling - a computational parameter study and modelling approach
• Study on multivariate analysis of anthropometric measures for upper body exoskeletons using archetypal analysis
• Auditory movement feedforward for a lower-limb exoskeleton device (AIDER) to increase transparency
• DHM supported assessment of the effects of using an exoskeleton during work
• A comparison of different methods for modelling the physical human-exoskeleton interface
• Towards standard test artefacts for synchronous tracking of human-exoskeleton knee kinematics

Free open access article available: "Logistics performance index estimating with artificial intelligence"

The following paper, "Logistics performance index estimating with artificial intelligence" (International Journal of Shipping and Transport Logistics 16(3/4) 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 Electronic Governance

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

• Revised forensic framework validation and cloud forensic readiness
• A method for assessing the degree of openness of Semi-Open Data initiatives: applied to the justice domain
• The examination of voter opinions on the implementation and use of i-voting: the case of Poland
• Design issues of a pan European smart cross border 'dream like' e-Gov primary healthcare medical service
• Advanced digital skills towards interoperable e-government services: European and Greek case studies
• Combating fake news in social networks through the active participation of users: the approach of EUNOMIA project
• Online participation and crowdsourcing as a solution to mitigate news bias
• Privacy issues in Android applications: the cases of GPS navigators and fitness trackers
• Big data analytics in e-government and e-democracy applications: privacy threats, implications and mitigation
• Exploring data subjects' knowledge on the rights GDPR guarantees: an exploratory research in Greece
• Sensitive data hiding in financial anti-fraud process

Free open access article available: "EFL teaching based on big data analytics in mobile AAC system"

The following paper, "EFL teaching based on big data analytics in mobile AAC system" (International Journal of Information and Communication Technology 22(3) 2023), is freely available for download as an open access article.

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

Free open access article available: "Talent management functions: a qualitative research on container shipping industry"

The following paper, "Talent management functions: a qualitative research on container shipping industry" (International Journal of Shipping and Transport Logistics 16(3/4) 2023), is freely available for download as an open access article.

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

Research pick: Compressed industrial energy savings - "Green industrial internet of things through data compression"

The Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) refers to the multitude of connected devices and sensors used in industrial settings such as manufacturing plants, transportation systems, and energy grids. These devices can collect and exchange data with the goal of improving efficiency, productivity, and safety of the systems within which they are used and sometimes beyond.

IIoT devices are typically designed to monitor and control various aspects of industrial processes, such as machine performance, inventory levels, energy use, and environmental conditions. The data collected can be processed using conventional statistical tools or analyzed using artificial intelligence to detect trends and patterns and predict how changes in various parameters might change outcomes with a view to optimising the various industrial processes.

Overall, we can see the IIoT is an important part of the digitization and automation of industry, which is having an increasing impact on the economy and society.

But, there is an issue.

While the IIoT will be critical in making production more efficient and sustainable across various industries, it currently uses Wi-Fi for its connectivity (Standard IEEE 802.11), and Wi-Fi can consume a lot of energy because of the size of the data packets sent back and forth and the maximum transmission unit (MTU).

Researchers in Brazil have investigated data compression as a possible solution to this problem. Writing in the International Journal of Embedded Systems, the team describes two new methods they suggest can reduce significantly the amount of data sent by IIoT devices. Their methods use data compression to minimize the size of transmitted packets and the MTU. The first method involves using a customized binary Huffman-tree. This approach analyses the frequency of characters in a data stream and assigns a variable-length code to each in a way that minimizes the total number of bits required to represent the data. The second method utilizes a Lempel-Ziv-Welch algorithm with a flexible dictionary. This lossless data compression algorithm works by identifying repeated patterns or sequences of data in a given data stream and replaces those sequences with shorter codes.

The team’s experiments with these compression techniques show that they can reduce energy consumption by 8% compared to existing solutions for IIoT. A manufacturing plant currently using an IIoT system might consume 1000 kilowatt-hours (kWh) of energy each month. With the proposed data compression methods in place reducing energy consumption by 8% that might result in a monthly savings of around 1 megawatt-hour per year, the equivalent energy consumption of hundreds of typical homes in the developed world.

Silva, M.V., Mosca, E.E. and Gomes, R.L. (2022) ‘Green industrial internet of things through data compression’, Int. J. Embedded Systems, Vol. 15, No. 6, pp.457–466.

Free sample articles newly available from International Journal of Data Mining, Modelling and Management

The following sample articles from the International Journal of Data Mining, Modelling and Management are now available here for free:

• Fast parallel computation of PageRank scores with improved convergence time
• A hybrid feature selection method combining Gini index and support vector machine with recursive feature elimination for gene expression classification
• Arabic text semantic-based query expansion
• Plagiarism detection of figure images in scientific publications
• Investigation of contraction process issue in fuzzy min-max models

Free open access article available: "International Aviation Smart City Alliance as a global strategy for carbon emissions reduction"

The following paper, "International Aviation Smart City Alliance as a global strategy for carbon emissions reduction" (International Journal of Sustainable Aviation 9(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 Bio-Inspired Computation

The following sample articles from the International Journal of Bio-Inspired Computation are now available here for free:

• Modelling, simulation and optimisation of medical enterprise warehousing process based on FlexSim model and greedy algorithm
• Spatial information sampling: another feedback mechanism of realising adaptive parameter control in meta-heuristic algorithms
• An improved Physarum polycephalum algorithm for the Steiner tree problem
• Computationally efficient hybrid differential evolution with learning for engineering application
• A new multi-objective artificial bee colony algorithm based on reference point and opposition
• Deep convolutional neural network applied to Trypanosoma cruzi detection in blood samples

Free open access article available: "Assessing smallholder farmers' perception of value creation and appropriation in sustainable production"

The following paper, "Assessing smallholder farmers' perception of value creation and appropriation in sustainable production" (International Journal of Environment and Sustainable Development 22(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 Security and Networks

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

• Police alarm address recognition and classification based on convolutional neural networks
• Enhanced video-on-demand security in cloud computing against insider and outsider threats
• Chebyshev chaotic map-based efficient authentication scheme for secure access of VoIP services through SIP
• Uncertain graph generating approach based on differential privacy for preserving link relationship of social networks
• Privacy in content-centric networking against side channel attacks
• Desktop and mobile operating system fingerprinting based on IPv6 protocol using machine learning algorithms

Free open access article available: "Enablers of international product customisation strategy - a Swedish case"

The following paper, "Enablers of international product customisation strategy - a Swedish case" (International Journal of Business Environment 14(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 Computer Applications in Technology

The following sample articles from the International Journal of Computer Applications in Technology are now available here for free:

• SiNoptiC: swarm intelligence optimisation of convolutional neural network architectures for text classification
• Integration of ubiquitous specifications in the conception of objects system
• Sensor device scheduling-based cuckoo algorithm for enhancing lifetime of cluster-based wireless sensor networks
• Improved image matching algorithm based on LK optical flow and grid motion statistics
• Confirmed quality aware recommendations using collaborative filtering and review analysis
• Numerical simulation of full-scale steel-frame undergoing soil pressure
• An analysis of real-time traffic congestion optimisation through VTL in VANETs
• Capacity configuration optimisation of hybrid renewable energy system using improved grey wolf optimiser

Research pick: AI unmasks PPE failures - "Medical personal protective equipment detection based on attention mechanism and multi-scale fusion"

Medical personal protective equipment (PPE) is essential infectious disease control, something that has in pandemic times become very apparent. Governments and organizations in affected areas generally recommend the wearing of medical PPE, including surgical masks, gloves, and face shields, especially in crowded environments. However, ensuring that medical personnel in severely affected areas comply with the recommendations requires a means to monitor in real-time whether PPE is being used.

Writing in the International Journal of Sensor Networks, a team from China has developed a system based on machine learning that can detect whether personnel are wearing the requisite PPE. The approach uses deep neural networks (DNNs) to carry out object detection in real scenarios.

Jianlou Lou, Xiangyu Li, Guang Huo, Feng Liang, Zhaoyang Qu, and Ndagijimana Kwihangano Soleil of the Northeast Electric Power University in Jilin and Tianrui Lou of Guangzhou University have used two novel modules, the Deformable and Attention Residual with 50 layers (DAR50) feature extraction module, and the Criss-Cross Feature Pyramid Network (CCFPN) feature fusion module, in order to address the two key problems that have so far limited performance in PPE detection. They have thus overcome the issues of interference from background information and detection target scales that vary in size.

By combining the two modules, the researchers were able to create an bject detection network, Attention and Multi-Scale Fusion-based Regions with Convolution Neural Network (AMS R-CNN). Their tests with medical PPE and The Visual Object Classes Challenge 2007 (VOC 2007) datasets, showed their system to work better than various state-of-the-art methods.

The development of AMS R-CNN could benefit those managing medical professionals and help ensure that the PPE rules are being adhered to with a view to minimising the risk of infectious disease transmission. The medical staff who work in high-risk environments, such as hospitals and laboratories, will themselves benefit from increased protection from colleagues and so improve overall safety and also reduce risk to patients.

The work highlights the potential of deep neural networks to revolutionize the way we detect objects. Accuracy can only be improved with further advances n this technology.

Lou, J., Li, X., Huo, G., Liang, F., Qu, Z., Lou, T. and Soleil, N.K. (2023) ‘Medical personal protective equipment detection based on attention mechanism and multi-scale fusion’, Int. J. Sensor Networks, Vol. 41, No. 3, pp.189–203.

Free open access article available: "The effect of distribution strategy and price on buying decisions minimarkets in Surabaya City, Indonesia"

The following paper, "The effect of distribution strategy and price on buying decisions minimarkets in Surabaya City, Indonesia" (International Journal of Electronic Marketing and Retailing 14(2) 2023), is freely available for download as an open access article.

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

Research pick: A gesture towards managing phantom limb pain - "An insight into phantom sensation and the application of ultrasound imaging to the study of gesture motions for transhumeral prosthesis"

Research in the International Journal of Biomedical Engineering and Technology has revealed a promising area of research for the management of phantom limb pain, a common experience for amputees that can be challenging to treat. The research focuses on transhumeral amputees, who are missing a significant portion of one or both of their arms.

Phantom limb pain is a phenomenon that occurs in people who have had a limb partially or wholly amputated. Despite the loss of the limb, individuals may experience sensations such as pain, itching, and tingling as if the missing limb is still part of their body. It can be a persistent and distressing condition that has a significant and detrimental impact on quality of life.

The study, conducted by a team of researchers from the United Kingdom has utilized human motor control theory and Penfield homunculus to provide a comprehensive review and new perspective on phantom limb sensations and pain, and the potential for therapy and prosthetics. Control experiments were undertaken in the clinic with intact individuals using ultrasound imaging along the bone of the upper arm, the humerus, while the participants were instructed to produce a variety of hand movements.

Human motor control theory focuses on how the brain and nervous system control movement in the body. It seeks to understand the processes and mechanisms involved in the planning, execution, and control of movement, ranging from simple actions such as reaching for an object to complex activities such as playing a musical instrument. The famous Penfield homunculus is a neurological “map” of the human body developed in the 1930s. It represents the regions of the brain that control movement and sensation for different body parts, with the hands and face represented in greater detail at greater scale.

Ejay Nsugbe of Nsugbe Research Labs in Swindon and radiologist Carol Phillips of the University Hospitals Bristol, UK, found that compound gesture motions that involve bulk muscular recruitment can be detected along the humerus. This discovery could have significant implications for clinical rehabilitation prosthetists, who can use these gestures to explore the mobility and sensation of phantom limbs. The work could have implications for individuals struggling with phantom limb pain and it could provide a new avenue for therapy as well as leading to improved design of prosthetic limbs to make them more responsive to the user’s needs.

There are implications for developing more effective treatments for phantom limb pain, such as physical therapy or medication, which may improve the quality of life of amputees. Additionally, by gaining a better understanding of the underlying mechanisms of phantom limb pain, researchers may be able to identify new targets for drug development, ultimately leading to better pain management for those experiencing this condition.

Nsugbe, E. and Philips, C. (2023) ‘An insight into phantom sensation and the application of ultrasound imaging to the study of gesture motions for transhumeral prosthesis’, Int. J. Biomedical Engineering and Technology, Vol. 41, No. 3, pp.258–271.