Free sample articles newly available from International Journal of Computational Vision and Robotics

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

• Improved classification of histopathological images with feature fusion of Thepade SBTC and Sauvola thresholding using machine learning
• Machine learning approaches for early detection and management of musculoskeletal conditions
• Localisation and classification of surgical instruments in laparoscopy videos using deep learning techniques
• Detection of cardiac abnormalities in ECG signal using time-based signal processing algorithm
• A multi-modal image encoding and self-attention-based transformer framework with sentiment analysis for financial time series prediction
• Construction of metadata of video for effective video search
• Holistic knuckle recognition through adept texture representation

Free sample articles newly available from International Journal of Business Performance Management

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

• Examining the impact of uncertainty on business performance via strategic cost management adoption and implementation: the case of agro-based industries in and around Punjab, India
• Development of a conceptual benchmarking framework for the construction industry
• A systematic review of integration of big data analytics in performance management system: issues and insights
• Active and passive links between work from home and employee well-being: a post-COVID performance perspective
• Perceived behavioural control and entrepreneurial intention: the mediating role of effectuation
• An application to rate banks using a new variant of agglomerative clustering algorithm

Free sample articles newly available from Global Business and Economics Review

The following sample articles from the Global Business and Economics Review are now available here for free:

• Effectiveness analysis of largest financial inclusion schemes in India
• Do social media sentiments affect investment decisions? A moderated mediation analysis of the relationship between social media sentiments, trust, and investment decisions
• Herding behaviour of stock market in emerging country: insight from Pakistan
• Nexus of investors' sentiments and firm value
• Impact of behavioural biases on investor's decision
• Price discovery of commodity markets: bibliometric analysis

Free sample articles newly available from International Journal of Systems, Control and Communications

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

• Identification of Tamil Sign Language using Hamiltonian deep neural network
• Day-ahead hourly electricity load forecasting based on long short-term memory neural networks: a comparison study
• A soft processor MicroBlaze-based adaptive power line interference canceller for biomedical signal processing
• Skip.Self attention GAN for anomaly detection
• Tamil sign language using relational bilevel aggregation graph convolutional network

Free sample articles newly available from International Journal of Electronic Marketing and Retailing

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

• Minimising display advertising avoidance on social media platforms - the role of exposure condition, personalisation, and personality traits
• Identifying the relationship between e-WOM engagement factors and users' purchase intention through social commerce
• Students' behavioural intention towards mobile technology for online shopping
• The essence of marketing intelligence research highlights from 1962 to 2021
• Links among service quality, customer satisfaction and loyalty in Vietnam retail industry during the COVID-19 pandemic
• CRM purchase intention toward private label brand and trust: investigating the role of manufacturer brand quality, firm motives and perceived risk

Free Open Access article available: "Inclusion, access and accumulation: a study of informal enterprises in India"

The following International Journal of Business Excellence article, "Inclusion, access and accumulation: a study of informal enterprises in India", 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 Public Law and Policy

The following sample articles from the International Journal of Public Law and Policy are now available here for free:

• Sustainable management of petroleum resource revenues: an exploration of Ghana's institutional options
• The role of local experts in the constitution-building process: the case of Indonesian Constitutional Commission
• The impact of Washington Consensus rules on the guarantee of constitutional social rights in a comparative perspective in Latin America
• The good governance of community development based on hamlet system: a case study in Condongcatur village, Indonesia
• Right to freedom during COVID-19: a study of Article 19 of the Indian Constitution in light of COVID-19
• Multi-party suits in Tanzania: a case for class actions
• Fragmentation in International Energy Law: managing an inevitable phenomenon

Feel the city breakin’ and everybody shakin’, but you’re stayin’ afloat

Financial literacy is an important factor in determining how well micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) can withstand economic shocks, according to a review in the International Journal of Business Innovation and Research that has surveyed a decade’s worth of research in this area. The review essentially shows that stronger financial skills among business owners significantly improves the capacity of their company to adapt and survive during periods of disruption.

MSMEs account for the vast majority of businesses globally and employ a large proportion of the workforce. They can be vulnerable in times of crisis, such as a global economic downturn, a pandemic, or during periods of major international conflict. The review shows that this vulnerability is not an inherent characteristic of MSMEs but depends to a large degree on the acumen of the owner.

Across the literature, the team identified various recurring themes. Entrepreneurs with good financial knowledge were able to manage cashflow more systematically. Those same business owners make more informed investment choices and approach credit markets with a clearer understanding of risks, repayment structures, and borrowing costs. In addition, prudent debt management, effective liquidity planning and strategic decision-making were important in building company resilience.

The researchers also point out that there is a growing convergence of financial literacy with digital literacy. As digital financial tools, so-called fintech, become embedded in business practice, the two forms of knowledge increasingly reinforce each other. Fintech is no longer a peripheral tool in MSME operations, but is central to how such small businesses function.

The review, however, also identified persistent gaps in the way research in this area is carried out. There are inconsistent definitions of resilience, fragmented international evidence, and limited inclusion of demographic variables such as gender, age and socio-economic status. These shortcomings, the researchers argue, might limit efforts to build evidence-based training programmes and financial policies that reflect the diverse conditions in which the world’s myriad MSMEs operate.

Esomar, M.J.F., Sumiati, S. Wijayanti, R. and Aisjah, S. (2025) ‘Digital financial literacy and resilience in MSMEs: a bibliometric systematic literature review’, Int. J. Business Innovation and Research, Vol. 38, No. 8, pp.1–30.

International Journal of Business Governance and Ethics to invite expanded papers from 9th Edition of Ethical Finance and Sustainability (EFS) Conference for potential publication

Extended versions of papers presented at the 9th Edition of Ethical Finance and Sustainability (EFS) Conference (EFS-2026) (14-15 May 2026, Aston Business School, Aston University, Birmingham, UK) will be invited for review and potential publication by the International Journal of Business Governance and Ethics.

Free sample articles newly available from International Journal of Innovation and Learning

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

• Peer collaboration in P5: students' perspective of project-based learning in multicultural school setting
• Factors influencing consumer purchase behaviour when buying an electric car
• Innovation on the margins of the external evaluation of Portuguese schools
• The impact of perceived organisational support on organisational commitment of vocational college teachers - the mediating effect of career-related continuous learning
• Predictive performance of higher education students: the role of tutor attributes
• Pencak silat combat: dominant technique in national student competition based on gender and weight

Free Open Access article available: "This town is not big enough for the both of us: bootstrapped dual-role factor data envelopment analysis of Major League Baseball with two teams in one city"

The following International Journal of Sport Management and Marketing article, "This town is not big enough for the both of us: bootstrapped dual-role factor data envelopment analysis of Major League Baseball with two teams in one city", is freely available for download as an open access article.

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

Free sample articles newly available from International Journal of Electronic Finance

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

• International Public Sector Accounting Standard adoption and compliance: implications on accounting transparency and quality in Jordan public sector
• Analysis of the specified paint company's financial performance together with the impact on stock liquidity
• Understanding the trend and GAP of studies related to the banks' financial performance: a review of the literature using bibliometric as well as thematic analysis
• Oil price and profitability: evidence from Southeast Asian countries
• A study on customer experience of using chatbots in banking sector with moderating role of age and gender
• Research on the operational efficiency of Chinese fintech companies based on the DEA model
• Crypto currency and economic growth in Nigeria

Research pick: Businesses innovating under pressure - "Innovating under constraints: a bibliometric and systematic review of frugal and inclusive innovations in start-up ecosystems"

Start-up companies facing economic uncertainty and tightening resources are changing our conception of innovation, according to a review in the International Journal of Business Innovation and Research. The review examined 347 papers published from 2000 to 2025 and found that scarcity is increasingly being treated not merely as a barrier but as a catalyst for new products, business models, and social outcomes. This finding is particularly true of emerging markets, where institutional support is often weakest.

The researchers examined four related models of resource-constrained innovation: frugal, inclusive, reverse, and constraint-driven entrepreneurship. Frugal innovation is typically defined as designing affordable solutions by doing more with less. It has broadened into a strategic approach that emphasises accessibility and relevance to local contexts rather than simple cost-cutting. Inclusive innovation extends this logic by involving marginalised communities directly in the creation of products and services intended for their benefit, shifting innovation from a top-down exercise to one based on participation and empowerment.

Reverse innovation, once viewed as an exception, has become a distinct approach wherein ideas originating in lower-income countries diffuse into wealthier markets. This challenges long-standing assumptions that technological and managerial know-how flows only one way from the developed world to the developing nations.

The study then argues that resource-constrained entrepreneurship links all three models, showing how start-ups rely on improvisation, bricolage (the creative repurposing of available resources) as well as social networks to develop solutions without formal backing or substantial capital.

The team found that scholarship in the early 2000s concentrated on conceptual discussions of institutional voids, gaps in infrastructure, regulation or markets that force firms to innovate differently, and on grassroots ingenuity. More recent research reflects technological shifts on the global scale, with growing emphasis on sustainability, digital transformation, and impact-oriented business models.

The review concludes that understanding how innovation emerges under constraint is becoming strategically vital for investors, governments, and businesses as economic, environmental, and social pressures intensify worldwide.

Yadav, M., Kumar, M., Goswami, A., Tiwari, N.K., Amoozegar, A. and Rani, P. (2025) ‘Innovating under constraints: a bibliometric and systematic review of frugal and inclusive innovations in start-up ecosystems’, Int. J. Business Innovation and Research, Vol. 38, No. 8, pp.31–55.

Inderscience journals increasing issue frequency in 2026

Inderscience is pleased to announce that the following journals are increasing their issue frequency from 2026:

International Journal of Computational Vision and Robotics
Increasing from 6 to 8 issues per year

International Journal of Electronic Business
Increasing from 4 to 8 issues per year

International Journal of Electronic Marketing and Retailing
Increasing from 6 to 8 issues per year

International Journal of Medical Engineering and Informatics
Increasing from 6 to 8 issues per year

Free sample articles newly available from International Journal of Power Electronics

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

• An alternate topology for multi-input DC-DC converter with performance analysis
• BLDC drive commutation current ripple minimisation using a high-performance novel active switched inductor and switched capacitor-based QZS DC-DC converter
• On the common mode current reduction in induction motor fed by three-level NPC inverter for pumping photovoltaic application
• Detection and classification of faults in DC microgrids utilising artificial neural network with bidirectional gated recurrent units

Free sample articles newly available from International Journal of Procurement Management

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

• Circular economy in green public procurement procedures: an intermediation perspective in the Italian setting
• Exploring the impact of lean, agile, resilient, and green supply chain practices on organisational performance through mediating role of big data analytics
• Sustainable inventory model for price and credit-dependent demand with carbon emissions cap and trade
• Dysfunctions in procurement process according to the lean approach: case study of a university hospital centre
• An impact of purchase decision and brand selection of a car in India - an empirical study
• Factors affecting the default risk of private customers at state-owned commercial banks in Vietnam
• Malaysian SME employees accelerating into digital procurement usage during COVID-19 pandemic

Free sample articles newly available from International Journal of Management in Education

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

• Analysis of the relationship between educational effectiveness and organisational performance using PLS-SEM: a study in higher education institutions
• Risk analysis of technology adoption in higher educational institutions via best-worst method
• Antecedent of teacher agency: the role of teacher leadership
• Efficiency in higher education institutions: an analysis of data envelopment analysis applications
• Exploring the views of Malaysian principals and novice teachers on the school-based support programmes during the COVID-19 pandemic

Research pick: Sustaining South African smallholders - "Government grants towards sustainability of agribusiness in local economic development"

Government grants aimed at boosting smallholder farming in South Africa are not delivering lasting improvements in business viability, according to research in the International Journal of Sustainable Agricultural Management and Informatics. The study suggests that while financial support has helped reduce immediate production pressures, many smallholders remain unable to implement sustainable practices. This highlights deeper structural weaknesses in the way public assistance is designed and delivered, according to the work.

Many regions across South Africa rely on small-scale farming to support the rural economy. But, many in a region such as Waterberg District in Limpopo Province experience high failure rates. Grants are available to ease financial constraints and encourage participation in local markets, but in practice, the study found that short-term gains rarely addressed long-term survival without ongoing subsidies.

In their survey of local agribusinesses, the researchers heard that farmers receiving support described noticeable reductions in production costs and improved yields, suggesting that these grants are not misdirected. But, the benefits simply didn’t last. Many recipients became dependent on continued state assistance, a pattern the researchers link to persistent gaps in managerial capacity, limited technical skills, and weaknesses in the grant allocation process itself. Many businesses failed even when they had ongoing subsidies.

The researchers thus argue for more rigorous selection criteria to ensure grants reach farmers with viable development plans. In addition, there is a need for better oversight to ensure that allocated funds are used appropriately. The team also stresses that there is a need for integrated support beyond a simple injection of cash, such as targeted training in business management and improved agricultural extension services. There is a need for public programmes that offer farmers with technical advice as well as better coordination among local agencies involved in rural economic development.

Makunyane, M.K., Pretorius, M., Venter, M., de Bruyn, C. and Sztando, A. (2025) ‘Government grants towards sustainability of agribusiness in local economic development’, Int. J. Sustainable Agricultural Management and Informatics, Vol. 11, No. 5, pp.1–15.

Free sample articles newly available from International Journal of Diplomacy and Economy

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

• The Russia-Ukraine war and stock market volatility: lessons from selected South Asian countries
• Commercial diplomacy: conceptual analysis and factors shaping its empirical impact on trade and investments
• Enhancing the competitiveness of Ethiopian cut flower exports using strategic diplomacy
• Igbo cultural diplomacy and peace building in pre-colonial Nigeria
• Intellectual capital and financial performance nexus in Indian hospitality sector: a panel data analysis

Free Open Access article available: "Government grants towards sustainability of agribusiness in local economic development"

The following International Journal of Sustainable Agricultural Management and Informatics article, "Government grants towards sustainability of agribusiness in local economic development", 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 and Emerging Markets

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

• The moderating role of demographic factors on OTT platform selection by consumers: an application of the revised UTAUT2
• Towards the development of an inventory for the resource orchestration construct
• Corporate social responsibility, corporate brand image and employer attractiveness: perspectives of potential employees
• Explicating India's outward trade mode using augmented gravity approach
• Young women's perceptions of successful entrepreneurship: evidence from the Kingdom of Bahrain
• Income diversification and bank profitability: exploring the importance of macroeconomic factors in India

Free Open Access article available: "Music intelligent creation method based on LSTM and multi-scale attention"

The following International Journal of Arts and Technology article, "Music intelligent creation method based on LSTM and multi-scale attention", is freely available for download as an open access article.

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

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

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

• IoT security using deep learning algorithm: intrusion detection model using LSTM
• The legal authority of the electronic authentication certificate and its role in proving e-commerce transactions
• Exploring advanced steganography techniques for secure digital image communication: a comparative analysis and performance evaluation
• Secure system to secure crime data using hybrid: RSA-AES and hybrid: Blowfish-Triple DES
• Adversarial attacks on machine learning-based cyber security systems: a survey of techniques and defences
• Forensic investigation and analysis of malware in Windows OS
• VLMDALP: design of an efficient VARMA LSTM-based model for identification of DDoS attacks using application-level packet analysis
• Network security attack classification: leveraging machine learning methods for enhanced detection and defence
• A novel scalable and cost efficient blockchain solution for managing lifetime vaccination records based on patient preference
• IoT security: a systematic literature review of feature selection methods for machine learning-based attack classification
• Blockchain as an indispensable asset for educational institutions: a systematic review
• An approach towards development of a supervisory control and data acquisition system forensics framework: concerns and challenges
• Feature-driven anomalous behaviour detection and incident classification model for ICS in water treatment plants

Research pick: AI got you babe, when it comes to making medical music - "Music intelligent creation method based on LSTM and multi-scale attention"

The ethical and artistic debates aside, there are good reasons for research into artificial-intelligence systems that can generate music. A new system described in the International Journal of Arts and Technology has improved on the quality and coherence of low-cost computer-generated music for use in music therapy and mental-health support.

The new approach combines two influential machine-learning approaches, long short-term memory networks, or LSTMs, and a multi-scale attention mechanism. This allows the system to overcome the shortcomings of previous algorithmic composition methods, side-stepping erratic structure, avoiding repetitive melodies, and extending emotional range.

LSTMs are a class of recurrent neural networks designed to preserve information over long sequences, making them well suited to modelling time-based data such as music. In the current work, the team used multi-layer LSTM structures with residual connections, a method that stabilises learning by allowing information to bypass certain network layers when needed. In addition, multi-scale attention allows the model to focus dynamically on musical features as they play out over different timespans.

Attention mechanisms, widely used in natural-language processing. Conventionally, they help AI systems weigh the importance of different inputs and when this is applied to making music, it allows the simultaneous consideration of local motifs, longer-term harmonic movement, and rhythmic development.

Tests of the new approach led to clearly coherent music, improved stylistic control, and more musical variety. Such qualities have proved difficult for generative models to balance until now. This means that an appropriate prompt for the generative AI could create music tailored to specific therapeutic needs.

While there are those who lament the emergence of AI music on streaming platforms and elsewhere to the detriment of songwriters and musicians, and perhaps rightly so, the researchers suggest that their system might have use in music-assisted therapy sessions for adolescents. Though preliminary, the results suggest that it is possible to tailor AI compositions to make music that helps improve sleep quality and reduce stress.

The team says that their model’s ability to encode emotional nuance could make it useful for clinical and wellbeing contexts. This could be important where known recorded music may not fit the medical requirements precisely or may simply add music-licensing costs to cash-strapped healthcare facilities.

Li, L. (2025) ‘Music intelligent creation method based on LSTM and multi-scale attention‘, Int. J. Arts and Technology, Vol. 15, No. 6, pp.1-25.

Prof. Sangbing Tsai appointed as new Editor in Chief of International Journal of Ultra Wideband Communications and Systems

Prof. Sangbing (Jason) Tsai from the International Engineering and Technology Institute in China has been appointed to take over editorship of the International Journal of Ultra Wideband Communications and Systems.

Research pick: Grow with the flow - "Impacts of geographic region on knowledge spillover effects and innovation performance in healthcare"

Innovation in healthcare depends as much on location as on the ideas themselves, according to research in the International Journal of Business Innovation and Research. The work examined how knowledge moves between clinicians and medical-technology companies and showed that the exchange of expertise consistently boosts innovation, but that the impact varies across different regions.

The researchers focused on “knowledge spillovers”, the informal sharing of ideas, practices, and technical insights that occurs through professional networks, conferences, or via social media. They used open-innovation theory and regional-innovation-systems research to show that these spillovers matter everywhere, but yield markedly greater benefits in regions with well-developed knowledge economies. These are areas characterised by dense professional networks, strong digital infrastructure and a concentration of medical-technology activity.

Although clinicians and employees of the companies in this sector reported similar levels of knowledge exchange, neither professional background nor regional competitiveness alone explained much of the variation. The authors suggest that opportunities for basic interaction may now be widespread, reflecting the increasing integration of healthcare delivery and medical-technology development. Social media, in particular, has become a routine conduit for cross-regional exchange, narrowing the gap between organisational types.

However, those regions with the strongest innovation ecosystems experienced more knowledge spillover and this led to more advances, such as new medical devices, improved clinical processes, and more responsive digital tools. Faster circulation of ideas, better use of online platforms and proximity to specialist expertise all boosted knowledge sharing and its effects. Regions with only weak connections or fewer specialist clusters experience only modest gains from knowledge spillover.

The bottom line is that there is actually a three-way interaction among spillover, profession, and region. A clinician and an engineer in the medical technology area might share similar information, but what their organisations can do with that knowledge depends heavily on the institutional and infrastructural support in which they are embedded.

Zilahi-Lugbauer, M. and Stummer, H. (2025) ‘Impacts of geographic region on knowledge spillover effects and innovation performance in healthcare’, Int. J. Business Innovation and Research, Vol. 38, No. 7, pp.1–17.

Free Open Access article available: "The adoption and usage of e-government tools by South African metropolitan municipalities"

The following International Journal of Electronic Governance article, "The adoption and usage of e-government tools by South African metropolitan municipalities", 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 Education Economics and Development

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

• Whistleblowing, fraud and forensic accounting subjects: a perception of accounting students in East Java, Indonesia
• Unveiling the impact of abusive supervision on life satisfaction in Indian higher education: a trust-breaking phenomenon
• Government financial assistance in higher education: an empirical analysis of efficiency in Australian universities
• Assessing the students' digitalisation at country level by building a composite index based on PISA 2018
• Sustainable development and blended learning in accounting education
• Employer perception on graduate employability: evidence from Uttar Pradesh

Research pick: We do need digital education - "Multi-objective construction of English online autonomous learning based on mobile intelligent information system"

Research in the International Journal of Continuing Engineering Education and Life-Long Learning suggests that a rethink is needed on how English is taught in China. The work argues that mobile and networked technologies must move from the educational margins to the centre of language instruction. The researchers explain that classroom-based teaching alone can no longer meet rising academic and professional demands for English proficiency, and that well-designed digital platforms should now be seen as an essential part of motivating students and cultivating learning habits.

At the heart of the study is an autonomous learning platform built within a mobile intelligent information system. “Autonomous learning” refers to self-directed study in which learners set their own goals, monitor progress and reflect on their performance rather than relying solely on guidance from a tutor.

The platform distinguishes itself from others by drawing on self-regulated learning, which can be described as a cyclical process involving planning, performance, and reflection. Typically discussed theoretically in education, these elements are drawn together and underpin the features of the digital platform. Learners are guided through how to set realistic goals, engage actively with course materials, and carry out their own structured self-evaluations.

Concepts such as self-efficacy, a person’s belief in their own abilities are embedded in interactive prompts and feedback loops intended to strengthen confidence and encourage persistence. While motivation, particularly the role of interest, emerges as a central theme. The study argues that cultivating curiosity and positive emotional engagement is not a superficial add-on but a psychological prerequisite for sustained attention and effective memory. By designing tasks that trigger curiosity and reward progress, the platform creates what the authors describe as an optimal mental state for language learning.

Liu, J. (2025) ‘Multi-objective construction of English online autonomous learning based on mobile intelligent information system’, Int. J. Continuing Engineering Education and Life-Long Learning, Vol. 35, No. 9, pp.35–51.

Free Open Access article available: "A spatio-temporal transformer predictive model for elderly-oriented tourism via attention mechanism"

The following International Journal of Information and Communication Technology article, "A spatio-temporal transformer predictive model for elderly-oriented tourism via attention mechanism", 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 Electronic Government, an International Journal

The following sample articles from the Electronic Government, an International Journal are now available here for free:

• A consolidated conceptual framework of a smart e-government ecosystem: a scoping review
• An investigation on adoption of AI-enabled e-waste recycling kiosks in the post-pandemic era
• Innovative approach of masked facial recognition
• Social networks between the US presidential candidates regarding COVID-19
• CBDC as a means of payment and its implications for tax administrations

Free Open Access article available: "Identification of translation bias in Chinese-Korean Confucian texts based on pre-trained language models"

The following International Journal of Information and Communication Technology article, "Identification of translation bias in Chinese-Korean Confucian texts based on pre-trained language models", 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: "Energy efficiency analysis and optimisation strategies for green building design based on gravitational search algorithm"

The following International Journal of Information and Communication Technology article, "Energy efficiency analysis and optimisation strategies for green building design based on gravitational search algorithm", 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.

• Sparse coding-based vocal music feature extraction and real-time transmission
• M-DRAMA: a multimodal-driven framework for classical drama short video promotion
• Real-time detection of Business English grammar errors driven by transfer learning
• Energy efficiency analysis and optimisation strategies for green building design based on gravitational search algorithm
• Identification of translation bias in Chinese-Korean Confucian texts based on pre-trained language models
• A spatio-temporal transformer predictive model for elderly-oriented tourism via attention mechanism

Research pick: Long train running data - "Intelligent fault diagnosis system for railway infrastructure based on deep learning"

Railway infrastructure could be made safer and more reliable using AI, artificial intelligence, according to research in the International Journal of Information and Communication Technology. The research outlines a new automated, real-time fault detection system based on deep learning that can identify problems with track, bridges, tunnels, and signalling equipment. The work could address long-standing challenges in maintaining complex transportation networks.

Faults in railway infrastructure arise through wear and tear, ageing, and unexpected failures. Conventional inspection methods remain largely manual and periodic and as such are costly, time-consuming, and prone to human error. This limits their ability to detect problems early. The new AI system can process vast amounts of operational data and quickly identify patterns and anomalies with high precision that can then be followed up by maintenance staff.

One of the major obstacles to the development of automated tools for fault detection has been the scarcity and imbalance of the requisite data. Some types of failures are so rare that training machine-learning models is almost impossible, as there is a dearth of sample data on which to train the model. The new research tackles this by combining an enhanced Synthetic Minority Over-sampling Technique (ESMOTE) with a class-conditional Generative Adversarial Network (CSGAN). ESMOTE improves data diversity by clustering similar samples and interpolating between them, while CSGAN generates synthetic data that reflects the characteristics of different fault categories. This dual approach creates a more balanced dataset, reducing reliance on expert-labelled data and improving model stability.

Once the data is prepared, the system extracts detailed features from operational signals using a multiscale residual network (ResNet), a type of neural network that captures fine-grained patterns while taking into account variations in operating conditions. A subdomain-adaptive transfer learning strategy allows insights gained from one dataset to be applied to others, enabling accurate fault identification across different environments.

Tests on the new system gave a diagnostic accuracy of almost 94 percent, which is better than previous models that struggled with manual feature extraction or unbalanced datasets. The improved precision promises practical benefits for railway operators. Earlier fault detection means limited maintenance resources can be prioritized better and the number of disruptions to service minimized.

An, Q. (2025) ‘Intelligent fault diagnosis system for railway infrastructure based on deep learning’, Int. J. Information and Communication Technology, Vol. 26, No. 41, pp.107–122.

Free Open Access article available: "Real-time detection of Business English grammar errors driven by transfer learning"

The following International Journal of Information and Communication Technology article, "Real-time detection of Business English grammar errors driven by transfer learning", 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: "M-DRAMA: a multimodal-driven framework for classical drama short video promotion"

The following International Journal of Information and Communication Technology article, "M-DRAMA: a multimodal-driven framework for classical drama short video promotion", 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: "Sparse coding-based vocal music feature extraction and real-time transmission"

The following International Journal of Information and Communication Technology article, "Sparse coding-based vocal music feature extraction and real-time transmission", is freely available for download as an open access article.

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

Research pick: Don’t stop SMEs now - "Linking financial technology, innovation, and green finance to drive sustainable performance of SMEs of Pakistan"

Financial technology can significantly boost the environmental performance of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Pakistan’s manufacturing sector. However, this boost only arises when coupled with organisational innovation and access to green finance, according to new research in the International Journal of Business Innovation and Research. The work has looked at the pressures facing SMEs with limited resources in emerging economies in this context.

The research used data from 340 manufacturing SMEs in Pakistan and found, using structural equation modelling, that those companies adopting digital financial tools, fintech, showed clear improvements in sustainability performance. This is a broad measure covering cleaner production methods, reduced waste, and more efficient use of resources.

The structural equation modelling can tease out complex causal relationships, and so was able to determine how fintech interacts with internal innovation practices and environmentally focused financial instruments. The researchers thus found that technology alone was insufficient to boost SMEs, but its effects were strongest when it prompted firms to redesign processes, improve transparency, and make operational decisions based on real-time data.

The team adds that access to green finance, such as loans linked to sustainability efforts or green bonds, was just as important. Such financial products, earmarked for environmental improvements, are usually out of reach of many SMEs because of limited collateral or weak reporting systems. Their use of fintech helps them overcome such barriers by standardising data, streamlining due-diligence checks, and widening the pool of potential lenders.

As a result, firms using digital financial tools were better able to secure funding for cleaner technologies that they could not otherwise afford. Organisational innovation and green finance affect the link between adopting fintech tools and sustainability outcomes. This means that technology improves environmental performance partly by enabling these other capabilities. Conversely, fintech itself mediates the relationship between green finance and sustainability, acting as the mechanism that converts earmarked funding into measurable environmental gains.

Rashid, S., Ejaz, S., Alwadi, B.M., Kumar, A., Ejaz, F. and Hossain, M.B. (2025) ‘Linking financial technology, innovation, and green finance to drive sustainable performance of SMEs of Pakistan’, Int. J. Business Innovation and Research, Vol. 38, No. 6, pp.30–54.

Free Open Access article available: "Innovating under constraints: a bibliometric and systematic review of frugal and inclusive innovations in start-up ecosystems"

The following International Journal of Business Innovation and Research article, "Innovating under constraints: a bibliometric and systematic review of frugal and inclusive innovations in start-up ecosystems", 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 Business Innovation and Research

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

• Digital financial literacy and resilience in MSMEs: a bibliometric systematic literature review
• Innovating under constraints: a bibliometric and systematic review of frugal and inclusive innovations in start-up ecosystems

Free Open Access article available: "Digital financial literacy and resilience in MSMEs: a bibliometric systematic literature review"

The following International Journal of Business Innovation and Research article, "Digital financial literacy and resilience in MSMEs: a bibliometric systematic literature review", 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: "Impacts of geographic region on knowledge spillover effects and innovation performance in healthcare"

The following International Journal of Business Innovation and Research article, "Impacts of geographic region on knowledge spillover effects and innovation performance in healthcare", 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: "Evaluation method of Chinese grammar interactive teaching based on sentiment classification"

The following International Journal of Continuing Engineering Education and Life-Long Learning article, "Evaluation method of Chinese grammar interactive teaching based on sentiment classification", is freely available for download as an open access article.

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

Research pick: Every breath you don’t take - "Acoustic analysis of chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder using transfer learning: a three-class problem"

Artificial intelligence (AI) might be used to improve the early detection of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), according to research in the International Journal of Innovative Computing and Applications. COPD is a serious and ultimately terminal condition of the lungs.

COPD is a long-term, progressive lung condition common in smokers and those exposed to noxious volatile substances, although it can affect non-smokers too. It is an umbrella term enshrouds chronic bronchitis and emphysema, both of which cause narrowing and damage to the airways and lead to a persistent cough, excess mucus, shortness of breath, and frequent respiratory infections. The disease gradually reduces the lungs’ ability to move air in and out, and although incurable, early diagnosis allows for better management with medication, pulmonary rehabilitation and lifestyle changes.

The new approach to diagnosis uses machine-learning techniques to analyse digital recordings of lung sounds could help recognise a large number of COPD cases that remain undiagnosed worldwide.

The researchers trained algorithms to differentiate between the sounds of air being inhaled and exhaled by healthy individuals and by patients with confirmed COPD, and other conditions such as asthma, pneumonia, respiratory tract infection, and bronchiolitis. This multifarious training reflects what clinicians routinely face: patients with symptoms that overlap with other respiratory conditions and problems. The algorithmic approach would assist the auscultation approach commonly used by clinician, whereby they listen to the patient breathing using a stethoscope and interpret what they hear.

The algorithms thus-developed can identify the subtle acoustic cues linked to respiratory disease through their prior exposure to the large, diverse datasets. The system achieves 95 per cent accuracy, which make it a useful addition to the diagnostic approaches available, and could be used to triage at-risk patients where clinician numbers and specialist resources are limited. Given that COPD is a leading cause of death and disability, and often progresses unnoticed until lung function is severely impaired, the approach could improve outcomes and quality of life for many putative patients.

Amose, J., Manimegalai, P., Amritha, M. and George, S.T. (2025) ‘Acoustic analysis of chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder using transfer learning: a three-class problem’, Int. J. Innovative Computing and Applications, Vol. 15, No. 3, pp.135–144.

Free Open Access article available: "How intelligent semi-supervised learning illuminates influencing factors in college students' employment psychology"

The following International Journal of Continuing Engineering Education and Life-Long Learning article, "How intelligent semi-supervised learning illuminates influencing factors in college students' employment psychology", 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: "Multi-objective construction of English online autonomous learning based on mobile intelligent information system"

The following International Journal of Continuing Engineering Education and Life-Long Learning article, "Multi-objective construction of English online autonomous learning based on mobile intelligent information system", 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: "Creation and application of education and management intelligence software based on artificial intelligence strategy"

The following International Journal of Continuing Engineering Education and Life-Long Learning article, "Creation and application of education and management intelligence software based on artificial intelligence strategy", 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: "Innovation of college English listening and speaking teaching model based on multimedia technology"

The following International Journal of Continuing Engineering Education and Life-Long Learning article, "Innovation of college English listening and speaking teaching model based on multimedia technology", is freely available for download as an open access article.

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

Research pick: Yeah, right! - "CASD on enhancing sentiment analysis using context-aware sarcasm detection on social media"

A new approach to sentiment analysis could reduce one of the field’s most stubborn sources of error: the misinterpretation of sarcasm. The system is discussed in the International Journal of Intelligent Engineering Informatics. It shows that machine-learning models can be trained to recognise when language means the opposite of what it appears to say. This is an important advance in language processing with implications for businesses, policymakers, and analysts who rely on automated readings of public opinion.

Sentiment analysis aims to classify text as positive, negative or neutral, but often comes unstuck when analysing remarks that a human reader would immediately recognise as sarcasm. Sarcastic remarks often invert the literal meaning, and so conventional algorithms can misread the tone, distorting everything from political polling to consumer-behaviour forecasts. With online communication proliferating across social media and forums, the cost to society of such errors is on the increase.

The new framework system combines two distinct techniques to handle this problem. First, it uses BERT, Bidirectional Encoder Representations from Transformers. This is a language model that reads text in two ways and can identify subtle cues that signal irony, a contradiction or a tonal shift. These contextual embeddings are essentially numerical representations of meaning. They are passed to a so-called random forest algorithm for classification to improve reliability. Random forests are well suited to spotting complex, non-linear patterns in data, making them a natural complement to BERT’s linguistic sensitivity.

The researchers trained their new system on a bespoke dataset rich in realistic, fine-grained examples of sarcastic speech. When they tested the trained model against established sentiment-analysis models, including lexicon-based, statistical, and deep learning systems, they were able to spot sarcasm with 85 per cent accuracy. The same system could also identify neutral sentiment, which is an area where existing tools often struggle because sarcasm can the true intent of what is being said.

The researchers emphasise how more accurate detection of sarcasm could yield more trustworthy analytics across sectors that depend on understanding public mood.

Davidson, G.P., Ravindran, D. and Pratheeba, R.A. (2025) ‘CASD on enhancing sentiment analysis using context-aware sarcasm detection on social media’, Int. J. Intelligent Engineering Informatics, Vol. 13, No. 3, pp.267–296.

Open Access Special Issue published by International Journal of Continuing Engineering Education and Life-Long Learning: "Smart and Continuing Education and Life-Long Learning: Part II"

The International Journal of Continuing Engineering Education and Life-Long Learning has published an Open Access issue. All of the issue’s papers can be downloaded via the full-text links available here.

• Innovation of college English listening and speaking teaching model based on multimedia technology
• Creation and application of education and management intelligence software based on artificial intelligence strategy
• Multi-objective construction of English online autonomous learning based on mobile intelligent information system
• How intelligent semi-supervised learning illuminates influencing factors in college students' employment psychology
• Evaluation method of Chinese grammar interactive teaching based on sentiment classification

Research pick: Stormy weather moving in. It’s raining, when? - "Flood disaster prediction using multi-scale deep learning and neuro-fuzzy inference"

A new algorithmic framework that can predict flooding could help us save lives and reduce the devastation as climate change drives more intense and unpredictable rainfall. The model described in the International Journal of Information and Communication Technology uses the Multi-Scale Adaptive Neuro-Fuzzy Inference System (MS-ANFIS) and combines deep learning with a form of fuzzy logic that quantifies uncertainty. Features that were missing from earlier data-driven flood models.

Flood prediction usually focuses on hydrological models that simulate how rainfall moves across landscapes and into rivers. These are grounded in environmental science but depend on detailed land-surface information and can be computationally expensive, limiting their usefulness for rapid or large-scale forecasting. Attempts to reduce the computing demands as well as speed up predictions using statistical and early machine-learning approaches have proved useful but still struggle to cope with diverse data sources or respond to highly localised events. Even cutting-edge deep-learning models, which can spot patterns in vast datasets, treat river systems as deterministic in behaviour and do not take into account the inherent variability that arises because of extreme weather.

MS-ANFIS might plug the holes in earlier approaches. It uses a feature pyramid network. This is a deep-learning architecture that extracts information at multiple scales. In doing so it can capture detailed runoff patterns and broader rainfall trends visible in satellite data. The fuzzy layer then interprets the data and expresses uncertainty in a structured, interpretable way. The result is flood prediction with a measure of confidence in the prediction built in.

The researchers have tested their system on data from five major river basins, covering markedly different weather patterns and hydrological behaviour. The model’s confidence intervals quickly captured more than 90 per cent of extreme events. Such accuracy could help emergency planners judge when to trust, or question, a forecast in real-time. And so make provision for the impact of a likely flood ahead of it happening through reservoir management and evacuation decisions.

Zhao, H. and Xia, T. (2025) ‘Flood disaster prediction using multi-scale deep learning and neuro-fuzzy inference’, Int. J. Information and Communication Technology, Vol. 26, No. 41, pp.91–106.

Research pick: Such a lovely place - "'Some like it hot’: the role of identity, website, co-creation behaviour on identification and love"

Airbnb guests who feel a strong emotional bond with the platform are significantly more likely to help shape its services, according to research in the European Journal of International Management. The work sheds light on how digital platforms might cultivate loyalty in the sharing economy. The research looked at London-based travellers and their “brand love” for the platform. Brand love can play a decisive role in whether a customer engages in value co-creation with a product to effectively enhance the experience to the mutual benefit of both customer and company.

The researchers found that such an emotional attachment is built less on marketing messages than on how travellers perceive the identity of the platform and the quality of its website. When users view the platform as trustworthy, visually appealing and aligned with their own values, they are more inclined to take an active role in their stay. They will more often than not communicate with their hosts to personalise arrangements and in return offer detailed feedback to help the hosts better cater to future guests.

Such co-creation is increasingly important to digital businesses, of which Airbnb is just one of many. The customer is no longer a passive recipient of goods and services, but can help shape both the product and the way in which the wider community perceives that product or service.

The work in EJIM argue that such involvement not only improves the perceived value of the service but also deepens the users’ sense of belonging. This is very much an outcome that modern digital companies in the sharing economy are keen to achieve.

The work is not only relevant to Airbnb itself, but to tourism managers and policymakers hoping to develop and foster meaningful user engagement.

Foroudi, P. and Marvi, R. (2025) ‘‘Some like it hot’: the role of identity, website, co-creation behaviour on identification and love’, European J. International Management, Vol. 27, No. 4, pp.623–670.

Research pick: Don’t go hacking my chart - "Anomaly detection architecture for smart hospitals based on machine learning, time series, and image recognition analysis: survey"

One of the big problems facing the use of digital systems in healthcare is the matter of security. Research in the International Journal of Medical Engineering and Informatics offers a new approach to defending against cyber-related patient-safety risks in the so-called smart hospital. The approach uses an anomaly-detection system that can analyse the full range of data generated by modern medical systems. By integrating numerical time-series analysis with image-based classification techniques it can identify irregularities that existing tools often miss.

Anomalies in this context are any unexpected deviations in a device’s behaviour or data stream, whether a sudden spike in a sensor reading, a breach of a device’s operating constraints, or an unusual pause in data transmission. While such events can indicate technical faults, they may also signal security breaches. Given that whole healthcare systems have been the subject of cyber-attack in recent years and suffered major outages as a result, there is a growing need for protection.

As hospitals begin to use more and more interconnected devices, such as monitors and wearable sensors, the vulnerabilities will only continue to grow. The researchers point out that even minor disruptions can cascade into clinical delays or expose systems to malicious interference.

The proposed system can manage the increasing complexity of electronic healthcare systems by using feature extraction to filter out the digital noise and highlight only the relevant relationships in the data.

One obstacle that is difficult to overcome is how to test and demonstrate the efficacy of the system, as there is a scarcity of real-life clinical datasets with which to work. The researchers plan to generate synthetic but representative datasets to evaluate each component of their detection architecture. They hope to develop it so that it can minimise false alarms while capturing irregularities in a timely manner. Their success will lead to security tools that could underpin digital healthcare as hospitals become ever more data-driven.

Haiba, S. and Mazri, T. (2025) ‘Anomaly detection architecture for smart hospitals based on machine learning, time series, and image recognition analysis: survey’, Int. J. Medical Engineering and Informatics, Vol. 17, No. 7, pp.1–14.

Free Open Access article available: "Development of a financial behaviour model: a PLS-SEM approach"

The following International Journal of Business and Emerging Markets article, "Development of a financial behaviour model: a PLS-SEM approach", is freely available for download as an open access article.

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

Research pick: Let the music play - "Piano performance beat assessment: integrating transformer with multimodal feature learning"

Machine learning could improve the way learners are assessed when it comes piano performance. An approach described in the International Journal of Information and Communication Technology offers a more precise understanding of rhythm than earlier methods. The approach, PianoTrans-Fusion, combines audio, video, and MIDI data to evaluate timing and beat consistency, addressing limitations of earlier automated methods of assessment.

Conventional rhythm assessment usually relies on human observation. But, there are times when a student of the piano might wish to assess their own development in this area. Basic audio analysis can assist, but is generally slow and cannot capture the subtle timing variations that distinguish a skilled pianist from someone merely tickling the ivories.

Tools based on neural networks have improved objectivity, but typically focus only on audio, ignoring other informative signals. PianoTrans-Fusion’s innovation lies in integrating multiple types of input and using a machine learning method that can detect patterns across long sequences. The system uses “self-attention” mechanisms, which allow it to weigh the relative importance of different moments in the performance, capturing fine-grained fluctuations in timing. By bring together information from sound and visual recordings of the performer, and the structured note data of a music file in the MIDI format, the new model constructs a detailed map of the performance.

In tests using the MAESTRO dataset, a large collection of professionally recorded piano performances, PianoTrans-Fusion outperformed five baseline systems. It showed improved rhythm consistency and reduced beat errors. These findings suggest the system could provide a more reliable foundation for tasks such as automated accompaniment or performance evaluation.

Future work may expand the diversity of datasets, allowing the researchers to optimize the algorithm for efficiency, and to link rhythm assessment to broader aspects of musical interpretation, such as style and emotional expression.

Deng, J. (2025) ‘Piano performance beat assessment: integrating transformer with multimodal feature learning’, Int. J. Information and Communication Technology, Vol. 26, No. 41, pp.74–90.

Free sample articles newly available from International Journal of Signal and Imaging Systems Engineering

The following sample articles from the International Journal of Signal and Imaging Systems Engineering are now available here for free:

• Involutional neural networks for ECG spectrogram classification and person identification
• Intelligent fault diagnosis of multi-sensor rolling bearings based on variational mode extraction and a lightweight deep neural network
• Fire detection in nano-satellite imagery using Mask R-CNN
• Performance analysis of object detection and tracking methodology for video synopsis
• GPU-based video-processing traffic signals for high-density vehicle areas

Free Open Access article available: "Intelligent fault diagnosis system for railway infrastructure based on deep learning"

The following International Journal of Information and Communication Technology article, "Intelligent fault diagnosis system for railway infrastructure based on deep learning", 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: "Flood disaster prediction using multi-scale deep learning and neuro-fuzzy inference"

The following nternational Journal of Information and Communication Technology article, "Flood disaster prediction using multi-scale deep learning and neuro-fuzzy inference", 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: "Piano performance beat assessment: integrating transformer with multimodal feature learning"

The following International Journal of Information and Communication Technology article, "Piano performance beat assessment: integrating transformer with multimodal feature learning", is freely available for download as an open access article.

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

Research pick: Don’t get your knickers in a twist - "Adoption barriers of luxury lingerie as an inconspicuous consumption product"

Urban Indonesian women are turning to luxury lingerie as a discreet form of self-expression. Research in the International Journal of Business Innovation and Research suggests that private, emotionally driven motivations now play a bigger role in luxury consumption than public displays of status. The study, based on survey responses from 309 women aged 20 to 45, argues that in a culture shaped by modesty and social restraint, intimate apparel has become a quiet vehicle for identity, confidence, and emotional reassurance.

The research used Structural Equation Modelling, a statistical method that tests how multiple psychological factors interact, to determine what most strongly influences women’s intentions to buy luxury lingerie. They found that attitude towards the product is the key driver of the decision to purchase, as one might expect. Self-concept, defined as an individual’s perception of who they are or aspire to be, and emotional attachment to the product also both feed into the decision. Together, they shape whether consumers feel a piece of luxury lingerie fits their sense of self and enhances their emotional well-being.

Interestingly, the research showed that brand trust did not matter much in making a purchase decision. For such items, worn privately, rather than displayed publicly, the researchers suggest, emotional resonance outweighs confidence in a brand’s reliability or reputation. Social media, however, emerged as an outlier in the decision-making process. The personal identity-associated factors worked through attitude, but digital exposure exerted a direct influence on purchase intention. The research suggests that online content, influencer, and targeted advertising, can pique interest in private luxury.

The team points out that “inconspicuous luxury consumption” perhaps sits better in Indonesia’s society, where overt indulgence might attract disapproval. Luxury lingerie allows women to navigate ambition and cultural expectations at the same time. The value of such private clothing lies less in visibility than in the feelings of refinement, femininity, and control it can afford. This understanding, of course, feeds into how luxury brands can better sell their goods in such socially conservative markets.

Mores, H. and Pradipto, Y.D. (2025) ‘Adoption barriers of luxury lingerie as an inconspicuous consumption product’, Int. J. Business Innovation and Research, Vol. 38, No. 6, pp.1–29.

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.

• Intelligent recognition and analysis system of students' behaviour in continuing education based on classroom video
• Multi-modal similarity feature exchange and structural perception for person re-identification
• Application of distributed artificial intelligence technology in key frame extraction of film and television video
• Intelligent Q&A model construction supported by natural language processing and knowledge graphs
• Piano performance beat assessment: integrating transformer with multimodal feature learning
• Flood disaster prediction using multi-scale deep learning and neuro-fuzzy inference
• Intelligent fault diagnosis system for railway infrastructure based on deep learning

Free Open Access article available: "Intelligent Q&A model construction supported by natural language processing and knowledge graphs"

The following International Journal of Information and Communication Technology article, "Intelligent Q&A model construction supported by natural language processing and knowledge graphs", 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 distributed artificial intelligence technology in key frame extraction of film and television video"

The following International Journal of Information and Communication Technology article, "Application of distributed artificial intelligence technology in key frame extraction of film and television video", 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: "Multi-modal similarity feature exchange and structural perception for person re-identification"

The following International Journal of Information and Communication Technology article, "Multi-modal similarity feature exchange and structural perception for person re-identification", is freely available for download as an open access article.

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

Research pick: Aye, aye robot - "Multimodal human-robot collaboration: advancements and future directions"

People working alongside robots has, to a degree, been a part of the industrial landscape for many years. But researchers writing in the International Journal of Manufacturing Research, suggest that human-robot collaboration is set to transform modern manufacturing by combining the adaptability of humans with the precision and speed of robots.

Unlike conventional industrial robots, which excel at repetitive, high-accuracy tasks but struggle with variability, collaborative systems would allow humans and robots to work side-by-side in shared workspaces. This would be particularly suited to complex assembly and production environments, where flexibility and nuanced decision-making are essential.

Recent advances emphasise multimodal interaction, in which robots can interpret and respond to human speech, gestures, touch and perhaps even brain signals, allowing them to respond dynamically in real time. Voice commands are an obvious and common means of control, although they do not necessarily work well in noisy factory settings. Gesture recognition provides a non-verbal alternative, capturing hand, arm, facial, and full-body movements to convey instructions. By integrating skeletal tracking and motion capture, robots might anticipate human actions and adjust their movements safely and efficiently.

Physical interaction is also evolving through haptic technologies, which allow operators to guide robots directly using touch. Adaptive control techniques, including sensorless admittance and impedance control, translate these contact forces into precise robotic movements, enabling responsive and safe collaboration. Complementing this, digital twin simulations allow manufacturers to optimise assembly processes and predict human behaviour before applying changes on the factory floor, bridging the gap between virtual planning and real-world execution.

The integration of advanced sensing, AI-driven interpretation, and flexible control strategies might also help manufacturing evolve into a more intuitive, efficient, and adaptive enterprise. Multimodal human-robot collaboration might improve assembly efficiency and safety but might also lay the groundwork for factories where human and robotic strengths are combined, opening new possibilities for intelligent, collaborative production systems.

Liu, S., Liu, Z., Qin, Q., Wang, X.V. and Wang, L. (2025) ‘Multimodal human-robot collaboration: advancements and future directions’, Int. J. Manufacturing Research, Vol. 20, No. 5, pp.1–47.

Free Open Access article available: "Intelligent recognition and analysis system of students' behaviour in continuing education based on classroom video"

The following International Journal of Information and Communication Technology article, "Intelligent recognition and analysis system of students' behaviour in continuing education based on classroom video", 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: "Linking financial technology, innovation, and green finance to drive sustainable performance of SMEs of Pakistan"

The following International Journal of Business Innovation and Research article, "Linking financial technology, innovation, and green finance to drive sustainable performance of SMEs of Pakistan", is freely available for download as an open access article.

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

Research pick: Game on - "Gamified features as a mediator of fitness app engagement: a cross-sectional study"

The growing fitness app market is being shaped less by technical features than by the power of play, according to research in the International Journal of Business and Emerging Markets that has examined what keeps users returning to digital workout platforms.

The research has focused on China, which has more than 400 million fitness app users and an annual market value exceeding USD 14billion. It could be said that China leads the world in fitness app adoption. Users frequently combine several apps with wearable devices such as smartwatches to track workouts, monitor health metrics, and follow guided exercise programmes. That said, keeping users engaged remains a challenge, as many abandon apps once the novelty wears off and their initial motivation fades or their routines change. As such, understanding what might drive sustained use has become a priority for developers and marketers alike.

The study has found that among a sample of several hundred Chinese fitness app users, gamification, the incorporation of game-like elements such as badges, challenges, leaderboards, and rewards, can play an important role in encouraging long-term engagement. The researchers examined four behavioural factors commonly associated with technology adoption: performance expectancy (the perceived usefulness of the app), social influence (the impact of peers and community), hedonic motivation (the enjoyment derived from use), and habit. Surprisingly, none of these factors directly predicted whether a user would carry on using an app, but those factors did influence how much users interacted with the gamified features and so in turn determined ongoing engagement to a degree.

The findings indicate that gamification acts as a crucial intermediary. It can convert expectations, social context, enjoyment, and habits into sustained app use. Features such as progress tracking, interactive storytelling, and peer challenges were particularly effective, the team found. They point out that in China’s collectivist society, where social cohesion and community participation are culturally emphasised, gamified peer interactions were particularly strong.

Gong, Y. and Yi, J. (2025) ‘Gamified features as a mediator of fitness app engagement: a cross-sectional study’, Int. J. Business and Emerging Markets, Vol. 17, No. 6, pp.1–29.

Open Access issue published by International Journal of Business Innovation and Research

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

• Adoption barriers of luxury lingerie as an inconspicuous consumption product
• Linking financial technology, innovation, and green finance to drive sustainable performance of SMEs of Pakistan

Prof. Yiping Wang appointed as new Editor in Chief of International Journal of Aerodynamics

Prof. Yiping Wang from Wuhan University of Technology in China has been appointed to take over editorship of the International Journal of Aerodynamics.

Free Open Access article available: "Adoption barriers of luxury lingerie as an inconspicuous consumption product"

The following International Journal of Business Innovation and Research article, "Adoption barriers of luxury lingerie as an inconspicuous consumption product", 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: "Anomaly detection architecture for smart hospitals based on machine learning, time series, and image recognition analysis: survey"

The following International Journal of Medical Engineering and Informatics article, "Anomaly detection architecture for smart hospitals based on machine learning, time series, and image recognition analysis: survey", 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: "Multimodal human-robot collaboration: advancements and future directions"

The following International Journal of Manufacturing Research article, "Multimodal human-robot collaboration: advancements and future directions", is freely available for download as an open access article.

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

Research pick: Environmentalism and the Dark Triad - "Do dark personality traits predict environmental citizenship at work? A mediation analysis of value orientations"

Research in the International Journal of Environment, Workplace and Employment has looked at the psychological factors that might affect an employee’s engagement with workplace environmental initiatives. The work shows that one of the “darker” personality traits, usually seen as a negative can influence pro-environmental behaviour in a perhaps surprising way.

The researchers studied the so-called “Dark Triad” of personality, Machiavellianism, narcissism, and psychopathy, and their association with voluntary environmentally responsible actions. These actions are known formally as organisational citizenship behaviour for the environment (OCBE). OCBE encompasses discretionary activities such as recycling, conserving energy, and reducing waste, which are not a prerequisite of environmental efforts, but can significantly improve sustainability goals in the workplace.

Using statistical methods including hierarchical regression and mediation analysis, the study found distinct patterns among the traits. Employees high in Machiavellianism, characterised by strategic calculation and goal-oriented thinking, were more likely to engage in OCBE. This suggests that individuals with a strong focus on personal gain may participate in environmental initiatives if they see a clear advantage, such as career progression or benefits to their own reputation. Psychopathy, marked by impulsiveness and a lack of empathy, however, was associated with lower levels of OCBE, indicating resistance to environmental programmes. Narcissism, defined by self-focus and a desire for admiration, showed no direct link to environmental behaviour.

When the team looked deeper into the data, they could see that egotism, altruism, and biospheric values could reflect the reasons individuals might act environmentally. Egotistical values, which prioritise personal benefit, boosted the influence of both narcissism and, unexpectedly, psychopathy on OCBE. In contrast, altruistic behaviour and biospheric values, linked to concern for others or the planet, generally did not mediate the relationship, except that biospheric values weakened engagement among those with psychopathic tendencies. In other words, environmentally driven appeals rooted in genuine ecological concern were less effective for individuals predisposed to psychopathy.

The findings highlight the complex interplay between personality, values, and sustainability in an organisational setting. The team suggests that interventions aimed at increasing employee participation in environmental initiatives might benefit from focusing on personal incentives, particularly for those with Machiavellian or egotistical characters. Conversely, strategies emphasising moral or ecological duty may not resonate with individuals high in psychopathy.

Lau, J.L., Jamaluddin, A. and Zainudin, N. (2025) ‘Do dark personality traits predict environmental citizenship at work? A mediation analysis of value orientations’, Int. J. Environment, Workplace and Employment, Vol. 9, No. 3, pp.197–215.

Free Open Access article available: "AI-enabled association rule mining with cloud platforms for rural digital finance services"

The following International Journal of Information and Communication Technology article, "AI-enabled association rule mining with cloud platforms for rural digital finance services", 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: "Research on artistic style recognition and image transfer method based on deep visual feature extraction"

The following International Journal of Information and Communication Technology article, "Research on artistic style recognition and image transfer method based on deep visual feature extraction", 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.

• Vocational education course recommendation based on neighbours under the construction of knowledge graph
• An intelligent recommendation system for music therapy resources based on a knowledge graph
• A furniture design assistance method based on spatiotemporal graph neural networks and multi-objective optimisation
• Optimisation of academic gap compensation strategy based on transfer learning
• Optimised scheduling of network teaching resource management based on improved genetic algorithm
• Research on artistic style recognition and image transfer method based on deep visual feature extraction
• AI-enabled association rule mining with cloud platforms for rural digital finance services

Research pick: Genius is part inspiration, part perspiration, but also a whole lot of personality - "The association between personality traits and perceived innovativeness"

An individual’s assessment of their own creativity and their assumptions about how others judge them are driven by different personality traits, according to research published in the International Journal of Business Innovation and Research. The study look at the so-called Big Five personality traits among participants and found that the perceptions of how innovative a person feels operate as a separate psychological construct in terms of how organisations identify and support creative work.

The Big Five model categorises personality into openness to experience, conscientiousness, extraversion, agreeableness and neuroticism. The researchers found that openness and extraversion were the strongest predictors of both self-perceived “innovativeness” and a person’s perception of how they feel others view their innovativeness. These two traits are commonly linked to imagination, curiosity and sociability, seem to shape a person’s confidence in generating new ideas but also their expectation when it comes to peer recognition.

Other traits had more uneven effects. Conscientiousness, defined as the tendency to be organised and dependable, and neuroticism, reflecting emotional sensitivity and susceptibility to stress, did not increase the belief in creativity. Yet, both these traits were associated with higher “meta-perception”, implying that individuals who score highly on them may be viewed as innovative by others even if they do not see themselves that way.

Agreeableness, associated with cooperation and consideration for others, gave the most complex result. Its influence on perceived innovativeness shifted depending on whether participants rated themselves or speculated about external judgements. A more detailed analysis suggests that agreeable individuals had a heightened attentiveness to social cues, and that this may widen the gap between their inner assessment of their own creativity and their expectations of how others see them.

The work thus highlights the distinction between traits that foster idea generation, openness and extraversion, and those that matter in turning ideas into workable solutions, where conscientiousness often plays a critical role. For organisations, the study points to a need for greater nuance in how a company identifies innovative potential. Relying solely on an employee’s self-confidence or on the visibility of outspoken, idea-driven personalities might risk overlooking quieter contributors whose strengths lie in implementing or refining ideas, for instance.

Jirásek, M. and Sudzina, F. (2025) ‘The association between personality traits and perceived innovativeness’, Int. J. Business Innovation and Research, Vol. 38, No. 3, pp.314–331.

Free Open Access article available: "Optimised scheduling of network teaching resource management based on improved genetic algorithm"

The following International Journal of Information and Communication Technology article, "Optimised scheduling of network teaching resource management based on improved genetic algorithm", is freely available for download as an open access article.

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

Prof. Shancang Li appointed as new Editor in Chief of International Journal of Information Privacy, Security and Integrity

Prof. Shancang Li from Cardiff University in the UK has been appointed to take over editorship of the International Journal of Information Privacy, Security and Integrity.

Free Open Access article available: "Optimisation of academic gap compensation strategy based on transfer learning"

The following International Journal of Information and Communication Technology article, "Optimisation of academic gap compensation strategy based on transfer learning", 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: "A furniture design assistance method based on spatiotemporal graph neural networks and multi-objective optimisation"

The following International Journal of Information and Communication Technology article, "A furniture design assistance method based on spatiotemporal graph neural networks and multi-objective optimisation", 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: "An intelligent recommendation system for music therapy resources based on a knowledge graph"

The following International Journal of Information and Communication Technology article, "An intelligent recommendation system for music therapy resources based on a knowledge graph", is freely available for download as an open access article.

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

Research pick: Seeding a new coffee substitute - "Development and evaluation of coffee substitute from roselle (Hibiscus sabdariffa) seeds"

Roselle seeds, an often discarded by-product of the Hibiscus sabdariffa plant, could offer a viable caffeine-free alternative to coffee, according to new research in the International Journal of Food Safety, Nutrition and Public Health. The work has looked at the nutritional value of the seeds as well as their taste and aroma. The team found that Roselle seeds roasted for half an hour could be used to brew a beverage that had a flavour, aroma and body very close to traditional coffee and better than many existing substitutes. It was also shown to contain high levels of antioxidant compounds thought to have health benefits.

There is a growing interest in substitutes for coffee, and a market for tasty drinks that do not have the stimulant effects of caffeine. Many of the “herbal” type brews that have been marketed do now replicate coffee’s depth of flavour nor and complexity and are more akin to herbal teas.

The researchers point out that Roselle is cultivated for its tart, ruby-coloured calyces, the outer part or sepals of its flowers. These are used to make teas and syrups. However, the plant also contains protein-rich seeds that take on new chemical properties when roasted. The team compared unprocessed Roselle seeds with batches roasted for 10, 20, and 30 minutes. They measured bioactive components including antioxidant flavonoids and phenols, as well as tannins and saponins. They found that roasting consistently increased the concentration of these potentially beneficial molecules.

However, it was the sensory testing that was perhaps most important and revealed the true potential of the Roselle seed as a coffee substitute. Participants rated the 30-minute roast highest for flavour, taste, body, and overall acceptability. While the Roselle brews were no real competition for commercial coffee for coffee lovers, the longer roast did score close to true coffee.

If Roselle seeds can be developed into a satisfying, caffeine-free brew similar to coffee, they could add value to a crop already grown in many tropical regions, reduce agricultural waste and offer consumers a more convincing alternative to coffee in the same way that Rooibos (Aspalathus linearis) and similar products have given tea drinkers an alternative to traditional tea.

Oduntan, A.O., Olatunji, O.A., Rapheal, D.O., Oni, O.M., Mustapha, B.O., Ahmed, R.S., Fasuan, T.M. and Akinrinola, A.O. (2025) ‘Development and evaluation of coffee substitute from roselle (Hibiscus sabdariffa) seeds’, Int. J. Food Safety, Nutrition and Public Health, Vol. 6, No. 4, pp.231–250.

Free Open Access article available: "Vocational education course recommendation based on neighbours under the construction of knowledge graph"

The following International Journal of International Journal of Information and Communication Technology article, "Vocational education course recommendation based on neighbours under the construction of knowledge graph", 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: "Gamified features as a mediator of fitness app engagement: a cross-sectional study"

The following International Journal of Business and Emerging Markets article, "Gamified features as a mediator of fitness app engagement: a cross-sectional study", 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 evolutionary neural model in path optimisation of simulation system"

The following International Journal of Information and Communication Technology article, "Application of evolutionary neural model in path optimisation of simulation system", 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: "Dynamic modelling of brand-user relationships via graph neural networks for enhanced marketing optimisation"

The following International Journal of Information and Communication Technology article, "Dynamic modelling of brand-user relationships via graph neural networks for enhanced marketing optimisation", is freely available for download as an open access article.

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

Research pick: Not every sperm is sacred - "Feed forwarded neural network with learning-based tuna swarm optimisation (FFNN-LBTSO) for semen quality prediction systems"

Artificial intelligence can now provide an accurate perspective on the sensitive issue of male fertility. An algorithmic model described in the International Journal of System of Systems Engineering offers new hope in understanding a puzzling trend in global public health, the decline of sperm quality.

The team introduces a computational framework that is accurate to over 90 percent and outperforms conventional approached used in reproductive medicine. Computer scientists worked with biomedical researchers to develop a feedforward neural network to do the job. The digital architecture of this system builds on the way in which human neurons work but also incorporates an enhanced version of the so-called tuna swarm optimisation, which seeks out solutions to problems in a way analogous to how the fish hunt their prey.

This seemingly odd inspiration from neurons and tuna allows the hybrid model to identify subtle, non-linear patterns linking semen characteristics, such as sperm count, motility, and morphology, with biological and lifestyle factors as well as environmental influences on male fertility.

To avoid the bias inherent in medical datasets, that healthy samples outnumber abnormal ones, the researchers used the Synthetic Minority Oversampling Technique. This method generates artificial examples of the rarer cases, ensuring the model learns to recognise fertility problems as effectively as it recognises normal samples. They then tested the system on publicly available semen data from the University of California, Irvine (UCI) repository. The system achieved higher sensitivity, specificity, and overall accuracy than established approaches.

For many years, research has pointed to a troubling global decline in male fertility, which has been variously attributed to a combination of environmental pollutants, endocrine-disrupting chemicals, lifestyle factors such as poor diet and smoking, and biological influences such as metabolic disorders. The interactions among these variables have not yet been determined. This new approach might help uncover insights into what is causing the problem, although, it will inevitably be a complex combination of factors.

Shanthini, C. and Silvia Priscila, S. (2025) ‘Feed forwarded neural network with learning-based tuna swarm optimisation (FFNN-LBTSO) for semen quality prediction systems’, Int. J. System of Systems Engineering, Vol. 15, No. 5, pp.471–487.