Research pick: Perception and deception in times of crisis - "Unmasking an infodemic: what characteristics are fuelling misinformation on social media?"

The COVID-19 pandemic not only gave us a global health crisis but also an infodemic, a term coined by the World Health Organization (WHO) to describe the overwhelming flood of information – both accurate and misleading – that inundated media channels. This information complicated the public understanding and response to the pandemic as people struggled to separate fact from fiction.

Researchers writing in the International Journal of Advanced Media and Communication suggest that a lot of attention has been paid to tracking and mitigating the spread of misinformation, but there has been less focus on the characteristics of the messages and sources that allow information to spread. This gap in the research literature has implications for how we might develop better strategies to counteract misinformation, particularly in times of crisis.

Ezgi Akar of the University of Wisconsin, USA, looked at social media updates, “Tweets” as they were once referred on the Twitter microblogging platform. Twitter has since been rebranded as “X”. At the time of the pandemic, Twitter had famously risen to the point where it was a powerful tool that could shape public discourse and at the time played an important role in the dissemination of information and social interaction, and, unfortunately, the spread of misinformation.

The research hoped to reveal how the content of a given update and the credibility of its source might contribute to its spread, or reach, across the social media platform, and beyond. The aim would be to see what factors might then be influenced to reduce the spread of false information, often referred to as fake news in the vernacular of the time

Akar’s model used three main theoretical frameworks: the Undeutsch hypothesis, which examines the credibility of statements; the four-factor theory, which looks at the various aspects that influence how believable a message is; and source credibility theory, which explores how the perceived reliability of a source affects the dissemination of information. He then used the model to analyse a dataset of tweets, both true and false to look for patterns.

The findings of the study reveal that while the content of an update – such as the use of extreme sentiments, external links, and media, such as photos and videos – affects the likelihood of the update being “liked” or shared “retweeted”, the credibility of the source has more effect on how widely the information spreads. This suggests that users will engage more with content from seemingly credible sources, even if the content itself is not particularly compelling.

An additional finding, that updates in all capital letters were more likely to be shared if they were providing true information. Usually, messages written in all capital letters are perceived as aggressive, akin to shouting, or naïve. But, “all caps” in the case of an important and urgent message seems to override typical user behaviour in certain situations.

Akar, E. (2024) ‘Unmasking an infodemic: what characteristics are fuelling misinformation on social media?’, Int. J. Advanced Media and Communication, Vol. 8, No. 1, pp.53–76.

Research pick: Hierarchical plan picks new products - "A novel hierarchical ranking method for idea screening in new product development"

New Product Development (NPD) is a complex undertaking for any company, but where the initial stage of idea screening is what commonly determines the ultimate success or failure of a product. This important phase usually involves the evaluation of countless product ideas, each of which must be scrutinized for technical feasibility, commercial viability, and practicality. It can throw up many problems, not least because of the uncertainty inherent in predicting a product’s market success based on early-stage concepts.

Research in the International Journal of Business Excellence has introduced a new approach to idea screening that could make it more reliable. Mahesh Caisucar of Goa College of Engineering and Rajesh Suresh Prabhu Gaonkar of the Indian Institute of Technology Goa in Ponda-Goa, India, have proposed an approach that addresses one of the key limitations in existing decision-making frameworks, particularly those used in Multi-Criteria Decision-Making (MCDM). MCDM techniques are used to evaluate and prioritize options based on various factors, each of which may hold different levels of importance. However, these weightings can often be skewed inadvertently and so lead to poor decisions.

The new approach uses a hierarchical ranking system that takes into account the relative weight of each option by considering how it stacks up against the sum of all other ratings. This, the researchers suggest, offers a more subtle perspective on how likely a new product is to be successful. The team has undertaken tests on their hierarchical approach that works across five main criteria: design, manufacturing, cost, ergonomics, and handling. This gives them a ranking method for obtaining an overall performance score for each product idea.

The team suggests that the success of their approach could improve the ability of a company to choose product ideas most likely to be successful in the market.

Caisucar, M. and Gaonkar, R.S.P. (2024) ‘A novel hierarchical ranking method for idea screening in new product development’, Int. J. Business Excellence, Vol. 33, No. 4, pp.585–601.

Associate Prof. Debiao Meng appointed as new Editor in Chief of International Journal of Ocean Systems Management

Associate Prof. Debiao Meng from the University of Electronic Science and Technology of China has been appointed to take over editorship of the International Journal of Ocean Systems Management.

Research pick: Understanding social systems for healthier eating - "Proposal of an integral model of human-food interaction: insights for social systems design"

Research in the International Journal of Agile Systems and Management has investigated the relationship between people and their environment, with a particular focus on food. The research by Ysanne Yeo and Masahiro Niitsuma of the Graduate School of System Design and Management at Keio University in Yokohama, Japan, suggests that standard approaches to analysing human behaviour need an upgrade. They suggest a more holistic view that recognizes the complexity of human systems is needed. The work could lead to a change in the way we design social systems and behavioural interventions.

Traditional methods of studying human behaviour often break down complex systems into separate components. This has the unfortunate side effect of ignoring the interactions seen in real-world situations, and so can result in fragmented understanding that then leads to interventions that do not take into account all the issues underlying that situation.

The new study adopts a model-based systems approach to bring together different aspects of human behaviour and to create a more comprehensive framework for studying them. This, the researchers suggest, should allow a better understanding of the various factors that affect attitudes to healthy eating or otherwise. This could then be used to guide how policymakers and healthcare providers encourage healthier eating habits in a way that does not lead to unintended consequences. The likes of “calorie counting” and “dietary restrictions” are often at odds with the body’s natural signals of hunger and fullness and so more holistic, sustainable, interventions might emerge from this new understanding.

The work points to the need for a more collaborative and nuanced approach to designing social systems that takes into account the knowledge inherent in any human system. This kind of knowledge can play an important role in how people interact with their environment. Understanding the factors involved could help us create environments that better support long-term positive outcomes for individuals and society as a whole.

Yeo, Y. and Niitsuma, M. (2024) ‘Proposal of an integral model of human-food interaction: insights for social systems design’, Int. J. Agile Systems and Management, Vol. 17, No. 5, pp.48–72.

Prof. Yixiang Chen appointed as new Editor in Chief of International Journal of Big Data Intelligence

Prof. Yixiang Chen from East China Normal University has been appointed to take over editorship of the International Journal of Big Data Intelligence.

Research pick: Hybridise to survive - "Relevance of scaled agile practices to agile portfolio management"

The business environment is constantly changing, and sometimes does so very rapidly. Research in the International Journal of Agile Systems and Management, discusses how Agile Portfolio Management (APM) has emerged as a useful approach to allow companies to align their organizational strategies with the demands of this dynamic and complex environment.

Conventionally, portfolio management has relied on predictive methods that work across a range of project sizes and levels of complexity. However, as businesses increasingly adopt agile methodologies – originally designed for small, closely-knit teams – there has been a shift in portfolio management practices. Indeed, this shift has become necessary for continued success. Agile methodologies emphasize flexibility and responsiveness and work well with small-scale projects but can be problematic when they are used for larger, more complex portfolios.

Kwete Mwana Nyandongo of the School of Consumer Intelligence and Information Systems at the University of Johannesburg in South Africa, has demonstrated that scaled agile frameworks, which have been developed to manage large-scale implementations, offer some value, but even these are often inadequate. He found that this is especially true in industries, such as information technology, where rapid technological change and complex project interdependencies are the stock-in-trade of the industry.

Nyandongo’s study goes on to suggest that these frameworks, while useful for large solutions, do not fully address the challenges of managing an entire portfolio in a rapidly changing environment. He says that this shortfall may lead some organizations to struggle with effectively implementing their strategies or responding to new opportunities and facing up to emerging risks.

The answer lies, the study suggests, in taking an even more flexible approach to portfolio management. That approach needs to extend the capabilities of existing scaled agile frameworks and to bring together traditional and agile methods. Such a hybrid approach might better accommodate the deliberate strategies of long-term business plans, as well as exploit the short-term nature of emergent opportunities.

In other words, organizations need to recognize that the methods effective for managing individual projects or even large-scale solutions may not translate directly to managing an entire portfolio. Instead, they must be yet more adaptable than ever.

Nyandongo, K.M. (2024) ‘Relevance of scaled agile practices to agile portfolio management’, Int. J. Agile Systems and Management, Vol. 17, No. 5, pp.1–47.

Free sample articles newly available from World Review of Intermodal Transportation Research

The following sample articles from the World Review of Intermodal Transportation Research are now available here for free:

• Conveying the sustainability message through CEO letters: an investigation on selected transportation companies
• Model to estimate the impact of future CO2 emissions due to the increase in the electric vehicle fleet - the case of the Brazilian capital
• Evolution of blockchain technology in sustainable supply chain management: a theoretical perspective
• State of digital technology adoption in intermodal freight transport: empirical evidence from Ethiopia
• The determinants of the sea freight fee in container shipping - an analysis by route

Free Open Access article available: "Proposal of an integral model of human-food interaction: insights for social systems design"

The following paper, "Proposal of an integral model of human-food interaction: insights for social systems design" (International Journal of Agile Systems and Management 17(5) 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 Society Systems Science

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

• An improved hybrid genetic algorithm to solve the multi-vehicle covering tour problem with restriction on the number of vertices
• Maverick: a smart mobile application-based automated system to combat food insecurity and ensure efficient monitoring for the school mid day meal feeding in developing countries
• Predicting student success in an online Master of Business Administration program
• Dynamic teaching model using student personal information for smart education in university campus

Free Open Access article available: "Relevance of scaled agile practices to agile portfolio management"

The following paper, "Relevance of scaled agile practices to agile portfolio management" (International Journal of Agile Systems and Management 17(5) 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 Progress in Industrial Ecology, An International Journal

The following sample articles from Progress in Industrial Ecology, An International Journal are now available here for free:

• Contributions to a more sustainable model of food production and consumption in Portugal: an opportunity to reduce the ecological footprint of food
• A new experimental technique for the trailer and truck routing problem
• Exploring the direct and indirect effects of innovation on CSR in pharmaceutical industry in China
• The paradox of regional integration and sustainable development: perspectives from West Africa

Research pick: Who are the influenced? - "Which people are loyal followers of influencers? An exploratory study"

An area of increasing importance in digital marketing is the role of the influencer. Influencers are individuals with some degree of fame online, a large and loyal following, and great reach, usually across a number of social media platforms, such as Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube in the International Journal of Information and Communication Technology has looked at how personality traits shape an individual’s attitudes towards influencers.

Influencers have gained a lot of prominence in industries such as fashion, beauty, technology, and food and the biggest can affect public attitudes to brands quite significantly. Indeed, many people are reliant on these modern-day celebrities to guide their purchasing decisions and follow closely their favourite influencer’s advice on brands. Brands know this and invest vast sums in influencer marketing to encourage the influencers to help them sell their products and services.

In the current research, a survey of almost 400 people from Colombia and Spain was conducted in order to fill the knowledge gap with regards to what leads to someone being “influenced”. The team used the statistical approach partial least squares analysis, to help them identify cause and effect relationships in the data. They found that people with extrovert and disorganized personalities were more likely to have favourable attitudes toward influencers. That said, there was a gender gap: calm men and sympathetic women were particularly drawn to influencers.

The results suggest that the success of an influencer markting campaign may depend not only on the influencer’s content but also on the psychological makeup of their audience. Armed this knowledge marketers might craft more personalized and targeted campaigns. Such an approach could be particularly beneficial in highly competitive sectors where influencer marketing has become a near-essential part of brand promotion.

Future research in this area might look at the specifics of whether various personality traits and being influenced are associated with specific influence types, such as beauty influencer as opposed to tech influencer.

Sánchez-Torres, J.A., Roldan-Gallego, J.S., Arroyo-Cañada, F-J. and Argila-Irurita, A.M. (2024) ‘Which people are loyal followers of influencers? An exploratory study’, Int. J. Information and Communication Technology, Vol. 25, No. 1, pp.25–34.

International Journal of Computational Systems Engineering is now an open access-only journal

Inderscience's Editorial Office has announced that the International Journal of Computational Systems Engineering is now an Open Access-only journal. All accepted articles submitted from 15 August 2024 onwards will be Open Access and will require an article processing charge of USD $1600. Authors who have submitted articles prior to 15 August 2024 will still have a choice of publishing as a standard or an Open Access article. You can find more information on Open Access here.

Research pick: Let’s get physical, virtually - "At-home virtual workouts: embracing exercise during the COVID-19 pandemic"

Various recent technological advances allowed people to reshape their physical exercise during the COVID-19 pandemic. Those technologies are still in place and continue to allow people to engage in physical activity and sports in a virtual training setting. While many people have gone back to their traditional exercise venues, the outdoors, sports fields, and the gym, the paradigm shift wrought by the pandemic pressed alternatives on us with regard to our fitness routines that might continue to be a natural part of future public health.

Research in the International Journal of Healthcare Technology and Management has looked at how the integration of technology into everyday exercise routines affected people in Colombia, Pakistan, and Spain. It offers insight into how the pandemic affected those people, how virtual training continues to be a part of people’s lives, and how we might keep fit during the next pandemic or another global crisis.

The researchers used the Theory of Planned Behaviour, a psychological model often used to explain and predict individual actions based on attitudes, social influences (subjective norms), and perceived control over actions. This approach allowed them to understand the human response to abrupt closure of gyms and restrictions on outdoor movement during the pandemic lockdowns. They added structural equation modelling, a statistical technique, to analyse data from surveys to reveal the relationships between psychological factors and the adoption of virtual sports activities.

Earlier work has shown that psychological factors influence conventional sports participation, but the focus on virtual training during a global crisis, shows just how useful technology, such as fitness-monitoring watches, smartphones, and other devices, was during the lockdowns. In addition, people with access to fitness tutorials and online classes commonly used those in parallel with their devices to help them follow a structured routine and monitor their progress.

From the opposite perspective, the virtual world allowed many trainers and instructors to continue teaching but remotely from their students. Indeed, the notion of virtual training, which had been around for a while, but necessarily widely adopted, allowed trainers to teach students around the world and many did so during and after the height of the pandemic.

The pandemic emphasised once again the need to stay physically active even in times of crisis. Future public health initiatives might now prioritize accessible home-based sports and exercise options. This could happen with more investment in virtual training platforms, the promotion of digital fitness tools, and efforts to ensure that such resources are widely available to all before and after a period of crisis.

Sánchez-Torres, J.A., Arroyo-Cañada, F-J., Argila-Irurita, A., Montoya-Restrepo, A. and Saleem-ahmed, M. (2024) ‘At-home virtual workouts: embracing exercise during the COVID-19 pandemic’, Int. J. Healthcare Technology and Management, Vol. 21, No. 2, pp.129–142.

Research pick: From weed to feed - "Management of an obnoxious weed Parthenium hysterophorus through composting: a contrivance for recycling the nutrients"

The invasive North American plant species, Parthenium hysterophorus, commonly known as Santa Maria Feverfew and Famine Weed. The species is now present in Africa, Australia, and India, where it is locally known in English as Congress Grass. According to researchers writing in the International Journal of Environment and Waste Management, Congress Grass, has become a serious concern for food security, biodiversity, and public health in India and beyond. The species is highly resilient and can quickly displace native plants and crops, threatening agricultural systems. It grows well even under poor climate and soil conditions in which crops usually struggle, and it is one of the most destructive weeds agriculture sees.

Not only is P. hysterophorus very resilient, it has allelopathic properties, which means it releases chemicals that suppress the growth of nearby plants. This gives it even more of an advantage over native plants and crop plants, allowing it to soak up water and nutrients and block sunlight from reaching seedlings. This results in even worse impact on biodiversity and ecosystems and on agricultural productivity where it is rife. In addition to ecological and agricultural problems, the plant is very allergenic and toxic to livestock

The current research proposes a new approach to dealing with this weed. Instead of focusing on attempting to eradicate it, the team suggests that it might be harvested and composted so that any nutrient loss can be reincorporated into the farm. Moreover, proper composting will destroy the plant’s seeds and so reduce the risk of it spreading. The approach benefits from all the economic and ecological advantages of avoiding herbicide use.

Satish Kumar Ameta of Mewar University in Rajasthan, India, and colleagues suggest that governmental and non-governmental organizations have an important role to play in educating farmers about the potential of exploiting a weed in this way so that it might be adopted as a sustainable practice.

Ameta, S.K., Bhatt, J., Joshi, M., Ameta, R. and Ameta, S.C. (2024) ‘Management of an obnoxious weed Parthenium hysterophorus through composting: a contrivance for recycling the nutrients’, Int. J. Environment and Waste Management, Vol. 34, No. 2, pp.187–208.

Research pick: Better watch out for facial recognition that is more than skin deep - "Resilient recognition system for degraded thermal images using convolutional neural networks"

Thermal, infrared (IR), facial recognition technology has advanced apace recently. Research in the International Journal of Information and Communication Technology, moves us another step towards a tenable system that overcomes some of the limitations of traditional visible-light systems.

Naser Zaeri of the Faculty of Computer Studies at the Arab Open University in Ardiya and Rusul R. Qasim of Kuwait Technical College in Abu-Halifa, Kuwait, explain how IR imaging sidesteps the problem of ambient lighting conditions and variations in skin tone seen with visible-light facial recognition. The use of thermal imaging relies on capturing the unique heat patterns emitted by the face rather than reflected light. The heat pattern observed is determined almost wholly by a person’s facial vasculature and tissue structures beneath the skin. These are consistent, broadly speaking, regardless of environmental lighting and skin tone. This could make thermal IR a much more reliable alternative to visible-light imaging for biometric identification.

However, thermal recognition has faced challenges. The technology often has to cope with degraded image quality due to factors such as noise, blurring, reduced spatial resolution, and temperature drift. Additionally, variations in facial expression and pose can complicate the recognition process. Overcoming these issues requires advanced methods capable of accurately processing and recognizing faces even in less-than-ideal conditions.

Zaeri and colleagues have demonstrated the potential of Convolutional Neural Networks (CNNs) in enhancing the recognition of degraded thermal face images. CNNs are a class of deep learning models that have made a significant impact on the field of computer vision, thanks to their ability to automatically extract and learn complex features from raw images without requiring extensive pre-processing. This capability makes CNNs particularly well-suited to face the biometric challenge.

The team has worked with the well-known ResNet-50 CNN architecture. They applied it to a database of 7500 thermal images in order to evaluate performance with images of different quality and where facial expression and pose are different. The promising results show that this CNN-based system can achieve better recognition accuracy even with degraded thermal images and works across a range of scenarios. The work will have applications in security and the military world.

Zaeri, N. and Qasim, R.R. (2024) ‘Resilient recognition system for degraded thermal images using convolutional neural networks’, Int. J. Information and Communication Technology, Vol. 25, No. 5, pp.50–71.

Research pick: Diversity feeds team success - "Openness towards language differences and cultural differences in multicultural teams: how do they interact?"

Research published in the European Journal of International Management has looked at how positive attitudes towards cultural diversity can significantly enhance team performance. The study, conducted with over 1000 leaders from highly globalized academic research teams in the Nordic region, shows that teams open to diverse cultural values, especially when combined with openness to language diversity, perform better and are more creative than others.

The findings from Jakob Lauring of Aarhus University, Denmark, Christina L. Butler of Kingston Business School, London, UK, Minna Paunova of Copenhagen Business School in Copenhagen, Denmark, Timur Uman of Jönköping University, Sweden, and Lena Zander of Uppsala University, Sweden, have some implications for better management of multicultural teams across various sectors, particularly in an increasingly globalized work environment.

It is important from the management perspective to understand how cultural values and language interact and how they affect workplace behaviour and success. “Cultural values” usually refers to the underlying principles that guide decisions in different societies, such as beliefs about hierarchy, individualism, and communication styles. Language diversity, by contrast, refers to the inclusion of multiple languages within a team, reflecting the varied backgrounds of its members. Both factors are critical to success in increasingly international teams.

Openness to cultural values it appears influences team performance positively. Moreover, teams that are receptive to both cultural and language diversity are commonly better positioned to capitalize on the benefits of each. Essentially, a willingness to embrace different languages within a team enhances the positive effects of being open to various cultural values, leading to improved collaboration, creativity, and overall team outcomes. The impact is synergistic, whereas earlier studies had not necessarily demonstrated that these two factors work together and were perhaps considered as operating independently. It is therefore time to refine research models concerning the way teams work Different types of diversity attitude and how they interact and influence each other must be embedded in such models.

Lauring, J., Butler, C.L., Paunova, M., Uman, T. and Zander, L. (2024) ‘Openness towards language differences and cultural differences in multicultural teams: how do they interact?’, European J. International Management, Vol. 24, No. 1, pp.1–24.

Dr. Luigi Aldieri appointed as new Editor in Chief of International Journal of Governance and Financial Intermediation

Dr. Luigi Aldieri from the University of Salerno in Italy has been appointed to take over editorship of the International Journal of Governance and Financial Intermediation.

Research pick: A step towards additive healthcare - "Healthcare industry input parameters for a deterministic model that optimally locates additive manufacturing hubs"

Research published in the International Journal of Healthcare Technology and Management has looked at how additive manufacturing, colloquially referred to as “3D printing”, is changing healthcare. This transformative technology, long associated with advances in traditional manufacturing, is increasingly being recognized for its capacity to produce highly customized, patient-specific medical models. Such models can be used in surgical planning, training, and the production of custom prosthetics and other medical devices.

However, despite its promise, Ethan Sanekane, Jill Speece, Mohamed Awwad, and Xuan Wang of California Polytechnic State University in Obispo and Sara Moghtadernejad California State University Long Beach, California, USA, suggest that access to this technology in healthcare is rather limited. There is an information gap that the current research seeks to fill.

Additive manufacturing, as the name suggests, involves the creation of objects by adding material layer by layer. This approach, pioneered in the 1980s, but having come to the fore in many areas in the last couple of decades, can be used to produce highly complex and detailed structures that would be beyond economic viability in conventional manufacturing. In healthcare, this technology enables the creation of models that might be an exact replica of a patient’s anatomy, for instance. Surgeons could, for example, then use such a model of a disease site to plan a sophisticated procedure with unprecedented precision. Such a model might be even more useful with robotic surgery, where the model could be used to train the robot with no risk to the patient.

The same technology could be used to craft bespoke orthotics and prosthetics that are precisely tailored to the patient’s unique needs, rather than being off-the shelf components that might be cut to fit, as it were.

The research has taken an important step forward in identifying the full potential of additive manufacturing in healthcare. By addressing the barriers to access and strategically locating additive manufacturing hubs, the researchers have perhaps paved the way for greater adoption of this transformative technology.

Sanekane, E., Speece, J., Awwad, M., Wang, X. and Moghtadernejad, S. (2024) ‘Healthcare industry input parameters for a deterministic model that optimally locates additive manufacturing hubs’, Int. J. Healthcare Technology and Management, Vol. 21, No. 2, pp.111–128.

Free Open Access article available: "Healthcare industry input parameters for a deterministic model that optimally locates additive manufacturing hubs"

The following paper, "Healthcare industry input parameters for a deterministic model that optimally locates additive manufacturing hubs" (International Journal of Healthcare Technology and Management 21(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: Putting the squeeze on computer art - "Recursive quantitative analysis modelling of computer art design interaction"

Research in the International Journal of Computational Systems Engineering has demonstrated a new image compression tool that combines recursive algorithms with convolutional neural networks (CNNs) to out-perform other approaches to the compression of images from computer art and interaction design. Digital art and design increasingly rely on large volumes of visual data, so effective image compression is important for reducing the computer storage requirements without compromising quality. Duan Song of the Department of Fine Arts at Hebei Vocational Art College in Shijiazhuang, China, has proposed an algorithm that works to address the issues by integrating traditional and modern techniques.

Recursive algorithms, which simplify complex problems through repeated application of rules. Song explains that the approach works by breaking an image down into simpler components. By applying the process iteratively, quality can be maintained. The integration of CNNs into the compression approach builds on the way in which such systems were initially inspired by the way the human brain processes visual information. They are widely used in deep learning for image recognition and processing. Song’s innovative merging of the recursive methods with CNNs allows him to overcome some of the limitations of earlier image compression techniques, which commonly struggle to achieve useful compression ratios because of the increasing complexity and scale of modern image data.

Song has tested the algorithm on two well-known image datasets, Kodak1 and Kodak2, to evaluate its performance. The results indicate that the algorithm consistently reduced the mean square error (MSE) between the original and compressed images. A lower MSE means better conservation of image quality. After 800 iterations, the algorithm achieved the lowest MSE compared to other methods and also performed well in terms of peak signal-to-noise ratio and multi-scale structural similarity. These results suggest that the proposed method can compress images effectively with no significant loss of quality.

The approach will be useful in the field of computer art but might also be useful in animation modelling, art interface design, and medical imaging.

Song, D. (2024) ‘Recursive quantitative analysis modelling of computer art design interaction’, Int. J. Computational Systems Engineering, Vol. 8, No. 5, pp.1–11.

Free Open Access article available: "Quadruple helix collaboration for eHealth: a business relationship approach"

The following paper, "Quadruple helix collaboration for eHealth: a business relationship approach" (International Journal of Healthcare Technology and Management 21(2) 2024), is freely available for download as an open access article.

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

Free Open Access article available: "Analysis of the influence of regional spending on obligatory basic services on multidimensional poverty in Riau Province"

The following paper, "Analysis of the influence of regional spending on obligatory basic services on multidimensional poverty in Riau Province" (Services and Operations Management 48(5) 2024), is freely available for download as an open access article.

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

Free Open Access article available: "Comparative analysis of advantages and disadvantages of English teaching combined with multimedia-assisted teaching hidden Markov model algorithm"

The following paper, "Comparative analysis of advantages and disadvantages of English teaching combined with multimedia-assisted teaching hidden Markov model algorithm" (International Journal of Information and Communication Technology 25(5) 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 Value Chain Management

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

• Analysing the value chain of skipjack tuna (Katsuwonus pelamis) in Partido District, Camarines Sur, Philippines
• Predictors of burnout among supply chain management professionals
• Bibliometric - thematic analysis and a technology-enabler-barrier-based framework for digital supply chain
• Industry 4.0: smart preventive maintenance with optimal planning and scheduling process of the SMEs
• Reshaping street and home-based cottage food business strategies through social business after COVID-19 pandemic

Research pick: Working the quads for better eHealth - "Quadruple helix collaboration for eHealth: a business relationship approach"

A paper in the International Journal of Healthcare Technology and Management, has highlighted the potential benefits of adopting a new approach to collaboration in eHealth initiatives. The approach suggested by Maria Qvarfordt, Stefan Lagrosen, and Lina Nilsson of Linnaeus University in Kalmar, Sweden, braids together the four strands of stakeholder relationships – academia, business, the public sector, and citizens – into what the team calls a quadruple helix (QH).

Digitalisation in healthcare encompasses the adoption of digital technologies across various sectors and is crucial for global healthcare advancements. eHealth specifically refers to the use of electronic tools and methods to improve healthcare delivery and outcomes. For eHealth to be effective, collaboration among various stakeholders is critical. Previous studies have shown that the involvement of different stakeholders can be understood and developed with a traditional triple helix model (academia, government, and industry).

By incorporating a fourth strand – the public – which we might more formally refer to as civil society, an emphasis on the importance of the end-user perspective can be incorporated into eHealth solutions. Each stakeholder group brings unique knowledge, resources, and perspectives and so can benefit the outcomes as a whole, with that whole being more than the sum of its parts in some instances.

To develop the QH approach, the researchers used a grounded theory methodology and collected and analysed stakeholder perspectives on eHealth collaboration. They then aligned their findings from the study with an actor-resource-activity (ARA) model – a framework designed to understand business relationships. The team emphasise the importance of promoting value and quality in eHealth development collaborations. They highlight the role of knowledge and competence.

Overall, the QH approach is more inclusive and participatory and will hopefully lead to more effective and more widely accepted eHealth implementations. The paper thus offers an invaluable framework for understanding and improving stakeholder collaboration in the digitalisation of healthcare.

Qvarfordt, M., Lagrosen, S. and Nilsson, L. (2024) ‘Quadruple helix collaboration for eHealth: a business relationship approach’, Int. J. Healthcare Technology and Management, Vol. 21, No. 2, pp.89–110.

Free Open Access article available: "Resilient recognition system for degraded thermal images using convolutional neural networks"

The following paper, "Resilient recognition system for degraded thermal images using convolutional neural networks" (International Journal of Information and Communication Technology 25(5) 2024), is freely available for download as an open access article.

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

Free Open Access article available: "Enhancing oral English self-study: a speech knowledge recognition algorithm approach"

The following paper, "Enhancing oral English self-study: a speech knowledge recognition algorithm approach" (International Journal of Information and Communication Technology 25(5) 2024), is freely available for download as an open access article.

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

Research pick: New model armed with subtlety gets sentimental - "A study into text sentiment analysis model based on deep learning"

We are living in an era of astonishing data proliferation and the sharing of user-created content across all kinds of media, from social networks to news sites, e-commerce reviews to endless forums for every kind of interest and niche. Being able to accurately interpret emotions conveyed through such messages is increasingly important for social science and politics, in marketing, business, and economics, and elsewhere.

Recent advancements in the field of so-called “sentiment analysis” have led to the development of more sophisticated models capable of extracting and interpreting emotional subtleties in textual data. One such model is the BERT-ABiLSTM – Bidirectional Encoder Representations from Transformers, Attention Bidirectional Long Short-Term Memory.  Research in the International Journal of Information and Communication Technology reports on how this large-scale pre-trained algorithmic can be used for sentiment analysis. However, as author Zhubin Luo, of the Hunan University of Humanities, Science and Technology in China, points out the system’s use of ABiLSTM, means there are some limitations as it focuses on global features and can overlook nuance.

BERT, Luo explains, can learn language representations from extensive bodies of text. The ABiLSTM, a recurrent neural network, processes text sequences. Luo has now added TextCNN (Text Convolutional Neural Network) to the system to make BERT-CNN-ABiLSTM, a more sophisticated version of the model.

Overall, the underlying bidirectional approach allows the model to understand context from both past-to-future and future-to-past segments of text. This is important for capturing long-term dependencies in text. The attention mechanism within ABiLSTM further refines this by enabling the model to focus on the most pertinent parts of the text when making predictions, thus improving the accuracy of sentiment analysis.

The TextCNN component then uses convolutional kernels of various sizes to detect different granularities of features within the text. This allows the model to capture much more subtle local patterns within the text that would have been missed by simpler models, thus providing a yet more detailed analysis of textual content.

The improvements reported by Luo are particularly relevant for scenarios that require detailed text classification and recognition. This might include sentiment analysis on social media, evaluating customer feedback in e-commerce platforms, or empowering “intelligent” online question-and-answer systems.

Luo, Z. (2024) ‘A study into text sentiment analysis model based on deep learning’, Int. J. Information and Communication Technology, Vol. 24, No. 8, pp.64–75.

Free Open Access article available: "Real-time monitoring system for power distribution network faults based on deep learning technology"

The following paper, "Real-time monitoring system for power distribution network faults based on deep learning technology" (International Journal of Information and Communication Technology 25(5) 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 Entrepreneurship and Innovation Management

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

• Fintech, financial literacy, and financial inclusion in Indonesian SMEs
• University technology transfer: assessment of invention disclosures by technology transfer offices
• Analysing institutional and government support for the development of Mauritian SMEs
• The symbiosis evolution mechanism and simulation research of developed science-based innovation ecosystem
• Getting by with a little help from my friends: the impact of the pandemic on the collaboration of small Finnish food and beverage ventures
• Internal antecedents for systematic business model innovation: insights from the German automotive manufacturers
• Trust is not recognition: an exploration of revolts in crowdfunding

Free Open Access article available: "Design and research of red-blue confrontation training system based on virtual reality"

The following paper, "Design and research of red-blue confrontation training system based on virtual reality" (International Journal of Information and Communication Technology 25(5) 2024), is freely available for download as an open access article.

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

Free Open Access article available: "Scoping SDG interlinkages and methods to infer them"

The following paper, "Scoping SDG interlinkages and methods to infer them" (International Journal of Sustainable Development 27(5) 2024), is freely available for download as an open access article.

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

Research pick: Research review helps to reframe the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals - "Scoping SDG interlinkages and methods to infer them"

In 2015, the United Nations initiated the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) an ambitious plan to end poverty, safeguard the environment, and promote prosperity for all by 2030. These 17 interconnected goals recognise that progress in one area can affect another area in positive ways. For instance, improving water quality (SDG 6) can have a ripple effect, enhancing health (SDG 3) and education (SDG 4). It is important to understand the connections so that effective policies can be put in place to help us achieve the goals in what might be referred to as a holistic manner.

A review in the International Journal of Sustainable Development has looked at the state of research in this area and provide a systematic summary, as well as incorporating insights from a workshop with SDG experts. The findings show that work is still in its infancy and focuses largely on statistical and conceptual associations rather than causal relationships. The reviewers suggest that this emphasis on correlation rather than causation means it is difficult to reproduce findings and apply them to policymaking. This, they add, is a particular issue at the local level.

The SDGs are the successor to the Millennium Development Goals and emerged from a participatory process that required consensus among UN member states. Unlike those earlier projects, the SDGs are broader in their scope and more integrated. They emphasize the need to understand how progress in one goal might affect other goals. This, the team suggests, means that policymakers and other stakeholders must recognise the interconnectedness of the goals and dismantle the old policy silos to help promote integrated approaches to sustainable development.

A new framework to address the gaps in research and understanding, emerges from this current review. The framework stresses the importance of the local context, as well as the interconnections that might vary critically because of regional socio-economic and environmental conditions. As the 2030 deadline approaches, there is an increasing urgency in attempting to achieve the SDGs. The consolidation of research findings and the standardization of data collection could help us implement real-world action that works to achieve those goals.

Chaniotakis, E., Siragusa, A., Tzanis, D. and Stamos, I. (2024) ‘Scoping SDG interlinkages and methods to infer them’, Int. J. Sustainable Development, Vol. 27, No. 5, pp.1–54.

Newly announced journal: International Journal of Artificial Intelligence in Healthcare

 

Artificial intelligence in healthcare holds immense potential to revolutionise patient care, improve outcomes and enhance medical processes. As the technology continues to evolve, we can expect even more innovative applications in the field. The International Journal of Artificial Intelligence in Healthcare provides an authoritative outlet that will shape a significant body of research in the area of AI applications in healthcare, medical engineering and informatics, allowing new developments to be shared across institutions, governments, organisations, researchers, students and industry.

Research pick: Tea brews up silver nanoparticles for wound healing in the developing world - "Development of an anti-microbial starch-based polymer film embedded with silver nanoparticles by green synthesis from tea extract: a potential low cost wound dressing for rural population of developing countries"

Wound infections, particularly associated with burns, are a serious health problem causing high morbidity and mortality. Aside from hygiene and basic dressings, antibiotics are the standard treatment for serious wounds. However, cost, access, and emerging bacterial resistance, make their use difficult and ineffective, especially when a course of treatment is not completed. Globally, a huge number of deaths occur because of infected burns especially in low- and middle-income countries, and most commonly in rural areas.

Treating burn wounds is complex due to various factors. Burns disrupt the skin barrier, exposing fluid from the wound to opportunistic bacteria that thrive on the exuded nutrients. Such wounds also compromise blood supply and affect the local immune response. Moreover, a large burn, covering more than a fifth of the skin will often lead to systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS), further complicating infection management.

Research in the International Journal of Biomedical Nanoscience and Nanotechnology, has looked at how silver-containing antimicrobial nanoparticle preparations might be used, not as topical antiseptic creams, but as a sustained-release component of an advanced wound dressing. The cost of such a dressing would likely make it unviable in normal circumstance. However, the team involved from KLE University in Belagavi, India, has developed a low-cost, antimicrobial starch-based polymer film within which they can embed silver nanoparticles, synthesized using a simple method from tea extracts.

The team’s environmentally friendly approach also benefits from using those plant extracts as they contain polyphenolic compounds, which have an additional antimicrobial character as they are antioxidants, anti-inflammatory agents, and antimicrobial.

In tests, the researchers – Sambuddha Dinda, Anuradha B. Patil, Sumati Annigeri Hogade, and Abhishek Bansal – showed that their starch-based film showed significant antimicrobial activity against various types of bacteria, including the ever-troublesome Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa.

“This study showed anti-microbial efficacy of a low-cost starch-based polymer film containing Ag-NP with antioxidant biomolecules of green tea which can be easily fabricated and used for wound dressing,” the researchers conclude.

Dinda, S., Patil, A.B., Hogade, S.A. and Bansal, A. (2024) ‘Development of an anti-microbial starch-based polymer film embedded with silver nanoparticles by green synthesis from tea extract: a potential low cost wound dressing for rural population of developing countries’, Int. J. Biomedical Nanoscience and Nanotechnology, Vol. 5, No. 1, pp.1–14.

Research pick: Talkin’ about your generation! - "From baby boomers to Gen Z: global warming and business"

Research in the journal Interdisciplinary Environmental Review, which draws on data from the “Climate Change in the American Mind: National Survey,” offers new insights into generational attitudes towards climate change and discusses the implications for businesses.

The survey itself captured responses from various generations born after World War II – The Baby Boomer generation (born approximately 1946 to 1964), Generation X (~1965 to 1980), the Millennials (born ~1981 to 1996), and Generation Z (born ~1997 to 2012). The research unravels common threads of concern about global warming that spans all age groups. This, the researchers suggest, means there is an evolving awareness among consumers across the generations that is means businesses must adapt to new expectations regarding climate change and sustainability.

Global warming, a term often interchanged with climate change but technically distinct, refers to the long-term rise in Earth’s average surface temperature due to increasing concentrations of greenhouse gases. In contrast, climate change encompasses a broader range of shifts in weather patterns. Both phenomena, driven primarily by human activities such as fossil fuel combustion, deforestation, and industrial processes have led to a rise in the frequency of extreme weather events and an increase in their severity. Hurricanes, droughts, wildfires, and floods, have been with us for millennia but their increasing rage is leading to human tragedy as ell as substantial destruction and disruption for communities and businesses alike.

Angelina Kiser and Tracie Edmond of the University of the Incarnate Word in San Antonio, Texas, USA, discuss the international response to the present environmental challenges, such as the 1992 United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, the 1997 Kyoto Protocol, and the 2015 Paris Climate Agreement. However, they add that despite these efforts, countries vary in their levels of commitment and activity is heavily influenced by economic considerations and political pressure rather than the science.

They point out that while all generations have awareness of the issues, the younger generation is perhaps more keenly attuned to the growing crises and is therefore more demanding of business and the need for sustainable business practices. They add that a significant number of younger Americans support a transition to renewable energy sources, indicating a potential shift in market demands.

Businesses now face the challenge of balancing their diverse stakeholder interests with consumer values. Finding the balance between what shareholders, employees, and the public need and want of them is perhaps the most pressing issue they face because they may all hold potentially conflicting expectations and mutually exclusive demands. While sustainability initiatives may incur higher costs, leading to increased prices or reduced profits, neglecting consumer demands for climate-friendly practices could result in a loss of market share.

Kiser, A. and Edmond, T. (2024) ‘From baby boomers to Gen Z: global warming and business’, Interdisciplinary Environmental Review, Vol. 23, No. 4, pp.301–316.