30 September 2009

Call for papers: Modelling and simulation in manufacturing and service industry supply chain

A special issue of International Journal of Business Performance and Supply Chain Modelling

Market and customer pressures will drive changes in the way the core manufacturing and service industry currently does business. Customers are increasingly demanding greater reliability of products at lower total cost. Changes in public policy are likely to require plans for increased security throughout the core manufacturing and service industry. Meanwhile, infrastructure constraints and threats from new, more agile entrants will challenge the way industry players currently approach both asset optimisation and customer relationships. In order to position themselves to benefit from these changes, logistics operations need to balance product reliability with asset utilisation more evenly. This will require a shift in mindset. Moreover, core manufacturing and service industry will need to change deep seated ways of working to achieve execution excellence and organisational flexibility.

Simulation is the process of modelling an existing or future system and observing the behaviour of this system over time to identify and understand the factors that control the system and predict future behavior. The value of simulation-based tools is that they give the user the ability to examine alternative designs, decisions, and plans, and allow for testing the effect of those alternatives without experimenting in a real environment, which is often cost-prohibitive or altogether infeasible.

In the industrial area, simulation has been mainly used in the past as an important support for production engineers in validating new layout choices and correct sizing of a production plant. Nowadays, simulation knowledge is considered one of the most important competences to acquire and develop within modern enterprises in different processes such as inbound and outbound logistics, asset strategy, resource allocation, transportation, storage, marketing, etc. Within the visions for 2k-enterprises, simulation is considered one of the most relevant key-success factors for companies surviving, thanks to its predictable features.

High quality contributions are welcomed from academicians, researchers, practitioners and professionals working in the field of simulation in manufacturing and service industries with the aid of techniques, tools, methods and technologies of the application. Particular interest is paid to significant success in the use of most effective technology and supply chain best practices in industries to yield substantial value to the business.

Other streams of interest will be practical applications in the form of quantitative and qualitative case studies based on modeling and simulation. Papers must also have real value relevance and be primarily focused on real time implementation. The target audience is researchers, managers, practitioners and consultants.

Contributors are encouraged to submit original manuscripts that have practical relevance, case studies, and focus on the following or other areas related to modelling and simulation in manufacturing and service industries:
  • Holonic and multi-agent systems
  • Knowledge based systems
  • Inbound and outbound logistics decisions including distribution, transportation, inventory, warehousing
  • Sourcing, location, allocation, routing and mode of transport decisions
  • Pricing and costing in supply chain,
  • Collaborative planning, forecasting and replenishment (CPFR)
  • Supply chain performance management
  • Supply and distribution network design and planning,
  • Mergers and acquisition analysis
  • Mass customisation, order postponement and supply chain responsiveness
  • System and supply chain dynamics
  • Detection of bottlenecks
  • Investigations on the supply chains
Important Dates
Manuscript submission: 15 December 2009
Notification of initial decision: 30 January 2010
Submission of revised manuscript: 1 March 2010
Notification of final acceptance: 30 March 2010
Submission of final manuscript: 15 April 2010

28 September 2009

Call for papers: New Advances on Swarm Intelligence

A special issue of International Journal of Modelling, Identification and Control

This special issue will focus on new advances on swarm intelligence including the theory and applications. Swarm intelligence is the discipline that deals with natural and artificial systems composed of many individuals that coordinate their activities using decentralized control and self-organization. In particular, the discipline focuses on the collective behaviours that result from the local interactions of the individuals with each other and with their environment.

Examples of systems studied by swarm intelligence are colonies of ants and termites, schools of fish, flocks of birds, herds of land animals. Some human artefacts also fall into the domain of swarm intelligence, notably some multi-robot systems, and also certain computer programs that are written to tackle optimization and data analysis problems.

The objective of this special issue is to bring researchers from academia and industry together to report and review the latest progresses in this field, and to explore future directions.

Relevant topics include, but are not limited to, the following:
  • Theory advances in swarm intelligence
  • Development on swarm intelligent algorithms
  • Swarm-based scheduling and planning
  • Swarm-based robotics
  • Swarm-based system engineering
  • Other applications of swarm intelligence
Important Dates
The deadline for submission: 1 October, 2010
Acceptance Notification:1 January, 2011
Revised Version: 1 March, 2011

Call for papers: Dynamic Equations on Time Scales and Applications

A special issue of International Journal of Dynamical Systems and Differential Equations

This special issue aims to summarize and disseminate the recent progress in the rapidly developing field of dynamic equations on time scales. Particular attention will be focused on the existence of positive solutions, oscillation and nonoscillation, and boundary value problems for dynamic equations, difference equations, $q$-difference equations, and for general time scales, with an emphasis on applications.

Suitable topics include but are not limited to:
  • Existence and nonexistence of multiple positive solutions to boundary value problems
  • Oscillation and nonoscillation of linear and nonlinear dynamic equations
  • Applications of fractional calculus to boundary value problems
  • Transform methods
  • Qualitative behaviour of solutions to linear and nonlinear systems
Important Dates
Initial Call for Papers: 30 November, 2009
Deadline for Reviews: 31 March, 2010
Deadline for Submission: 31 May, 2010

Call for papers: Ill-Posed and Inverse Problems

A special issue of International Journal of Computing Science and Mathematics

The objective of this special issue is to describe recent results in the area of ill-posed and inverse problems. The results should be of interest to wide audience, because ill-posed and inverse problems arise in many areas of science and engineering.

Suitable topics include but are not limited to:
  • Stable solution of linear ill-posed problems by iterations
  • Stable inversion of Laplace transform from the real axis
  • Inverse problems for the heat equation
  • Inverse spectral problems for differential equations
Important Date
Deadline for submissions: 31 May 2010

Special issue: Precedence of tourist destinations: branding, image measurement, network management, and promotion

International Journal of Tourism Policy 2(4) 2009

Includes papers from the 4th World Conference for Graduate Research in Tourism, Hospitality and Leisure held in Antalya, Turkey, 23–27 April 2008
  • The first Plymouth: pictorial element and destination image
  • Event and network management: application of EFQM for tourist destinations
  • Internal branding in tourism destinations: implications for tourism policy and research
  • The role of food in promoting Chinese regions on the web
  • Images of Italy, France and Morocco as tourist destinations
  • Contribution of Visitor Information Centres to promoting natural and cultural resources in emerging tourism destinations

Special issue: Groundwater and Surface Water Interaction (GSWI): 1. Quality

International Journal of Water 5(2) 2009
  • A review on interaction of groundwater and surface water
  • Groundwater recharge during spring thaw in the Prairie Pothole Region of North America
  • Application of thermal remote sensing to delineate groundwater discharge zones
  • Bank filtration as managed surface-groundwater interaction
  • Observations of long term air entrapment affecting runoff and water table
  • Coupling FEFLOW and MIKE11 to optimise the flooding system of the Lower Havel polders in Germany
  • Soil water surplus and ENSO events during the last humid period in Argentine Pampean flatlands
  • Modelling nitrate pollution of groundwater using artificial neural network and genetic algorithm in an arid zone

Special issue: Air quality management

International Journal of Environment and Pollution 39(3/4) 2009

Papers from the Third International Symposium on Air Quality Management at Urban, Regional and Global Scales (AQM2005) and the 14th IUAPPA (The International Union of Air Pollution Prevention and Environmental Protection Associations) Regional Conference, held in Istanbul, Turkey, 26-30 September 2005.
  • Characterisation of pollutant sources in Istanbul with PM10 and EU directives
  • Determination of transport processes of nocturnal ozone in Istanbul atmosphere
  • Application of the Steam Jet Aerosol Collector (SJAC) for differential measurements of organic compounds in the gas vs. particle phase
  • An integrated strategy for urban Air Quality Management in India
  • Composition and textural properties of soot and study of their oxidative elimination by catalytic process
  • Characteristics of benzene, toluene and xylene gas removal by a biofilter using scoria
  • Genotoxicity evaluation of atmospheric environments of subway stations in Seoul using Tradescantia micronucleus assay
  • Atmospheric aerosols behaviour at an industrial area in Northern France
  • Lisbon air quality: evaluating traffic hot-spots
  • Air quality monitoring: establishing criteria for station classification
  • Lisbon air quality forecast using statistical methods
  • Update and revision of Turkish air quality regulation
  • The evaluation of the effect of air pollution on the health status of children in Zonguldak City, Turkey
  • An approach for road air emissions calculation: Portuguese case-study
  • Trends of lead in suspended particulate matter in Zagreb air
  • Characterisation of non-methane organic compounds collected in an industrial urban area

Special issue: WebMedia 2008

International Journal of Advanced Media and Communication 3(4) 2009

Papers from the 14th WebMedia conference held in Vila Velha, Brazil, 26–29 October 2008
  • Adaptable software components in an electronic program/service guide application architecture for context aware guide presentation
  • CollaboraTVware: a context-aware infrastructure with support for collaborative participation in an interactive digital TV environment
  • Evaluation of video news classification techniques for automatic content personalisation
  • Seamless handover and QoS provisioning for mobile video applications in an integrated WiMAX/MIP/MPLS architecture
  • Using NavCon for conceptual navigation in web documents
  • MP4Stego: steganography in MPEG-4 videos

23 September 2009

Special issue: Parallel and distributed simulation

International Journal of Simulation and Process Modelling 5(2) 2009
  • Seven-O'clock: a new distributed GVT algorithm using network atomic operations
  • Local fossil identification in time warp simulations
  • Reversible discrete event formulation and optimistic parallel execution of vehicular traffic models
  • Distributed simulation of large-scale and detailed models
  • A rule-based semantic matching of base object models
  • Real-time network simulation support for scalable routing experiments
  • Parallel discrete event simulation on desktop grid computing infrastructures
  • On the construction of committed consistent global states in optimistic simulation

Special issue: Service, security and data management for ubiquitous computing

International Journal of Ad Hoc and Ubiquitous Computing 4(6) 2009
  • A Priority Based Transaction mechanism towards high reliable RFID services
  • Evolution of ubiquitous autonomous agents
  • A secure mechanism of group communication for pervasive grid
  • An intelligent travel book management system
  • An adaptive and safe ubicomp for HPC applications
  • Security policy specification for home network
Additional paper
  • Context-aware cluster-based hierarchical protocol for Wireless Sensor Networks

Special issue: Vehicular networks experimental studies and evaluation

International Journal of Internet Protocol Technology 4(3) 2009

Papers from the 2nd Workshop on Experimental Evaluation and Deployment Experiences on Vehicular Networks (WEEDEV 2009) held in conjunction with the 5th International Conference on Testbeds and Research Infrastructures for the Development of Networks and Communities (TRIDENTCOM 2009), in Washington DC, USA, 6-8 April 2009.
  • Density Based Clustering algorithm for Vehicular Ad-Hoc Networks
  • Assessment of VANET multi-hop routing over an experimental platform
  • Development of a VII-enabled prototype intersection collision warning system
Additional papers
  • Improving Scalability with the Use of the Overlay Multicast Protocol (OMP)
  • Semi-automatic e-chartering through multi-agent systems and satellite IP networks
  • An intermedia synchronisation mechanism for multimedia distributed systems

Special issue: Intelligent modelling and data analysis techniques

International Journal of Intelligent Defence Support Systems 2(2) 2009
  • Using Lanchester equations for sequential battle prediction enabling better military decision support
  • Radar measurements analysis for spatial object classification
  • Intelligent cluster algorithms for changing data structures
  • DynSketch: a spatio-temporal aggregate index for moving objects in road networks

Special issue: Mechanical engineering design and optimisation

International Journal of Design Engineering 2(2) 2009

Papers from the International Conference on Advances in Mechanical Engineering (ICAME) held in Surat, India, 15–17 December 2008.
  • Mechanical engineering design optimisation using modified harmony elements algorithm
  • Stress intensity factors for internally loaded crack in a composite plate subjected to arbitrary biaxial loading at infinity
  • Non-linear thermo-elastic response of symmetric cross-ply laminated composite conical panels with temperature dependent material properties
  • Study of damping in layered and jointed welded structures
  • Vibration signature analysis of high speed unbalanced rotating shaft supported on ball bearings
  • Discrete optimisation of a gear train using biogeography based optimisation technique
  • Effect of cone angle and length of the slot on the performance of feed slot conical air bearing

Special issue: Nanotechnology for structural materials

International Journal of Materials and Structural Integrity 3(2/3) 2009
  • Effect of material heterogeneity on the evolution of internal deformation during nanoindentation
  • Physico-chemical changes in nano-silica and silica fume modified cement pastes in response to leaching
  • Experimental and numerical nano-characterisation of two phases in concrete
  • Magnetically enhanced mechanical and creep properties of a structural epoxy
  • Mechanomutable carbon nanotube arrays
  • Controlling carbon nanofibre morphology for improved composite reinforcement
  • Multi-scale investigation of the effect of thermal treatment on the tensile creep of ultra-high performance concrete: preliminary assessment
  • Tribological reliability of MEMS multilayered thin films
  • Carbon nanofibre/cement composites: challenges and promises as structural materials
  • Upscaling concrete properties: a rational approach to account for the material complexity and variability
  • Plasma generation of nanoparticles for high temperature composite applications

20 September 2009

Call for papers: Advances in Machining Process Metrology

A special issue of International Journal of Machining and Machinability of Materials

Machining process metrology has long been studied for not only process performance improvement, but also for process understanding. These process characteristics include forces, temperatures, strain and strain rates, tool wear and part quality, etc. With machining simulations and applications further modernised, accurate assessments of such process characteristics are essential for model validations as well as to enable the industry with such modelling capability for production efficiency.

Moreover, for emerging machining processes such as micro-scale machining and high-speed machining, process metrology is even more challenging because of the spatial and temporal resolutions needed and the elevated uncertainty. On the other hand, effective machining process monitoring and control rely on the high-fidelity measurements of such process characteristics.

This special issue invites the submission of high quality research articles related to measurement issues of any machining process characteristics, from both fundamental and application aspects of various machining processes.

Suitable topics include, but are not limited to, the following:
  • Machining process characteristic measurements such as forces and temperatures
  • Material dynamic property measurements such as strain and strain rate in the cutting zone
  • Metrology in tool wear and part quality including surface integrity
  • Machinability metrology
  • Process metrology for emerging machining processes such as micro-scale machining, high-speed machining
  • Process monitoring related metrology, e.g., wireless sensors
  • Machining simulation/analytical modelling that incorporates material properties from novel measurement techniques
  • Accuracy/precision and uncertainty issues in machining process metrology
Important Date
Submission: 30 June 2010

Call for papers: Advances in Microarray Data Analysis

A special issue of International Journal of Computational Biology and Drug Design

Being capable of providing scientists with global and functional profiles of gene expression of thousands of genes simultaneously, microarray has demonstrated its value in many important applications in bioscience, such as discovering novel genes, deciphering pathways involved in tumour genesis, and identifying potential diagnostic markers or therapeutic targets. However, mining microarray data, given the presence of large quantities of high dimensional data which may come in a variety of noisy forms, and the lack of a comprehensive understanding at the molecular level, presents significant challenges to data mining communities.

This special issue aims to bring together researchers from computer science, mathematics, statistics, clinical research and system biology to present cutting edge techniques and applications in the field of microarray data analysis.

Topics relevant to this special issue include, but are not limited to, the following:
  • Disease classification and outcome prediction
  • Gene clustering analysis
  • Biomarker and target identification
  • Intelligent data integration in microarray data analysis
  • Advanced data mining and machine learning algorithms for knowledge discovery from data
  • Dynamic analysis of protein interaction networks
  • Protein structure prediction
  • Gene regulatory network/pathway prediction/discovery
  • Microarray data visualisation
  • SNP/phenotype data analysis
Important Dates
Full paper submission: 15 January 2010
Response to authors: 15 March 2010
Final manuscript submission: 15 April 2010

Call for papers: Wireless Internet

A special issue of International Journal of Internet Protocol Technology

With the rapid evolution of different wireless networking technologies, wireless Internet will be a reality in the foreseeable future. Intensive research has been carried out in different aspects of wireless networking, such as system architecture, protocol designs and cross-layered optimisation designs. Different types of wireless operating platforms may be derived through the integration of heterogeneous networks. In addition, wireless multi-hop mesh networks can be established through interconnecting multiple wireless base-stations. Convergence of heterogeneous wireless networks and next-generation Internet may also allow wireless Internet the ability to handle a variety of applications including, for example, deliveries of bandwidth-demanding high-quality videos and images.

Research on a fundamental understanding and performance analysis of wireless Internet architectures is indispensable for the creation of the new Internet. This timely special issue will bring together researchers to present new research findings and analyse different challenging and important areas for enabling our wireless Internet in the future. We are soliciting original research comprehensible to all readers of the journal.

Topics of interest for this special issue include, but are not limited to:
  • Wireless access technologies
  • Seamless integration of heterogeneous networks
  • Wireless internet platforms and software
  • Cross-layer design and optimisation
  • Multi-hop wireless networks
  • Transport layer protocol for wireless Internet
  • LTE and wireless Internet
  • Emerging technologies and applications
Important Dates
Full-length papers submission: 31 January, 2010
Notification of acceptance: 30 April, 2010
Final papers submission: 31 May, 2010

Special issue: Nuclear knowledge management: best practices

International Journal of Nuclear Knowledge Management 3(4) 2009
  • The role of the international integration of nuclear education, nuclear knowledge management and education in providing the basis for the future renaissance of nuclear energy
  • The development of KM portals for nuclear power plants
  • Building and maintaining a knowledge-sharing culture for nuclear knowledge transfer
  • Knowledge management initiatives in the Canadian nuclear industry
  • A knowledge management and information portal for the Kazakhstan Atomic Energy Committee
  • The development of International Atomic Energy Agency guidance on knowledge management in nuclear R&D organisations
  • The World Nuclear University Summer Institute – a forum for nuclear knowledge transfer and leadership
  • Preserving nuclear knowledge in CIS countries: its current status and future prospects
  • Knowledge management for a new nuclear power infrastructure

19 September 2009

Special issue: Engineering and computational technologies in the life sciences

International Journal of Computer Aided Engineering and Technology 1(4) 2009
  • The application of non-linear methods to the analysis of finger plethysmograms for ergonomics
  • Hidden Markov models and the Viterbi algorithm applied to integrated bioinformatics analyses of putative flagellar actin-interacting proteins in Leishmania spp.
  • Analysis of cross sequence similarities for multiple DNA sequences compression
  • A robust affine parameter estimation using acquainted non-convexity multiresolution based optimisation for image registration
  • Automated and domain knowledge-based brain extraction from CT head scans
  • The utility of reinforcement learning in predation of Batesian mimics
  • Towards fully automated identification of vesicle-membrane fusion events in TIRF microscopy
  • 3D neuron dendritic spine detection and dendrite reconstruction

Special issue: e-Government for small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) in rural areas

International Journal of Electronic Democracy 1(2) 2009
  • Rural e-government for SMEs: case studies in China
  • Policy issues for e-government services for rural areas
  • Survey of Greek e-Government services and assessment for SMEs
  • Personalised web services for agricultural domain: a case study for recommending organic seeds to farmers and growers
  • Shared services for supporting online public service delivery in rural areas
  • The sustainable development of an e-democracy system
  • The European Union and e-democracy: Interactive Policy-Making (IPM)

Special issue: Nondestructive characterisation of materials

International Journal of Microstructure and Materials Properties 4(1) 2009

Papers from the 4th International Conference on NDT of the Hellenic Society for NDT (HSNT) held in Chania, Crete, Greece, 11–14 October 2007.
  • Modelling of electric signals stimulated by bending of rock beams
  • Neutron scattering techniques as a tool for nondestructive testing
  • Noncontact ultrasonics used for impact damage detection on long-term water-immersed GFRP composites
  • An experimental application of a 3D terrestrial laser scanner and acoustic techniques in assessing the quality of the stones used in monumental structures
  • In situ concrete strength assessment: Part I – the use of multiple combined nondestructive testing
  • In situ concrete strength assessment: Part II – valuation of equivalent aggregate hardness by neuro-fuzzy techniques
  • The determination of uncertainty in the calibration of acoustic emission sensors
  • Mean grain size evaluation of tungsten- and boron-carbide composites sintered at various temperatures by ultrasonic methods
  • A nondestructive study of the identification of pigments on monuments by colorimetry
  • The Fiumarella bridge: concrete characterisation and deterioration assessment by nondestructive testing

Special issue: Micro and nanomanufacturing of medical materials

International Journal of Nano and Biomaterials 2(6) 2009
  • Mathematical analysis of the micromachining of 316L stainless steel
  • Effect of heat treatment of nano-hydroxyapatite coatings prepared using electrohydrodynamic deposition
  • An autonomically-healed PMMA bone cement: influence of the crystal size of Grubbs' catalyst on fracture toughness and polymerisation rate
  • Diamond coated microtools for machining compact bone
  • A multifunctional high-speed spindle for micromachining medical materials
  • Labelling of albumin microspheres with 188Re: a possible agent for radiotherapy
  • Preparation of human serum albumin nanospheres labelled with 188Re

First issue: International Journal of Process Systems Engineering

International Journal of Process Systems Engineering is primarily intended as a journal of record for new developments in the application of process and product lifecycle, computing and systems technology to production processes (nuclear, energy, chemical, pharmaceutical, discrete manufacturing, and other types of production processes).

There is a free download of the papers from this first issue.

16 September 2009

Call for papers: Marketing and Sponsorship in Sport Leagues

A special issue of International Journal of Sport Management and Marketing

Sport leagues regularly publish the clubs’ financial accounts, where marketing and sponsorship appear alongside other financial information. Research focusing on this data usually restricts the analysis to sport and economic variables, neglecting marketing and expenditure variables. With this special issue, we intend to go a step further to analyse these reports, calling for the attention of the research community in analysing marketing and sponsorship variables in the income statements of leagues and clubs.

Papers focusing on any aspect on marketing and sponsorship of sports clubs and leagues will considered for publication. Historical reviews, current analysis and empirical and theoretical grounded discussions papers are welcome. The aim is to produce a robust discussion on the role played by marketing and sponsorship in sports from a multidisciplinary perspective.

Some areas potential contributors may wish to focus upon include, but are not limited to:
  • The relationship between marketing and sponsorship and sporting results on leagues
  • The role of marketing and sponsorship in the finances of sports clubs
  • Marketing, sponsorship and branding relationships
  • Comparative analysis at country level between clubs or leagues on marketing and sponsorship
  • Corporate strategies based on marketing and sponsorship
  • Advertising, marketing and sponsorship
Important Dates
Papers to be submitted by: 14 February, 2010
Selection and decision by: 15 March 2010
Final papers to be returned by: 15 May 2010

10 September 2009

Call for papers: Change Management in the Healthcare Industry

A special issue of International Journal of Information Systems and Change Management

The healthcare industry is experiencing change, primarily directed at physician behaviours, drug regulatory processes, hospital practices and monitoring of core quality outcomes. New technologies and information systems and revised payment and financing methods are the impetus for change. In addition, countries such as the US have the potential for discontinuous systemic change through major policy reforms being discussed.

The need for theories and improved practice of the management of change is heightened by the increasing calls for quality and efficiency simultaneously. Managing change at the organizational and system levels will become increasingly important. This special issue is focused on exploring contemporary theories of change management in the industry, as well as empirical analyses of existing ones. The healthcare context for the issue includes pharmaceuticals, hospitals, medical supply distributors, physician practices, and other healthcare organizations.

The special issue welcomes a multidisciplinary approach to change management, welcoming submissions from fields of management science, decision sciences, information systems and organizational theory, among others. Preference will be given to high quality papers that have a firm grounding in scientific and mathematical methods, instead of primarily application-based papers. Case study research is not recommended, although theoretical papers that bridge the gap between theory and practice are most useful.

We encourage submission of high-quality papers addressing issues involving change and the management of change in the healthcare industry. Potential topics include, but are not limited to, the following:
  • Transformational strategies for leading change in healthcare
  • Behaviour and cognitive impacts of change on healthcare organizations
  • Assessing the role and impact of key information systems (e.g. electronic medical record) adoption on change of organizational management systems and processes
  • The role of emergent and planned change
  • Empirical analyses of management strategies for both discontinuous and incremental change
  • Comparative effectiveness and industry change
  • The affect of quality program adoption on healthcare efficiency, cost, and quality
  • Organizational theories for describing ecology of change
Important Dates
Full paper deadline: 20 November 2009
Notification of acceptance and review results: 15 December 2009
Revised submission deadline: 15 January 2010
Notification of acceptance: 1 February 2010
Camera-ready version deadline: 12 February 2010

Call for papers: Design in Nature

A special issue of International Journal of Design Engineering

Humans have always faced technical challenges. In seeking solutions, human engineering has often looked to natural surroundings for inspiration, or at times for mimicry, of viable analogues. Successful adaptation of natural solutions to human-engineered systems has often led to significant enhancement to the quality of human life and further consolidated mastery of the environment. Perhaps the earliest example is when primitive man, inspired by the awesome power of fire, discovered how to make it then harnessed its potential. Mastery of fire enabled humans to delve into the use of metals and to eventually establish the foundation of a manufacturing-based civilization.

In modern times, the success of the Wright brothers in building the first flying machine crowned efforts of generations of scientists, engineers, enthusiasts and inventors who were inspired by or attempted to mimic bird flight. Noteworthy is that the brothers built their machine after careful study and elaborate mimicry of the design of wing sections (particularly the camber) in birds. The introduction of a flying machine had an irreversible impact on war and peace. It further changed the landscape of human social interaction: it shortened distances and opened borders.

In between the two events - mastery of fire and building a flying device - there have been many instances where human engineering successfully capitalized on natural design analogues. Despite such success, a systematic methodology through which harvesting the rules of design in nature or employing the process of design generation in natural systems to guide or enhance human-engineered systems is yet to mature. This is primarily due to a dominant engineering culture aimed at taming nature rather than harmonious co-existence.

Faced with alarming levels of resource depletion and possible destruction of the earth ecosystem, humans are forced to reduce their industrial and manufacturing footprints. This daunting task mandates re-examination of the core philosophy that has guided human interaction with nature thus far. As a consequence, a new paradigm that blends science, technology, and natural law is currently evolving. The catalysis for such evolution is a revived view of nature as an "engineer who is facing technical challenges". Yet, despite constraints, this "engineer" is able to generate viable deterministic design solutions. These not only are in a variety of cases conceptually simple, but also are often characterized by minimum expenditure of energy: they require the least effort to implement, or construct, and maintain economy of effort when functioning.

Probing the trans-disciplinary aspects of this emerging design philosophy, therefore, is a core requirement to comprehend the essence of the fundamental changes that design as an applied science is currently undergoing.

This special issue solicits original contributions that address various aspects of the impact of natural design analogues on trends in design of human-engineered systems.

Topics of interest include but are not limited to:
  • Strategy for generation of design in nature
  • Design rules in natural systems
  • Biomimetics
  • Bio-inspired design methodologies
  • Effective algorithms for successful implementation of engineering designs inspired by natural solutions
  • Comparative studies of complexity in human- and nature-engineered systems
  • Tribology of natural systems
  • Deterministic surface design in nature
  • Employment of heterogeneity in nature
  • Material properties in natural analogues
  • Control in natural systems
Important Dates
Submission of papers: 15 March, 2010
First decision notification: 15 May, 2010
Submission of revised papers: 15 July, 2010
Final decision notification: 15 October, 2010

Call for papers: Challenges of Triple Helix Nexus in Managing Science Parks and Innovation Centers to Foster High-Tech Start-Ups

A special issue of International Journal of Technoentrepreneurship

Science parks and innovation centers are currently seen as development models for the growth of high-tech start-ups based upon partnerships between universities, research institutions and industries. Many governments have placed increasing emphasis on programme initiatives to support small high-tech firms. However, the science parks and innovation centers in many countries have proved to be not as successful as expected. Whilst the importance of science parks and innovation centers for economic development is widely acknowledged, value creation and technology commercialization are seen as vital for a further step of redesigning effective incubation of innovation. Reforming science parks and innovation centers is critical to nurture high-growth start-up enterprises in transition conditions for entrepreneurship.

In this special issue, we will focus on how to turn science parks and innovation centers into a generator of new enterprises and the challenge of the new innovation system to accelerate innovation commercialisation according to the Triple Helix Model. We also encourage contributions that analyse the role of government initiatives to manage this incubator organisation to underpin R&D activities, encourage technology transfer and commercialization. This issue brings together academics, practitioners, researchers, and aims to deliver a reference edition for all those interested in the governance structure of Triple Helix in the redesign of effective innovation incubation.

Topics include, but are not limited to, the following:
  • The challenging role of science parks and innovation centers in supporting small high tech firms
  • Performance of science parks and innovation centers in terms of university-industry interactions
  • Policies for promoting Triple Helix linkages
  • New public policies in support of technological innovations
  • Technolopolis for high-tech new ventures' creation and development
  • Corporate venturing in high-tech business
Important Dates
Paper submission deadline: 15 August 2010
Notification to Authors: 15 January 2011

Special issue: Nanomanufacturing: opportunities and challenges

International Journal of Nanomanufacturing 4(1-4) 2009

Papers from the International Conference on Nanotechnology: Opportunities and Challenges
(ICON008) held in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, 17-19 June 2008

[See also International Journal of Nano and Biomaterials 2(1-5) 2009]
  • Self assembly of CdSe/ZnS quantum dots for organic/inorganic light emitting devices for the next generation display technology
  • Development of a silicon-based passive gas-liquid separation system for microscale direct methanol fuel cells
  • Nano-silver microcavity enhanced UV GaN light emitter
  • Complex nanostructures of ZnO: growth and properties
  • A novel nanoscale high breakdown voltage lateral bipolar junction transistor on silicon-on-insulator
  • A novel conducting nanocomposites containing phenolic resin/carbon nanoparticles for electromagnetic wave shielding effectiveness at microwave frequency
  • I-V-T studies on GaN/AlN double barrier resonant tunnelling diodes
  • AC response of AlN/GaN double-barrier resonant tunnelling diodes
  • Structural, optical and field emission properties of ZnO nanowires grown by non-catalytic thermal evaporation process
  • Atomic decay rate enhancement inside a cylindrical quantum nanotube
  • Dipole emission rate inside a nano quantum dot resonator
  • Electrochemically deposited metal nanoparticles for enhancing the performance of microfluidic MEMS in biochemical analysis
  • Nanocrystalline TiO2 solar cells contributing to the national energy generation
  • Nanoparticles based solar cells and their application in Saudi Arabia
  • Calculation of the surface tension and shear viscosity of CO60 along the liquid-vapour coexistence
  • Nickel nanoclusters catalyse growth of silicon nanowires
  • Template-assisted growth of rhodium nanowire contacts to silicon nanowires
  • Preparation and physicochemical characterisation of thermally stable nano-sized hopcalite catalysts
  • Electrochemical coating of stainless steel with multi-walled carbon nanotubes/polyaniline composite layer
  • Duality of TiO2 nanoparticles: applications in photocatalysis and dye-sensitised solar cells fabrication
  • Nox sensing characteristics of single wall carbon nanotube gas sensor prepared by pulsed laser ablation
  • Synthesis and characterisation of amorphous SeTe nanorods prepared by ball milling
  • Characterisation of amorphous Se97Te3 nanoparticles prepared by ball milling
  • Small is the next big thing: thermal phenomenon on the nanoscale electronic devices
  • Maintenance management in nanotech-environment: the challenges ahead
  • Novel approaches in designing high performance nano and nano-composite coatings for industrial applications
  • Nanocrystalline TiO2 based natural dye sensitized solar cells
  • Advanced nanocomposites for high temperature aero-engine/turbine components
  • Preparation and characterisation of visible-light-driven BaCo0.5Y0.5O3 photocatalyst
  • Creep compensation in piezoelectric actuators for nanopositioning technology
  • Fabrication of flexible highly reflective micromirrors arrays for sunlight reflectors
  • A simple treatment of quantum dissipative transport in carbon nanotube transistors
  • Thick film urea sensor based on nanostructured zinc oxide
  • Nanotechnology within the framework of human factors engineering with special reference to developing countries like Saudi Arabia
  • Commercialisation of nanotechnologies: technology transfer from university research laboratories
  • Structural-property relationship of nanocrystalline diamond films and its applications
  • Formation of nanostructured metal particles using negative rake angle cutting tools
  • Simulation study of effect of magnetic field over I-V characteristic of intrinsic stacked Josephson junctions

7 September 2009

Call for papers: Ubiquitous Deployments of Body Sensor Networks

A special issue of International Journal of Autonomous and Adaptive Communications Systems

The rapid growth in medical sensing technologies with low power requirements and wireless data transmission has led to ubiquitous deployments of body sensor networks (BSNs), i.e. networks of sensors worn on or implanted in a person, sensing vital readings and transmitting these (wirelessly) to a base station. Applications are often in the healthcare domain, for keeping an eye on one’s health status or for monitoring chronic conditions (diabetes, asthma, cardiovascular issues). This data can then be forwarded to clinicians, carers or hospitals in real time (especially important for alerts).

In the past, existing wireless sensor networks (WSN) have been modified as BSNs for usage in biomedical applications. However, traditional WSNs suffer from various limitations when they are deployed in such applications, including restricted bandwidth capabilities and limits in terms of computational power (especially considering the amount of data that is being read, processed and streamed or transmitted). Therefore, modified WSN frameworks alone are often deemed to be infeasible for BSN applications, and substantial research is required to overcome these and other limitations by taking into account the requirements for biomedical sensing applications. As these BSNs become ubiquitous - monitoring not just chronic conditions but a person’s everyday health - new challenges in terms of secure communications, interoperability and device size become evident.

This special issue will publish high-quality papers that describe how various issues in the deployment of ubiquitous body sensor networks have been addressed by researchers and practitioners in this domain. Distinguished papers accepted and presented at UBSN 2010, after further revisions, will also be included in the issue.

Some of the topics that may be described include but are not limited to:

Interoperability
  • BSN systems must ensure seamless data transfer across standards such as Bluetooth or ZigBee to encourage information exchange, plug-and-play device interaction, etc. The definition of standards for data exchange may be required.
Scalability
  • Systems should be scalable, ensuring efficient migration for a patient or person across networks and offering uninterrupted connectivity for those both wearing and monitoring UBSNs.
Privacy
  • Transmission of data within UBSNs and between UBSNs and other networks must be both secure and precise, e.g. to avoid a patient’s data being corrupted or accidentally including another patient’s readings.
Security
  • Some consider BSN technologies as a potential threat to their privacy (or even safety), if applications could be tampered with beyond their intended exclusive medical usage. Social acceptance is key to UBSNs finding wider application, but extensive testing and reviews can aid with such reassurances.
Devices
  • The sensors used in UBSNs should be light, low in complexity, have reduced form factors, and be easily reconfigurable.
Storage
  • Storage devices are needed to facilitate remote storage and viewing of patient data via the Internet, as well as allowing access to background processing algorithms and analysis tools.
Important Dates
Manuscript submission deadline: 20 November, 2009
Notification of acceptance: 20 January, 2010
Submission of final revised paper: 20 March 2010

Call for papers: Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) and IT infrastructures: a Managerial and Technical Perspective

A special issue of International Journal of Business Information Systems

Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) projects appear to be a dream coming true. ERP is an integrated software solution to manage an organisation's core business and information processing needs. It supports a process-oriented view of the business and increases the efficiency and effectiveness of enterprise-wide as well as inter-enterprise business processes. ERP projects have the Herculean task of seamlessly supporting and integrating a full range of business processes, uniting functional islands and making their data visible across the organisation in real time.

Though ERP is a packaged software solution, most of the current research addresses managerial, social, and organisational issues during ERP implementation and use. Less emphasis is being given to the technical challenges and issues during the ERP implementation. This special issue bridges this gap by focusing on the challenges and opportunities during the ERP implementation including both project management and technical perspective. Specifically, it addresses the:
Information technology (IT) infrastructures for ERP and its related technologies
Technical requirements and software engineering solutions for the ERP implementation.

This special issue seeks to provide a viaduct between those conducting research on managerial and technical surface of ERP.

Specific topics of interest include, but are not limited to:
  • Technical requirements for ERP system
  • Project management practices during ERP implementation
  • Agile software engineering approaches for ERP
  • Requirements specification for ERP
  • ERP software selection process
  • Risk management during ERP implementation
  • Configuration management for ERP
  • Software quality assurance
  • Information security
  • Software components for ERP
  • Software reusability
  • Knowledge engineering for ERP
  • Case studies on MIS, DSS and CRM enabled ERP
  • IT architectures for ERP
  • Performance evaluation of an ERP system
  • Mathematical modelling
  • Applications of stochastic modelling
Important Dates
Submission of full papers: 31 December, 2009
Notification for revision/acceptance after review: 28 February, 2010
Final submission: 31 March, 2010

Special issue: The future of biofuels and national energy strategy: a US perspective

International Journal of Biotechnology 11(1/2) 2009

Papers from a conference held at the Joyce Foundation in Chicago, USA in September, 2008
  • Opportunities and challenges of transitioning to sustainable next-generation transportation biofuels
  • Effects of biofuels vs. other new vehicle technologies on air pollution, global warming, land use and water
  • Nitrous oxide's impact on net greenhouse gas savings from biofuels: life-cycle analysis comparison
  • Current and future ethanol production technologies: costs of production and Rates of Return on invested capital
  • State and federal subsidies to biofuels: magnitude and options for redirection
  • Likely impacts of biofuel expansion on Midwest land and water resources
  • US and international policies affecting liquid biofuels' expansion and profitability

Special issue: Web 2.0 goes academia: innovative scenarios for sociotechnical communities

International Journal of Web Based Communities 5(4) 2009
  • Web 2.0 goes academia: does Web 2.0 make a difference?
  • Scenario-based orchestration of Web 2.0 applications in university teaching and learning processes: a case study
  • Using blogs to support participative learning in university courses
  • The tagblog: exploring social web user contribution to encourage students to actively engage in learning content
  • Web 2.0 project-based learning in higher education: some preliminary evidence
  • Humanities 2.0: documents, interpretation and intersubjectivity in the digital age
  • Social networks as an approach to the enhancement of collaboration among scientists
  • Learning in social networks and Web 2.0 in SMEs' continuing vocational education

Special issue: Smart machining systems

International Journal of Mechatronics and Manufacturing Systems 2(5/6) 2009
  • A Smart Machining Systems application to reduce the machining costs within a multi-process production
  • Diffraction pattern analysis for real time monitoring of tool wear in turning processes
  • A module-based software system for spindle condition monitoring
  • Modelling of Material Removal Rate in ultrasonic drilling of alumina ceramic by Fuzzy Logic
  • Modelling of bore honing
  • Value of information and experimentation in milling profit optimisation
  • Development of a metrology frame to improve the positioning accuracy of Micro/Meso-scale Machine Tools
  • A tool wear observer model for flank wear monitoring in the milling of Nickel-based alloys

Special issue: Gender and sustainable development

International Journal of Innovation and Sustainable Development 4(2/3) 2009
  • Female labour market participation and economic growth
  • AThe gender innovation and research productivity gap in Europe
  • Gender diversity and innovative performance
  • Gender and sustainable consumption: policy implications
  • Gender and environment in the Japanese workplace
  • Gender, education, background and career progression: case study of Radcliffe College graduates
  • Businesswomen and a sustainable future
  • Women and labour rights in China
  • Gender and sustainable livelihoods: case study of South African farm workers
  • Women, information technology and disaster management: tsunami affected districts of Tamil Nadu
  • Gender and agricultural sustainability: case study of Colombian coffee

Special issue: Intelligent decision support systems for collaborative design and manufacturing

International Journal of Computer Applications in Technology 36(3/4) 2009
  • A study on multidisciplinary collaborative optimisation based on an improved PSO
  • Robust decision and optimisation for collaborative parameter design
  • Efficient multi-objective genetic algorithm for hardware-software partitioning in embedded system design: ENGA
  • Relevance vector machines based modelling and optimisation for collaborative control parameter design: a case study
  • Orchestration support for request management in collaborative company networks
  • Modelling workflows and collaboration in virtual supply chains with nested modular Petri nets
  • Performance analysis of multi-echelon supply chain network through new DSS optimiser
  • Decision support under uncertainties based on robust Bayesian networks in reverse logistics management
  • Modelling interactions to support and manage collaborative decision-making processes in design situations
  • A systems approach to supporting decisions for the product to service shift
  • An agent-based system approach to fixture design
  • Modelling autonomic and dynamic trust decision-making mechanism for large-scale open environments

2 September 2009

Call for papers: Imaging Systems and Techniques

A special issue of International Journal of Signal and Imaging Systems Engineering

Imaging systems and techniques provide the users with two- or three-dimensional information on objects, materials, structures or processes. They play a key role in many fields of science, technology, industry, environment and daily life, as the variety of imaging systems and techniques is vast, ranging from medical and biological imaging, security and surveillance systems, remote sensing, biometrics, non-destructive testing, and computer sciences to materials research and analysis. The interdisciplinary aspect of imaging systems and techniques is a particular feature because of the diversity of its underlying physical sensing principles, employing different types of radiation, sound or electrical fields.

Imaging systems are increasingly complex and therefore challenge electronic engineers. Concurrently to an ongoing trend of the increase in spatial and temporal resolution, there is a growing demand for hardware-supported image processing, data reduction as well as improved sensitivity, specificity and robustness. With the progress in physics, electronics and computing, we can see a tremendous development towards new and sophisticated imaging technologies, such as infrared, microwave, terahertz and laser imaging, spectroscopy, X-ray microscopy, high speed imaging, confocal scanning microscopy, optical coherence tomography, molecular imaging, and many more imaging technologies. Other important trends include multi-modality imaging and low-level image processing.

The special issue will be open to general submissions and will also contain selected papers from the 2009 IEEE International Workshop on Imaging Systems and Techniques held in Shenzhen, China, May 2009.

This special issue addresses new developments in the field of imaging systems and techniques. Potential authors are invited to report their scientific and technological progress in one or more of the following fields:
  • Principles of imaging sensors
  • Imaging system design, development, evaluation and applications
  • Image processing algorithms, especially hardware-supported image processing
There is neither a restriction on the type of imaging technique or signal carrier, e.g. electromagnetic (including microwave, terahertz, UV, optical, X-rays, gamma rays), electrons, neutrons, electrical, ultrasound, etc., nor on the field of applications.

Important Date
Paper submission deadline: 31st December, 2009