Research in the International Journal of Knowledge-Based Development has found that our feelings and attitudes during times of crises affect our behaviour and that during a globally testing times, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, governments should make themselves fully aware of this prior to communicating with the public on the policy matters associated with addressing such a crisis.

Kirti Dutta of Rishihood University in Haryana, India, Guillaume P. Fernandez of the Academy of Marketing and Communications SAWI in Geneva, Bart F. Norré and Joaquin Fernandez of the University of Applied Sciences and Arts of Western Switzerland in Marly, Switzerland, Dorota Reykowska of NEUROHM and Rafal Ohme of WSB University in Warsaw, Poland, Dunia Harajli of the Lebanese American University in Beirut, Lebanon, used the Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB) in their study. They focused on declared behaviour during the COVID-19 pandemic in Germany and Sweden. Their findings offer useful insight for policymakers hoping to improve the government response to such a health crisis.

TPB, originally developed by social psychologist Icek Ajzen, extended the theory of reasoned action and suggests that our behaviour has three main drivers: personal attitudes and views towards that behaviour, subjective norms, such as perceived social pressures to perform or not perform said behaviour, and perceived behavioural control, the ease or difficulty faced in performing the behaviour.

Dutta and colleagues used this framework to look at the complex way in which people responded to the pandemic. Fundamentally, they found that people's perceived threats from the pandemic significantly affected their behaviour, as one might expect. But, the effect was both direct and indirect, and attitude then played an important part in how people responded to the different ways in which governments attempted to handle the pandemic. The team notes that in Australia and New Zealand, where the speed with which COVID-19 spread was lower than elsewhere, there were higher levels of social cooperation and positive public attitudes towards the health measures implemented by government. In contrast, the USA, India, and Brazil encountered challenges because of a lower level of public compliance.

The research suggests that policymakers must prioritize understanding and shaping public attitudes through better strategic communication. This would allow them to improve the positive impact of any health measures needed during a future pandemic. Of course, public compliance during such a crisis may well pivot markedly depending on the behaviour and compliance of those policymakers themselves.

In the broader context of the COVID-19 pandemic, these findings emphasize the importance of public attitudes in shaping behaviour. Governments worldwide will have to face global crises again. The study offers useful pointers on enhancing public health strategies and fostering greater social cooperation.

Dutta, K., Fernandez, G.P., Norré, B.F., Reykowska, D., Ohme, R., Harajli, D. and Fernandez, J. (2024) 'Knowledge of declared behaviour: effect of attitude and intention', Int. J. Knowledge-Based Development, Vol. 14, No. 2, pp.133–161.
DOI: 10.1504/IJKBD.2024.139361

Research in the International Journal of Sport Management and Marketing has investigated the effect of celebrity endorsements on consumer attitudes and purchasing decisions. The work focused on particular well-known brands and the influence of fan identification.

Eduardo Fons, Maria-José Miquel-Romero, Manuel Cuadrado-García, and Juan D. Montoro-Pons of the University of Valencia in Valencia, Spain, surveyed 324 Spanish football league fans. They asked questions to find out about brand recall, brand attitudes, and purchase intentions related to celebrity-endorsed sports brands. The team's findings challenge the received wisdom that prominent brands significantly benefit from celebrity endorsements. Indeed, the implication is that the glamour has faded somewhat and that fans in this niche are perhaps experiencing celebrity fatigue when it comes to these kinds of so-called influencers.

Since the 1960s, sport has evolved into a major form of mass entertainment. Athletes in many sporting areas, particularly football (soccer) leading players at the big teams have become celebrities. As such, these people can attract not only enormous fees from their clubs but command significant sponsorship from brands hoping to exploit their fame.

Billions of dollars are invested in sponsorships each year, with some two-thirds of that being directed toward sports. Celebrity endorsement as a marketing strategy has for many years been a big part of this especially in attempting to influence younger people with disposable income.

However, the present study suggests that the effectiveness of celebrity endorsements depends on the attributes of both the celebrity and the brand. Celebrities and brands bring unique characteristics to an endorsement relationship, and their compatibility can significantly impact the campaign's success. The team adds that until this work there was something of a gap in the research literature regarding the differential effects of celebrities and brands in endorsement campaigns, especially when both are already well-known.

The most important finding from the work is that a fan's identification with a celebrity plays a crucial role in their perception of endorsements. Fans who strongly identify with a celebrity are more likely to recall the endorsed brand and exhibit positive attitudes and purchase intentions towards it. However, for prominent brands, celebrity endorsement does not change this significantly. In other words, celebrity endorsement does not necessarily boost sales of a previously strong and prominent brand. Marketing departments for such brands might save their money and side-step the sports stars.

Fons, E., Miquel-Romero, M-J., Cuadrado-García, M. and Montoro-Pons, J.D. (2024) 'I like you, but I don't need you: the diminishing returns of celebrity endorsement for popular brands', Int. J. Sport Management and Marketing, Vol. 24, Nos. 3/4, pp.244–261.
DOI: 10.1504/IJSMM.2024.138985

The relationship between running experience, running mechanics, and the risk of injury, particularly to the knees is discussed in the International Journal of Biomedical Engineering and Technology. The research looks at the differences in joint loading and muscle forces between novice and experienced runners.

Zhihui Kang of Ningbo University of Finance and Economics in Ningbo, China, and Xinyan Jiang of Obuda University in Budapest, Hungary, carried out a 3D running analysis of fifteen novice and fifteen experienced runners and used OpenSim software to model the behaviour of the musculoskeletal system, estimating lower limb muscle forces and knee joint loading.

The team found that there were notable differences in running mechanics between each group. Novice runners exhibited significantly higher knee loading and muscle forces during most of the stance phase of running compared to their experienced counterparts. This increased loading would coincide with a higher susceptibility to lower extremity injuries, such as sprains, strains and ruptures of the knee join, among novice runners. Understanding the biomechanics and neuromuscular control of running movements is crucial for developing coaching and training strategies to prevent such injuries and enhance running performance. However, the research did not record direct evidence linking novice status to an increased risk of knee injury when running. The current work will be useful to those working in sports medicine, rehabilitation, and athletic training.

By identifying biomechanical differences between novice and experienced runners, targeted interventions might be developed to reduce injury risk and improve running techniques. This could involve tailored training programs that gradually increase the tolerance of novice runners to running loads, thereby enhancing their musculoskeletal adaptations over time.

Future research could focus on longitudinal studies to determine whether specific knee joint variables can reliably predict running-related injuries. Such studies would help refine injury prevention strategies and contribute to safer and more effective running practices for athletes at all levels.

Kang, Z. and Jiang, X. (2024) 'The effect of running experience on muscle forces and knee joint reaction forces during running', Int. J. Biomedical Engineering and Technology, Vol. 45, No. 3, pp.183–197.
DOI: 10.1504/IJBET.2024.138969

It's no small affair. In the 1960s, Spain was transformed into one of Europe's leading tourist destinations. Visitors who might otherwise have travelled and done their sightseeing in their own country, were attracted to the region by the promise of sun, sea, and sand. As the tourist industry of the "Costas" and the "Balearics" evolved, the hordes of visitors sparked the growth of a vibrant nightlife industry, especially on the island of Ibiza, anything but a saddening bore. While the beach and the Mediterranean Sea were the usual daytime haunt of countless tourists, bars and nightclubs became their nocturnal destination.

Research in the International Journal of Tourism Anthropology has looked at how Ibiza's nightclubs evolved through advertising, revealing the preferences and behaviour of the tourists who flocked to this "holiday island".

Joan Carles Cirer-Costa of the Universitat Oberta de Catalunya in Eivissa, Spain explains that the influx of post-war European tourists to Spain began in the early 1950s as society bounced back into the sunshine from darker days. These early adventurers navigated a challenging transportation landscape, often travelling by personal car or early charter flights to reach their destinations. By the mid-1960s, mass tourism had firmly established itself, driven by this collective yearning for sun, sea, and sand and the creation of the package holiday. Mediterranean tourism continues to grow to this day.

The evolution of the nightlife of Ibiza over the decades all but eschewed local culture. Indeed, cultural authenticity was not generally what the hedonistic tourists sought. Nevertheless, it was the early tourists that have guided us to the modern Mediterranean holiday format and as more and more Europeans recognised their own desire for this summer experience, so the tourist industry has pandered to their whims.

Cirer-Costa's work could also have implications beyond historical curiosity. It offers those studying modern tourism lessons in the dynamics of the industry. It might help contemporary tourism professionals and policymakers create more sustainable and appealing tourist experiences that balance leisure with cultural appreciation.

Cirer-Costa, J.C (2024) 'Sun, beach … and nightclubs: a study on the nightlife and tourism in Ibiza (1950–1971)', Int. J. Tourism Anthropology, Vol. 9, No. 3, pp.218–236.
DOI: 10.1504/IJTA.2024.138908

Risk has always been a part of life. But, the modern world is becoming increasingly unpredictable. Organisations cannot rely on conventional approaches to risk management (RM) and mitigation strategies they must now move towards integrated risk management (IRM). This shift acknowledges the limitations of conventional approaches in addressing new and emergent risks stemming from rapid changes in climate, social dynamics, geopolitics, and technology. A team in Canada discusses the issues in the International Journal of Risk Assessment and Management.

Traditional approaches to risk management usually focus on an analysis of possible failure scenarios. They use mathematical models to work out how best to safeguard physical infrastructure. However, Luciano Morabito and Benoît Robert of the Polytechnique Montréal in Québec, Canada, suggest that these methods are out-dated and cannot keep pace with the emerging risks we see today where the so-called butterfly effect can see a seemingly insignificant and unchecked risk in one part of the world unleash worldwide upheaval. The COVID-19 pandemic is perhaps a case in point.

According to Morabito and Robert, integrated risk management offers a more complete approach to addressing various interconnected issues. As the term suggests, it integrates the principles of risk governance and social constructivism. There is an emphasis on understanding an organisation's assets, operations, and external environment so that it can improve resilience and adaptability in the face of emerging risks. The approach rests on good communication, collaboration, and coordination across an organisation at all levels as well as with external stakeholders. Without these "three-Cs", effective mitigation strategies may not be possible and organisations will succumb to the detrimental effects of the crises as they emerge.

The work suggests that there is a need for organisations and stakeholders to recognise that we need more than technological tools to manage risks well. Integrated risk management must use those tools but also consider the social and organizational dimensions. Collaboration is key to this where stakeholders share risk knowledge and establish common frameworks, all the while avoiding disruption to the organisation's daily operations. Organisations that cope well with integrated risk management will position themselves to be proactive in their response to the risky business of an increasingly uncertain world.

Morabito, L. and Robert, B. (2023) 'Challenges related to emerging risk management', Int. J. Risk Assessment and Management, Vol. 26, No. 2, pp.175–195.
DOI: 10.1504/IJRAM.2023.139015

In a demonstration of what is plausible in the developing world, Nigeria's Ekiti State University Teaching Hospital (EKSUTH) is changing from error-prone paper-based patient records to an advanced Electronic Health Record (EHR) system. This move will streamline patient information management and enhance the overall quality of care provided to patients.

EHRs are the digital counterparts of conventional medical charts and records kept by healthcare providers. They can include a wide array of patient information, including medical history, diagnoses, medications, treatment plans, immunization dates, allergy information, radiology images, and laboratory test results. The digital nature of EHRs means that can offer the healthcare provider much more information at a given time than conventional paper records. Indeed, they can ensure that critical information is accessible to the healthcare provider whenever it is needed allowing them to make informed decisions so improve patient outcomes.

A study published in the International Journal of Electronic Healthcare surveyed healthcare information management professionals to assess their readiness for the adoption of EHR systems. The findings revealed strong support for the transition, with these professionals recognizing the availability of necessary infrastructure and training. Respondents to the survey undertaken by Oluwatoyin Rhoda Akinyemi, Maureen Nokuthula Sibiya of Mangosuthu University of Technology in Durban and O. Oladimeji of the Sefako Makgatho Health Sciences University in Pretoria, South Africa, demonstrated a high level of proficiency with basic computer applications. However, despite their enthusiasm, the research shows that barriers remain.

The team writes that these barriers include a shortage of staff, a high patient volume, and limited digital navigation skills among some employees. There are also concerns about patient privacy and confidentiality. Nevertheless, obstacles were not insurmountable and given the positive sentiment overall, the implementation of EHRs will outweigh any problems significantly. Overcoming the various barriers will involve continuous staff training and organizational support, as well as ensuring the availability of the requisite hardware.

Akinyemi, O.R., Sibiya, M.N. and Oladimeji, O. (2024) 'Using electronic health records to improve healthcare information management', Int. J. Electronic Healthcare, Vol. 14, No. 5, pp.1–12.
DOI: 10.1504/IJEH.2024.139193

The increasing frequency of environmental fires is a serious issue around the world and one that is being exacerbated by climate change. Millions of hectares and thousands of homes are at risk. Recovery times will, for much of the devastation, in Australia, Greece, California, India, and elsewhere will run to decades. New approaches to reducing the risk of fires are now needs, ones that do not simply involve political grandstanding and the purchase of glamorous but largely ineffective solutions.

Writing in the International Journal of Environment and Waste Management, a research team from India point out that one of the main contributors to the ease with which fires can spread is the accumulation of biomass, such as dry pine needles, on the forest floor. Pankaj Verma of the TR Abhilashi Memorial Institute of Engineering and Technology in Tanda Mandi, and colleagues have explored the potential for reducing the biomass risk. They suggest that it is worth engaging at-risk communities to see this "waste" material as a valuable energy resource for power production. This would have many other environmental and economic benefits, as well as clearing the forest floor and reducing a highly inflammable fuel source for fires.

Forests play an integral role in the ecological cycle, offering habitat and food for various species and hosting diverse vegetation. The team note that in Himachal Pradesh, India, forest cover has increased, but the predominant species is the Chir Pine or Longleaf Indian Pine (Pinus roxburghii), which sheds a large volume of dry needles particularly from January to April. The number of forest fires in the region seems to have risen with the ascent of this tree species.

Despite their availability, dry pine needles are seldom used as fuel due to their low energy density and heating value. The researchers propose that with appropriate technology, it should be feasible to convert this low energy density biomass into high energy density fuel, such as briquettes. As India's energy demands rise, such a waste-to-energy approach could help address this issue, providing a renewable energy source and simultaneously reducing forest fire risk.

This concept also promotes the sustainable use of forest resources, encourages environmental conservation, and offers social and financial benefits to local communities.

Verma, P., Sharma, K., Mahajan, A. and Sharma, R. (2024) 'Forest fire mitigation by social economic development of local communities using pine needle as potential fuel', Int. J. Environment and Waste Management, Vol. 34, No. 1, pp.57–67.
DOI: 10.1504/IJEWM.2024.138887

Researchers writing in the International Journal of Data Mining, Modelling and Management discuss the evolution and growing academic interest in chatbots, with a special focus on the widely discussed large language model known as ChatGPT. The team has analysed data from Scopus and the Web of Science (WoS) covering the period 1998 to 2023.

The results show remarkable annual growth rates of almost 20 percent in WoS and almost 30 percent in Scopus in the number of publications discussing chatbots. This obvious conclusion is that there is a growing scholarly interest in this kind of artificial intelligence and its use in "conversational" software agents.

Hamed Khosravi, Ahmed Shoyeb Raihan, and Imtiaz Ahmed of West Virginia University in Morgantown, USA, and Mohammad Reza Shafie and Morteza Hajiabadiof the Iran University of Science and Technology in Tehran, explain how chatbots use algorithms trained on natural language databases to mimic human conversation. These AI tools can respond with apparently cogent answers to questions or prompts and are increasingly used in customer service, education, mental health, financial management, and many other areas. Users need to be aware that while the term "intelligence" is used in this context, the software is not inherently intelligent in the conventional sense and can readily generate fanciful or even false information in response to a given prompt. Nevertheless, on the whole, these tools can be very useful in streamlining interactions and precluding the need for human staff to undertake many mundane tasks.

These systems employ natural language processing (NLP), a subset of AI that allows machines to interpret prompts and generate an apparently human response. In the current work, Khosravi and colleagues focus on one of the more well known systems, ChatGPT. This tool uses deep-learning techniques to generate contextually relevant and coherent responses. Its advocates point to its more advanced abilities when compared to the previous generation of chatbots and other AI tools in this area.

In examining the research literature, the team notes that there has been a shift towards areas such as mental health and task analysis and how AI tools might be used in those contexts and what its limitations might be. The way AI is being used now and how that is changing will, of course, affect how development moves.

There is a pressing need to ensure that the tools are not only technologically superior but also ethically sound and contextually aware. The next generation of AI tools may need less human oversight, but there will perhaps always be a need for some human supervision of outputs. This progression could lead to AI applications that provide preliminary medical insights, support clinical decision-making, enhance writing and translation tasks, simulate organizational interactions, and assist in policy formulation.

Khosravi, H., Shafie, M.R., Hajiabadi, M., Raihan, A.S. and Ahmed, I. (2024) 'Chatbots and ChatGPT: a bibliometric analysis and systematic review of publications in Web of Science and Scopus databases', Int. J. Data Mining, Modelling and Management, Vol. 16, No. 2, pp.113–147.
DOI: 10.1504/IJDMMM.2024.138824

In the International Journal of Pluralism and Economics Education, Bas Dommerholt of the Dutch Authority for the Financial Markets in The Netherlands, explores the history of money from the earliest coins and notes to the world of digital "crypto" currencies.

Dommerholt's analysis of the evolution of money offers a new perspective that diverges from conventional theories. He suggests that the roots of money can be traced back to early agricultural societies. Early farmers kept records of food distributions, and it is these that over the course of prehistory evolved into wage standards. And from there the calculation of production costs and the filling in of balance sheets. Eventually, coins were minted as tokens of these. Coins, often considered the first form of money, emerged as tokens of credit backed by precious metals.

This novel historical narrative has implications for contemporary economic policies, from addressing predatory lending practices to understanding the rise of digital currencies. Dommerholt's findings suggest that educators could benefit from integrating this perspective to provide students with a more nuanced historical understanding of money.

In Western philosophy, money is a pivotal element, integral to the modern production and distribution of goods and fundamental to the market economy. Despite its importance, the public's understanding of money remains muddled, partly due to the inadequate representation of money's history in educational materials. Dommerholt argues for a comprehensive and objective depiction of money in public education with a modern perspective rather than some of the outdated textbook definitions.

Traditionally, it has been believed that money and prices evolved from market transactions involving precious metals. However, the article highlights a critical transition in the nature of money: modern money is no longer based on metals but is an official administrative unit with a market value that floats under governmental control. This shift has profound implications for current policy debates, distinguishing between the traditional and modern understandings of money.

The research builds on chartal theory. This theory suggests that money's origins actually lie not in markets or material measurements but in government administration and record-keeping. In this theory, money originated from government records of taxes paid in kind. Many educational resources still describe the evolution of money from barter systems and privately owned precious metals, which the evidence suggests is not the case.

The evidence shows that early accounting practices were tied to central institutions responsible for food distribution, with prices evolving from labour cost benchmarks. Coins were introduced later as interest-free notes of credit and backed by precious metals to ensure trust and stability. By fixing the misconceptions about the origins of money, Dommerholt hopes to improve debate and discussion regarding modern lending practices, financial globalization, and digital currencies.

Dommerholt, B. (2023) 'Revisiting the origin of money: from precious metals to work: alternative pathways on the origin of currency and its impact on modern economics', Int. J. Pluralism and Economics Education, Vol. 14, Nos. 3/4, pp.219–233.
DOI: 10.1504/IJPEE.2023.138579

Research published in the International Journal of Web Engineering and Technology has looked at how training might be enhanced to help foster innovative musical talent in university education. The work used advanced data analysis techniques with an improved K-means clustering algorithm to help educators identify how they might improve matters in this area.

Peng Li of Beijing Normal University and Zeng Fan of the City University of Macau, China, explain how China has experienced substantial development, leading to major changes in industry and its economic structure. This recent progress has led to greater demands for educational reform that fit society's needs. The government hopes to develop world-class universities that have distinctive Chinese character and to use technology to assist in this endeavour. As such, data analysis has become important in understanding educational matters.

The team used this data-driven technology to analyse learning outcomes among students on music courses. In their work, the K-means clustering algorithm, known for its efficiency, was assisted by a noise reduction autoencoder, a type of neural network, to improve the results beyond what is commonly possible with just the clustering algorithm. This approach allows them to manage and analyse large data sets.

The results show a disparity between student performance in theoretical and practical music courses. Students generally perform better in theoretical subjects, with a high percentage achieving passing and top scores. In contrast, practical courses such as composition, improvisation, and live performance show lower and more average scores, highlighting a gap between theoretical knowledge and practical skills.

Li and Fan suggest that their findings point to how current curricula, which place a lot of emphasis on theoretical knowledge at the expense of practical skills, might be modified to rectify this imbalance.

Li, P. and Fan, Z. (2024) 'Application of improved K-means algorithm in the cultivation of creative music talents under the needs of sustainable development and transformation', Int. J. Web Engineering and Technology, Vol. 19, No. 1, pp.4–19.
DOI: 10.1504/IJWET.2024.138098