Free sample articles newly available from International Journal of Critical Infrastructures

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

• Research on collaborative construction management of construction project based on BIM technology
• A review of research developments on submerged floating tunnel
• Information-flawing filters in critical infrastructure protection: the deficient information basis in a Swedish approach
• Major hazard industries disaster preparedness: an empirical study of liquefied petroleum gas storage facilities
• A review on smart water management in various domestic areas: an approach for water consumption and leakage perspectives

Special issue published: "The Role of Respect in Medical Practice and Systems"

International Journal of Telemedicine and Clinical Practices 4(1) 2023

• Respecting the patients' needs: the accountability shared model
• Waiting times in healthcare: a literature review
• Categorising the personal health record - a systematic review and analysis of the term's use in the literature
• Reflections on social learning environment and 21st century learning skills

Prof. Tianliang Li appointed as new Editor in Chief of International Journal of Computer Aided Engineering and Technology

Prof. Tianliang Li from the Wuhan University of Technology in China has been appointed to take over editorship of the International Journal of Computer Aided Engineering and Technology.

Research pick: Security in the cyber city - "Methods of anomaly detection for the prevention and detection of cyber attacks"

Research in the International Journal of Intelligent Engineering Informatics proposes the use of system behavioural modelling and unattended or semi-supervised machine learning to help solve the problem of cyber security in smart cities. By training machine learning models on relevant datasets, the researchers suggest that security systems can be improved so that they can identify and mitigate cyber threats. An ongoing challenge is to ensure the reliability and completeness of those very datasets to allow for anomalies to be detected with confidence.

The development of technologically connected and enabled ‘smart cities’ could help us face better rapid urbanization and growing populations. Connectivity allows Internet of Things (IoT) systems to be used more effectively and to harness the power big data analytics to tackle various urban issues, such as traffic congestion, air pollution, water management, housing issues, urban planning, healthcare, and equitable accessibility to resources for everyone. However, as with any integrated and networked technology, IoT devices can be vulnerable to unauthorized access by those with malicious intent. This is most worrying in the area of safety systems, but also of concern across many others such as transport and healthcare.

N. Girubagari and T.N. Ravi of the Thanthai Periyar Government Arts and Science College in Tiruchirappalli, Tamil Nadu, India, point out that cyber attacks in this context go way beyond the kind of the privacy concerns of individuals. They might affect smart infrastructure, communications, and e-governance. As such, intelligent detection systems based on machine learning to safeguard against cyber threats are needed urgently.

The team looks at various anomaly detection methods and assesses their pros and cons. The paper highlights existing obstacles and gaps in research that are currently stymieing the full potential of the smart city. The work evaluates and contrasts methods for identifying anomalies in big data-based cybersecurity, utilizing survival analysis to assess the benefits and drawbacks of current techniques. The long-term objective is, of course, the efficient detection of cyber attacks in real-world scenarios. The research emphasizes that performance assessment for machine learning methodologies is important at this juncture.

In future work, the researchers hope to conduct additional experiments to test performance and establish a methodology for precise and comprehensive anomaly identification in smart city systems.

Girubagari, N. and Ravi, T.N. (2023) ‘Methods of anomaly detection for the prevention and detection of cyber attacks’, Int. J. Intelligent Engineering Informatics, Vol. 11, No. 4, pp.299–316.

Research pick: Loyalty among banking customers - "An explanatory study of predictive factors of customer retention with Cypriot retail banks"

A study in the International Journal of Economics and Business Research has investigated customer loyalty dynamics in the retail banking sector in Cyprus. The work challenges established assumptions by emphasizing the significance of emotional connections over transactional factors. The investigation highlights affective commitment and attitudinal loyalty as important factors influencing a customer’s decision to stay with their current banking provider.

Maria Georgiou, Sofia Daskou, and Michailina Siakalli of Neapolis University Pafos in Cyprus, and Athanasios Anastasiou of the University of Peloponnese in Tripolis, Greece, have shown that contrary to the received wisdom, behavioural loyalty and continuance commitment have little effect on customer retention in the retail banking area.

This finding suggests that emotional bonds and genuine loyalty hold more sway than other factors like switching costs or habitual purchasing patterns and so can help guide customer retention strategy. Conversely, if customers are shown such evidence about their behaviour then they might usefully find a way to see through such strategies and make a better-informed choice about whether or not to stay with a given bank or find an alternative that better suits their needs.

In parallel with such insights, the research also shows that a strong banking system is important at the national level. The work emphasizes that a well-functioning banking system can ensure financial efficiency but also contribute to economic growth and development. Banks that are facilitating household financial planning and ensuring liquidity across the economy play a vital role in the flow of capital, payments, goods, and services across the nation.

The study’s examination of relational constructs provides insights into the behaviour of Cypriot retail banking customers. Affective commitment and attitudinal loyalty emerge as pivotal motivators for customer retention, the research suggests. It is worth noting that normative commitment is identified as a unique yet negatively correlated contributor to customer loyalty. Normative commitment is an individual’s perceived sense of obligation or moral responsibility to remain committed to, in this case, their bank.

For businesses and policymakers, they must recognise the importance of emotional bonds and genuine loyalty in the banking sector. A better-informed customer might also be made aware of this for the mutual benefit of the broader economy as well as their circumstances.

Georgiou, M., Daskou, S., Siakalli, M. and Anastasiou, A. (2024) ‘An explanatory study of predictive factors of customer retention with Cypriot retail banks’, Int. J. Economics and Business Research, Vol. 27, No. 1, pp.127–150.

Free sample articles newly available from International Journal of Cloud Computing

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

• Impact of internet of things in social and agricultural domains in rural sector: a case study
• Towards P2P dynamic-hash-table-based public auditing for cloud data privacy, security and integrity
• Modelling of a cloud platform via M/M1 + M2/1 queues of a Jackson network
• Legal issues of consumer privacy protection in the cloud computing environment: analytic study in GDPR, and USA legislations
• Major drivers for the rising dominance of the hyperscalers in the infrastructure as a service market segment
• A discovery and selection protocol for decentralised cloudlet systems

Research pick: Educational virtualisation with OpenStack - "OpenStack: a virtualisation overview"

Research in the International Journal of Information Technology and Management sheds light on the potential of OpenStack, an open-source cloud-computing platform, in the realm of educational virtualization.

OpenStack, often shortened to O~S, is used as a standardized Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS) solution for both public and private cloud environments. The platform allows users to access virtual servers and manage hardware components such as computer processors, storage, and networking. It could also offer major benefits to educational establishments such as cost savings and the optimization of hardware resource utilization.

Faouzi Mechraoui of the University of Leuven Limburg in Leuven, Belgium, and Pedro Martins and Filipe Caldeira of the Polytechnic of Viseu in Portugal have reviewed OpenStack’s capabilities in the virtualization of resources and how it can provide a flexible and scalable infrastructure for data management, scaling, and networking configurations. Specifically, their review explores the deployment of IaaS using OpenStack.

The team looked at the functional and architectural aspects of OpenStack and discusses how it can be used to build large-scale virtual environments. The research highlights an experimental virtualization setup within an educational scenario, showcasing OpenStack’s adaptability to specific use cases at Viseu. They point out that the system might equally be used in governmental settings too.

OpenStack has many advantages among them how well it can be aligned with user needs and how well it adheres to emerging open standards. These benefits ensure compatibility with current approaches to virtualization, which thus position OpenStack as a practical and reliable solution. As technology evolves around it, OpenStack will be able to stand as a versatile solution.

The team suggest that the next step in an evaluation of OpenStack will be to undertake benchmarking tests to evaluate OpenStack’s performance under stress. The ultimate goal is the implementation of OpenStack to virtualize entire on-premise educational systems. This would allow students to manage their “instances” within the system, creating a dynamic and hands-on learning environment.

Mechraoui, F., Martins, P. and Caldeira, F. (2024) ‘OpenStack: a virtualisation overview’, Int. J. Information Technology and Management, Vol. 23, No. 1, pp.1–12.

Prof. Filippo Vitolla appointed as new Editor in Chief of International Journal of Financial Services Management

Prof. Filippo Vitolla from LUM University Giuseppe Degennaro in Italy has been appointed to take over editorship of the International Journal of Financial Services Management.

Free sample articles newly available from International Journal of Vehicle Information and Communication Systems

The following sample articles from the International Journal of Vehicle Information and Communication Systems are now available here for free:

• An automatic moving vehicle detection system based on hypothesis generation and verification in a traffic surveillance system
• Research on the interactive design of electric vehicle interior based on voice sensing and visual imagery
• Research on primary traffic congestion point identification method based on fuzzy logic
• Research on pattern recognition of automobile anti-lock braking system
• Application of model predictive control on metro train scheduling problems
• Research on the application of multiple target cluster intelligent algorithm in the design of door-to-door carriage of cargoes in railway carriage enterprises
• Research on automatic early warning of UAV attitude abnormal state based on MEMS sensor
• Vehicle parallel integrated control strategy based on coordinated SAS and ABS
• Real-time load balancing and dynamic profile management in mobile data networks
• Route forecasting-based authentication scheme using A* algorithm in vehicular communication network Vartika Agarwal; Sachin Sharma; Gagan Bansal
• Automatic control method of automobile steering-by-wire based on fuzzy PID

Free sample articles newly available from International Journal of Sustainable Society

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

• Understanding the impact of cross-cultural friendships and residency status on multicultural attitudes: a UAE perspective
• Investment uncertainty due to COVID-19 on energy-efficient investing in India
• An alternative to analysing environmental bioethics
• Assessment of the construction industry market: a study of the barriers and drivers of sustainability practices
• Developments in Norway's sustainability governance in the pre- and post-2030 Agenda era

Free open access article available: "The sub-national institution in an emerging country and the location choice of high technology investment: evidence from Vietnam"

The following paper, "The sub-national institution in an emerging country and the location choice of high technology investment: evidence from Vietnam" (International Journal of Economics and Business Research 27(1) 2024), is freely available for download as an open access article.

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

Research pick: Like parent, like child? The entrepreneurial intention - "Entrepreneurial intentions: the role of parental self-employment"

Research in the International Journal of Education Economics and Development has used the entrepreneurial intention model to investigate what if any influence of parental self-employed status has on the aspirations of their offspring. The researchers obtainted data and questionnaire results from 319 respondents at a public university in Spain. The data and answers were analysed through structural equation modelling, using multi-group analysis (MGA) to discern the differences between those individuals with self-employed parents and those without.

Kwaku Amofah, Jones Lewis Arthur, and Edward Owusu of Sunyani Technical University in Sunyani, Ghana, and Ramon Saladrigues Solé of the University of Lleida in Lleida, Spain, demonstrated that respondents with self-employed parents were much more likely to have a positive attitude towards entrepreneurship, perceived behavioural control, entrepreneurial skills, and environmental support compared to those without such parental background. However, the MGA showed that, despite these differences, the overall entrepreneurial intention in both groups was comparable.

The results reinforce the role of parental self-employment in this kind of study. They also underscore the importance of conducting multi-group analysis to reveal the nuances and variations among different groups. The researchers thus suggest that their work has implications for education and policy-making, particularly when it comes to entrepreneurship teaching and learning. By shedding light on the impact of parental self-employment on key elements of the entrepreneurial mindset, the team suggests the need for a more subtle approach to teaching entrepreneurship skills as well as recognizing influences that might be shaping a student’s perception and intention when starting their own business.

The insights regarding family background, individual perceptions, and environmental support are important in shaping entrepreneurial ambitions. The current findings will contribute to defining educational strategies and policies. The team also uncovered a discernible gender gap in entrepreneurial intention. This, the work suggests, highlights the need to explore further and to consider other cultural and contextual factors that might influence entrepreneurial intentions in different settings.

An additional notable contribution of this research lies in its approach in that the exploration using the integrated form of the entrepreneurial intention model was shown to be rather useful whereas it has received less attention in previous studies.

Amofah, K., Saladrigues Solé, R., Arthur, J.L. and Owusu, E. (2024) ‘Entrepreneurial intentions: the role of parental self-employment’, Int. J. Education Economics and Development, Vol. 15, Nos. 1/2, pp.234–266.

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

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

• A conceptual framework for scaled agile success
• Moderation effect of flexibility in projects on senior management commitment in achieving success in financial services IT projects
• A complexity scoring model for evaluating complexity of software projects
• Project knowledge sharing mechanisms - an exploratory analysis
• An integrated project management methodology under a social perspective in industrialisation projects

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

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

• Cross-modal correlation feature extraction with orthogonality redundancy reduce and discriminant structure constraint
• Low-loss data compression using deep learning framework with attention-based autoencoder
• A new resource sharing protocol in the light of token-based strategy for distributed system
• Spam email classification and sentiment analysis based on semantic similarity methods
• A novel dual-fusion algorithm of single image dehazing based on anisotropic diffusion and Gaussian filter
• Web API service recommendation for Mashup creation
• Combining machine learning and effective feature selection for real-time stock trading in variable time-frames
• Short-term load forecasting with bidirectional LSTM-attention based on the sparrow search optimisation algorithm
• A GRU-based hybrid global stock price index forecasting model with group decision-making
• An efficient algorithm for maximum cliques problem on IoT devices

Special issue published: "Artificial Intelligence-Based Personalised Applications for Sustainable Engineering of Wearable E-Healthcare System"

International Journal of Ad Hoc and Ubiquitous Computing 45(1) 2024

• A trusted and adaptive security mechanism for wearable e-healthcare systems
• Ubiquitous monitoring of liver transplantation patients
• Data security enhancement in internet of things using optimised hashing algorithm
• NEAT activity detection using smartwatch
• Optimal hybrid classifier with fine-tuned hyper parameter and improved fuzzy C means segmentation: skin cancer detection

Free sample articles newly available from International Journal of Strategic Engineering Asset Management

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

• Introducing user experience in manual data collection: the effect of social influence, managerial support, and usefulness
• Corporate asset management - an integrated model for investment portfolio assessment
• A framework for physical asset risk management in the Sri Lankan clothing industry
• Sustainability in strategic asset management frameworks: a systematic literature review

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:

• The effect of camber control on power consumption during handling manoeuvres
• Design and evaluation of a driver intent based mobile control interface for ground vehicles
• Refined modelling of thin-walled beam, plate and joint for automobile frame
• How does AR-HUD system affect driving behaviour? Evidence from an eye-tracking experiment study

Free sample articles newly available from International Journal of Productivity and Quality Management

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

• The use of social media in product marketing activities of micro, small and medium enterprises
• Model for estimating productivity for the manufacture of aluminium formworks used for the construction of housing with the concrete wall constructive method
• Impact of HRM practices on employee productivity in times of COVID-19 pandemic
• Economic development of housing infrastructure of regions based on formation of building materials cluster
• Smart systems to mitigate failure of strategic alliances
• Exploring the interrelationships between green manufacturing practices and Malaysian green sustainable performance

Free open access article available: "An explanatory study of predictive factors of customer retention with Cypriot retail banks"

The following paper, "An explanatory study of predictive factors of customer retention with Cypriot retail banks" (International Journal of Economics and Business Research 27(1) 2024), 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 Information Technology and Management

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

• A reliability and security enhanced framework for cloud-based storage systems
• Big data block impact within big data environment
• Scrutinising medical practitioners' Twitter feeds: an analysis
• Research on evaluation of network payment security
• QoE-based service differentiation: an analysis of the business implications for the mobile services market
• How to evaluate brand extension in the mobile internet environment
• Determinants of success and failure of knowledge transfer in information systems offshoring: a ranking-type Delphi study
• Impact of e-commerce on supply chain management
• The effects of relationship quality and knowledge sharing on service innovation performance: organisational learning as a mediator

Free sample articles newly available from International Journal of Heavy Vehicle Systems

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

• Hardware-in-the-loop simulation of active roll control for single-trailer truck using steerable wheel at the middle axle
• Study on super-wheelbase preview controller/algorithm for internet of vehicles suspension system used in a heavy vehicle fleet
• Robust speed control of induction motor drive for electric traction application
• Strength analysis of energy absorbing protective structure for excavator
• Stress analysis of an air tube bracket on a heavy-duty commercial vehicle's chassis
• Study and failure analysis of non-drive automotive rear axle of heavy commercial vehicle

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:

• Optimising data quality of a data warehouse using data purgation process
• Adaptable address parser with active learning
• Capturing uncertainties through log analysis using DevOps
• Application of rule-based data mining in extracting the rules from the number of patients and climatic factors in instantaneous to long-term spectrum
• A deep-learning approach to game bot identification via behavioural features analysis in complex massively-cooperative environments

Free open access article available: "Right to good mental health: procrastination and social media addiction among girl students"

The following paper, "Right to good mental health: procrastination and social media addiction among girl students" (International Journal of Human Rights and Constitutional Studies 11(1) 2024), is freely available for download as an open access article.

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

Research pick: Fingerprinting with machine vision - "A high precision recognition method for small area fingerprints based on machine vision"

Traditional fingerprint identification methods can struggle with accurately identifying feature points in smaller regions. This is usually where a subset of fingerprints that are of limited size might typically be found in a restricted regions of a larger fingerprint image. Ultimately this usually leads to lower recognition accuracy and weaker evidence gleaned from a crime scene investigation, for instance.

Research in the International Journal of Data Mining and Bioinformatics hopes to overcome that problem. The paper introduces a machine vision technique that has been refined to work on small fingerprint areas. It could overcome many of the challenges faced by crime scene investigators and improve the overall precision of fingerprint recognition. The same technology might also be extended to biometric security systems.

Qiqun Liu and Tan Liu of Henan Vocational College of Agriculture in Zhengzhou Henan, China, have introduced this new approach to small-area fingerprint recognition in order to overcome the limitations of conventional techniques particularly with respect to the recognition of feature points in boundary regions.

The key component of their new approach is a descriptor that provides an analysis of estimated values of the important fingerprint parameters. By using this descriptor, the method extracts detailed feature points and establishes a so-called frequency field. This can then be used to direct enhancements of the small-area fingerprint image to improve clarity. An additional process then extracts detailed features from the enhanced small-area fingerprint image.

The researcher’s experiments give a good indication of the effectiveness of this method, allowing them to accurately extract detailed features from seemingly obscure fingerprint images. Notably, the average recognition time has been reduced to just over half a minute compared with the much longer times of more conventional approaches when presented with the same kinds of image. Moreover, the technique offers a more uniform distribution of feature points and so excels in the identification of ridge features on image edges.

The same machine vision technology might be extended beyond forensic science to applications in biometric security systems and access control. The efficiency and accuracy improvements wrought by the new approach could thus be used to enhance the reliability of biometric authentication systems.

Liu, Q. and Liu, T. (2024) ‘A high precision recognition method for small area fingerprints based on machine vision’, Int. J. Data Mining and Bioinformatics, Vol. 28, No. 1, pp.40–57.

Free sample articles newly available from International Journal of Data Mining and Bioinformatics

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

• Diagnosis of Parkinson's disease genes using LSTM and MLP-based multi-feature extraction methods
• Data mining-based integration method of infant emergency and critical information in modern hospital
• Fast retrieval method of biomedical literature based on feature mining
• Low resolution face recognition algorithm based on MB-LBP
• Research on human health status recognition based on association algorithm
• Research on cloud storage biological data deduplication method based on Simhash algorithm
• Identification of disease-related miRNAs based on weighted k-nearest known neighbours and inductive matrix completion

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:

• A hybrid algorithm for workflow scheduling in cloud environment
• Deep recurrent neural network-based Hadoop framework for COVID prediction with applications to big data in cloud computing
• Multi-modal MRI image fusion of the brain based on joint bilateral filter and non-subsampled shearlet transform
• Alligator optimisation algorithm for solving unconstrainted optimisation problems
• A novel binary multi-swarms fruit fly optimisation algorithm for the 0-1 multidimensional knapsack problem

Free sample articles newly available from International Journal of Telemedicine and Clinical Practices

The following sample articles from the International Journal of Telemedicine and Clinical Practices are now available here for free:

• Does telephone counselling improve clinic adherence? Findings from a randomised controlled trial in a tertiary centre in Nigeria
• Effect of WhatsApp-based reminders on adherence to home exercise program
• Voice analysis rehabilitation platform based on LSTM algorithm
• A real-time automated epileptic seizure detection model for phenylketonuria patients using ANFIS, DWT, ST, CT and EGA
• Systematic review of indoor fall detection systems for the elderly using Kinect
• Comprehending the roles of perceived usefulness and satisfaction in smoking cessation online health communities: a social capital perspective

Special issue published: "Green Energy and Power System and Sustainable Development"

International Journal of Powertrains 12(4) 2023

• Coordination control for output voltage of optical-storage independent microgrid based on adaptive optimisation
• Principle, method and application of electronic power system protection
• Application of gradient boosting decision tree algorithm in operation quality evaluation of electric energy metering device in electric power company
• The matching model of thermal energy supply and demand in power generation park with new energy and municipal solid waste
• Design of impulse grounding resistance measurement system for distribution network based on wavelet packet optimal algorithm
• Construction of SF6 emission estimation model in power equipment
• Optimisation of straw logistics supply chain in biomass power generation project

Research pick: UAV search and rescue on the edge - "Real-time human search and monitoring system using unmanned aerial vehicle"

Conventional search and rescue operations after major disasters face many problems. A team from Malaysia writing in the International Journal of Vehicle Autonomous Systems, now suggests a practical solution that involves a real-time human detection system using a fixed-wing Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV).

Cheok Jun Hong and Vimal Rau Aparow of the University of Nottingham Malaysia, in Selangor and Hishamuddin Jamaluddin of Southern University College in Skudai, Johor, Malaysia, have brought together UAV technology with readily available small-scale tools such as the Raspberry Pi computer. This allows them not only to better manage system functions than with conventional technology but also to stream aerial imagery from an attached camera.

What makes this novel approach particularly attractive is the ability to offload the computationally intensive human detection tasks to a server at the edge, enabled by 4G cellular network technology. The team explains that the server employs the YOLOv3 deep neural network, trained on VisDrone and SARD datasets, and can precisely identify people from the images gathered by the UAV’s camera and transmit results to ground control. With a positive identification, a rescue team can then be sent to the exact spot where a rescue is needed.

The system brings together deep learning algorithms and mobile-edge computing and represents a shift away from conventional search and rescue approaches that could speed up the whole process during a major incident. There are also benefits to precluding the need for manned aircraft or people to cover a lot of ground in hazardous environments.

The team explains that their convolutional neural network with the YOLOv3 architecture can achieve a mean Average Precision (mAP) of almost 80 per cent for identifying people in the images from the UAV camera. By using the TensorRT toolkit the researchers can further optimize the approach and speed up inference by some three times when compared with the original neural network but without loss of accuracy. Of course, while the system can have a greater range than a radio-enabled system, it does rely on the stability and existence of the 4G network across the search and rescue area.

The researchers initially designed the system for human search and rescue scenarios, but it could be adapted to other applications, such as public safety and crime prevention. It could be repurposed for patrolling a site vulnerable to criminal activity or even used in tracking criminals.

Hong, C.J., Aparow, V.R. and Jamaluddin, H. (2023) ‘Real-time human search and monitoring system using unmanned aerial vehicle’, Int. J. Vehicle Autonomous Systems, Vol. 17, Nos. 1/2, pp.106–132.

Free sample articles newly available from International Journal of Economics and Business Research

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

• Financial sector development and credit risk: an insight of BRICS countries using continuously updated fully modified and continuously updated bias corrected methods
• Dynamic volatility spillover across stock markets of India and its trading partners - an empirical investigation
• A spatial bivariate copula regression analysis of youths' access to ICT resources and subjective well-being in the Middle East
• Comparative role of income and social inequality in migration decision making: a household level analysis of India
• Related party transactions, earnings management and governance mechanism in emerging markets: the case of GCC countries

Free sample articles newly available from International Journal of Applied Management Science

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

• Measuring dynamic capabilities-based synergies using real options in M&A deals: Amazon's acquisition of Whole Foods
• A goal programming strategy for bi-level decentralised multi-objective linear programming problem with neutrosophic numbers
• Municipal water supplies efficiencies in Gaza Strip: a data envelopment analysis approach
• Use of known population median of study variable for elevated estimation of population mean
• The mediating impact of motive fulfilment on the relationship between supervisors and volunteers' intention to stay

Free sample articles newly available from International Journal of Ad Hoc and Ubiquitous Computing

The following sample articles from the International Journal of Ad Hoc and Ubiquitous Computing are now available here for free:

• 5G network traffic control: a temporal analysis and forecasting of cumulative network activity using machine learning and deep learning technologies
• Theoretical analysis of biases in TLS encryption scheme Chacha 128
• Energy consumption models in VANET simulation tools for electric vehicles: a literature survey
• A survey of intelligent load monitoring in IoT-enabled distributed smart grids
• Multiscale hierarchical attention fusion network for edge detection

International Journal of Systems, Control and Communications announces winner of Best Editorial Board Member Award

Prof. Jianbo Su, Editor in Chief of the International Journal of Systems, Control and Communications, is pleased to announce that the 2022-2023 Best Editorial Board Member Award has been won by Prof. Junguo Lu, from Shanghai Jiao Tong University, in recognition of his intelligent and incisive insight on recommending influential papers with higher citations.

Research pick: Predicting the energy balance algorithmically - "Predicting world electricity generation by sources using different machine learning algorithms"

A team in Turkey has tested different machine-learning algorithms for predicting electricity demand from different sources. They trained the algorithms on electricity demand data for the period 2000-2022 and used them to successfully make predictions for 2023 with differing degrees of accuracy.

The researchers tested the predictive power of long short-term memory (LSTM), artificial neural network (ANN), linear regression (LR), support vector regression (SVR), decision tree regression (DTR), random forest regression (RFR), and eXtreme gradient boosting (XGBoost) and demonstrated that LSTM is the most accurate. Such an algorithm could be used to model energy usage and production for long-term electricity planning around the world.

Writing in the International Journal of Oil, Gas and Coal Technology, Mehmet Hakan Özdemir and Batin Latif Aylak of the Turkish-German University in Istanbul, Murat İnce of Isparta University of Applied Sciences, Isparta, and Okan Oral of Akdeniz University in Antalya, Turkey, suggest that understanding supply and demand in terms of the different non-renewable and renewable energy sources is critical at this point in human history.

Given that non-renewable sources such as fossil fuels are finite and irreplaceable, renewable sources such as wind, solar, hydro, geothermal, and biogas which can be replenished are high on the generation agenda. Machine learning, with its ability to discern intricate relationships and patterns from large bodies of data, offers a powerful and flexible approach to prediction. In contrast to traditional statistical methods, machine learning algorithms, trained on appropriate data sets, can consider the entirety of the available data and thus discern conclusions about complex interactions that traditional analytical methods cannot reach.

Machine learning could thus help us in our energy policy decisions and steer the electricity generation industry towards a path to a more sustainable future. The insights gleaned from the research not only inform decision-makers but also highlight just how transformative machine learning algorithms can be in redefining how we solve problems of this kind.

Özdemir, M.H., Aylak, B.L., İnce, M. and Oral, O. (2024) ‘Predicting world electricity generation by sources using different machine learning algorithms’, Int. J. Oil, Gas and Coal Technology, Vol. 35, No. 1, pp.98–115.

Free sample articles newly available from Afro-Asian Journal of Finance and Accounting

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

• A longitudinal investigation of IFRS-8 implementation: evidence from Qatar
• Default prediction for audited and unaudited private firms under economic and financial stress: evidence from Zimbabwe
• Rational speculative bubbles in the stock market - the case of Amman Stock Exchange
• Women participation in corporate boards: quantile regression approach
• The effect of credit rating announcements on stock returns of banks in India
• Banking sector intermediation and economic growth: new evidence from CEMAC countries
• Did the public company oversight board's restrictions on auditor-provided tax services reduce companies' tax avoidance?

Editor in Chief invites submissions for the International Journal of Power and Energy Conversion

Dr. Abdessamad Didi, Editor in Chief of the International Journal of Power and Energy Conversion, cordially invites general submissions to IJPEC, particularly those that "empower tomorrow" by navigating the complex landscape of energy challenges and sustainable solutions.

Dr. Didi expands as follows:

"Today, the increasing demand for energy poses a significant challenge, and the effective utilisation of this energy requires a complex process involving several essential elements. This includes mobilising qualified human resources, establishing well-equipped structures and leveraging the knowledge and expertise of all involved stakeholders. The harmonious coordination of these diverse elements is crucial to ensuring the success of this endeavour.

From this perspective, power and energy conversion (whether thermal, nuclear, solar, etc.) play a central role. The mastery of these aspects is currently within our reach, allowing us to positively influence the future of energy management. This involves not only adopting cutting-edge conversion technologies but also implementing sustainable energy practices and policies.

Simultaneously, it is essential to consider all anomalies and potential challenges that may arise in this process. This requires constant vigilance and the implementation of adaptive correction mechanisms. The lessons learned from these experiences will contribute to continuously improving our practices and strengthening our resilience for future challenges.

Furthermore, one of the perspectives that generates significant interest is water production through seawater desalination. While this approach requires considerable power and energy, it offers a valuable solution to meeting the growing demand for drinking water. The ongoing development of more efficient and sustainable desalination technologies is therefore a strategic area for the future.

In summary, managing energy and power today requires a holistic approach, involving synergies among human resources, conversion technologies, continuous process monitoring and innovative initiatives such as seawater desalination. It is through a thorough understanding of these elements and consistent implementation that we can shape a more sustainable future for humanity on Earth. All of these aspects can have a profound impact on our success, and in this regard, we aim to contribute to the advancement of science through the International Journal of Power and Energy Conversion, and invite researchers to contribute to our journal to promote scientific progress and create a promising future."

You can visit IJPEC's homepage for more information on the journal and for guidance on how to submit articles.

Research pick: Drivers deliver the upsell - "Upselling at delivery"

Online shopping and home delivery have displaced the traditional trip to the shops for many people. This has been an ongoing process in retail that has seen the closure of high-street shops and many of the big department store chains as customers turn to shopping online. The process was somewhat accelerated during the pandemic when many people simply could not go shopping because of the prevalence of the disease and lockdown restrictions.

Writing in the International Journal of Revenue Management, a team in the USA discusses how suppliers are hoping to take advantage of this changing retail environment in which shoppers have everything from groceries and medication to devices and tools delivered to their homes rather than buying at a bricks-and-mortar store. They are looking at how retailers are exploring innovative strategies to enhance their resilience and revenue generation.

One novel approach known as the ‘driver-becoming-salesperson’ strategy, could, despite its rather clumsy name, become an important component in on-the-doorstep upselling and cross-selling. The delivery driver hands over the goods ordered but with additional offers for associated products made directly to the customer at their own home.

Conventionally, the last-mile phase of the delivery process has been viewed as nothing more than a logistics operation. Drivers are hired, vehicles are serviced and packed with goods and an efficient route is planned around the sales region to get those goods to the customers as quickly and efficiently as possible. The passive hope is that satisfied customers will shop with the retailer again. However, a more proactive approach would represent a paradigm shift by adding a new role for the delivery personnel – sales agent.

The concept is simple but may well be sophisticated in its implementation. The idea capitalizes on the direct, face-to-face interaction the driver can have with the customer when fulfilling the order. With appropriate skills, training, and the wares to offer, the delivery personnel might bring the showroom experience to the customer. Of course, door-to-door salespeople have existed ever since we have had doors, but this driver-as-upseller approach aligns more with the evolving landscape of e-commerce and modern retailing where storefronts are almost always virtual for many shoppers.

Timothy L. Urban and Robert A. Russell of the Collins College of Business at The University of Tulsa in Oklahoma, USA, have modelled this scenario by looking at two well-known complex problems, a vehicle-routing problem and the multiple-knapsack problem. By merging these two problems, they hoped to come up with an optimal way for sellers to select products that their drivers might then upsell from their delivery vehicles. The model that combines logistics and selling takes into account product attributes, customer preferences, and route efficiency. The results from the model highlight the fact that it is relatively easy to find an efficient route, but finding the right customers for upselling is the key to success.

The ‘driver-upseller’ strategy offers a pragmatic approach to help retailers adapt more effectively to the way people now shop. It will make an opportunity of the logistical paradigm of the last-mile delivery allowing for ad hoc customer engagement and upselling at the time of delivery. As online sales continue to grow, retailers that embrace such an approach are likely to boost their competitiveness, their sales, and customer satisfaction.

Urban, T.L. and Russell, R.A. (2024) ‘Upselling at delivery’, Int. J. Revenue Management, Vol. 14, No. 1, pp.1–32.

Associate Prof. Massimiliano M. Pellegrini appointed as new Editor in Chief of International Journal of Globalisation and Small Business

Associate Prof. Massimiliano M. Pellegrini from the University of Rome "Tor Vergata" in Italy has been appointed to take over editorship of the International Journal of Globalisation and Small Business.

Free sample articles newly available from International Journal of Intellectual Property Management

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

• Entrepreneurial self-efficacy in female Latin American university students
• The determinants of continuance intention to use pandemic contact tracing apps: the case of COVID-19
• Copyright piracy and education
• Impact of the technological implications of teleworking on higher education teaching staff
• Effect of auditor experience, independence, professional skepticism, and ability to detect fraud on capital spirituality audit results quality as moderating factors

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:

• How business ethics reshape family firms?
• Classifications on wine informatics using PCA, LDA, and supervised machine learning techniques
• The impact of emotional intelligence on employees' performance and productivity
• A resource-based view of social entrepreneurship: how the human capital influences the job creation in the Lebanese market
• How family firms are enhancing employee behaviour, motivation, satisfaction and turnover intentions

Research pick: The hidden value of voice - "Value dimensions of digital applications and services: the example of voice assistants"

Researchers in Switzerland and the UK have delved into the intricate world of digital interactions, using a unique combination of theories to shed light on the often-overlooked aspects of how customers engage with online services. By merging two theoretical frameworks, Activity Theory (AT) and Service-Dominant Logic (SDL), the study focuses on deciphering how user actions contribute to the overall value of digital services.

When one uses a voice assistant or interacts with a smart application, one is not simply completing a task but also creating value in different ways. Writing in the International Journal of Web Engineering and Technology, researchers break down this value creation into various dimensions. These are dematerialization (moving away from physical interactions), objectification (transforming actions into tangible outcomes), institutionalization (establishing patterns), modularization (breaking down tasks into manageable parts and streamlining processes), and platformization (building on existing digital structures and helping enhance them). These different dimensions can benefit both the customer and the service provider.

Uwe V. Riss and Michael Ziegler of the Eastern Switzerland University of Applied Sciences in St. Gallen, Switzerland, and Lindsay J. Smith of the University of Hertfordshire in Hatfield, UK focused on understanding how user activities, defined by AT, integrate into the theoretical framework of service systems represented by SDL. Their findings shed light on the various dimensions of customer value with a specific application to voice assistants.

The team explains that this integration provides a deeper insight into customer interactions within service systems, essential for investigating customer experience in the context of service ecosystems. The study underscores the significance of smart products, highlighting the inseparable intertwining of service and material interaction in what we might call digital ecosystems. Moreover, the work reconciles the different focuses of AT and SDL, which are both centred on customers using services within action objectives or service ecosystems but with differences. AT emphasizes specific actions and outcomes, while SDL concentrates on the interplay of various service providers.

The common thread, the work suggests, is the concept of cocreation of value, either as the success of action in AT or as resource integration in SDL. The research thus brings together the understanding offered by each approach. Given that the customer experience plays a pivotal role in representing digital ways of value creation, it is important to encompass customer activities with that understanding.

Riss, U.V., Ziegler, M. and Smith, L.J. (2023) ‘Value dimensions of digital applications and services: the example of voice assistants’, Int. J. Web Engineering and Technology, Vol. 18, No. 4, pp.319–343.

Free open access article available: "The attitude towards corruption in the EU under a gender perspective"

The following paper, "The attitude towards corruption in the EU under a gender perspective" (European Journal of International Management 22(2) 2024), is freely available for download as an open access article.

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

Special issue published: "Reflections on and Applications of Economy Studies a Guide to Rethinking Economics Education"

International Journal of Pluralism and Economics Education 14(2) 2023

• In what direction is economics heading?
• Teaching economy studies in non-economics programs through the lens of justice
• Pluralism and the history of economic thought
• Rethinking economic undergraduate textbooks - a trend toward pluralism?

Free sample articles newly available from International Journal of Human Rights and Constitutional Studies

The following sample articles from the International Journal of Human Rights and Constitutional Studies are now available here for free:

• The synthesis of law, judicial duty and enforcement of rights in Africa
• Re-visiting Article 370: the politics of autonomy in Jammu and Kashmir
• Re-imagining, re-conceptualising and re-shaping cities in post-pandemic India: interpreting the urban space
• Controlling state power in Vietnam after Doi moi (1986): an increasing challenge and perspective
• The constitution comes second: how the Constitutional Court of Kosovo disregards the supremacy of the constitution
• The Greek referendum of July 5, 2015: on legitimacy and state credibility
• Human rights concerns in the State of Assam, India in situation of insurgent movement: special reference to the rights of women

Research pick: Cultivating gender equality could cut corruption - "The attitude towards corruption in the EU under a gender perspective"

A study in the European Journal of International Management has looked at the complex relationship between gender, governance, and corruption in Europe. The research analysed evidence from 35 European countries between the years 2010 and 2020 to discern the nuanced relationship between heightened gender inequality and increased corruption. Fundamentally, the research found that a substantial female presence in decision-making positions, especially in societies with robust legal frameworks, was associated closely with transparency and lower levels of corruption.

Andrea Cámara-Payno, Julieta Díez-Hernández, Martyna Novak, and Elena Temiño-Santamaría of the University of Burgos in Burgos, Castilla y Leon, Spain, found that contrary to expectations, they did not identify gender-based disparities in attitudes toward corruption. Rather, greater representation of women in decision-making roles contributed to enhanced overall gender equality and, it was this that was associated with lower levels of corruption.

It is well-documented that among the European nations, Denmark, Finland, and Norway have good gender equality and adherence to the rule of law. It is unlikely to be a coincidence that these nations have a higher proportion of women in both public and corporate spheres of influence and that this correlates with more effective corruption control than is seen in other nations that are more dominated by men. This, the research suggests, actually challenges traditional gender theory that would otherwise indicate that gender ultimately becomes of little consequence in terms of attitudes to corruption once a good degree of equality has been achieved.

The issue is complex, of course, and gender equality and decision-making are just part of broader considerations in the context of combating corruption. Nevertheless, the study emphasizes the importance of improving gender equality and the rule of law in the fight against corruption. The promotion of equal opportunities is thus an important part of societal evolution.

Cámara-Payno, A., DíezHernández, J., Novak, M. and Temiño-Santamaría, E. (2024) ‘The attitude towards corruption in the EU under a gender perspective’, European J. International Management, Vol. 22, No. 2, pp.254–280.

Free open access article available: "Construction of Korean Shipping Industry Risk Sentiment Index using news articles"

The following paper, "Construction of Korean Shipping Industry Risk Sentiment Index using news articles" (International Journal of Shipping and Transport Logistics 17(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 Services, Economics and Management

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

• Requirements analysis of customer service recovery system in hospitality industry using fuzzy DEMATEL and ANP
• Contributory role of innovative capabilities in Malaysian small and medium enterprises performance
• Examining the trends in citizen satisfaction towards e-government services in United Arab Emirates: a structural equation modelling approach
• Influence of personalisation and hedonic motivation on repurchase intention: the mediating role of customer experience and loyalty
• Customer satisfaction, behavioural and pay more intentions: a study on Indian Dhabas (roadside full-service restaurants)
• Factors affecting customers' satisfaction in e-commerce marketplace during COVID-19 pandemic: developing market context

Free sample articles newly available from World Review of Science, Technology and Sustainable Development

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• Blockchain for the asset management industry
• Selection of sanitary landfill site by integrated fuzzy AHP and GIS for Multan, Pakistan
• How SARS-CoV-2 crisis could influence the tourism intentions of Azores Archipelago residents? A study based on the assessment of the public perceptions Gualter Couto; Rui Alexandre 
• Effects of COVID-19 pandemics on the cost items of hotel operations
• An impact study on COVID-19 and tourism sustainability: intelligent solutions, issues and future challenges
• The situation of the tourist sectors after the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic - tourism covidisation
• Public health system in promotion of water sanitation and hygiene: an analytical study
• CSR: analysing shifting paradigm from climate change to global health emergencies
• Potential impacts of COVID-19 pandemic on Turkish economy and its carbon dioxide emissions: an extended input-output analysis
• COVID-19 pandemic period reflections on problems experienced in distance education at the primary school level: teacher opinions
• Impact of the COVID-19 on MSCI world equity market index

Free open access article available: "An international analysis of fraud detection in European structural and investment funds"

The following paper, "An international analysis of fraud detection in European structural and investment funds" (European Journal of International Management 22(2) 2024), is freely available for download as an open access article.

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

Research pick: Educational distraction - "Right to good mental health: procrastination and social media addiction among girl students"

A study in the International Journal of Human Rights and Constitutional Studies has explored the various factors that might contribute to procrastination among female university students.

For many people, it can take a lot of willpower or the threat of some kind of penalty to ensure they keep themselves on track in terms of studying and working rather than finding alternative, unrelated activities with which to distract themselves from the task at hand. S. Chandni, V. Sethuramalingam, and N. Rajavel of the Department of Social Work at Bharathidasan University in Tamil Nadu, India, have investigated procrastination among 277 female university students living in university hostel-type accommodation. They utilized statistical analyses such as cross-tabulations, one-way ANOVA, t-tests, and Step-wise Regression to process data about the use of social media, mobile phones, and demographic factors on procrastination.

The team found that the age of the students significantly affected how much they procrastinate. Younger students were more prone to delaying tasks on which they were purportedly focused. Additionally, the number of years someone had been studying was also a factor that influenced procrastination. The longer a student had been at university the more inclined were they to procrastinate. Perhaps more intriguingly, family income was identified as a contributing factor. A higher level of procrastination among the students was associated with lower family incomes.

Less surprisingly, perhaps, was that the team found a direct correlation between time spent on social media and the degree of procrastination. Given that social media has become a ubiquitous distraction for so many people it is perhaps not surprising that young students succumb to its whiles just as do so many other people. Those students with dual-SIM phones displayed a greater degree of procrastination than those with single-SIM devices. Why that should be is not entirely clear, except perhaps to say that high-end phones and the choice to have a dual-SIM device may well be associated with a greater degree of “tech savvy” and an inclination to enjoy the functionality of more sophisticated devices.

Procrastination among students, and others, linked to social media use specifically, poses a challenge for educators, and in the wider world, perhaps employers, where it might be detrimentally affecting academic performance, personal growth, and even job prospects.

There is perhaps now a need for policymakers and healthcare professionals to look at this particular aspect of social media activity and to find novel ways to support students, and others, in overcoming what might be considered a problematic addiction in circumstances where it is seriously detrimental to the individual user, their education and their life prospects.

Chandni, S., Sethuramalingam, V. and Rajavel, N. (2024) ‘Right to good mental health: procrastination and social media addiction among girl students’, Int. J. Human Rights and Constitutional Studies, Vol. 11, No. 1, pp.99–112.

Free sample articles newly available from International Journal of Operational Research

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

• Multi-objective optimisation for solving cooperative continuous static games using Karush-Kuhn-Tucker conditions
• A novel inverse DEA model for restructuring DMUs with negative data
• Distribution and inventory planning in multi-echelon supply chains under demand uncertainty
• An efficient approach for solving a job shop scheduling problem with resources constraints: a case study iCIM 3000
• On the time-dependent solution of fluid models driven by an M/M/1 queue using a probabilistic approach
• Pricing and operational planning of a fixed-route ride-sharing service
• Solving the team orienteering problem with time windows and mandatory visits using a constraint programming approach
• Optimising fully fuzzy interval integer transshipment problems

Free sample articles newly available from International Journal of Electronic Security and Digital Forensics

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

• Management of electronic ledger: a constraint programming approach for solving curricula scheduling problems
• Colour image encryption based on an improved fractional-order logistic map
• A new encryption system for IoT devices using embedded key cryptosystem
• Intelligence sharing in big data forensics
• Cyber terrorism and its role in the outbreak of international crisis
• Cloud forensics and digital ledger investigation: a new era of forensics investigation

Special issue published: "Corruption and Fraud in European Organisations and Institutions" (includes Open Access articles)

European Journal of International Management 22(2) 2024

• Editorial: trust-building and corruption
• A neural network approach for predicting corruption in public procurement
• An international analysis of fraud detection in European structural and investment funds [OPEN ACCESS]
• The moderating role of economic uncertainty via corruption on investment: evidence from European firm level
• The attitude towards corruption in the EU under a gender perspective [OPEN ACCESS]
• Development of youth anti-corruption potential in the European Union
• Coopetitive IJVs: a strategy of managing the internationalisation challenges in China

Research pick: Sailing how close to the wind? - "Construction of Korean Shipping Industry Risk Sentiment Index using news articles"

A study in the International Journal of Shipping and Transport Logistics has introduced a new Shipping Industry Risk Sentiment Index (SRSI). This tool has been designed to analyse sentiment in the news media concerning South Korea’s shipping industry. The SRSI utilizes an innovative method involving text analysis of news articles from Korean newspapers, focusing on terms related to the six C’s of credit – character, capacity, capital, company, conditions, and collateral.

Sunghwa Park of Gyeongsang National University in Gyeongsangnam-do, Hyunsok Kim of Pusan National University in Busan, Janghan Kwon and Taeil Kim of the Korea Maritime Institute in Busan, South Korea, explain how the index can reveal spikes in financial risk sentiment. The team employed statistical models such as the autoregressive distributed lag (ARDL) model and impulse response functions. They found that increased news reporting associated with global financial crises and court receiverships of major Korean shipping companies are associated with these spikes.

The research highlights the predictive capabilities of the SRSI. It not only reflects risk sentiment within the shipping industry but also provides valuable insights into market situations. The SRSI’s forecasting capabilities can be used to analyse the impact of risk sentiment on maritime transport freight income. The results indicate that the SRSI serves as a statistically significant predictor variable for freight income, demonstrating its usefulness in detecting credit risk in advance. These findings align with a broader trend emphasizing the positive impact of shipping sentiment indices on freight rates.

The research is underpinned by the powerful concept of big data analysis which allowed the team to measure credit risk in the shipping industry. The proposed SRSI could become an invaluable tool for government authorities, assisting in the management and supervision of risk within the shipping market and helping with decision-making. The same approach might be extended to the wider global shipping industry. This could be especially important given the interconnected nature of the shipping industry. There is thus potential for creating a Global Shipping Market News Index.

Park, S., Kim, H., Kwon, J. and Kim, T. (2023) ‘Construction of Korean Shipping Industry Risk Sentiment Index using news articles’, Int. J. Shipping and Transport Logistics, Vol. 17, No. 4, pp.469–486.

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

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

• Determinants of the success of MSMEs in India: a policy vs. technology perspective
• Simulation of research and development collaborations as complex socio-technical systems using a hybrid of agent-based modelling and system dynamics
• Co-evolution of an entrepreneurial ecosystem and technology entrepreneurship in a transforming economy
• The 'Digitalisation trap' of Russian regions
• The impact of electronic medical record systems on hospital efficiency

Free sample articles newly available from International Journal of Hydromechatronics

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

• Hybrid model-driven and data-driven approach for the health assessment of axial piston pumps
• Influence of nozzle structure on the flow field of the prestage of nozzle flapper servo valve
• Compliance control method for robot joint with variable stiffness
• Micro drilling of PMMA with double-pulse femtosecond laser
• Applications of level set method in computational fluid dynamics: a review

Research pick: Encryption boost for cross-border e-commerce - "Privacy information encryption for cross-border e-commerce users based on social network analysis"

Writing in the International Journal of Networking and Virtual Organisations, a team from China has revealed a novel approach to boost privacy for cross-border e-commerce users. Na Wang, Feng Gao, and Ji Zhang of Changchun University of Architecture and Civil Engineering in Changchun introduce an encryption algorithm based on social network analysis. The new approach could help users remain secure when transferring sensitive information during international transactions.

The team has used a multi-faceted strategy. Initially, they used a logical inference mapping method for blockchain to encode both public and private keys with asymmetric encryption. Next, the social network analysis method reorganizes the user’s social network structure using arithmetic coding and homomorphic encryption.

Social network analysis can be used to study social structures and relationships among entities whether these are individuals, organizations, or any other units with connections or interactions. Such an analysis focuses on mapping and measuring the various relationships to understand the patterns within the network. This approach allowed the streamlining of the user information fusion processing and the optimization of the encryption tool.

The team carried out simulations to highlight their method’s anti-attack capabilities and efficiency in terms of how little time is required for the encryption process. The team’s work thus introduces an optimized privacy protection model for cross-border e-commerce users, incorporating encryption and optimized encoding designs through grouping information reorganization and chaotic sequence control, the team reports. A notable feature is that the adoption of dual keys improves the system still further while simplifying key construction and optimising the design of the encryption algorithm.

The researchers explain that the implementation of this encryption approach could be used for internal data protection and cross-border payment security within enterprises. It is important to have strong data security and confidentiality in these areas. The next step is to explore and test the system in real-time settings.

Wang, N., Gao, F. and Zhang, J. (2023) ‘Privacy information encryption for cross-border e-commerce users based on social network analysis’, Int. J. Networking and Virtual Organisations, Vol. 29, Nos. 3/4, pp.312–327.

Special issue published: "Business and Globalisation in Emerging Markets"

International Journal of Business and Globalisation 36(1) 2024

• Editorial
• Determinants of long-term orientation in seller e-retailer relationship: a seller perspective in the Indian e-commerce
• The impact of online shopping convenience on satisfaction, loyalty, and word-of-mouth in Indian context
• Juxtaposition of favourable and deterrent antecedents on WhatsApp usage optimisation
• Dimensions and drivers of medical tourism industry: a systematic review of qualitative evidence
• Study of stock returns through P/E, PEG and PERG: evidence from Nifty-100

Additional papers

• Russian big business and the problem of integrated economic development: case of resource-extraction companies
• Dynamics of failure of a company group: a case study from the recent Italian experience
• Analysing the relation between internationalisation and business model innovation through the elements of a business model

Free sample articles newly available from EuroMed Journal of Management

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

• The effect of capital structure on firm performance: empirical evidence from emerging economy
• E-learning: innovations and challenges in the new millennia
• Uncovering capabilities towards resilience: exploring a process perspective of resources, competences and activities for efficiency during the Covid-19 crisis
• Role expansion of individual workforce through a drama based organisational intervention
• The influence of audit committee on the relationship between corporate social responsibility disclosure and tax aggressiveness: evidence from French context

Free sample articles newly available from International Journal of Business Information Systems

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

• An empirical investigation on acceptance of mobile payment system services in Jordan: extending UTAUT2 model with security and privacy
• Factors influencing adoption of cloud computing services in HEIs: a UTAUT approach based on students' perception
• Selection of goals with incomplete linguistic preference relations
• Fintech up-coming in Saudi Arabia: study, analysis, and recommendations
• Developing information system/technology strategy in supporting business process: a case study of insurance state-owned enterprises
• The role of using big data in predicting customer behaviour: the intermediary role of business intelligence in Jordanian telecommunications companies (a field study)
• An assessment of the factors influencing adoption of e-filing system in Nigeria

Special issue published: "Corruption and Fraud in European Organisations and Institutions" (includes Open Access article)

European Journal of International Management 22(2) 2024

• A neural network approach for predicting corruption in public procurement
• An international analysis of fraud detection in European structural and investment funds [OPEN ACCESS]
• The moderating role of economic uncertainty via corruption on investment: evidence from European firm level
• The attitude towards corruption in the EU under a gender perspective
• Development of youth anti-corruption potential in the European Union
• Coopetitive IJVs: a strategy of managing the internationalisation challenges in China

Free sample articles newly available from International Journal of Revenue Management

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

• Optimal finite horizon bargaining mechanisms with refusal cost
• Nash equilibrium computation in airline frequency game
• Air cargo revenue management: a state-of-the-art review
• Prioritising the requisite skills possessed by revenue managers of the hospitality industry: an analytic hierarchy process approach

Research pick: Moisturise for carbon capture - "Review of moisture swing sorbents for carbon dioxide capture from ambient air"

Progress has been made recently in carbon capture technology that might allow us to efficiently absorb carbon dioxide directly from the air and perhaps halt the rise of atmospheric concentrations of the greenhouse gas. The development of moisture swing sorbents as a technology in this area is discussed in the International Journal of Global Warming. The benefit when compared with conventional approaches is that such sorbents use water as their primary energy source and so themselves can be carbon neutral in mitigating climate change.

Conventional moisture swing sorbents, or humidity swing sorbents, can adsorb or desorb water vapour from the atmosphere. These materials “swing” from one behaviour to the other reversibly depending on humidity or moisture levels. Moisture swing sorbents used for carbon dioxide capture sees related materials adsorb carbon dioxide from their surroundings when they are dry but when they get wet, they release, or desorb, the gas.

Weishu Wang, Xiangxin Zhang, Jun Liu, Chenyang Liang, Jingzun Niu, and Feiyue Wang of the North China University of Water Resources and Electric Power in Henan, China, have reviewed research in this area spanning more than two decades. They focus their review on how the adsorption capacity of moisture swing sorbents for large-scale applications might be reviewed. The team looked at how sorbents have been prepared. They also identified the various factors that affect carbon dioxide adsorption and desorption performance.

Materials for moisture swing sorbents fall into two categories: resin and non-resin materials. While resin materials offer faster adsorption rates and are easier to prepare, non-resin materials offer greater carbon dioxide adsorption capacity. The review suggests that the reliance on resin materials is currently a limitation which suggests that there is an urgent need for diversification in materials choice.

The application of carbon dioxide adsorbents is not limited to atmospheric absorption. There are many closed environments, such as submarines and spacecraft, and enclosed crop production environments where the level of carbon dioxide needs to be controlled precisely.

The review suggests that moisture swing sorbents represent a promising avenue for carbon dioxide capture. Ongoing research will help diversify raw materials, lead to the optimisation of preparation methods, and explore innovative technologies for enhanced performance and broader applications, as well as in addressing climate change.

Wang, W., Zhang, X., Liu, J., Liang, C., Niu, J. and Wang, F. (2024) ‘Review of moisture swing sorbents for carbon dioxide capture from ambient air’, Int. J. Global Warming, Vol. 32, No. 2, pp.119–147.

Free sample articles newly available from International Journal of Data Science

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

• Reform strategies of public government departments in the era of cultural innovation
• Study on compensation mechanism for regional ecological protection under the background of ecological civilisation
• Texture feature extraction of a landscape design image based on the contour wave transform
• Review of spectral clustering algorithms used in proteomics
• Structure design and system implementation of a supermarket shopping robot based on deep learning

Research pick: Don’t cross the streams - "Streaming wars: an analysis of the growth and competitive landscape of the subscription video-on-demand services market"

Streaming video services are rapidly displacing the traditional ways in which people watch television. Consumers want immediate access to shows and movies rather than patiently waiting for a broadcaster to schedule the programming they desire. Researchers in Egypt have surveyed the streaming video landscape, more formally known as the Subscription Video-On-Demand (SVOD) sector, and found it to now be taking centre stage in the evolving entertainment landscape.

Writing in the EuroMed Journal of Management, Neveen Badr of Nile University, and Sayed Sharaf and Abeer A. Mahrous of Cairo University in Giza, Egypt, explain how the shift in the consumption of programming is seeing traditional television use dwindling in many places. As it does so, the multi-billion-dollar SVOD market continues to expand with the likes of Disney+, Amazon Prime, Apple TV+, Netflix, perhaps the most prominent proponents although many other services are vying for consumer attention and consumer subscriptions. The research looks closely at this global expansion but also focuses on the industry in Egypt where the “Watch It” streaming service is becoming well-known.

Demographically, SVOD services find favour primarily among Generation Y (the so-called Millennials who were born roughly between 1981 and 1996) and Generation Z (the “Zoomers” born around 1997 to 2012). Understanding their preferences is crucial for both local startups like Watch It and the internationally renowned industry leaders such as Netflix, prompting tailored content for different demographics. The study highlights the importance of customer choice and financial analysis in efforts to understand the streaming market.

Badr and colleagues point out that the ability of the larger streaming companies to weather a crisis like the pandemic, and perhaps even thrive, highlights their resilience and adaptability to changing consumer demands. However, society is changing, technology evolves, new players come and go, and even the political landscape can have an economic significance on how the SVOD industry changes. Moreover, where a crisis like the pandemic benefited those companies offering services that consumers could use at home during lockdowns, for instance, there may well be changes afoot in the ranking of the various players in the streaming market as demands become sharpened in the post-pandemic world.

Digital transformation and developing technology, changes in audience perception and demands, pricing strategies, subscription models, and content initiatives are all now emerging as key considerations for any streaming company hoping to compete in this still-burgeoning market. Most important, however, is to understand customer needs and behaviour. This would allow established companies to plan strategically for their ongoing success. But also allow competitors to emerge, grow, and provide increasingly tailored offerings to consumers.

Badr, N., Sharaf, S. and Mahrous, A.A. (2024) ‘Streaming wars: an analysis of the growth and competitive landscape of the subscription video-on-demand services market’, EuroMed J. Management, Vol. 6, No. 1, pp.23–41.

Free sample articles newly available from International Journal of Business Innovation and Research

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

• Aspirations and intellectual property in the worldwide entrepreneurship ecosystem
• The innovative organisation of Airbnb: business model innovation and holacracy structure to enhance innovative business behaviour coping with the impact of the COVID-19
• Electronic word-of-mouth model on customers' online purchase intention with multi-group approach digital services
• Investigating employees' perception of antecedents and consequences of mergers and acquisitions in HR perspective: an empirical analysis from India
• The influence of creative self-efficacy, creative self-identity, and creative process engagement on innovative behaviour
• Do macro-economic factors influence the life insurance industry in India? An empirical approach

Free sample articles newly available from International Journal of Business Excellence

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

• Evaluating the critical success factors for lean implementation in SMEs in Northern India using VIKOR approach
• CEO duality, board size and firm performance: evidence in Vietnam
• Adoption of digital marketing among tourism industry of Uttarakhand in India
• A Fourth Industrial Revolution approach to total quality management on innovation performance: evidence from South Africa
• Lean Six Sigma: a clinical treatment for national healthcare system
• The evaluative survey of the development of financial performances of cooperatives and micro small and medium enterprises in Riau, Indonesia
• Ambidexterity: realising organisational innovation in healthcare organisations
• Investigating hostels revisit intention in Taiwan: the moderating effect of customers' desire

Special issue published: "Enhancing Consumer Experience Through Mobile Commerce and Social Media Challenges and Opportunities"

International Journal of Networking and Virtual Organisations 29(3/4) 2023

• Research on consumer satisfaction prediction of e-commerce social platforms based on deep transfer learning
• The feature classification method of mobile e-commerce big data under the webcast mode
• User consumption behaviour prediction method in the context of social media marketing
• Consumer credit evaluation of mobile e-commerce platform based on random forest
• Analysis model of the short-term search behaviour guidance of e-commerce platform users based on knowledge graph
• Electronic commerce information personalised recommendation method based on social network data mining
• Privacy information encryption for cross-border e-commerce users based on social network analysis
• Discussion on the current situation and quality evaluation model of online course teaching in universities based on social network analysis
• E-commerce collaborative filtering recommendation method based on social network user relationship
• Analysis of the impact of social media on the performance of cross border e-commerce enterprises from the perspective of the digital economy
• The impact of social media on consumer purchase intention on e-commerce platforms
• A method for predicting consumer purchase intention in e-commerce in the era of social media
• Driving factors analysis model of social e-commerce platform users' shopping intention based on regression analysis method
• Customer interest classification method of e-commerce trading platform based on decision tree algorithm

Research pick: Improving EU fraud detection - "An international analysis of fraud detection in European structural and investment funds"

A recent study focusing on European Structural and Investment Funds (ESIF) could help improve fraud detection by identifying key indicators at the national level across the European Union, EU. The findings, published in the European Journal of International Management cover the period 2014 to 2020 and involved analysing data from 454 funds across all of the then extant 28 EU member states.

Thomas Baumgärtler and Philipp Eudelle of Offenburg University in Offenburg, Germany and Jorge Gallud Cano of the Universidad de Valladolid in Valladolid, Spain used an original database and employed regression analyses across EU member states to look for correlations between fraud detection rates and indicators related to fund utilization and monitoring, the frequency of fraudulent irregularities, economic development levels, and transparency within the nation.

The findings highlight the significance of vigilant fund monitoring to help combat fraud. In particular this, the team says, is more viable in those nations with the highest Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and transparency levels. Interestingly, they observed a decrease in irregularities in countries with elevated GDP and those receiving larger funds. However, there are considerable variations in fraud and fraud detection rates among individual states, with federal states like the Federal Republic of Germany demonstrating relative success in detecting fraud within EU funds.

The researchers explain that efforts to combat fraud and protect the financial interests of the EU, must involve collaboration between the EU itself and its member states. Indeed, a “multi-eye” principle in control is essential and the team emphasizes that this coupled with a zero-tolerance policy is the most efficient way forward in combating fraud and corruption.

However, despite the availability of tools such as anti-corruption reports from the European Commission, audit reports from the European Court of Auditors, as well as the existence of the anti-fraud office known as “OLAF” (Office Européen de Lutte Antifraude), during the period investigated, the team found significant differences in understanding of fraud detection between EU member states.

Fundamentally, the research findings underline the importance of closely monitoring funds, especially in economically advanced and transparent countries. The work points to how the European Commission might improve its overseeing of fund management among member states.

Baumgärtler, T., Eudelle, P. and Gallud Cano, J. (2024) ‘An international analysis of fraud detection in European structural and investment funds’, European J. International Management, Vol. 22, No. 2, pp.198–229.

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

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

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