Research pick: Understanding crowd sauce - "Safety monitoring system for tourist scenic spots based on crowd scene type recognition"

The population grows daily and with it the number of tourists heading for popular spots, attractions and cities. Research in the International Journal of Security and Networks has considered one aspect of the safety of large crowds, the sheer number of people that might be present in a given location. Qinqin Dong of Xinyang University, China, points out that the biggest challenge in managing dense groups of people in real-time is determining how many people are present in a crowd.

Dong has turned to artificial intelligence to develop a new took that can track and trace the movements of people in a crowd with unprecedented accuracy. The new system, SMACSTR (Scene Monitoring Algorithm based on Crowd Scene Type Recognition), could allow us to improve safety in bustling urban spaces and popular destinations.

The behaviour of a crowd is largely unpredictable unless barriers and other measures are in place to guide their movements. At popular tourist spots, there can be many hundreds or even thousands of people moving in unexpected surges that can represent a risk to safety. Overcrowding leads to bottlenecks and if an emergency arises, hazardous crowd movements that need to be addressed and controlled quickly to avoid injury and death.

Dong’s SMACSTR system can carry out crowd scene recognition, to interpret images of crowds and their behaviour. The system focuses on both static and dynamic features within the crowd and allows its operators to spot risky behaviour as it arises and so be able to implement a timely and effective response.

The static component of the system, the static density field, reveals crowd positioning and numbers, while the dynamic, the motion feature maps, indicate how the crowd is behaving. It can distinguish between calm and peaceful movements of individuals in the crowd or the emergence of erratic or panicked behaviour. By combining both characteristics of the crowd, the system can assess risks more effectively in real-time in a way that conventional systems, such as human monitoring of CCTV feeds, might not.

Dong, Q. (2024) ‘Safety monitoring system for tourist scenic spots based on crowd scene type recognition’, Int. J. Security and Networks, Vol. 19, No. 3, pp.128–137.

International Journal of Mobile Communications indexed by Scopus

The International Journal of Mobile Communications has recently been indexed by Scopus. Inderscience's Editorial Office congratulates the journal's Editor in Chief, Dr. June Wei, along with her editors and editorial board.

Research pick: Less is more, more or less - "Quest for less! Living with minimalism for building a better sustainable world – a qualitative study exploring millennials perspective"

A study in the International Journal of Sustainable Agricultural Management and Informatics suggests that minimalism is perhaps the only viable, sustainable path forward to address the problem of environmental damage due to ever-increasing consumption. Global consumption is thought to account for almost two-thirds of greenhouse gas emissions. Our seemingly endless buying and discarding of material goods at a rapid pace has also become an important factor in environmental degradation.

Varghese Joy and Vijay Kumar Jain of DIT University Dehradun in India, have explored minimalism, a lifestyle shift that emphasizes reduced consumption and purposeful living, as a promising antidote to modern consumer excess.

In the 1970s, the voluntary simplicity movement began in the USA. This advocated for a less material-focused life, but today that kind of minimalism has taken on added urgency. Rather than a lifestyle trend, minimalism could have policy implications and reshape how we think about happiness and well-being and to weave that into mental clarity, purposeful experiences, and environmental responsibility. The team suggests that such a shift in attitude away from endless consumerism could reduce our environmental footprint, as well as moving society towards a less materialistic future.

The team has looked at what they call, enablers, factors that drive people towards a minimalist approach to life. They used interpretive structural modelling to analyse these enablers. At the top of the list were personal attitude, cautious shopping habits, self-sufficiency, and the strategic elimination of clutter. Each of these enablers could have a role in helping people adopt minimalism.

Personal attitude reflects a mindset that eschews the cultural push and pull of materialism. It is an attitude that values experiences over possessions, prioritises environmental responsibility, and allows us to appreciate the non-material side of life. In adopting this positive personal attitude towards minimalism, we might take on conscious consumption where we buy only what we need and not everything we want.

The next enabler is self-sufficiency. This encourages us to focus on using what we already have, maximizing our skills and resources before buying more of anything. This attitude shuns our dependency on novelty and so reduces demand on production, which in turn lessens waste and resource depletion.

Clutter elimination is third on the list and involves removing non-essential items from one’s living space to create a calmer, more organized environment, which might then boost mental clarity and reduce stress.

While minimalism seems to offer many personal benefits, such as a less stressful existence, better mental health, and greater fulfilment. The true potential could be on a global scale.

Joy, V. and Jain, V.K. (2024) ‘Quest for less! Living with minimalism for building a better sustainable world – a qualitative study exploring millennials perspective’, Int. J. Sustainable Agricultural Management and Informatics, Vol. 10, No. 4, pp.405–428.

Prof. Christian Lauter appointed as new Editor in Chief of International Journal of Automotive Composites

Prof. Christian Lauter from the Private University of Management and Technology in Germany has been appointed to take over editorship of the International Journal of Automotive Composites.

Research pick: Cut me some cyberslack - "What is behind cyberslacking? Investigating the effects of job stress and ethical climate at workplace"

Remote working and working from home have changed the daily routine for many people around the world allowing them to balance work and life in ways that were simply not possible with the conventional commuter-bracketed 9-to-5. However, a study in the International Journal of Public Sector Performance Management reveals that there is a growing problem, a habit among home-based workers known as “cyberslacking” where they use their normal paid working hours to carry out personal internet activities. Whether doom-scrolling through social media or messaging with family and friends, cyberslacking has, the study suggests, become a common distraction from their work for many home-workers.

It could be that the rush to create a better work-life balance is actually now tipping the scales in a direction detrimental to the employers that rely on their workers to be diligent and fulfil their obligations in a timely, effective, and efficient manners.

The focus of the work by Natasha Tageja and Vijit Chaturvedi of Amity University Noida in Uttar Pradesh and Deepika Mishra and Namita Rajput of the University of Delhi, India, is on the idea that stress, rather than procrastination tendencies or simple laziness, is fuelling this trend. The team used structural equation modelling to analyse surveys from 272 employees across three private information technology companies to see what patterns there might be linking job stress and cyberslacking. Cyberslacking, the team suggests, offers a quick mental escape for the digital nomad or the homeworker, a few stolen moments to distract briefly from the pressures of a demanding job. They suggest that strong ethical values built into the workplace are needed to reverse this trend.

As companies adjust to the new normal of flexible working arrangements, it is time to recognise the implications of job stress on employees and employers alike. For sectors such as information technology, education, and finance, where stress is almost part of the job description, there is an urgent need to address this hidden loss in productivity, especially as it erodes both team performance and organizational goals.

Tageja, N., Mishra, D., Chaturvedi, V. and Rajput, N. (2024) ‘What is behind cyberslacking? Investigating the effects of job stress and ethical climate at workplace’, Int. J. Public Sector Performance Management, Vol. 14, Nos. 3/4, pp.530–544.

Free Open Access article available: "Social media presence and organisational attractiveness of ship owner and management companies"

The following paper, "Social media presence and organisational attractiveness of ship owner and management companies" (International Journal of Shipping and Transport Logistics 19(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: Anchoring new recruits in the maritime industry - "Social media presence and organisational attractiveness of ship owner and management companies"

A study in the International Journal of Shipping and Transport Logistics has looked at the largely ignored potential for shipping companies to boost their recruitment appeal through social media. Social media has transformed many industries, such as show business, fashion, and tourism, largely by transforming brand visibility.

In some sectors, such as maritime, it has been less used. Equally, many companies around the world have used LinkedIn and Instagram to attract talent and to grow their corporate image, but the shipping industry has remained cautious. This, the paper suggests, may have left it at a distinct disadvantage in terms of competing for talent new recruits perhaps more readily enticed by job offers in other sectors.

Taha Talip Türkistanlı of Mersin University and Coşkan Sevgili of Zonguldak Bülent Ecevit University, Türkiye, surveyed 578 maritime students and analysed the social media activity of 27 shipping companies. The data showed that the maritime sector has a significant opportunity to relaunch its digital presence.

The team found that while larger companies with big fleets had a little more engagement on platforms such as Facebook and LinkedIn, the overall activity level of the industry was surprisingly low. Shipping companies have not yet sailed into the high seas of social media and as such are perhaps stuck in the doldrums. This lack of engagement with the various platforms means they are almost invisible to the younger demographic that has embraced the digital age.

However, the research also revealed a mismatch between where students look for engaging content and where shipping companies tend to focus their efforts. While Facebook and LinkedIn are the mainstays of the maritime industry, the students surveyed reported a preference for more visually-orientated platforms such as Instagram and YouTube. These are not only visual but offer story-driven formats that seem well-suited to engaging new recruits.

The social media gap suggests that maritime companies might change course and so target younger audiences more effectively. This is especially true as so many prospective recruits use social media not only for job information but to gauge the values and culture of potential employers before applying for jobs.

Türkistanlı, T.T. and Sevgili, C. (2024) ‘Social media presence and organisational attractiveness of ship owner and management companies’, Int. J. Shipping and Transport Logistics, Vol. 19, No. 1, pp.124–148.

International Journal of Applied Pattern Recognition is now an open access-only journal

We are pleased to announce that the International Journal of Applied Pattern Recognition is now an Open Access-only journal. All accepted articles submitted from 28 October 2024 onwards will be Open Access, and will require an article processing charge of US $1600.

Research pick: Driving the electric vehicle shift - "Towards a new division of labour in Southeast Asia: Indonesian and Thai Industrial policy and the electric vehicle value chain in ASEAN"

The automotive industry is changing as it charges up electric vehicles. In Southeast Asia, the leading vehicle-producing regions, Thailand and Indonesia, are embracing this gear shift and developing new strategies to maintain and even improve their position in the road to electrification.

Writing in the International Journal of Automotive Technology and Management, Martin Schröder of Ritsumeikan University in Osaka, Japan, discusses this transition from the fossil-fuel powered internal combustion engine to the electric motor and how it is changing not only the automotive industry radically, but the value chains that exist around it. Moreover, ironically enough, it is sparking new industrial dynamics, with new opportunities and challenges. How, these strategies move forward will redefine the competitive edge of this region.

Until recently, vehicle manufacture has had global spread. Where developing nations could change lanes and become major players in the market and even find themselves in pole position, as may well be the case with Thailand and Indonesia, among the wider producers of the region. Indeed, they had already geared up to commodified production processes that allow for standardized manufacturing methods. Now, the boom in electric vehicle production is disrupting the landscape because it requires different technologies that were not previously part of automotive manufacture, such as lithium-ion batteries.

The work points out that Thailand is perhaps taking a more conservative approach based on its existing strengths and working with vehicle manufacturers elsewhere. However, pressure from Chinese manufacturers is forcing it to rethink its conservative approach. In contrast, Indonesia has taken a less conventional route. It has built on its abundant nickel reserves, a critical material in battery production, to underpin its electric vehicle industry. Indonesia has this managed to establish itself as a key supplier for Southeast Asia.

The contrasting approaches of Thailand and Indonesia show how industrial policies can either reinforce or redefine a country’s position in the global automotive landscape. The research could thus help policymakers elsewhere understand how to drive forward their manufacturing sectors in this area and participate in the global electric vehicle market.

Schröder, M. (2024) ‘Towards a new division of labour in Southeast Asia: Indonesian and Thai Industrial policy and the electric vehicle value chain in ASEAN’, Int. J. Automotive Technology and Management, Vol. 24, No. 5, pp.73–99.

Research pick: Mind’s the matter - "Impact of mindfulness on intention to leave among volunteers of non-profit organisations through job embeddedness"

Research in the International Journal of Management and Enterprise Development has looked at how mindfulness can play a role in keeping volunteers engaged and less likely to leave their roles in non-profit organisations. The research looks at the notion of job embeddedness and uncovers several ways in which mindfulness helps strengthen the connection between individuals and their voluntary work. The findings could help these organisations and perhaps commercial concerns develop better strategies to reduce staff turnover.

Luc Phan Tan of Thu Dau Mot University, Binh Duong and Lan Pham Xuan of the University of Economics, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, explain that mindfulness is a mental practice that involves one paying close attention to the present moment and the present activity. It involves avoiding distracting thoughts about the past or the future or other activities while involved in the given activity. They add that there are three aspects to job embeddedness: fit, which refers to how well an individual’s skills and values match their role; links, which means the social connections they form at work; and sacrifice, which represents what they might lose if the person were to leave their position.

The team found that mindfulness positively influences all three dimensions of job embeddedness. However, it was only the surveyed volunteers’ sense of “fit” that was associated with their intention to leave.

It is obvious, but worth noting, that volunteers are not bound by the financial incentives that employees have. Their commitment to a role has to derive from a sense of personal fulfilment, altruism, and purpose. As such, volunteers are often less tightly bound to their role than a company employee might be. For non-profits that obviously depend heavily on volunteer labour, this freedom can lead to high turnover rates. The concept of mindfulness might help volunteers and an organisation foster a greater sense of connection that might reduce turnover if successful in its goals. While the study focuses on volunteer workers, it could be applicable to paid employees in any sector that suffers from high staff turnover.

Tan, L.P. and Xuan, L.P. (2024) ‘Impact of mindfulness on intention to leave among volunteers of non-profit organisations through job embeddedness’, Int. J. Management and Enterprise Development, Vol. 23, No. 4, pp.289–306.

Inderscience acquires Journal of Business and Management

Inderscience has recently acquired the Journal of Business and Management for its Management and Business Collection.

The Journal of Business and Management (JBM) was inaugurated in 1993 and has been well known by business scholars worldwide over the last three decades. It is a double-blind refereed, Gold Open Access journal publishing high-quality original and review papers, technical reports, case studies, conference reports, management reports, book reviews and notes, commentaries and news. The journal focuses on emerging changes in theories, strategies and methods of business and management brought about by the internet and information technology applications, and on their implications for associated processes, products and services.

JBM's Editor in Chief, Prof. Eldon Y. Li, states that the journal serves as a highly professional and authoritative source of information in the fields of business and management, with the objective of providing a forum for theories and practices in all areas of business, management and organisational decision-making that are of interest to academics, practitioners and policy makers. Emphasis is given to the international dimension in order to overcome cultural and national barriers and to frame the related social, political, economic and emerging issues within the context of global communities.

Free Open Access article available: "Why do civil society organisations working on international protection tend to have positive dispositions towards refugees? A macro-level opportunity structure model"

The following paper, "Why do civil society organisations working on international protection tend to have positive dispositions towards refugees? A macro-level opportunity structure model" (International Journal of Migration and Border Studies 8(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: "Ethnic dance movement recognition based on motion capture sensor and machine learning"

The following paper, "Ethnic dance movement recognition based on motion capture sensor and machine learning" (International Journal of Information and Communication Technology 25(8) 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: "Rotation-invariant face detection with guided deformable attention"

The following paper, "Rotation-invariant face detection with guided deformable attention" (International Journal of Information and Communication Technology 25(8) 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: "Textile pattern style classification based on popular mixture enhancement and attribute clustering"

The following paper, "Textile pattern style classification based on popular mixture enhancement and attribute clustering" (International Journal of Information and Communication Technology 25(8) 2024), is freely available for download as an open access article.

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

Open Access issue published by International Journal of Information and Communication Technology

The International Journal of Information and Communication Technology has published an Open Access issue. All of the issue’s papers can be downloaded via the full-text links available here.

• Optimisation of digital media technology for film and television animation post-production considering motion capture technology
• Spatial visual expression effect of fine art design considering virtual reality and augmented reality technology
• Rotation-invariant face detection with guided deformable attention
• Textile pattern style classification based on popular mixture enhancement and attribute clustering
• Improved SSD-based visual sorting control for industrial robots
• Ethnic dance movement recognition based on motion capture sensor and machine learning

Research pick: A loom with a view - "Textile pattern style classification based on popular mixture enhancement and attribute clustering"

Textile patterns are woven into the fabric of many parts of manufacturing, from clothes and soft furnishings to the interiors of luxury cars and public transport vehicles and beyond. A new approach to classification of these patterns based on artificial intelligence is discussed in the International Journal of Information and Communication Technology. ZhaoJue Dai of Wenzhou Polytechnic in Wenzhou, China, has developed an advanced method to automate textile pattern classification, which can cope with the incredible diversity of fabric designs.

Textile classification has traditionally been done by eye. But, in an era of information overload where there are myriad fabric designs entering the marketplace every day and patterns have become increasingly sophisticated as design, production technology, and dyes advance, classification needs more than an expert eye. Dai explains that computer vision, a branch of artificial intelligence that enables machines to see and interpret visual information, could solve the problem of textile overload.

Dai has now used convolutional neural networks (CNNs) to bring the process of textile classification into the digital age. She uses two techniques: mixture enhancement and attribute clustering within the analysis. Mixture enhancement can combine several textile images to create “enriched” digital swatches that can be used to train the CNN. This essentially teaches the computer to recognize novel patterns, improving its ability to handle the sheer diversity of textile designs in the real world. Attribute clustering then organizes the patterns by grouping together shared features. When presented with samples, the algorithm then has the ability to spot the nuances in a textile and classify it accordingly.

To fine-tune the process, Dai used entropy discretization. This technique converts continuous data into chunks that can be handled by the computer more efficiently as it compares different textiles. The system thus achieves a classification accuracy of well over 90 percent. This is better than previous textile classification models, which often unravel when presented with highly detailed or ornate designs.

Dai, ZJ. (2024) ‘Textile pattern style classification based on popular mixture enhancement and attribute clustering’, Int. J. Information and Communication Technology, Vol. 25, No. 8, pp.49–63.

Free Open Access article available: "Optimisation of digital media technology for film and television animation post-production considering motion capture technology"

The following paper, "Optimisation of digital media technology for film and television animation post-production considering motion capture technology" (International Journal of Information and Communication Technology 25(8) 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: "Improved SSD-based visual sorting control for industrial robots"

The following paper, "Improved SSD-based visual sorting control for industrial robots" (International Journal of Information and Communication Technology 25(8) 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 Global Environmental Issues

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

• Editorial: Can Russia democratise?
• The techno-economics of growing high-value temperate crops under controlled soil temperature on tropical climate lowland
• Climate change reporting: a systematic literature review
• Sustainability practices and promotion: websites of large US companies, part II
• Just water under the bridge: a Bourdieusian view about Samarco sustainability narrative before and after an ecocide episode
• Site selection for landfills using GIS-based multi-criteria decision analysis – a case study of National Capital Territory of Delhi, India

Research pick: Facing up to the facts - "Rotation-invariant face detection with guided deformable attention"

Technology increasingly relies on facial recognition, whether to unlock one’s smartphone or to monitor public spaces. However, faces move, cameras rarely face catch use perfectly face on. People tilt their heads, glance sideways, or are caught in the periphery of a busy scene. This issue thus remains a challenge for facial recognition systems that tend to need our full attention, as it were.

Research in the International Journal of Information and Communication Technology discusses a new approach developed by a team in China – the Guided Deformable Attention (GDA) network. Bin Deng and Guanghui Dengof Hunan University of Technology in Zhuzhou, Hunan, China, say this approach steps up to address the problem of rotated faces. The system could improve security systems as well as have applications in gaming and the entertainment industry in general.

Standard facial recognition systems use convolutional neural networks (CNNs) to detect features such as our eyes and nose based on their expected position in a straightforward, front-facing portrait. They are quite rigid in how they work and require fixed kernels to detect those features and confirm an identity based on the precise positions, size, and shape in the acquired image of the person’s face. The CNNs have been improved in recent years by allowing deformable convolutions, but this still does not work well in complicated real-world environments such as crowds or other busy scenes.

The new GDA network approach could solve the problem by introducing a guiding mechanism that helps the system remain focused on the face itself, regardless of orientation or background noise. The key innovation here is the system’s ability to maintain its focus on the essential structure of a face even when there are distractions in the scene. The system, the researchers explain, knows what a face looks like and can remain locked on it. This is not dissimilar to the ability of many modern digital cameras to track a moving object, such as an animal, and to focus lock on to the animal’s eye for the best photograph.

The GDA first identifies the location of the face within an image using an affine matrix, a mathematical method that allows the system to rotate or scale the image to get a better understanding of where the face might be. The second step is to refine this detection process using those deformable convolutions. It does this in such a way as to remain locked on the face and not turns its digital attention to competing objects or noise in the acquired image.

Thus, in security surveillance, where faces in a crowd rarely present themselves in perfect profile, the system can home in on a chosen face, and accurately detect that face in the crowd for subsequent identification. The approach is not limited to security and law enforcement. It could be used in virtual reality and augmented reality, where users’ faces are often seen from different angles yet accurate face detection is important to creating an immersive, real-time experience for the user.

Deng, B. and Deng, G. (2024) ‘Rotation-invariant face detection with guided deformable attention’, Int. J. Information and Communication Technology, Vol. 25, No. 8, pp.32–48.

Free Open Access article available: "Spatial visual expression effect of fine art design considering virtual reality and augmented reality technology"

The following paper, "Spatial visual expression effect of fine art design considering virtual reality and augmented reality technology" (International Journal of Information and Communication Technology 25(8) 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: "Optimisation of news propagation path in media convergence era under interactive digital media technology"

The following paper, "Optimisation of news propagation path in media convergence era under interactive digital media technology" (International Journal of Information and Communication Technology 25(7) 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 Business Competition and Growth

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

• How do viral videos on social media affect purchase intention?
• Responsiveness of capital market development to manufacturing sector performance in Nigeria
• Do trade openness and domestic credit to the private sector stimulate economic growth in Ghana? A bound test approach
• Influence of e-WOM on women's apparel purchase intention: a study on Myntra app
• Role of attributes in influencing customer satisfaction: a study with reference to jewellery stores in Chennai

Research pick: Truly moving pictures - "Optimisation of digital media technology for film and television animation post-production considering motion capture technology"

In an era where realism is expectated in animated films, motion capture technology (MCT) has emerged as the secret weapon of modern animation studios. Thanks to its ability to capture and replicate real-life movements, the technology has transformed the creative process, allowing digital characters to leap, stroll, and even blink with a degree of nuance that was not possible in animation just a few years ago.

Once upon a time, animators had to painstakingly create frames by hand to create the illusion of movement. Computers reduced the workload but the subtlety of human movement and facial expression was often lost and an animated character would never look quite as authentic as an actor. Motion capture opened up a more direct route to visual realism and allowed the creatives to tell their stories more evocatively than ever before. Today, digital artists can access libraries of real-world movements and expressions that can be incorporated into their work.

The impact of this technology can be seen in landmark films such as Avatar and The Lord of the Rings, where MCT breathed life into digital creatures and characters, making their movements appear real and adding emotional authenticity to the characters. Indeed, the technology’s ability to replicate dynamic body language and facial expressions with precision allows animations to mimic the subtleties of behaviour, whether that’s a playful wink from the heroine or the flick of a unicorn’s tail.

All that said, the application of motion capture is no longer the reserve of the movie industry. Writing in the International Journal of Information and Communication Technology, Zhuqing Liu of the Jin Zhong Vocational and Technical College in Shanxi, China, explains how this technology is now spilling into the virtual and augmented reality environments. Here it is leading to new approaches in creating immersive and interactive experiences.

Liu explains that motion capture systems are not perfect and still have challenges such as limb and hand detection for the most intricate movements crucial to truly life-like animation. Better sensors and higher-resolution cameras are allowing the initial motion capture to be done more accurately. The ongoing refinement of software, meanwhile, is heading inevitably into the area of advanced algorithms and machine learning which can analyse those captured movements and allow them to be replicated in an animation with intricate and realistic detail.

The technology has obvious applications in film and television, but also in video games, and even medical simulations as well as in research looking at how our bodies move in real life.

Liu, Z. (2024) ‘Optimisation of digital media technology for film and television animation post-production considering motion capture technology’, Int. J. Information and Communication Technology, Vol. 25, No. 8, pp.1–13.

Free Open Access article available: "Architecture and research of photovoltaic hybrid microgrid control system combined with renewable energy"

The following paper, "Architecture and research of photovoltaic hybrid microgrid control system combined with renewable energy" (International Journal of Power and Energy Conversion 15(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: "Chaotic colour image encryption based on differential evolutionary deep learning"

The following paper, "Chaotic colour image encryption based on differential evolutionary deep learning" (International Journal of Information and Communication Technology 25(7) 2024), is freely available for download as an open access article.

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

Research pick: Grid expectations - "Architecture and research of photovoltaic hybrid microgrid control system combined with renewable energy"

There is an urgent need to transition from conventional energy sources to environmentally friendly, sustainable alternatives. Research in the International Journal of Power and Energy Conversion, discusses a control system that could be used to balance solar and wind power within a hybrid microgrid. The work could help address the issue of the inherent unpredictability of power generation involving solar and wind, so improving the overall reliability of a microgrid power supply.

A hybrid microgrid typically has a few core components: Renewable energy sources including solar panels, wind turbines, or sometimes hydroelectric systems. They also have conventional backup, such as a fossil fuel generators or other traditional energy source. They usually have batteries as an energy storage system. A control system integrates the different energy sources to give as steady and efficient an output as possible.

Such hybrid microgrids could be the power-generating mainstay of remote and off-grid areas of the world, such as remote villages or even mines and other industrial sites. They might also be employed in disaster zones when conventional power supply has been disrupted by extreme weather events, earthquakes and other geological activity, or due to military activity.

Guoku Wang of Harbin Institute of Petroleum, China, explains that while renewable energy is at the heart of global sustainability goals, it presents us with a major problem: instability. Solar power fluctuates with light conditions, while wind power is as changeable as the weather. A new approach that integrates photovoltaic (solar) power generation with direct-drive wind power within a smart system could automatically adjust its operations to accommodate changing environmental conditions.

The research demonstrates how the system can compensate for real-time changes in wind speed and sunlight. When wind conditions are unfavourable, the system responds by increasing the photovoltaic output to maintain a steady power supply. The adaptive balancing keeps power supply stable, mitigating for the dips and spikes that can be common with renewable energy supply.

Wang, G. (2024) ‘Architecture and research of photovoltaic hybrid microgrid control system combined with renewable energy’, Int. J. Power and Energy Conversion, Vol. 15, No. 5, pp.1–19.

Free sample articles newly available from International Journal of Smart Technology and Learning

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

• A machine learning based crop recommendation system and user-friendly android application for cultivation
• Human and artificial intelligence in education
• Task-agnostic team competence assessment and metacognitive feedback for transparent project-based learning in data science
• Leveraging AI, big data and educational technology to promote collaborative learning and improve cyberlearning courses: synopsis and linked presentations of the workshop at Orlando, Florida, 4-6 June 2019, and the online workshop, 13-14 August 2020
• Bioinformatics education for undergraduates: the need for project-based and experiential approaches

Free Open Access article available: "Method of target damage probability distribution simulation and evaluation based on GPU parallel computing"

The following paper, "Method of target damage probability distribution simulation and evaluation based on GPU parallel computing" (International Journal of Information and Communication Technology 25(7) 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: "Application of image colour matching algorithm based on visual perception model in clothing design"

The following paper, "Application of image colour matching algorithm based on visual perception model in clothing design" (International Journal of Information and Communication Technology 25(7) 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 Agriculture Innovation, Technology and Globalisation

The following sample articles from the International Journal of Agriculture Innovation, Technology and Globalisation are now available here for free:

• Machine learning-based approach for degree of milling analysis of Indian rice variety
• Extreme learning machine for solving paddy nutrient deficiencies in Davangere region
• Towards national-size digital platform and ecosystem of smart services for precision farming
• The lesson of value chain concept from SMEs to achieve UN SDGs
• Review: anti-influenza viral effects of camellia tea

Research pick: Rerouting the news - "Optimisation of news propagation path in media convergence era under interactive digital media technology"

Digital media technology has changed journalism considerably, and perhaps most obviously in data journalism. Data journalism uses the power of data analysis and visualization to develop news stories that can be highly engaging and accessible to the public. Yet, as this particular form of journalism matures, there are obstacles to its efficient sharing and consumption.

Research in the International Journal of Information and Communication Technology has looked at the pathways through which data-driven news is conveyed. Yizhou Gong of Macau University of Science and Technology and Zhihu Shi of the Jiangsu Broadcasting Corporation, China, used social network analysis and viral communication theories to identify the three main ways in which data-driven journalism is disseminated. The team found that the efficacy of the different channels is often compromised by simplistic communication tools, many of which have been used since this early days of data journalism. This limitation has restricted user interactivity, as well as narrowing the focus on familiar subjects, such as finance and entertainment.

The team points out that early platforms sharing data journalism stories simply integrated text with basic visuals. Given the power of the mobile devices so many people carry with them at all times, the inadequacy of those early approaches, which are still widely used, emphasises again and again how they fail to capture the public imagination in many cases. There is a pressing need for enhanced interactive features to engage the public once more in data journalism.

Moreover, the research points to a need to integrate adaptive recommendation algorithms to optimize how data news reaches the audience in the first place. Algorithms that might tailor content based on user interests and historical preferences could lead to a more personalized experience. Such an approach has the potential to broaden audience engagement and extend the reach of data-driven stories. This kind of change is essential if journalism, and specifically data journalism, is to remain relevant and thrive, the work suggests.

Gong, Y. and Shi, Z. (2024) ‘Optimisation of news propagation path in media convergence era under interactive digital media technology’, Int. J. Information and Communication Technology, Vol. 25, No. 7, pp.25–36.

Free Open Access article available: "Edge detection algorithm of insulator hydrophobic image in CPS system considering deconvolution and deblurring algorithm"

The following paper, "Edge detection algorithm of insulator hydrophobic image in CPS system considering deconvolution and deblurring algorithm" (International Journal of Information and Communication Technology 25(7) 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: "Logics alignment in agile software design processes"

The following paper, "Logics alignment in agile software design processes" (International Journal of Agile Systems and Management 17(6) 2024), is freely available for download as an open access article.

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

Research pick: Shaking off the economics lessons for swift returns - "Behind the billions: how Taylor Swift and MrBeast can be used to teach economics"

Traditional lessons in economics seem to have less of a place in this world when they fail to change students who are often more interested in the latest viral content and influencers. However, it could be the best day for educators who recognise this and speak now. They might turn to unexpected allies, such as pop culture icon Taylor Swift or maybe even social media influencer James Stephen Donaldson, better known to millions online as MrBeast.

Both stars are globally celebrated not only for their fame but for their remarkable business acumen. A new wave of research suggests that using their stories might be the key to engaging Generation Z students, the so-called Zoomers, in the subject of economics. Gen Z is demographically the generation born 1997 to 2012. Swift and Donaldson were born in 1989 and 1988 respectively and themselves are mid-generation Millennials (Gen Y, born 1981 to 1996). Millennials are usually considered the digital natives, individuals who grew up in a world where personal computing and communications had become almost ubiquitous.

Research in the International Journal of Pluralism and Economics Education suggests that an innovative approach to teaching economics might focus on how such celebrities, which many students already admire, develop their businesses. For instance, Swift’s record-breaking Eras Tour grossed more than $1 billion, while MrBeast’s YouTube “empire”, which includes entrepreneurial ventures such as his Feastables brand, offers real-world examples of economics in action. From pricing strategies to branding, these two have built formidable enterprises, making them ideal case studies to explain otherwise abstract economic concepts.

Educators know all too well that engaging case studies are important in navigating the treacherous world of teaching economics, where a blank space might disenfranchise even the keenest student. What sets apart a method that focuses on such well-known figures as case studies, is that they have a ready-made resonance with Gen Z. This generation was raised on digital content and stereotypically has a short attention span and yet prizes entrepreneurship and innovation.

Even in their wildest dreams, students in a typical high school economics class will be taught little more than equations and theoretical models. Even if all they had to do was stay, this can seem distant and irrelevant to many students. Call it what you want, but by incorporating Swift and MrBeast into the curriculum, the teacher’s new end game is to illustrate complex economic ideas, such as supply and demand, monetization strategies, and market engagement, in the afterglow of personalities they admire and follow closely or at the very least know a lot about. It can be an epiphany.

The work hints at an educational gold rush, where this shift in focus could transform the way economics is taught and how well students understand and learn about the subject. To cut a long story shot, by moving beyond dry textbooks, a pop culture approach might draw into economics a diverse and inclusive group of students.

It doesn’t take a mastermind to navigate the labyrinth of thinking on how this all might come to more than sweet nothing. Many young people already admire the entrepreneurial journeys of their favourite influencers and celebrities. If educators can demonstrate that economics is more than spreadsheet and Wall Street, then the creativity, audience engagement, and smart financial decisions of those celebrities will appear almost bejewelled and show how economics is part of all our lives, it is, in a sense, everyday alchemy.

Dahlberg, K.H., DeWind, S., Geerling, W. and Mateer, G.D. (2024) ‘Behind the billions: how Taylor Swift and MrBeast can be used to teach economics’, Int. J. Pluralism and Economics Education, Vol. 15, No. 1, pp.69–89.

Free sample articles newly available from International Journal of Decision Sciences, Risk and Management

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

• Supply chain risk management for a sustainable strategy: a study in the furniture industry
• Integration of STPA and TOPSIS fuzzy methods for risk analysis in aerospace projects
• Information and ill-structured decisions: the effects of web use and feedback
• Financial analysis of selected fresh milk companies in Greece: the case of the cooperative company Thess Gala Pies

Inderscience journals indexed by the Smithsonian Institution's Astrophysics Data System

Inderscience's Editorial Office is pleased to announce that the following journals have been newly indexed by the Smithsonian Institution's prestigious Astrophysics Data System (ADS):

• International Journal of Agriculture Innovation, Technology and Globalisation
• International Journal of Critical Infrastructures
• International Journal of Energy Technology and Policy
• International Journal of Environment and Health
• International Journal of Environment and Pollution
• International Journal of Environment and Sustainable Development
• International Journal of Environment and Waste Management
• International Journal of Environmental Technology and Management
• International Journal of Exergy
• International Journal of Global Energy Issues
• International Journal of Global Environmental Issues
• International Journal of Global Warming
• International Journal of Hydrology Science and Technology
• International Journal of Innovation and Sustainable Development
• International Journal of Mining and Mineral Engineering
• International Journal of Nuclear Energy Science and Technology
• International Journal of Oil, Gas and Coal Technology
• International Journal of Sustainable Development
• International Journal of Sustainable Society
• International Journal of Water
• Progress in Industrial Ecology, An International Journal

Free Open Access article available: "Prototyping in motorsports: exploring manufacturer-supplier collaboration in Formula One"

The following paper, "Prototyping in motorsports: exploring manufacturer-supplier collaboration in Formula One" (International Journal of Automotive Technology and Management 24(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: Management that’s not just skin deep - "Does it make sense to manage people ‘diversely’? A scoping review on human resource management practices rooted in diversity"

Managing an increasingly diverse workforce is no longer a mere rubber-stamping exercise for companies, it is an essential and beneficial part of the corporate agenda. Organizations are beginning to recognise that diversity underpins success in the modern world.

A comprehensive review of more than 2500 research papers, shows that unlocking the full potential of a diverse workforce lies at the intersection of human resource management and what we might term diversity management. The review published in the International Journal of Management Practice suggests that many companies in disparate areas are yet to reach this intersection.

Federica Testa, Alessandro Hinna, and Rocco Palumbo of the University of Rome Tor Vergata, and Federico Ceschel of the University of Rome Tre, Italy, explain that diversity management refers to policies and practices that are aimed fundamentally at creating an inclusive work environment. It ensures that all employees feel valued, respected, and empowered to contribute. This inclusiveness has direct and measurable effects on motivation, performance, and innovation, the review suggests. Moreover, companies that successfully manage diversity often outperform their competitors.

Where conventional human resource management is involved in how an organization manages its people, the employment lifecycle, from recruitment and training to compensation and performance evaluation, diversity management adds critical functions. The research highlights how these might best be incorporated into business practice to the benefit of all employees and the company itself.

The review suggests that until recently, much of the practice in the area of diversity management has been rather piecemeal. Organizations might implement diversity initiatives in one area, such as inclusive hiring practices, but then do not necessarily follow through with that in performance evaluations, training, and even compensation structures. This fragmented approach reduces the effectiveness of diversity initiatives and risks making them seem irrelevant to the main objectives of an organization, the review suggests.

There is perhaps a growing need for a holistic strategy that brings together diversity management and human resource practices. Instead of isolated efforts, diversity must be part of all human resources functions. For instance, a company that hires diversely should ensure that its training programs are tailored to support all employees. Similarly, performance reviews should be designed with inclusiveness in mind, ensuring that no group is disadvantaged by unconscious biases or outdated criteria. There is a need for a top-down commitment across corporations that ensures diversity initiatives receive the resources and attention they ought to have, again for the benefit of all employees and the corporations themselves.

Testa, F., Ceschel, F., Hinna, A. and Palumbo, R. (2024) ‘Does it make sense to manage people ‘diversely’? A scoping review on human resource management practices rooted in diversity’, Int. J. Management Practice, Vol. 17, No. 6, pp.635–668.

Free Open Access article available: "Towards a new division of labour in Southeast Asia: Indonesian and Thai Industrial policy and the electric vehicle value chain in ASEAN"

The following paper, "Towards a new division of labour in Southeast Asia: Indonesian and Thai Industrial policy and the electric vehicle value chain in ASEAN" (International Journal of Automotive Technology and Management 24(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: "In-house software development for software-defined vehicles: major changes ahead in automotive value chains?"

The following paper, "In-house software development for software-defined vehicles: major changes ahead in automotive value chains?" (International Journal of Automotive Technology and Management 24(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: The colour code - "Chaotic colour image encryption based on differential evolutionary deep learning"

Research in the International Journal of Information and Communication Technology describes a new approach to the encryption of digital images. The method could be used to protective sensitive information, such as medical and scientific images, online. By using chaotic systems to do the work, the approach, developed by Zhengbao Cai of the College of Information Technology in Lu’an, China, improves on existing approaches.

Digital image transmission has made encryption essential for safeguarding personal data, medical records, business, political, and military intelligence. However, traditional encryption methods, such as the Advanced Encryption Standard (AES), have limitations when it comes to handling complex and dense data of the kind found in a digital image file. To work around the various problems, Cai turned to a chaotic encryption system. Such an approach uses the irregular and nonlinear dynamics of chaos theory to obscure data. The new work introduces a six-dimensional cellular neural network (CNN) that can encrypt colour more efficiently and with lower demands on computing resources than earlier chaos-based methods.

Conventional two- or three-dimensional CNNs models generate sequences of chaotic numbers that are highly unpredictable. By taking that approach to a higher dimension, Cai improves on the degree of unpredictability as well as making the encrypted output more stable when encrypting large, high-dimensional datasets like high-resolution medical scans or satellite images.

Tests demonstrate that Cai’s encrypted images are much better at resisting attempt to reverse-engineer them to view the original image than conventional encryption methods.

There is a pressing need for secure, efficient, and scalable encryption methods for a wide range of digital image types. The current research with its novel combination of a six-dimensional CNN and the use of a differential evolutionary algorithm could make those sensitive digital images more secure than ever before.

Cai, Z. (2024) ‘Chaotic colour image encryption based on differential evolutionary deep learning’, Int. J. Information and Communication Technology, Vol. 25, No. 7, pp.57–74.

Dr. Jianyu Ma appointed as new Editor in Chief of International Journal of Business and Systems Research

Dr. Jianyu Ma from Robert Morris University in the USA has been appointed to take over editorship of the International Journal of Business and Systems Research.

Free Open Access article available: "Industrial policy imitation: the perils of matching the US Inflation Reduction Act to attract battery plants"

The following paper, "Industrial policy imitation: the perils of matching the US Inflation Reduction Act to attract battery plants" (International Journal of Automotive Technology and Management 24(5) 2024), is freely available for download as an open access article.

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

International Journal of Computational Vision and Robotics is now an open access-only journal

We are pleased to announce that the International Journal of Computational Vision and Robotics is now an Open Access-only journal. All accepted articles submitted from 11 October 2024 onwards will be Open Access, and will require an article processing charge of US $1600.

Free Open Access article available: "Automotive alliances in times of technological uncertainty"

The following paper, "Automotive alliances in times of technological uncertainty" (International Journal of Automotive Technology and Management 24(5) 2024), is freely available for download as an open access article.

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

Inderscience journals to invite expanded papers from International Conference on Applied Sciences and Innovation (ICASIN'2025) Morocco for potential publication

Extended versions of papers presented at the International Conference on Applied Sciences and Innovation (ICASIN'2025) (27-29 November 2025, Kenitra, Morocco) will be invited for review and potential publication by the following journals:

• Atoms for Peace: an International Journal
• International Journal of Energy Technology and Policy
• International Journal of Power and Energy Conversion

Research pick: A logical approach to technology, design, and business - "Logics alignment in agile software design processes"

Software development is a fast-paced environment where it is easy to get lost in the code and lose sight of the bigger picture. Research in the International Journal of Agile Systems and Management looks at how design, technology, and business might work more effectively together to help in the development of digital platforms, particularly for small and medium-sized manufacturers in Europe.

Diana Chronéer, Mari Runardotter, and Jeaneth Johansson of Luleå University of Technology, Sweden, describe the frameworks, or logics, that represent different ways of thinking. A clearer understanding of these logics can be used to guide different aspects of development in terms of the technology, the service, and the design logic. Each logic has its own priorities, but the researchers suggest that the key to success is ensuring that all three work synergistically. Achieving this synergy is, of course, easier said than done.

The team explains that the technological logic revolves around the working details of software development, the writing of code, the addition of new features, and the squashing of bugs. This logic, the team suggests, is the engine of agile development in this context, driving incremental progress and flexibility and allowing the developers to fine tune a system to meet new demands.

The demands of the design logic are entirely different. It homes in on the user experience (UX) and aims to ensure that platforms are intuitive, accessible, and effective for the people who have to use them. Design logic is user-focused and considers the wants, the needs, and the behaviour of users, which can then determine the look and feel of the platform. However, there is often conflict between the design logic and the rapid cycles of technological development, where deadlines and technical constraints can take priority over a flawless UX.

The third logic, the service-dominant logic, focuses on the business aspects of development its currency is value exchange and in the world of business-to-business (B2B) platforms, this means boosting collaboration, sharing services, and adding mutual value. This logic nudges the developers to think beyond the technology or the UX to see how the platform will improve the company’s bottom line.

Balancing these three logics is thus key to success. A team that focuses too much on the technology might develop a sound platform that is difficult to use. Conversely, an overemphasis on design might result in a platform that looks good but fails to address key business or technical needs.

The researchers propose a new logic, a new framework, “adaptive space” to help manage the three core logics. Adaptive space is a theoretical and practical approach designed to make the ongoing interplay between the three main aspects of development visible and manageable. It maps out the competing priorities of the three logics and emphasises regular reflection and co-creation, so that different perspectives are considered holistically.

The work suggests that a new approach is not simply about improving software, but about rethinking how we build technology in an era of rapid innovation. Software development in this new paradigm would be not purely a technical or design problem, but a sociotechnical process, a blending of human and technical elements working together.

Chronéer, D., Runardotter, M. and Johansson, J. (2024) ‘Logics alignment in agile software design processes’, Int. J. Agile Systems and Management, Vol. 17, No. 6, pp.1–31.

Research pick: Fast-track research - "Prototyping in motorsports: exploring manufacturer-supplier collaboration in Formula One"

Formula 1 (F1) is the highest level of international motorsport, known for its fast, high-performance, single-seat racing cars. It is governed by the Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA), and features a series of races, Grands Prix, held on racing circuits worldwide. The races are known for their speed, technical precision, and intense strategy.

A study in the International Journal of Automotive Technology and Management discusses how this global racing series acts as a real-time laboratory that can test and refine motoring technologies that often take a turn into the world of the road vehicles. In other words, Laura Rehberg of the Institute of Entrepreneurship and Innovation Science at the University of Stuttgart, Germany, suggests, F1 is in the driving seat when it comes to shaping the future of the automotive industry.

Rehberg has investigated the world of prototyping within F1 showing how car manufacturers and their suppliers collaborate with one of the most competitive sporting environments. Prototyping refers to the stage in development where experimental versions of components are created and tested. Often, new technologies are pushed to their limits in this environment before they ever go into production. Within F1, prototyping is high-pressure, with the requisite innovation being relentless and having the drive to cut seconds off lap times. Of course, innovation is constrained by the strict FIA regulations, but some important inventions have emerged from F1 innovation, and many of those, such as mild-hybrid vehicles, were actually driven by the regulations themselves.

It is the collaboration between original equipment manufacturers (OEMs), the carmakers, their suppliers, and the F1 teams that at the heart of Rehberg’s work. The research shows that the sport has pulled away from the conventional, arms-length relationships and a change of gear has led to “collaborative prototyping,” where suppliers are not merely vendors but partners, contributing to the design and testing process itself. Such integration allows for more rapid innovation and precludes many of the costly mistakes that can occur later in development when innovation moves on to the production line. Innovations in engine efficiency, vehicle aerodynamics, and materials science are all tested to the extreme in F1 and many developments that have improved times and fuel efficiency on the racing track have act as a catalyst for production cars to hit the roads.

Rehberg, L. (2024) ‘Prototyping in motorsports: exploring manufacturer-supplier collaboration in Formula One‘, Int. J. Automotive Technology and Management, Vol. 24, No. 5, pp.100-118.

Research pick: An algorithmic approach to healthy eating - "A prototype for intelligent diet recommendations by considering disease and medical condition of the patient"

Diet plays an important role in health. A study in the International Journal of Business and Systems Research has looked closely at the relationship between nutrition and the prevention of chronic diseases such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and cancer. It is worth noting that despite increasing public awareness of the link between poor diet and disease, many people struggle to make healthy choices for themselves.

The researchers, Suvendu Kumar Nayak, Sangram Keshari Swain, of Centurion University of Technology and Management, Mamata Garanayak Kalinga of the Deemed to be University, and Bijay Kumar Paikaray of the Siksha ‘O’ Anusandhan (Deemed to be) University, Odisha, India, point out that tracking food intake and nutritional value and making informed dietary choices can be overwhelming. This then can lead to bad habits that contribute to the risk of chronic illness.

In recognizing this gap between information and application and nutritional awareness, the researchers have proposed a new approach to offering personalized dietary advice that is tailored to individual health profiles and preferences. Their system determines a patient’s nutritional needs in conjunction with their medical history and current health conditions using the K-Nearest Neighbours (K-NN) algorithm. The algorithm, trained on data from a range of people with different conditions and dietary requirements, allows it to find the optimal diet most beneficial to the current patient.

The team explains that by introducing a structured approach to nutrition using their approach, it might be possible to reduce the dietary risk factors associated with many chronic diseases. This could improve health for individuals but also lower the burden on healthcare systems. There is already a growing trend towards personalized healthcare, such as fitness trackers and other health apps, the addition of dietary tools will help guide those individuals who hope to improve their health in these and other ways.

Nayak, S.K., Garanayak, M., Swain, S.K. and Paikaray, B.K. (2024) ‘A prototype for intelligent diet recommendations by considering disease and medical condition of the patient’, Int. J. Business and Systems Research, Vol. 18, No. 6, pp.515–538.

Research pick: Wear and care - "Wearable sensors in critical care medicine"

Wearable technology is well known to anyone with a fitness tracker but it is also moving into critical care medicine. Research in the International Journal of Systems, Control and Communications has looked at how wearables might change the management of patients in intensive care units (ICUs). Such devices can provide continuous, real-time data for healthcare professionals following the vital signs and movements of critically ill patients. The technology might offer a more personalized and less invasive approach to treatment.

Decheng Fan of the University of Shanghai for Science and Technology, Junmin Li and Jingjing Fang of The Second Military Medical University, Jianbo Su of Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China, explain that conventional ICU monitoring usually relies on bulky equipment such as heart monitors, devices for monitoring respiratory function, and measuring blood pressure, for instance. These methods, while effective, usually require active and regular intervention from the healthcare workers. There is also usually a need for taking samples of blood and urine etc, which is usually invasive and carries a risk of introducing infection.

Wearable technology could offer a viable alternative to the more intrusive and invasive technologies that have been used for many years. One of the biggest benefits is the non-invasive and continuous monitoring that wearables could offer. Wearables will support healthcare by transmitting personalized data to clinicians, allowing them to make decisions in real time to assist patients with complex, life-threatening conditions such as multi-organ failure.

Researchers are already working on multifunctional sensors that could be integrated into a single device to streamline the whole process of data assimilation and transmission. Such devices could be of great benefit in specialist care settings where resources are scarce, such as during a pandemic, for instance.

Fan, D., Li, J., Su, J. and Fang, J. (2024) ‘Wearable sensors in critical care medicine’, Int. J. Systems, Control and Communications, Vol. 15, No. 3, pp.312–324.

Research pick: Please take a seat for your virtual interview - "Attractiveness of firms with chatbot as job interviewers: does the interviewer-type matter in the first contact with candidates?"

There is seemingly no endeavour untouched by the potential of algorithms and artificial intelligence. Writing in the International Journal of Communication Networks and Distributed Systems, a Czech team discusses the potential for chatbots to carry out initial job interviews with candidates.

A chatbot-mediated screening process could allow wholly unsuitable candidates to be quickly removed from the short list so that interviewers can focus on those applicants best suited to the role being sought. Such a change in the way recruitment is undertaken raises ethical issues about just how fair is screening job applicants in this way, especially given many of the known problems surrounding algorithm training bias and other issues that have been raised about artificial intelligence carrying out human jobs.

Insights from the research could help guide exactly how companies approach recruitment in the wake of these intriguing technological developments. There are three important aspects that Helena Řepová, Jan Zouhar, and Pavel Král of Prague University of Economics and Business consider in their paper: procedural justice, in other words, fairness in decision-making, interactional justice, fairness in how candidates are treated, and interpersonal justice, the quality of personal interaction.

The researchers compared applicant perceptions of these forms of justice across different interview formats, including interviews conducted by humans, chatbots, and those where the interview type wasn’t revealed.

Chatbots offer a clear efficiency advantage to companies in screening applicants. But, for applicants accustomed to conventional interviews, issues of fairness, or a lack thereof, are apparent. Indeed, an applicant’s perception of justice in recruitment might alter their opinion of the organization itself and deter bright and well-suited applicants from applying for a position with a given company in the first place based on that company using chatbots for initial interviews. Companies could miss out on talent and the talented candidates could miss out on their dream role!

Řepová, H., Zouhar, J. and Král, P. (2024) ‘Attractiveness of firms with chatbot as job interviewers: does the interviewer-type matter in the first contact with candidates?’, Int. J. Communication Networks and Distributed Systems, Vol. 30, No. 6, pp.711–732.

Research pick: Gleefully pitch perfect - "Improved harmonic spectral envelope extraction for singer classification with hybridised model"

A powerful algorithm that can automatically classify different singing voices by vocal characteristics is described in the International Journal of Bio-Inspired Computation. Balachandra Kumaraswamy of the B.M.S. College of Engineering in Bangalore, India, suggests that the development is an important step forward in music technology, allowing a system to quickly and accurately distinguish one voice from another without human intervention.

Everyone’s singing voice is shaped by a range of physiological characteristics such as their vocal folds, lung capacity and diaphragm, the shape of their nose and mouth, the tongue and teeth, and more. Add to that the emotional delivery and stylistic choices a singer might make, and each of us sounds unique. It is fairly easy for us to tell singers apart, even if the singing is within a complex and textured musical environment. However, using machine learning to distinguish voices has remained challenging. Kumaraswamy’s system performs well and could be employed in a wide range of contexts such as music cataloguing, streaming, recommendation, music production, and even for legal purposes such as copyright control.

The new approach takes four steps to distinguish between singers. The first is pre-processing in which an advanced convolutional neural network (CNN) identifies and isolates the vocals from a complex audio recording, discarding instrumentation and other non-vocal sounds.

The second step is feature extraction whereby key characteristics of the voice are obtained from the audio track and various metrics, such as the zero crossing rate (ZCR), which measures the frequency of signal changes, capture the characteristics of the singer’s voice.

The third step involves an algorithm identifying the vibration patterns of the notes being sung and so can create a profile distribution of the harmonics to map the timbre, or texture, of the voice.

The final step used yet more neural networking in the form of bidirectional gated recurrent units (BI-GRU) and long short-term memory (LSTM) networks to analyse the vocal data. These two models can process sequences and so reveal the flow of a singer’s performance over time. This last step is key to the success of Kumaraswamy’s approach.

At this point in the development of the system, the neural networks used require extensive computational resources and large datasets for training. For now, this might limit scalability. However, such issues can be addressed with optimisation of the way the algorithms are applied and the training data used.

Kumaraswamy, B. (2024) ‘Improved harmonic spectral envelope extraction for singer classification with hybridised model’, Int. J. Bio-Inspired Computation, Vol. 24, No. 3, pp.150–163.

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

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

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

Atoms for Peace and International Journal of Power and Energy Conversion to invite expanded papers from International Conference on Applied Sciences and Innovation (ICASIN'2025) for potential publication

Extended versions of papers presented at the International Conference on Applied Sciences and Innovation (ICASIN'2025) (27-29 November 2025, Kenitra, Morocco) will be invited for review and potential publication by Atoms for Peace: an International Journal and International Journal of Power and Energy Conversion.

Research pick: The left and right of recycled price tags - "A study on pricing and recycling strategies for retailers with consideration of selling new and refurbished products"

The sale of refurbished products, refurbs, represents a delicate balancing act for companies attempting to retain a share of their market and to incorporate recycling strategies into their approach. A study in the European Journal of Industrial Engineering discusses this balancing act in the context of new and refurbished sales, where consumers weigh affordability against quality.

According to Yeu-Shiang Huang of National Cheng Kung University, Taiwan, Chih-Chiang of Zhaoqing University, China, and Yi-Hsiang Tsao of the National Cheng Kung University, Taiwan, businesses must decide how to stay competitive while addressing environmental concerns. The team has used game theory to model the kinds of decisions that retailers must make and offers them tips on that balancing act.

Selling refurbished as opposed to brand-new products, especially electronic gadgets and devices, represents a classic dilemma in economics. Refurbished products are usually sold at lower cost and so offer less profit for the retailer, but they might be more attractive to the consumer because they have eco-friendly credentials. Refurbs can thus undercut the sales of brand-new items. As such, manufacturers themselves remain hesitant in their adoption of remanufacturing, despite its environmental benefits. But, for retailers, offering refurbished goods can lead to a new class of sale.

The researchers have modelled the strategic interactions between manufacturers and retailers to look at how manufacturers set the official price for the wholesale cost of their new products, while retailers respond by adding refurbs to the mix and setting the best price for those and for the brand-new products they sell.

The research emphasises that it is the environmental rather than the economic that is at stake. Strict recycling laws mean that there is a drive towards refurbishment and recycling that the retailers can be happy with, but the original manufacturers may well not be. Indeed, if retailers can take control of recycling and remanufacturing and connect directly with the end consumers of refurbs, the manufacturers’ share might shrink at least until the refurbished products have become wholly obsolete and can only be recycled for components and materials and a new product must enter the market. Retailers by working to their own economic strategy might thus play a critical role in driving sustainable practices.

Huang, Y-S., Fang, C-C. and Tsao, Y-H. (2024) ‘A study on pricing and recycling strategies for retailers with consideration of selling new and refurbished products’, European J. Industrial Engineering, Vol. 18, No. 6, pp.791–816.

Research pick: Don’t you know that you’re toxic? - "The dark side of organisation identification: systematic literature review and bibliometric analysis on toxic leadership on employee’s behaviour"

A comprehensive literature review in the International Journal of Process Management and Benchmarking sheds light on research into the notion of toxic leadership and how this increasingly pervasive issue affects the workplace and can damage organisations.

Emily Maria K. Jose and Bijay Prasad Kushwaha of the Vellore Institute of Technology, India, used a systematic approach to extract relevant research articles from a scholarly database. Their analysis of these papers revealed five principal characteristics of toxic leadership: authoritarian leadership, abusive supervision, narcissism, unpredictability, and maladjustment. Their findings highlight the nature of toxic leadership but also point to how it can affect employee engagement, performance, and retention.

Toxic leadership is defined as management behaviour that is ultimately harmful to both employees and the company for which they work. Toxic leaders are commonly indifferent to employee well-being and prioritize self-interest. The result is the creation of a working environment filled with fear and instability. The current review suggests that common toxic behaviour affects individual employees but also propagates through the corporate culture and so can affect an organisation deeply.

Jose and Kushwaha found that toxic leadership leads to high employee turnover rates. Indeed, almost three quarters of employees faced with toxic leadership will contemplate leaving their jobs. High staff turnover leads to a loss of team cohesion and other negative effects that will eventually have financial repercussions for the company if not remedied. Research suggests that toxic leadership can lead to almost a third of business failures each year.

The study discusses psychological safety and employee engagement, both of which can be affected negatively by toxic leadership. In a toxic work environment, employees become disenfranchised, which leads to a fall in their productivity and a deterioration of their work-life balance. A vicious cycle of dissatisfaction then feeds the toxic culture still further. There is thus a critical need for organisations to recognize and address this potentially destructive problem more proactively now than ever before. Effective coaching, constructive feedback, and monitoring should be key to mitigating the risks associated with toxic leadership behaviour, the research suggests.

Jose, E.M.K. and Kushwaha, B.P. (2024) ‘The dark side of organisation identification: systematic literature review and bibliometric analysis on toxic leadership on employee’s behaviour’, Int. J. Process Management and Benchmarking, Vol. 18, No. 2, pp.240–265.