31 May 2023

Research pick: An energy-saving dimmer switch for streetlighting - "Efficacious tuning in energy efficient street lighting"

A new approach to reducing the energy costs of streetlighting without compromising the safety and activities of pedestrians and drivers in towns and cities is discussed by researchers from India in the International Journal of Ad Hoc and Ubiquitous Computing.

The team of Pragna Labani Sikdar, Abhinav Anurag, and Parag Kumar Guha Thakurta in the Department of Computer Science and Engineering at the National Institute of Technology in Durgapur, West Bengal, reveals an approach to energy-efficient street lighting that strikes a balance between energy conservation and providing sufficient lighting for the people using the streets. The implications of this research are far-reaching, as it has the potential to revolutionize how cities and communities approach their street lighting infrastructure and reduce energy costs as well as a city’s carbon footprint.

The key lies in equipping each street light with a sensor and dividing them into zones along a street. The sensor network of the streetlights can, based on detecting the nearest pedestrians or vehicles, control illumination levels appropriately so that nobody is left in the dark, but less energy is used lighting empty streets. This segmentation approach to lighting could offer precise control of total output across a city. To achieve optimal energy efficiency, the researchers take into account the length of each zone and a factor known as “brightness decrement per zone.” By fine-tuning this factor, they can strike a delicate balance between energy savings and maintaining an adequate level of lighting utility.

The team has carried out extensive simulations to evaluate the approach with successful results. The implications are far reaching for cities the world over where environmental concerns and energy costs are both vying for space at the top of planning agendas. Moreover, the notion of light pollution, which affects the natural world as well as astronomical studies, might be reduced somewhat with the implementation of a dimmer switch for streetlighting.

Sikdar, P.L., Anurag, A. and Thakurta, P.K.G. (2023) ‘Efficacious tuning in energy efficient street lighting’, Int. J. Ad Hoc and Ubiquitous Computing, Vol. 43, No. 1, pp.53–63.

30 May 2023

Research pick: Booting up artificial personality in AI systems - "Reproduction of humanness based on eXtended intelligence: concept of artificial personality and its mechanism"

Artificial intelligence (AI) is being used increasingly in many different walks of life from the large language models and image-generation tools that can produce readable text and intriguing graphics based on a prompt to the algorithms that analyse input and predict a feasible output for modelling climate and weather systems, road traffic, and even human behaviour.

There are AI tools that are being developed for online customer services, healthcare, education, art and music, and many other aspects of our lives. These systems would inevitably involve a person addressing an AI via a computer interface, a touchscreen, or an audio-video system of camera and microphone, and receiving answers to their questions or being asked questions by the AI itself to help them in some way. At the moment, such interfaces, which are often referred to as AI chatbots lack the versatility and human touch of a real person and so there is some way to go before we see them truly integrated into our lives.

Research in the International Journal of Computational Systems Engineering introduces the concept of artificial personality (AP). In this work, Takayuki Fujimoto of the Department of Information Sciences and Arts at Toyo University in Saitama, Japan, promises to bridge the gap between the bland bots and bots that respond with more human-like characteristics. This next generation of AP-enabled AI, would likely make our working with and using such tools much more appealing to a wider range of people, especially those so far reluctant to engage with this rapidly advancing technology.

Fujimoto challenges the state-of-the-art paradigm in AI and suggests ways in which its limitations might be overcome, side-stepping the existing AI frameworks and developing AP from the ground up. Ultimately, he foresees a time when AP allows us to develop versatile AI systems that seamlessly integrate into human lives. The research focuses on the concept of eXtended Intelligence (XI) as the basis for designing a system that reproduces humanness in computer systems, XI represents the technological successor to AI and incorporates the ideas of AP.

XI will blend the strengths of human intelligence – processing sensory data, understanding, abstract thought, and free association – with the strengths of artificial intelligence – information storage and retrieval, processing, prediction, and objective analysis, explains Fujimoto.

We are yet to consider in detail the ethics and morality, the privacy concerns, and the technical obstacles of AI, let alone AP and XI but researchers are making rapid progress.

Nevertheless, the future paradigm shift from AI to AP and XI will have far-reaching implications taking us to the next level of computer intelligence away from the industrial narrow AI or the entertainment-focused AI. XI with its inbuilt AP will not only perform tasks tirelessly, but will be able to respond to our emotions, preferences, and needs in much more subtle and useful ways than current AI technologies. One might even imagine XI acting as a caring personal assistant, providing companionship, and offering serious advice, all because the technology can comprehend and respond to our unique personalities.

Fujimoto, T. (2022) ‘Reproduction of humanness based on eXtended intelligence: concept of artificial personality and its mechanism’, Int. J. Computational Systems Engineering, Vol. 7, No. 1, pp.30–40.

26 May 2023

Prof. Charbel Salloum appointed as new Editor in Chief of EuroMed Journal of Management

Prof. Charbel Salloum from EM Normandie Business School in France has been appointed to take over editorship of the EuroMed Journal of Management. The journal's departing Editor in Chief, Prof. Jacques Digout, will remain with EMJM as Honorary Editor in Chief.

Research pick: Patient, heal thyself! With the help of bioinformatics - "Health 2050: faster cure via bioinformatics and quantified self; a design analysis"

Healthcare costs continue to rise due to the burden of major diseases like cardiovascular, oncological, neurological, and metabolic conditions. These conditions account for about three-quarters of costs and resources. However, modern medicine does not generally seek to prevent or cure such problems, rather it addresses symptoms when they arise and then, if complete remission is not achieved, largely manages the conditions as chronic illnesses.

The next advances in medicine could help us avoid certain health problems altogether and to treat acutely those that do arise so that they are reversed or the person goes into complete remission. There are, according to optimistic research in the International Journal of Networking and Virtual Organisations opportunities to use the body’s natural ability to repair itself within a short timeframe with the help of bioinformatics.

Luuk P.A. Simons Department of the department of Computer Science at Delft University of Technology, in The Netherlands, recognises that healthcare and medicine has many challenges to overcome before we approach this self-healing utopia. But, the latest advances in rapid recovery research point towards using daily bioinformatics feedback and biomarkers (natural chemicals in our body that are associated with different health or disease states) in our bodies to guide treatment. Simons suggests that this approach would allow people to develop a quantified self-profile, which he refers to as an “endoself.” The endoself would offer a person crucial insights into their health and potentially give them biological opportunities for self-repair and cure.

This approach might be described as a paradigm shift. It entails moving away from our reliance on symptomatic diagnostics and the subsequent pharmaceutical and surgical interventions, towards an approach that uses bioinformatics and biomarkers to identify health problems the moment they arise and to trigger a wound-healing paradigm, perhaps with the minimal of interventions we might refer to as external fixes. Ultimately, this approach would be to the benefit of everyone in terms of individual health and costs to healthcare systems.

This healthcare shift relies on our knowing the biomarkers, of having ways to monitor them in near real-time, and to have means to stimulate the body to respond to potentially detrimental changes in the levels of those biomarkers in our bodies. Obviously, such stimulation might be pharmaceutical, but the paradigm shift is that it would be proactive in addressing a problem before obvious symptoms arise, rather than simply reacting to symptoms. There are barriers but Simons is optimistic that we can overcome these although one of the biggest obstacles, he suggests, is the shift from reimbursement-based medicine to evidence-based medicine.

We have seen with social media during the last decade or so a shift to a new paradigm in the dissemination and interpretation of news and information, one that involves individuals using tools to share and comment, rather than relying on traditional corporations to pick and choose what we read and watch. Simons’ healthcare paradigm would, similarly, empower the individual to take up the new tools of the trade to take care of themselves rather than relying wholly on the medical-industrial complex.

Simons, L.P.A. (2023) ‘Health 2050: faster cure via bioinformatics and quantified self; a design analysis’, Int. J. Networking and Virtual Organisations, Vol. 28, No. 1, pp.36–52.

25 May 2023

Research pick: Introverted leaders in the spotlight - "Misconceptions about introverted leaders: how quiet personality types influence the workplace"

A review in the International Journal of Management Development has highlighted the crucial role of personality types in the workplace. The study specifically focuses on dispelling the various misconceptions around leaders with introverted personalities. It reveals the key characteristics and qualities that make for effective leadership and compares the leadership styles of introverts and extroverts. The review could guide recruiters and human resource managers in improving their hiring practices and leadership development processes, making them more inclusive of introverts when identifying and nurturing potential leaders.

Hevvon A. Barnes of the University of Hartford, Connecticut and Susan M. Stewart of Western Illinois University, Moline, Illinois, USA, suggest that introverted leaders have long been misunderstood and their review seeks to challenge the deceived wisdom about their abilities. It is possible that by recognizing and valuing the unique strengths, talents, perspectives, and values of introverted leaders organizations could gain a deeper understanding of their contribution and build on it.

The team emphasizes that biases abound and while organisations with introverted leaders are obviously effective, the suggestion is that removing those biases and recognising the potential of introverted leaders could give a significant boost to an organisation. Taking proactive steps to address the misconceptions and foster a more balanced and diverse leadership culture, more accepting and respectful of introverts would allow those kinds of leaders to thrive and be more effective in their roles to the ultimate benefit of the organisation as a whole. The researchers add that interventions such as training programs, mentorship opportunities, and adjustments to organizational structures and practices might be used to achieve this efficiently.

There remain several areas for future research. For instance, there is still a need to explore the experiences of introverted leaders themselves in various organizational contexts and industries. There will also be a need to follow up on how effective particular interventions aimed at promoting the development and success of introverted leaders have been once implemented.

Barnes, H.A. and Stewart, S.M. (2022) ‘Misconceptions about introverted leaders: how quiet personality types influence the workplace’, Int. J. Management Development, Vol. 2, No. 3, pp.217–235.

Free sample articles newly available from International Journal of Electronic Customer Relationship Management

The following sample articles from the International Journal of Electronic Customer Relationship Management are now available here for free:
  • Towards the analysis of e-CRM practices using an integrated fuzzy approach
  • Artificial intelligence in the digital customer journey
  • Determinants of customer satisfaction in Kabul: evidence from the restaurant industry
  • Theoretical investigation of the antecedent role of review valence in building electronic customer relationships

24 May 2023

Free open access article available: "Capital flight, tax revenue and economic growth in Sub-Saharan Africa: the role of good governance"

The following paper, "Capital flight, tax revenue and economic growth in Sub-Saharan Africa: the role of good governance" (International Journal of Economic Policy in Emerging Economies 17(3) 2023), is freely available for download as an open access article.

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

Research pick: Seeding food security in rural Burkina Faso - "Contribution of non-timber forest products to food security of households bordering the Pô-Nazinga-Sissili ecological complex in Burkina Faso"

Research in the International Journal of Economic Policy in Emerging Economies has highlighted the significant contribution of non-timber forest products (NTFPs) in bolstering food security among households residing in rural areas, such as those near the Pô-Nazinga-Sissili protected area in Burkina Faso. The work emphasizes how policymakers must integrate NTFPs into food security strategies there and in other regions.

Soumaïla Sawadogo of the Thomas Sankara University in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso and also at the University of Liège, Belgium, surveyed some 263 randomly selected households. He employed two essential indicators to assess food security: the Household Dietary Diversity Score (HDDS) and the Household Food Insecurity Access Scale (HFIAS). His analysis of the correlation between economic dependence on NTFPs and food security revealed a positive association confirming that NTFPs play a critical role for households in this region.

NTFPs encompass a diverse range of forest resources, excluding timber. They provide various benefits to local communities. Sawadogo’s research highlights how optimizing the use of forests can tackle food insecurity in rural households by providing them with wild food, giving them a cash income, and improving dietary diversity. Forest goods and services, including NTFPs like honey, nere seeds, and shea nuts, act as natural sources of sustenance, contributing significantly to a household’s food security. Moreover, in a crisis, NTFPs can act as a safety net for the most vulnerable households.

Indeed, the research suggests that households are actually more food secure if they utilise NTFPs than other measures may have indicated. Households that derived almost a quarter of their total income from NTFP activities were, the work found, more likely to live in food security, as measured by the food diversity indicator. A more secure household is likely to put more diverse foods on the table, whereas a household in an insecure position will likely only have a limited range of food types, mainly basic carbohydrate foods to eat. The food diversity indicators shows that 70% of households are in a good food security position, whereas a measurement based only on the HFIAS would suggest just 11% of those households are food secure.

Sawadogo suggests that policymakers ought to harness the potential of NTFPs to enhance food security. He also points out that improving household literacy can have a synergistic effect, increasing food security and emphasizes that there is a need for educational programs focused on sustainable forest management and NTFP utilization.

Sawadogo, S. (2023) ‘Contribution of non-timber forest products to food security of households bordering the Pô-Nazinga-Sissili ecological complex in Burkina Faso’, Int. J. Economic Policy in Emerging Economies, Vol. 17, No. 3, pp.420–443.

Free sample articles newly available from International Journal of Vehicle Design

The following sample articles from the International Journal of Vehicle Design are now available here for free:
  • AUKF based unified estimation scheme for non-linear vehicle dynamics
  • Gauge sensitivity methods for assessing and mitigating buckling effects present in vehicle structures
  • Development of a novel testing procedure and optimisation of a rubber spring using constrained simulated annealing algorithm for automobile clutch system
  • Cool semantics of mini electric vehicles considering appearance attractive factors
  • Marine predators algorithm and multi-verse optimisation algorithm for optimal battery case design of electric vehicles

23 May 2023

Special issue published: "Advanced Design and Automation Solutions for Offshore Vehicles"

International Journal of Vehicle Design 91(1/2/3) 2023

  • Network-based formation control of unmanned autonomous systems with directed topologies
  • Leader-follower formation transformation control based on priority model for unmanned surface vehicle in narrow waters
  • Image-based visual servoing of underwater vehicles for tracking a moving target using model predictive control with motion estimation
  • Experimental validation of an improved underwater sphere-target localisation scheme for an autonomous underwater vehicle manipulator system
  • FlameNet: a lightweight convolutional neural network for flame detection and localisation
  • Integrated behaviour decision-making and trajectory tracking for dynamic collision avoidance of an ASV using receding horizon optimisation
  • DRNN-MIMO-PID control strategy for multi-point mooring system
  • Compressive sealing process in vehicle engineering
  • Method of improving the soil compactor's ride quality based on the optimal negative stiffness structure
  • An algorithm for solving travelling salesman problem based on improved particle swarm optimisation and dynamic step Hopfield network
  • Improved duelling deep Q-networks based path planning for intelligent agents
  • Calibration of multi-sensor fusion for autonomous vehicle system
  • Research on situation cognition approach of USV under complex ocean conditions

Research pick: SSA economies cleared for takeoff with grounded governance - "Capital flight, tax revenue and economic growth in Sub-Saharan Africa: the role of good governance"

Research in the International Journal of Economic Policy in Emerging Economies has examined the relationship between capital flight, tax revenue, economic growth, and good governance indicators in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) from 1996 to 2018. The study found that capital flight hampers economic growth in the region, while an increase in tax revenue has a positive impact. The counterpart is that increase in tax revenue acts as a catalyst for economic growth in SSA, the team found. However, the effects of capital flight and tax revenue on economic growth depend on the presence of good governance indicators.

Capital flight occurs when individuals, businesses, or investors transfer funds and assets out of their home country. It can negatively affect economic growth in that country or in this case a whole region. It is usually driven by concerns on the part of the investors regarding economic or political instability, unfavourable business conditions, legislation and regulations, or simply a lack of confidence in the local economy.

James Atta Peprah of the University of Cape Coast, Ghana and Harold Ngalawa and Evelyn Derera of the University of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa demonstrate that the positive impact of tax revenue is influenced by good governance indicators and this can mitigate the negative effects of capital flight on economic growth. The work underscores the importance of implementing policies that promote good governance and thus growth in Sub-Saharan Africa, SSA.

The team explains that factors such as the rule of law, government stability, and effective control of corruption are crucial in good governance. There is a pressing need to strengthen democratic processes, promote economic freedom, and encourage private initiatives to attract investment and drive economic growth and development.

The researchers point out that given the limited availability of external financing sources, governments in SSA need to prioritize the enhancement of tax revenue mobilization and the promotion of domestic capital investment. This will require improvement in internal organizational structures, more training opportunities, and the fostering of stronger relationships with local governments. With the political will, SSA can create an environment conducive to economic development to support long-term economic prosperity in the region.

Peprah, J.A., Ngalawa, H. and Derera, E. (2023) ‘Capital flight, tax revenue and economic growth in Sub-Saharan Africa: the role of good governance’, Int. J. Economic Policy in Emerging Economies, Vol. 17, No. 3, pp.444–464.

Free open access article available: "Contribution of non-timber forest products to food security of households bordering the Pô-Nazinga-Sissili ecological complex in Burkina Faso"

The following paper, "Contribution of non-timber forest products to food security of households bordering the Pô-Nazinga-Sissili ecological complex in Burkina Faso" (International Journal of Economic Policy in Emerging Economies 17(3) 2023), is freely available for download as an open access article.

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

Dr. Mark Tampuri appointed as new Editor in Chief of American Journal of Finance and Accounting

Dr. Mark Tampuri from the Academic City University College in Ghana has been appointed to take over editorship of the American Journal of Finance and Accounting.

22 May 2023

Research pick: Island life and obesity - "Childhood obesity, food insecurity and climate change: a tale of two island groups"

Obesity represents a public health problem across the globe with an ever-increasing prevalence despite educational and other strategies being in place to address the issue. The consequences for long-term health crises remain. For children in two small island groups – Malta and the Canary Islands – there is growing concern regarding the incidence of overweight and obesity.

Writing in the International Journal of Food Safety, Nutrition and Public Health, a team from Malta and The Canary Islands have looked at the issues and offer some suggestions for addressing them.

Childhood obesity rates in these two regions have reached distressing levels, with two out of every five children being classed as overweight or obese. The team reports that a move away from a Mediterranean diet towards unhealthy eating habits and sedentary lifestyles as well as factors such as a reliance on imported food and the potential effects of climate change are all contributing to this growing problem. The researchers point out that there are strategies in place but there is little surveillance of how effective they are.

There is an urgent need for much more targeted and effective solutions as well as monitoring of the effects in these two regions, especially given their relative isolation and limited availability of local, fresh produce. Any strategies that are put in place must take a medium and longer-term view rather than offering quick fixes that may not persist. It will also be critical to ensure that new approaches to tackling childhood obesity are equitable and do not widen any existing socio-economic gaps or create new social divisions that simply worsen the situation.

Fundamentally, these island regions have many problems that are not necessarily apparent in mainland regions. To address childhood obesity in these places, public health proposals must focus on the underlying issues and find ways to address them as well as to monitor the impact so that policies can be fine-tuned for greater benefit to those affected.

Calleja, P., Darias-Curvo, S., Copperstone, C. and Cauchi, D. (2023) ‘Childhood obesity, food insecurity and climate change: a tale of two island groups’, Int. J. Food Safety, Nutrition and Public Health, Vol. 6, No. 3, pp.167–184.

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

The following sample articles from the International Journal of Manufacturing Technology and Management are now available here for free:
  • Identification and prioritisation of technology management practices for enhancing competitiveness of auto components manufacturing firms in India
  • Extrusion-based additive manufacturing systems: current state, parameters optimisation, materials, research gap, challenges and future potential
  • Modelling bead width and bead hardness in submerged arc welding using dimensional analysis
  • Modelling and group decision-making method for virtual enterprise partner selection with fuzzy completion time and due date

Free sample articles newly available from International Journal of Computational Systems Engineering

The following sample articles from the International Journal of Computational Systems Engineering are now available here for free:
  • The new TOPCO hybrid algorithm to solve multi-objective optimisation problems: the integrated stochastic problem of production-distribution planning in the supply chain
  • Interval valued fuzzy matrix-based decision making for machine learning algorithms
  • Reliability analysis of (n) clients system under star topology and copula linguistic approach
  • Cost-effective modernisation of COBOL legacy applications
  • Some investigations on cost, study for economic order quantity model by quantity declined under time - associated demand and non-steady holding cost

19 May 2023

Associate Prof. Jinyang Xu appointed as new Editor for International Journal of Precision Technology

Associate Prof. Jinyang Xu from Shanghai Jiao Tong University in China has been appointed to take over editorship of the International Journal of Precision Technology.

Special issue published: "Blockchain-Based Big-Data Industrial IoT"

International Journal of Grid and Utility Computing 14(2/3) 2023

  • Keyword extraction from news corpus by deep learning in the context of internet of things
  • Mobile visual search algorithm based on improved VGG-F and hash with application in IoT
  • Many-objective particle swarm optimisation algorithm based on multi-elite opposition mutation mechanism in the internet of things environment
  • Security technology for data transmission to the internet of things devices under the application of blockchain technology
  • Application of blockchain technology in copyright protection of digital music information
  • Text complexity analysis of college English textbooks based on blockchain and deep learning algorithms under the internet of things
  • Logistics scheduling optimisation and allocation of intercultural communication trade under internet of things and edge computing
  • A modified multi-objective particle swarm optimisation with entropy adaptive strategy and Levy mutation in the internet of things environment
  • Design of internet of things service system for logistics engineering by using the blockchain technology
  • Data protection of internet of things for edge computing and deep learning and governance of cyberspace
  • Application of the multi-objective model under the fuzzy differential equation to logistics operation of internet of things
  • Design and supply chain management of intelligent logistics system using cloud computing under internet of things
  • Optimising sports marketing strategy by the internet of things and blockchain technology
  • The use mechanism of blockchain and internet of things technology in memorial architecture of smart city
  • Deep learning for blockchain in medical supply chain risk management
  • Evaluation of customer service quality of platform-based online shopping under blockchain technology
  • The music education and teaching innovation using blockchain technology supported by artificial intelligence

Prof. Guangwei Huang appointed as new Editor in Chief of International Journal of Global Environmental Issues

Prof. Guangwei Huang from Sophia University in Japan has been appointed to take over editorship of the International Journal of Global Environmental Issues.

18 May 2023

Free sample articles newly available from International Journal of Environmental Engineering

The following sample articles from the International Journal of Environmental Engineering are now available here for free:
  • The efficiency of green total factor productivity of the logistics industry in the Yangtze River Economic Belt: a spatial econometric analysis 
  • Soil pollution management and ecological risk analysis in greenhouse planting area of agricultural vegetables 
  • Assessment of gaseous air pollutants motility in Khulna City of Bangladesh using direct sense probes 
  • Study on the dynamic change of urban traffic carbon footprint under low-carbon tourism 
  • Effects of herbal woods in Homa therapy on air quality: experiments amidst unlocking the society in pandemic challenges 
  • Acute and chronic toxicity of difenoconazole fungicide on freshwater shrimp (Macrobrachium lanchesteri)

17 May 2023

Special issue published: "Cloud Computing for Sustainable Intelligent Communications"

International Journal of Cloud Computing 12(2/3/4) 2023

  • Data centric redundancy elimination for network data traffic
  • Minimising power utilisation in cloud data centres using optimised virtual machine migration and rack consolidation
  • Enhancing the job scheduling procedure to develop an efficient cloud environment using near optimal clustering algorithm
  • Energy saving slot allocation-based multicast routing in cloud wireless mesh network
  • Fog computing-based public e-service application in service-oriented architecture
  • Novel task assignment policies using enhanced hyper-heuristic approach in cloud
  • A new method for human activity identification using convolutional neural networks
  • PUF based on chip comparison technique for trustworthy scan design data security against side channel attack
  • Parallel progressive-based inductive subspace and fuzzy-based firefly algorithm for high ensemble data clustering
  • Secured file transmission in knowledge management-cloud
  • An effective mechanism for ontology-based cloud service discovery and selection using Aneka cloud application platform
  • A customer churn prediction model in telecom industry using Improved_XGBoost
  • A hybrid encryption for secure data deduplication the cloud
  • Ad-hoc networks: new detection and prevention approach to malicious attacks using Honeypot
  • Development of innovative cloud-based IoMD architecture for elder population monitoring
  • Distributed multi-cluster dynamic Q-routing for large size traffic grids
  • Self-evident rapid and scalable fortification encryption with data access organise in multiuser cloud environments
  • Resource-aware routing in opportunistic networks: existing protocols and open research issues
  • Hybrid dense matching features for cloud-based face recognition
  • Greedy-based task scheduling algorithm for minimising energy and power consumption for virtual machines in cloud environment

Special issue published: "Applications of Power Electronics in Power and Energy Systems"

International Journal of Power and Energy Conversion 13(3/4) 2022

  • Design and parametric analysis of switched reluctance motor using adaptive FEA for torque ripple reduction
  • A ground fault detection method of substation DC system based on particle filter
  • Research on short-term load forecasting of power system based on gradient lifting tree
  • User-side demand automatic response method under centralised low-voltage load shedding
  • Synchronous rectification control method of AC/DC converters based on the response surface algorithm
  • Voltage control of hybrid energy sources for microgrid employing biomass-solar-wind
  • Voltage and current actuated hybrid protection scheme for utility grid with high penetration levels of renewable energy
  • Fault optimisation on IEEE 14-bus system with machine learning-based SPLIT TCSC

15 May 2023

Free open access article available: "Childhood obesity, food insecurity and climate change: a tale of two island groups"

The following paper, "Childhood obesity, food insecurity and climate change: a tale of two island groups" (International Journal of Food Safety, Nutrition and Public Health 6(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 Networking and Virtual Organisations

The following sample articles from the International Journal of Networking and Virtual Organisations are now available here for free:
  • Analysing the challenges in stakeholder relationship management in the healthcare process: a social network perspective
  • A word alignment study to improve the reliability of the statistical and neural translation system
  • Deep learning-based distributed denial-of-service detection
  • Stock market manipulation detection using feature modelling with hybrid recurrent neural networks
  • Cloud spot price prediction approach using adaptive neural fuzzy inference system with chaos theory
  • A cluster workload forecasting strategy using a higher order statistics based ARMA model for IaaS cloud services

12 May 2023

Research pick: Closing the loop on circular economics - "Is this a new era for old goods? Analysing the motives for second-hand product resale in the platform economy"

Many of us are looking for ways to make our lives and activities more sustainable and reduce the amount of waste we generate. One way to achieve these goals is by embracing the concept of a circular economy. In a circular economy, resources are used more efficiently, waste is minimized, and materials are recycled or repurposed, creating a closed-loop system where materials and products are constantly reused or regenerated.

One trend that goes around in this economic circle is the emergence of peer-to-peer (P2P) online platforms that connect people with something to sell or donate to people who need or want a given product. Within this, we also see the upcycling or repurposing of old products for sale to others.

Research in the International Journal of Export Marketing, has looked at why people resell second-hand products on such online platforms. The study, by Saleem Ur Rahman and Hannu Makkonen of the School of Marketing and Communication at the University of Vaasa in Finland, collected and analysed data from over 3,000 people in Finland. The team found that there are various disparate reasons why people choose to resell items they no longer need on these platforms. Some simply want to make money, others do it for the fun of it, and yet others find it an engaging part of their being social. Interestingly, the study found that practical, generative, and protestor motives do not influence reselling behaviour.

The researchers suggest that these findings might help policymakers keen to improve society’s green credentials, to understand how people use these platforms, and develop regulations to ensure consumer protection as well as to encourage this kind of circular economic activity with a view to reducing waste. The research also offers some insights for platform developers and operators who might now tailor specific services based on the motives of their users.

Closing the loop on the circular economy could help us reduce waste and materials destined for simple recycling or, worse, landfill, create new economic opportunities, and promote sustainable use of resources.

Rahman, S.U. and Makkonen, H. (2022) ‘Is this a new era for old goods? Analysing the motives for second-hand product resale in the platform economy’, Int. J. Export Marketing, Vol. 5, Nos. 3/4, pp.296–319.

Free sample articles newly available from International Journal of Water

The following sample articles from the International Journal of Water are now available here for free:
  • Water management technologies using Industry 4.0 tools
  • Influence of climate type on the predictive capabilities of stochastic models applied to monthly dam inflows
  • The current situation of water resources and future feasible plans in Taiwan
  • Assessing the impact of meteorological parameters for forecasting floods in the northern districts of Bihar using machine learning

International Journal of Vehicle Performance in Scimago second quartile

Inderscience is pleased to report that the International Journal of Vehicle Performance has moved to Quartile 2 in Scimago's Automotive Engineering category.

Dr. Xiaobo Yang, the journal's Editor in Chief, said, "Without the sustained efforts of IJVP's editorial board members, authors and many reviewers, the journal would not be able to make such positive progress. I sincerely thank all who have been making contributions to IJVP."

11 May 2023

Research pick: Recycling children: Teaching youngsters to follow a sustainable path - "Recycling behaviour of people in South Africa"

Research in the International Journal of Environment and Waste Management has shed light on the behaviour of households in Claremont, a suburb of Cape Town, South Africa, when it comes to recycling as a sustainable means of waste management revealing that about two-thirds of households do not recycle waste. The results suggest that there is a long way to go in this typical suburb, and perhaps many others, to improve recycling facilities and opportunities and education.

R.O. Anyasi and H.I. Atagana of the University of South Africa in Pretoria conducted a survey of 400 households, selected at random, in the area. The results showed that a majority of households, a staggering 67.3%, do not recycle generally recyclable waste materials. Recycling, of course, should be a key component of reducing the negative environmental impact of our everyday consumption of food and other products.

The researchers found that lack of basic recycling education and inadequate infrastructure are mainly to blame for the lack of interest and participation in recycling. Moreover, they analyzed the relationship between waste management interests and the recycling ability of individual households using Pearson correlation analysis. This showed a significant and positive relationship meaning that the minority of households with a greater interest in waste management were the ones that were more likely to recycle, as one might expect.

The study concludes that there is a need for more convenient recycling depots and environmental awareness campaigns to encourage more households to recycle in this region. This is a necessary part of moving society to a cleaner and more sustainable future. With more convenient recycling depots and greater awareness, households can become better equipped to manage waste sustainably and contribute to a cleaner future for everyone, the research suggests. The team points out that there is a high proportion of schoolchildren in households and it is this younger generation that might be addressed with educational resources to help flip that 67 to 33 ratio.

Anyasi, R.O. and Atagana, H.I. (2023) ‘Recycling behaviour of people in South Africa’, Int. J. Environment and Waste Management, Vol. 31, No. 3, pp.325–338.

10 May 2023

Special issue published: "Transformations in Supply Chain and Network Systems in the New Normal"

International Journal of Enterprise Network Management 14(1/2) 2023

  • Prioritising and testing the integrated behavioural model of organisational citizenship behaviour through fuzzy AHP and structural equation modelling
  • Adoption of Lean Six Sigma to improve safety culture - a case study of Indian manufacturing unit
  • Longitudinal assessment of green procurement practices adopted by manufacturing firms in an emerging economy using multivariate approach
  • A multi-criteria decision (fuzzy) approach for IoT adoption in developing nation: a study during COVID-19
  • Distribution and transportation model for COVID-19 vaccine
  • Understanding the interaction among motivators of entrepreneurial aspiration of university students in India
  • Digital payment apps: perception and adoption - a study of higher education students
  • Role of supply chain performance in global value chain creation in COVID-19: a partial least square modelling framework for emerging economy
Additional papers
  • Mobile wallet app engagement and word of mouth recommendation: an exploration of antecedents
  • Rishabh Shekhar; Uma Pricilda Jaidev
  • Optimisation of drilling process parameters of aluminium matrix composites (LM5/ZrO2)

Research pick: A spoonful of tech delivers food industry boost - "Food apps to create competitive advantage and enhance customer satisfaction"

Research in the World Review of Entrepreneurship, Management and Sustainable Development has shown how food delivery apps for smartphones and other mobile devices are boosting customer satisfaction and giving companies a competitive advantage in one of the biggest areas of growth – urban India.

Food delivery apps are rapidly gaining popularity in urban areas across India, according to Shamsher Singh of BCIPS (GGSIP University) in New Delhi, India. He suggests that these apps are revolutionizing the way food is ordered there. Singh has delved into the impact of technology on the food industry, exploring the role of food apps in creating a competitive edge and enhancing customer satisfaction. The study gathered primary data from 100 participants through a survey to gauge the satisfaction levels and the usage of food apps.

Singh used frequency analysis and ANOVA statistical tools to test the validity of the data in the system, SPSS, originally known as Statistical Package for the Social Sciences but now more often known as Statistical Product and Service Solutions. His work shows that customers rank highly various features, such as clarity of price, variety of food items, food served hot and fresh, and correct and complete food delivery. This, he reports, was the same across all demographic profiles. Other factors such as timely delivery, promotional schemes, neat and clean delivery personnel, and service excellence were also important.

The findings hold important implications for the food industry and the larger economy. By embracing technology and leveraging food apps, food businesses can enhance customer satisfaction and gain a competitive advantage. This trend could also have a significant impact on employment, as the food industry is a major employer in India. As food delivery apps continue to grow in popularity, it is likely that they will reshape the industry and create new job opportunities in the process.

Singh, S. (2023) ‘Food apps to create competitive advantage and enhance customer satisfaction’, World Review of Entrepreneurship, Management and Sustainable Development, Vol. 19, Nos. 3/4/5, pp.218–229.

Prof. Olaniyi Fawole appointed as new Editor in Chief of International Journal of Postharvest Technology and Innovation

Prof. Olaniyi Fawole from the University of Johannesburg in South Africa has been appointed to take over editorship of the International Journal of Postharvest Technology and Innovation.

9 May 2023

Free sample articles newly available from International Journal of Enterprise Network Management

The following sample articles from the International Journal of Enterprise Network Management are now available here for free:
  • Engineering changes - research findings and future directions
  • Performance testing in lexical analysis on latest Twitter trends for enterprise network using PIG
  • Design of an enterprise cloud-based intrusion detection system model, using back propagation network based on particle swarm optimisation algorithm
  • Digital commerce in enterprises
  • Profile matching of online users across multiple social networks: a text mining approach
  • An environment-adaptive distributed node joining approach and a secure cluster-based architecture for MANET

Research pick: Greener concrete from waste glass - "The potential use of waste glass powder in slag-based geopolymer concrete – an environmental friendly material"

Research in the International Journal of Environment and Waste Management demonstrates how waste glass powder can be used as a substitute for traditional concrete materials, and may have important implications for the construction industry and waste management as well as reducing the environmental burden in terms of landfill and carbon emissions.

P. Manikandan and V. Vasugi of the School of Civil Engineering at Vellore Institute of Technology, Chennai Campus in India, tested slag-based geopolymer concrete made using a mixture of waste glass powder and sodium hydroxide, 12 molar NaOH solution. The researchers tested the mechanical properties of the resulting concrete and found that the best results were achieved when the mixtures had a specific ratio of materials, using 80% slag and 20% glass powder with a particular concentration of NaOH.

The finding might represent an important opportunity for the industry as well as waste management, given that coloured glass, particularly brown and green bottles, cannot readily be recycled into new glass vessels. Using waste glass powder in concrete production will reduce the amount of waste material that is sent to landfills, while still producing a durable building material. By reducing the amount of cement needed for making concrete there is also the potential to reduce the carbon footprint of the construction and civil engineering industries given that the traditional approach to concrete production generates a large proportion of the world’s carbon emissions, some 8 percent or so.

The researchers utilised artificial neural networks to predict the mechanical properties of the concrete and found that the model’s predictions matched well with the actual results of the experiments, which is promising for the future of formulating concrete from related waste materials.

Overall, the findings of this study offer a potential solution to two important environmental issues: reducing landfill waste and carbon emissions associated with the construction industry. The use of waste glass powder in concrete production could be a significant step towards more sustainable construction practices, while still producing durable and reliable building materials.

Manikandan, P. and Vasugi, V. (2023) ‘The potential use of waste glass powder in slag-based geopolymer concrete – an environmental friendly material’, Int. J. Environment and Waste Management, Vol. 31, No. 3, pp.291–307.

Special issue published: "Environmental Change Management with Advanced Technologies"

International Journal of Environmental Technology and Management 26(3/4/5) 2023

  • Microplastic hazard, management, remediation, and control strategies: a review
  • An assessment of built-up cover using geospatial techniques – a case study on Mysuru District, Karnataka State, India
  • The impact modelling of urban and rural land planning and development on the ecological environment around the city
  • Air quality monitoring of landscape architecture based on multi-sensor fusion
  • Method for monitoring regional environmental temperature change data based on 5G internet of things technology
  • Detection algorithm of abnormal characteristics of urban domestic water quality based on K-means clustering
  • Study on landscape pattern gradient of garden urban green space under ecological guidance
  • Prediction method of dust pollutant diffusion range in building demolition based on Euclidean distance transformation
  • Urban garden spatial environment layout method based on random forest
  • Comprehensive evaluation of landscape architecture environment quality based on multi-source remote sensing technology
  • An ecological environment impact assessment of municipal solid waste based on grey prediction model
  • A prediction method of soil environmental pollutants in landscape architecture planning based on data clustering
  • An evaluation of rural ecological environment carrying capacity under rural land commercial development
  • Quantitative evaluation of water pollution degree based on comprehensive biomarker response index method
  • Waste to wealth and health: bio-recovery and applications of chitin and its derivatives
  • Investigation and optimisation of turbidity and organic matter removal from surface water by electrocoagulation using response surface methodology
  • A study on the spatial and temporal evolution and dynamic simulation of urban resilience in Yunnan Province

8 May 2023

Research pick: Nudging towards smartphone recycling - "Recycling of mobile phones in India: challenges and barrier for the industries"

Despite the increasing popularity of mobile phones, their end-of-life disposal remains a major environmental challenge.

Electronic waste, in general, is an enormous problem not least because many devices are built with long-lasting plastics and potentially hazardous metals, such as copper, cobalt, lithium, ferrous metals, nickel, aluminium, tin, gold, silver, platinum, palladium, tantalum, indium, and others. While the industry itself, third parties organisations, and government policies encourage us to recycle our electronic waste, including mobile phones, the rate of recycling remains very low in most parts of the world.

Research in the International Journal of Environment and Waste Management has looked at the reasons why people fail to recycle their smart phones and to identify the barriers that might be overcome from the user perspective.

Prakashkumar Limbachiya, Fenil Tamakuwala, Rishabh Yadav and Dileep Kumar Gupta* Institute of Infrastructure, Technology, Research and Management, Ahmadabad, India, carried out a local study. This involved analysing data collected from field surveys of different user groups, as well as secondary data available on various mobile recycling portals. They identified the limiting behaviour and various attitudes towards the recycling process.

The main issue was a lack of financial incentive for recycling a device. There is a high turnover of smartphones but the value of a device less than a year old will have fallen by 70-90 percent within a short time. Of course, at less than a year old, one would hope that modern users could cope without succumbing to the urge to upgrade so summarily. However, smartphone users while recognising the environmental concerns and the social responsibility of recycling were commonly unaware of how and where to recycle an old device. Users were also faced with the inconvenience of the process of disposing of an old device at a recycling site.

In addition, many smartphone users were concerned with the issue of data privacy and the possibility that a third party might gain access to information in their old phone after it is handed over for recycling despite the ability to completely reset a device and clear any stored information, logins, or phone numbers completely before disposal.

The researchers suggest that there is now a need for greater public education and awareness campaigns to encourage more people to recycle their mobile phones. They add that governments should consider implementing policies that require mobile phone manufacturers to design devices that are easier to recycle, but perhaps more importantly, have a longer lifespan. Of course, this latter point is perhaps moot, as there will always be users keen to buy the next generation of smartphone with all of their novel features and technology perhaps unavailable in older devices.

Limbachiya, P., Tamakuwala, F., Yadav, R. and Gupta, D.K. (2023) ‘Recycling of mobile phones in India: challenges and barrier for the industries’, Int. J. Environment and Waste Management, Vol. 31, No. 2, pp.168–184.

5 May 2023

Research pick: Detecting distracted drivers - "Distracted driving behaviour recognition based on transfer learning and model fusion"

The World Health Organisation (WHO), reports that well over 135 million people die worldwide in road traffic accidents each year and that the main cause of most accidents is driver distraction. Distractions such as using mobile phones and other gadgets such as navigation and sound systems, talking to passengers, eating and drinking, all constitute risky behaviour while driving. A system that can automatically detect such distracted driving and alert a driver to their risky behaviour could reduce the risk of their being involved in or causing an accident.

A study in the International Journal of Wireless and Mobile Computing describes a more effective method of identifying distracted driving behaviou. The technology has the potential to improve driver safety systems and reduce the number of road traffic accidents that occur when drivers are not going their full attention to the road ahead and other vehicles, pedestrians, and hazards in their path. Conventional approaches have proven complex or too subjective, but the proposed method uses a combination of transfer learning and model fusion to overcome the various issues.

Guantai Luo and Wanghui Xiao of the Fujian (Quanzhou)-HIT Research Institute of Engineering and Technology, Xinwei Chen of Minjiang University, Jin Tao, and Chentao Zhang of Xiamen University, in Fujian, China, used two pre-trained deep convolutional neural network models, ResNet18 and ResNet34, to extract features from images of drivers. They then fine-tuned these models to produce four deep convolutional neural network models which they could fuse using a stacking method to create a fusion model.

They then tested the accuracy of their fusion model in recognizing distracted driving behaviour using a fivefold cross-validation method. Their results showed that the new model had an accuracy of 95.47%. This is a significant improvement over traditional methods that use a single network model, indicating a higher level of generalization performance and recognition accuracy.

Luo, G., Xiao, W., Chen, X., Tao, J. and Zhang, C. (2023) ‘Distracted driving behaviour recognition based on transfer learning and model fusion’, Int. J. Wireless and Mobile Computing, Vol. 24, No. 2, pp.159–168.

4 May 2023

Research pick: Unleashing your emotional ties: Software picks your next emoji - "EmoRile: a personalised emoji prediction scheme based on user profiling"

From the earliest texts and emails, users have sought to summarise what they wanted to say. Part of the impetus initially came from character limits on texts and ways to save bandwidth when using a slow internet connection in the dialup and pre-broadband days. Users would abbreviate common phrases, such as “laughing out loud” to “LOL” to express their amusement in a reply to a humorous message, for instance.

An alternative approach was to use punctuation marks to create a three-character icon, a smiley, that would represent a sentiment. For example, a colon followed by a hyphen and a left parenthesis sent in response to bad news would generally be interpreted at a sad face :-( whereas a happy face would use the parenthetical counterpart :-)

With increasing bandwidth and features on phones and devices came a need for more expressive alternatives to the simply smileys and abbreviations and a who alternative character set was devised to represent a wide range of facial expressions, hand gestures, objects, and activities. These tiny images work well with the feature-rich devices and greater bandwidth of 4G and 5G smart phones and other devices. They allow proficient users to express a wide range of emotions in a succinct way in their messages and even represent in a neat way complex ideas.

Of course, with our increasingly busy lives we are always looking for tools with which to shorten the time we need to produce even abbreviated messages. With text messages, autocorrect, autocomplete, and predictive text apps, generally work well to predict the end of a word or even the next word or words one is likely to need to type in a message. For instance, when arranging to meet a friend, one might finish a message by starting to type “see” and the device will predict the next words as “you soon”. But, how might this work with emoji?

Research in the International Journal of Business Intelligence and Data Mining, reveals a new approach to predicting which emoji a user is likely to use after a particular piece of text or other emoji. This new approach improves on earlier methods of emoji prediction by overcoming the problem that different users can have very disparate styles of emoji usage.

Vandita Grover and Hema Banati of the University of Delhi, India, have developed EmoRile to predict which emoji a user will use in a given conversation. The system creates a user profile based on past emoji use and tests show it to work at least as well as other emoji prediction tools. The EmoRile approach comes into its own when there is a much larger number of emoji to choose from for a given user profile.

The team points out that often users choose an emoji that might have the opposite meaning of the preceding text perhaps to express irony, sarcasm, or a witticism. This makes the emoji prediction task more difficult, so there is a need to develop a yet more nuanced algorithm to accurately predict emoji use in such messages. The presence of URLs, hashtags, and other context in a message might enhance emoji prediction accuracy.

Grover, V. and Banati, H. (2023) ‘EmoRile: a personalised emoji prediction scheme based on user profiling’, Int. J. Business Intelligence and Data Mining, Vol. 22, No. 4, pp.470–485.

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

The following sample articles from the International Journal of Intelligent Engineering Informatics are now available here for free:
  • Multi-view multi-depth soil temperature prediction (MV-MD-STP): a new approach using machine learning and time series methods
  • A cladistic approach to the evolution of steppe scripts
  • Lexical semantic analysis to support ontology maintenance modelling of failure-mode-effect analysis
  • MSalp-Epi: multi-objective salp optimisation for epistasis detection in genome-wide association studies

Prof. Charbel Salloum appointed as new Editor in Chief of International Journal of Business and Emerging Markets

Prof. Charbel Salloum from EM Normandie Business School in France has been appointed to take over editorship of the International Journal of Business and Emerging Markets.

3 May 2023

Special issue published: "Investigation of Robustness in Image Enhancement and Pre-Processing Techniques for Biometrics and Computer Vision Applications"

International Journal of Biometrics 15(3/4) 2023

  • Computer succoured vaticination of multi-object detection and histogram enhancement in low vision
  • Human footprint biometrics for personal identification using artificial neural networks
  • Pulmonary lung nodule detection and classification through image enhancement and deep learning
  • MR image enhancement and brain tumour detection using soft computing and BWT with auto-enhance technique
  • Investigation of COVID-19 symptoms using deep learning based image enhancement scheme for x-ray medical images
  • Vehicle recognition using convolution neural network
  • A hybrid approach for face recognition using LBP and multi level classifier
  • Performance optimisation of face recognition based on LBP with SVM and random forest classifier
  • M-ary modulation-based medical image watermarking for accessing quality of service of communication channel
  • Enhancement of retinal fundus image using multi-scale tophat transformation
  • Optimised denoising sparse autoencoder for the detection of outliers for face recognition
  • An empirical analysis of deep ensemble approach on COVID-19 and tuberculosis X-ray images
  • Application of revised firefly algorithm and grey wolf optimisation on keystroke dynamics
  • Deep learning-based lightweight approach to thermal super resolution
  • Identification based on feature fusion of multimodal biometrics and deep learning

Research pick: Small molecules might offer a fruity answer to COVID-19 - "In silico phytochemical repurposing of natural molecules as entry inhibitors against RBD of the spike protein of SARS-CoV-2 using molecular docking studies"

Research in the International Journal of Computational Biology and Drug Design, has looked at the potential of various bioflavanoids as inhibitors of the SARS-CoV-2 virus, which causes COVID-19. The compounds – narirutin, naringin, neohesperidin and hesperidin – are found in citrus fruits. Their wide-ranging therapeutic and physiological effects are well known. The possibility of repurposing them in the face of the ongoing pandemic is discussed in light of computer modelling of their interaction with the virus’ infamous spike protein.

The SARS-CoV-2 virus enters our cells by using a protein called S-protein to interact with a human protein called angiotensin converting enzyme 2, ACE2, present on the surface of our cells. Antiviral drugs that block this mechanism would effectively stop the virus in its tracks. However, finding safe, new antiviral agents is difficult, much better to test a well-known drug or compound and repurpose it for this disease.

Pawan Gupta of the Shri Vile Parle Kelavani Mandals Institute of Pharmacy in Dhule, India, and colleagues have used a computer simulation of the systems to test whether various plant-derived molecules would dock with ACE2 and block entry of the virus. They have found that two of the four molecules tested, naringin and narirutin, can bind to both the S-protein/ACE2 interface and the active site of the S-protein. This means that these natural molecules have the potential to prevent the virus from entering human cells and so might be used to develop treatments for COVID-19.

The COVID-19 pandemic has raged since early 2020, although the first of its victims were identified in China in late 2019. While preventative measures and vaccines have all been developed to help us cope with this emergent disease, there remains a need for treatments for those who do catch the potentially lethal disease. Repurposing could allow the rapid development and subsequent approval of antiviral agents given that many of the early-stage toxicity checks and safety trials will already have been undertaken for the use of such compounds in other health contexts. Of course, the current work was done on a computer, “in silico”, the next step will be to determine whether the two active, lead, compounds can work in the laboratory, “in vitro”, and then “in vivo” in patients. The team also suggests that the kind of multi-targeting they have demonstrated so far in silico might be seen with other compounds, which could also be used as leads to novel antiviral compounds to tackle COVID-19.

Gupta, P., Gupta, S., Sinha, S., Sundaram, S., Sharma, V.K. and Munshi, A. (2023) ‘In silico phytochemical repurposing of natural molecules as entry inhibitors against RBD of the spike protein of SARS-CoV-2 using molecular docking studies’, Int. J. Computational Biology and Drug Design, Vol. 15, No. 4, pp.267–288.

Special issue published: "Agile Strategies for the VUCA World"

World Review of Entrepreneurship, Management and Sustainable Development 19(3/4/5) 2023

  • Do the e-commerce and digital marketing curriculum of Indian B-schools embrace employability skills?
  • Supervisory power and reverse incremental influence: an investigative approach
  • Food apps to create competitive advantage and enhance customer satisfaction
  • Analysing the effect of cause-related advertisement on attitude towards brand
  • The accomplishment of organisation agility through transformational leadership and organisation citizenship behaviour
  • Gender diversity: an approach towards agile women employees in the VUCA business environment
  • Factors influencing the adoption of mobile banking services: a cross-sectional analysis
  • Association of mindfulness, subjective well-being and coping up with stress among university students
  • Can claims on food packages build purchase intention? Assessing serial mediation impact of nutrition information and trust
  • Stumbling blocks in developing entrepreneurship through industrial growth centre, Lassipora: an exploration
  • Does insured healthcare affect economic growth in India? An application of co-integration approach
  • Flexible work arrangements - perceived flexibility and motivation to use FWAs: an Indian perspective
  • Impact of different dimensions of globalisation on firms' performance: an unbalanced panel-data study of firms operating in India
  • Foreign direct investment led economic growth: an analysis of BRICS economies using panel data
  • Exploration of factors contributing towards livelihood security among fisherwomen (a study sponsored by ICSSR-IMPRESS, New Delhi)
  • The innovative potential of SMEs in Kazakhstan in the course of entrepreneurial online education
  • Role of workplace happiness in achieving teachers' sustainable academic performance: a study on selected private universities in Delhi NCR

Special issue published: "Management and Technology for Energy Efficiency Development"

International Journal of Global Energy Issues 45(3) 2023

  • An energy consumption prediction of large public buildings based on data-driven model
  • Short-term forecasting method for lighting energy consumption of large buildings based on time series analysis
  • An energy market demand prediction based on grey BP-NN optimal combination
  • Load random access method of intelligent charging pile based on distributed energy
  • An emission reduction prediction method of green building engineering based on time weighting
  • Research on emission reduction potential prediction method under green building planning based on multi-factor analysis
  • Numerical study on the effect of collector height on the performance of solar water heater collector
  • The Paris Agreement's impact on the green bonds market

2 May 2023

Special issue published: "Synthesis, Morphology and Properties of Functional Nanomaterials"

International Journal of Microstructure and Materials Properties 16(5) 2023

  • Study on low-temperature heat capacity of nano-materials
  • Research on the influence of nano calcium carbonate on the durability of building concrete
  • Study on characteristics and micro defects of ceramic dielectric energy storage
  • Application of fibre reinforced resin matrix composites in the reinforcement of high voltage transmission towers
  • Research on compressive fatigue performance of fibre reinforced asphalt concrete based on response surface methodology
  • Strength prediction of fibre nano concrete based on grey support vector machine
  • Damage detection method of fibre reinforced concrete specimen based on acoustic emission technology
  • Determination of compressive strength of nano modified concrete based on grey entropy correlation method
  • Waterproof reliability evaluation of polymer wet laid waterproof roll based on multi factor fuzzy

Research pick: Improved algorithm plots faster escape routes - "Research on fire escape paths for complex public buildings with multiple starting and end points"

Research in the International Journal of Simulation and Process Modelling has looked at fire escape routes in complex buildings with a view to designing in improvements to help a building’s occupants during a potentially catastrophic event.

Yi Zhang, Chi Wang, Wenwen Tong, and Tianqi Liu of Anhui Jianzhu University in Hefei, China, have proposed an improved algorithm that can help them solve the problem of finding the shortest path for escape and evacuation of large numbers of people in complex buildings, such as skyscrapers. Their algorithm is based on Dijkstra’s algorithm which is a commonly used algorithm for pathfinding.

Dijkstra’s algorithm, developed in the 1950s is today widely used in network routing protocols, maps, and transportation planning. It can offer an efficient way to find the shortest path in a graph. However, for large and complex graphs it does not always discern the most efficient route and so there is room for improvement as the team suggests. Indeed, it can only solve single-source path-planning problems, which is not the problem seen with escape routes from skyscrapers, shopping malls, and other complex buildings.

The researchers developed the original algorithm to allow for multiple sources and multiple convergences. They then simulated real-life scenarios with different numbers of people and different crowd densities in a shopping mall as proof of principle. Their results show that the proposed algorithm is effective in improving the escape efficiency of crowds and provides an answer quickly and efficiently in terms of computing resources.

The ability to evacuate people safely and quickly from complex buildings is important in emergency situations such as fires, earthquakes, or terrorist attacks. The research suggests that incorporating the algorithm into a building management system could allow optimal and improved evacuation procedures and better emergency response to be available to those managing the building and those in charge of an evacuation should it be necessary.

Zhang, Y., Wang, C., Tong, W. and Liu, T. (2022) ‘Research on fire escape paths for complex public buildings with multiple starting and end points’, Int. J. Simulation and Process Modelling, Vol. 19, Nos. 1/2, pp.62–70.

1 May 2023

Research pick: Don’t cry for me Pingtan Island - "Identification of ‘Blue tears’ and its relationship with water quality of coastal waters in Pingtan Island"

Pingtan Island is an attractive tourist destination off the east coast of mainland Asia south of the Min River estuary complex. One of its most well-known natural features that draws the crowds are the “blue tears”. This natural phenomenon is a blue glow that emanates from various species of plankton that bloom in the waters around the island and is seen on the island’s beaches and surrounding rocks.

Many tens of thousands of plankton cells present in every litre of seawater during the main blooming period April to July can produce a bioluminescent glow in turbulent waters. With such blooms there is always the concern that there might be a detrimental effect on the water quality, the other marine life and people and animals swimming in the water.

Work in the International Journal of Environment and Pollution has looked at the impact of blue tears on water quality for the first time. The team writes that the main bioluminescent species generating the blue tears is Noctiluca scintillans, rather than Vargula hilgendorfii and others are discussed by other researchers.

However, contrary to earlier work that had suggested that the presence of N. scintillans might be detrimental to water quality, the team found that the water quality holds good when this organism is present. The team also investigated the ebb and flow of the blue tears bloom and proposes a mechanism that might underlie this natural phenomenon. Their study of spatial and temporal variation in the planktonic community and seawater quality broadly show that the phenomenon of blue tears, which is becoming more widespread, is not, as had been assumed, associated with a drop in water quality.

Zou, Y., Chen, J., Ma, X., Yang, Y., You, J., Chen, Q., Zheng, Y. and Xiang, S. (2021) ‘Identification of ‘Blue tears’ and its relationship with water quality of coastal waters in Pingtan Island’, Int. J. Environment and Pollution, Vol. 70, Nos. 1/2, pp.86–109.