Research in the International Journal of Biometrics introduces a method to improve the accuracy and speed of dynamic emotion recognition using a convolutional neural network (CNN) to analyse faces. The work undertaken by Lanbo Xu of Northeastern University in Shenyang, China, could have applications mental health, human-computer interaction, security, and other areas.

Facial expressions are a major part of non-verbal communication, providing clues about an individual's emotional state. Until now, emotion recognition systems have used static images, which means they cannot capture the changing nature of emotions as they play out over a person's face during a conversation, interview or other interaction. Xu's work addresses this by focusing on video sequences. The system can track changing facial expressions over a series of video frames and then offer a detailed analysis of how a person's emotions unfold in real time.

However, prior to analysis, the system applies an algorithm, the "chaotic frog leap algorithm" to sharpen key facial features. The algorithm mimics the foraging behaviour of frogs to find optimal parameters in the digital images. The CNN trained on a dataset of human expressions is the most important part of the approach, allowing Xu to process visual data by recognizing patterns in new images that intersect with the training data. By analysing several frames from video footage, the system can capture movements of the mouth, eyes, and eyebrows, which are often subtle but important indicators of emotional changes.

Xu reports an accuracy of up to 99 percent, with the system providing an ouput in a fraction of a second. Such precision and speed is ideal for real-time use in various areas where detecting emotion might be useful without the need for subjective assessment by another person or team. Its potential applications lie in improving user experiences with computer interactions where the computer can respond appropriately to the user's emotional state, such as frustration, anger, or boredom.

The system might be useful in screening people for emotional disorders without initial human intervention. It could also be used in enhancing security systems allowing access to resources but only to those in a particular emotional state and barring entry to an angry or upset person, perhaps. The same system could even be used to identify driver fatigue on transport systems or even in one's own vehicle. The entertainment and marketing sectors might also see applications where understanding emotional responses could improve content development, delivery, and consumer engagement.

Xu, L. (2024) 'Dynamic emotion recognition of human face based on convolutional neural network', Int. J. Biometrics, Vol. 16, No. 5, pp.533–551.
DOI: 10.1504/IJBM.2024.140785

As computer network security threats continue to grow in complexity, the need for more advanced security systems is obvious. Indeed, traditional methods of intrusion detection have struggled to keep pace with the changes and so researchers are looking to explore alternatives. A study in the International Journal of Computational Systems Engineering suggests that the integration of data augmentation and ensemble learning methods could be used to improve the accuracy of intrusion detection systems.

Xiaoli Zhou of the School of Information Engineering at Sichuan Top IT Vocational Institute in Chengdu, China, has focused on a Wasserstein Generative Adversarial Network with Gradient Penalty (WGAN-GP). This is an advanced version of the standard machine learning model and can create realistic data through a process of competition between two neural networks. Conventional GANs often suffer from unstable training and pattern collapse, where the model fails to generate diverse data. The WGAN-GP variant mitigates these issues by incorporating a gradient penalty, according to the research, this helps to stabilize the training process and improve the quality of the generated data. It can then be used effectively to simulate network traffic for intrusion detection with a view to blocking hacking attempts.

There is the potential to enhance the WGAN-GP data quality still further by combining it with a stacking learning module. Stacking is an ensemble learning technique that involves training multiple models and then combining their outputs using a meta-classifier. In Zhou's work, the stacking module integrates the predictions from several WGAN-GP models to allow them to be classified as normal or intrusive.

The approach was tested against well-established data augmentation methods, including the Synthetic Minority Over-sampling Technique (SMOTE), Adaptive Synthetic Sampling (ADASYN), and a simple version of WGAN. The results showed that the WGAN-GP-based model had an accuracy rate of almost 90%, which is better than the scores for the other techniques tested. The model can thus distinguish between legitimate and potentially harmful network activity effectively. Optimisation might improve the accuracy and allow the system to be used to protect governments, corporations, individual, and others at risk from network security threats.

Zhou, X. (2024) 'Research on network intrusion detection model that integrates WGAN-GP algorithm and stacking learning module', Int. J. Computational Systems Engineering, Vol. 8, No. 6, pp.1–10.
DOI: 10.1504/IJCSYSE.2024.140760

Science-based university spin-offs, especially in the biotech sector, play an important role in transforming cutting-edge academic science into marketable technological products. However, such start-ups face lots of challenges that can be very different from those encountered by conventional startups. Research in the International Journal of Technology Management has looked at the complexities and potential of such spin-offs and sheds new light on the role played by the academic scientists involved in the process and how launch timing can make all the difference.

Andrew Park of the University of Victoria, Canada, and colleagues explain that unlike typical start-ups, which might bring a product to market relatively quickly, new biotechnology companies often have long periods of financial investment and require lengthy development, testing, and regulatory periods for their products. This is particularly true in drug development, where the path from the laboratory bench to the marketplace can span a decade or more, not least because of the need for extensive clinical trials and the completion of regulatory requirements. As such, there is often a greater need to plan strategically and to use resources more effectively even before the spin-off company is officially launched.

Many laboratory scientists make the leap from bench to business, some with much greater success than others. The successful scientist-entrepreneurs bring with them their research acumen and intellectual property, but also various intangible assets that can make or break a spin-off company. Among those intangibles might be research publications and patents, networks of contacts and collaborators, and access to funding opportunities that might be unavailable to companies with no direct academic links.

The paper's case studies of three biotechnology spin-offs within the British Columbia innovation ecosystem suggests that the value of intangible assets is usually only realised when strong entrepreneurial capabilities are available to the start-up company. These capabilities are not just about business acumen but also an understanding of how to align the technology with market needs, protect intellectual property effectively, and mentor the founding team to reach biotech commercialization successfully. Critically, the timing of a company launch can correlate strongly with success or failure, the researchers found.

Park, A., Goudarzi, A., Yaghmaie, P., Thomas, V.J. and Maine, E. (2024) 'The role of pre-formation intangible assets in the endowment of science-based university spin-offs', Int. J. Technology Management, Vol. 96, No. 4, pp.230–260.
DOI: 10.1504/IJTM.2024.140712

A multi-centre research team writing in the International Journal of Metadata, Semantics and Ontologies discusses how they hope to fill a significant gap in the documentation and sharing of research data by focusing on "contextual metadata." The researchers explain that traditionally, research metadata has usually been about research outputs, such as publications or datasets. The new stance considers the detailed information about the research process, such as how the data was generated, the techniques used, and the specific conditions under which the research was conducted.

The project considered six research domains across the life sciences, social science, and the humanities. Semi-structured interviews and literature review allowed the team to unravel how researchers in each domain manage this kind of contextual metadata. They found that although a considerable amount of such metadata is available, it is often implicit and scattered across various documentation fields. This fragmentation makes it difficult to identify and use the information effectively.

The team thus suggests that there is a need for a standardized framework for contextual metadata that could be used across all disciplines. Such a framework would support future work to look at the replicability and reproducibility of research, which are important in scientific integrity and validation. Replicability refers to the ability to duplicate a study's results under the same conditions, while reproducibility involves obtaining consistent results using the same datasets and methods.

Additionally, a standardized approach to contextual metadata could reduce research waste and even help reduce research misconduct by providing a clearer and more consistent way to document research processes. However, there remain many challenges because of the diverse nature of research practices across different disciplines. Differences in funding models, regulatory requirements, and methods mean that a universal framework might not be directly applicable to all fields. As such, the team has proposed a generic framework that recognize the need for domain-specific adaptations.

Ohmann, C., Panagiotopoulou, M., Canham, S., Holub, P., Majcen, K., Saunders, G., Fratelli, M., Tang, J., Gribbon, P., Karki, R., Kleemola, M., Moilanen, K., Broeder, D., Daelemans, W. and Fivez, P. (2023) 'Proposal for a framework of contextual metadata in selected research infrastructures of the life sciences and the social sciences & humanities', Int. J. Metadata Semantics and Ontologies, Vol. 16, No. 4, pp.261–277.
DOI: 10.1504/IJMSO.2023.140695

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Akar, E. (2024) 'Unmasking an infodemic: what characteristics are fuelling misinformation on social media?', Int. J. Advanced Media and Communication, Vol. 8, No. 1, pp.53–76.
DOI: 10.1504/IJAMC.2024.140646

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

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

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

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

Caisucar, M. and Gaonkar, R.S.P. (2024) 'A novel hierarchical ranking method for idea screening in new product development', Int. J. Business Excellence, Vol. 33, No. 4, pp.585–601.
DOI: 10.1504/IJBEX.2024.140591

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

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

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

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

Yeo, Y. and Niitsuma, M. (2024) ‘Proposal of an integral model of human-food interaction: insights for social systems design’, Int. J. Agile Systems and Management, Vol. 17, No. 5, pp.48–72.
DOI: 10.1504/IJASM.2024.140464

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

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

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

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

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

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

Nyandongo, K.M. (2024) 'Relevance of scaled agile practices to agile portfolio management', Int. J. Agile Systems and Management, Vol. 17, No. 5, pp.1–47.
DOI: 10.1504/IJASM.2024.140478

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

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

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

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

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

Sánchez-Torres, J.A., Roldan-Gallego, J.S., Arroyo-Cañada, F-J. and Argila-Irurita, A.M. (2024) 'Which people are loyal followers of influencers? An exploratory study', Int. J. Information and Communication Technology, Vol. 25, No. 1, pp.25–34.
DOI: 10.1504/IJICT.2024.139828

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

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

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

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

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

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

Sánchez-Torres, J.A., Arroyo-Cañada, F-J., Argila-Irurita, A., Montoya-Restrepo, A. and Saleem-ahmed, M. (2024) 'At-home virtual workouts: embracing exercise during the COVID-19 pandemic', Int. J. Healthcare Technology and Management, Vol. 21, No. 2, pp.129–142.
DOI: 10.1504/IJHTM.2024.140383