The following paper, "The application of geometric form in architectural interior environment design" (International Journal of Information and Communication Technology 24(5) 2024), is freely available for download as an open access article.
It can be downloaded via the full-text link available here.
Research in the journal World Review of Entrepreneurship, Management and Sustainable Development, has looked at consumer attitudes towards naturally coloured cotton clothing. The study found that amid increasing concerns over the environmental impact of conventional cotton processing, consumers are willing to pay more for a greener tee-shirt.
A.S. Dishoja, Nisha Bharti, and Sushant Malik of the Symbiosis Institute of International Business at Symbiosis International (Deemed University) in Pune, Maharashtra, India, used data analysis techniques, including decision trees and cluster analysis, to reveal that a fairly significant proportion of respondents to their survey on consumer attitudes expressed interest in purchasing naturally coloured cotton apparel. 28 percent of consumers, they found, were willing to pay a premium of up to 15% for such products.
Naturally coloured cotton is appealing to a certain type of consumer because it aligns with their environmental attitudes more than the conventional approaches taken by the textiles dying industry. There are also notions of comfort, durability, and price being associated with greener products.
India has a great historical legacy in cotton production, including the cultivation of naturally coloured cotton varieties. Despite the challenges of lower productivity and reduced fibre quality when compared to conventional cotton, naturally coloured cotton has begun to gain traction in the textile markets, especially in Europe. The problem facing the supply chain, is the limited marketing infrastructure in India, which represents something of a barrier to the wider adoption of greener cotton.
The researchers, however, have demonstrated that consumers are beginning to change their mindset towards sustainability and many of them are now willing to pay more in the name of saving the planet, as it were. This, the team says, represents a new opportunity for companies to selectively and effectively market naturally coloured cotton apparel. There will be a pressing need for policymakers hoping to develop a sustainable agenda to encourage this kind of change in mindset and consumer behaviour. If they can foster an environment conducive to the growth of eco-friendly alternatives to standard cotton products, then they can contribute to sustainability in the clothing industry.
Dishoja, A.S., Bharti, N. and Malik, S. (2024) ‘Is naturally coloured cotton a sustainable substitute for cotton textile?’, World Review of Entrepreneurship, Management and Sustainable Development, Vol. 20, No. 3, pp.338–354.
The following paper, "A health prediction method for new energy vehicle power batteries based on AACNN-LSTM neural network" (International Journal of Information and Communication Technology 24(5) 2024), is freely available for download as an open access article.
It can be downloaded via the full-text link available here.
The following paper, "Improved DeepLabv3+ connected augmented reality technology for building target extraction in urban environmental design" (International Journal of Information and Communication Technology 24(5) 2024), is freely available for download as an open access article.
It can be downloaded via the full-text link available here.
In business, company mergers and acquisitions (M&As) have weighty implications for companies and stakeholders alike. A study in the International Journal of Accounting, Auditing and Performance Evaluation has looked at M&As in the years following the global financial crisis (GFC) with a specific focus on Italy’s generally slow recovery from this crisis and teh the response of family-owned businesses, in particular. The team of Cristina Florio and Francesca Rossignoli of the Department of Management at the University of Verona, have looked at whether Italian companies were bolstered by disclosure standards in the aftermath of the GFC compared to pre-crisis levels.
M&As are, generally speaking, a strategic manoeuvre involving substantial investments and inherent risks. Disclosures surrounding such major business transactions are vital to transparency and understanding among shareholders, investors, lenders, and other stakeholders regarding the long-term impact on the acquiring company’s performance and the impact on those employed or investing in the company that is subsumed.
Before the GFC of 2007-2008, considered the biggest international economic downturn since the Great Depression of the 1930s, evidence suggested that those involved in M&As were often failing to meeting the mandatory disclosure requirements of acquiring companies. However, the aftermath of the GFC, which was marked by unprecedented disruption to financial markets and subsequent heightened uncertainty, led to serious problems for companies seeking capital afterwards.
Florio and Rossignoli have looked at how companies responded by improving their M&A disclosure practices. This, they suggest, was an attempt to mitigate against investor wariness and to help them secure funding. As such, the team found that there was a significant improvement in M&A disclosures after the GFC. This was particularly noticeable among family-owned businesses that were seeking to acquire other business. This improvement in disclosure information shows that companies were trying to improve investor trust and so help them gain access to capital in the wake of the GFC.
From the perspective of regulators, these improvements in disclosures will be welcomed as a sign of companies better complying with mandatory requirements, which is important in turbulent times and bodes well for how companies might respond in a future crisis.
The team offers a precautionary note, however. They explain that there likely remain potential risks around opportunistic behaviour, where an acquirer might only selectively disclose information concerning goodwill recognition. The team suggests that investors should be vigilant and diligent in examining M&A disclosures in order to spot any underhand behaviour on the part of an acquirer.
Florio, C. and Rossignoli, F. (2024) ‘M&A disclosure post-global financial crisis: the influence of family ownership’, Int. J. Accounting, Auditing and Performance Evaluation, Vol. 20, Nos. 3/4, pp.291–318.
The following paper, "Resource backup algorithm of service function chain based on network characteristics and sharing advantages" (International Journal of Information and Communication Technology 24(5) 2024), is freely available for download as an open access article.
It can be downloaded via the full-text link available here.
The following paper, "Based on fuzzy mathematics multi-level comprehensive evaluation of physical education teaching quality and improvement" (International Journal of Information and Communication Technology 24(5) 2024), is freely available for download as an open access article.
It can be downloaded via the full-text link available here.
International Journal of Public Policy 17(3) 2024
The following paper, "Virtual machining simulation of automatic numerical control machine tool depending on dynamic cutting algorithm" (International Journal of Information and Communication Technology 24(5) 2024), is freely available for download as an open access article.
It can be downloaded via the full-text link available here.
As the European single market evolves alongside advancements in digital technology, there is an increasing need to consider cross-border digital public services. A systematic literature review in the International Journal of Electronic Governance shows that there are many gaps in research in this area. Work has primarily focused on the national and local levels rather than the European Union as a whole, and so lead to a fragmented understanding across disciplines.
The review by Stefan Dedovic and Vincent Homburg of the Johan Skytte Institute of Political Studies at the University of Tartu in Estonia suggests that European policy coordination thus faces many challenges concerning organizational matters and interoperability. This applies most to EU public administrations with respect to cross-border digital public services. The research considered in their review suggests that these issues are recognised, but there is a lack of a comprehensive framework to help us understand the issues and how they might be addressed.
European integration relies on the free movement of people, services, capital, and goods. However, there are obstacles that individuals and businesses encounter repeatedly when trying to use cross-border digital public services, such as digital enrolment, identity verification, and business registry access. Indeed, such essential services are often badly implemented.
Some efforts have been made to introduce legal frameworks such as regulations on electronic identification and trust services that are meant to standardize digital services and smooth cross-border accessibility. But, to work well, such regulations need prioritisation at the national and EU-level. Millions of European jobs rely on cross-border services so this is vital to development and growth.
The team’s review shows the gaps in research and so could provide a roadmap for future research directions to help in the development of governance, inter-organizational relationships, and interoperability. More research in those areas will allow problems to be solved. The team suggests that more research into the decision-making processes in multi-level governance settings, understanding the dynamics of organizational change, and addressing interoperability challenges will help move us forward. In addition, there is a pressing need to focus on the experiences of EU citizens.
Dedovic, S. and Homburg, V. (2024) ‘Cross-border digital public services in the European Union: a systematic literature review’, Int. J. Electronic Governance, Vol. 16, No. 1, pp.4–28.
The following paper, "Cross-border digital public services in the European Union: a systematic literature review" (International Journal of Electronic Governance 16(1) 2024), is freely available for download as an open access article.
It can be downloaded via the full-text link available here.
The following paper, "How to sample in necessary condition analysis (NCA)" (European Journal of International Management 23(1) 2024), is freely available for download as an open access article.
It can be downloaded via the full-text link available here.
Bringing together virtual reality (VR) and artificial intelligence (AI) could lead to significant advancements in the field of interior design, according to research in the International Journal of Information and Communication Technology. Such a technological merger could be used to improve the design experience, tailor designs through simulated indoor environments, and give us better architectural outcomes. Such an approach would not remove our reliance on specialist designers and architects, but could lead to new approaches and opportunities.
According to Nan Yin of the Jilin University of Architecture and Technology in Changchun, Jilin, China, user-friendly design software, particularly from industry leaders like Autodesk in the USA and Kusile in China, has helped lower the overall workload for designers. Such software has allowed professionals to engage in interior design in different ways and even opened up the possibility of design to amateur designers. These tools have commonly used 3D reconstruction and virtual environments to offer an intuitive design experience.
Yin suggests that geometric and mathematical optimization strategies are now needed to address the complexity of building interior design. He suggests that in the use of hybrid recommendation modes and convolutional neural networks (CNNs) it should be possible to allow professional standards to be maintained while allowing for user preferences. Such a system has great potential for interior design, the research suggests.
The work focuses on the scientific application of geometric forms in interior design, particularly in terms of furniture selection and placement, with the emphasis on space functionality and user experience. The study offers insights into how different geometric forms affect the way in which we can move around a space and how it can be broken up into different areas, or zones, with different purposes.
Yin has used collaborative filtering (CF) methods and CNNs to develop intelligent interior design schemes. The research thus offers a theoretical basis for the use of geometric forms in design. The use of CNNs specifically allows texture analysis for comparing design elements.
Yin, N. (2024) ‘The application of geometric form in architectural interior environment design’, Int. J. Information and Communication Technology, Vol. 24, No. 5, pp.95–105
The following paper, "A societal shift to the right or the political mobilisation of a shrinking minority? Explaining rise and radicalisation of the AfD in Germany" (International Journal of Public Policy 17(3) 2024), is freely available for download as an open access article.
It can be downloaded via the full-text link available here.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, facemasks became almost ubiquitous and still are in some environments. There is a need for face recognition to be able to “see behind the mask” for security and safety. Research in the International Journal of Computational Vision and Robotics discusses the potential of new software that might be trained on a large database of photographs of individuals in different poses and holding different facial expressions, where a simulated mask has been superimposed on the image, to allow facial recognition to work despite the mask you use.
Freha Mezzoudj and Chahreddine Medjahed of the Department of Computer Science at the University Hassiba Benbouali of Chlef in Algeria, have developed a comprehensive database of masked faces, termed FEI-SM. The training set contained images of 2000 unmasked faces and 18000 “masked” faces with different types of face covering, surgical masks and consumer-type masks. The database might now be used to test biometric identification of masked individuals.
Facial recognition as a form of biometric identification is now widely used in security systems. It can be used to open one’s smartphone, for instance, or be used to allow access to a building only for accredited individuals. It can also be used by the police and other authorities to identify individuals in a given, putatively illegal, setting.
The team explains that “deep learning” a subset of artificial intelligence technology is a powerful approach to image recognition that usually stumbles when faced with a masked individual. The team has used several convolutional neural network systems – deep learning tools – based on three ResNet and two DarkNet models (ResNet18, ResNet50, ResNet101, DarkNet19, and DarkNet53) to see how successful they might be in the biometric identification of masked and unmasked faces from their database. They found that ResNet18 is the most accurate and fastest in their tests.
Mezzoudj, F. and Medjahed, C. (2024) ‘Efficient masked face identification biometric systems based on ResNet and DarkNet convolutional neural networks’, Int. J. Computational Vision and Robotics, Vol. 14, No. 3, pp.284–303.
The following paper, "Characteristics of industrial service ecosystem practices for industrial renewal" (International Journal of Services Technology and Management 29(1) 2024), is freely available for download as an open access article.
It can be downloaded via the full-text link available here.
International Journal of Biometrics 16(3/4) 2024
The accurate validation of signed documents is important to ensuring personal privacy and digital safety and security. Offline handwritten signature recognition is now widely used in sectors like banking, healthcare, and legal proceedings. However, there remains a security risk in that a handwritten signature might easily be forged by a malicious third party. There is an urgent need in many sectors to improve the current recognition techniques so that they can identify faked autographs.
Research from China published in the International Journal of Biometrics has introduced a new approach to offline handwritten signature recognition based on Generative Adversarial Networks (GANs). This approach allows variable features such as a measure of the pen pressure and tilt angle to be used for signature recognition. Xiaoguang Jiang of the Department of Culture and Arts at Yongcheng Vocational College explains that by integrating GANs to enhance accuracy it is possible to generate realistic virtual signatures that alongside training classifiers from authentic written signatures and so improve the accuracy of the classifier.
Jianh has used a Deep Convolutional GAN (DCGAN) model and demonstrated 95 percent accuracy in tests, which is much greater than the accuracy possible with earlier models. Accurate signature recognition is critical for identity verification processes in finance, law, healthcare, and other areas. The same techniques might also be applied more esoterically to signature verification in the art world, for instance, or the digitization of historical documents to ensure authenticity and provenance.
Jiang, X. (2024) ‘Offline handwritten signature recognition based on generative adversarial networks’, Int. J. Biometrics, Vol. 16, Nos. 3/4, pp.236–255.
The following paper, "Subcarrier power control for URLLC communication system via multi-agent deep reinforcement learning in IoT network" (International Journal of Communication Networks and Distributed Systems 30(3) 2024), is freely available for download as an open access article.
It can be downloaded via the full-text link available here.
Research in the International Journal of Biometrics introduces a new method for assessing a practitioner’s precision in martial arts training. The method focuses on quickly identifying errors in the athlete’s movements and allowing their trainer to more precisely guide them to correct form. The system has been developed with a particular focus on Wushu, a collection of Chinese martial arts styles known for their complexity and precision.
Zhiqiang Li of the Department of Police Sports Teaching and Research at Jilin Police College in Changchun, China, explains how the system used advanced algorithms, including the optical flow method and shot adaptive K-means clustering. These are used to extract “key frames” from video and to then analyse texture features of the martial artist’s movements. The analysis can attain a high accuracy rate of 96.58% in detecting incorrect movements. The minimal recognition error is 1.9%, Li adds. Critically, the method is very efficient, giving the trainer or student a positive recognition within just 11 seconds or so.
The approach could be very useful in martial arts training, allowing coaches to identify errors in real-time and offer on the spot advice and guidance to their students, even if an error was difficult to spot in the class or there were ambiguity in judging it. The method could thus enhance training effectiveness and, given that incorrect actions are often associated with injury, it could also reduce the number of physical problems faced by students. The high precision will benefit the students in developing their technical proficiency but also make their participation in martial arts safer. The system will also benefit to the overall aesthetic appeal of a martial arts performances.
One might imagine that the system could be extended for refereeing purposes where there is ambiguity in judging a move or action as allowed or illegal in the particular marshal art. It would also be quite easy to imagine that such a system would be as controversial as the likes of the digital line judges used in international tennis and the video assistant referee (VAR) used in (association) football.
Li, Z. (2024) ‘A method for recognising wrong actions of martial arts athletes based on keyframe extraction’, Int. J. Biometrics, Vol. 16, Nos. 3/4, pp.256–271.
International Journal of Environmental Technology and Management 27(3) 2024
