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This paper aims to investigate the corrosion resistance of two types of coatings – one is ceria sol coating and the other is ceria sol coating modified by ZnO nanoparticles on 7075 aluminum alloy in 3.5% NaCl solution.

Aluminum alloys were dipped into ceria sol and ceria sol modified by ZnO nanoparticles separately and removed after 10 min from the solutions and dried at 110°C for 30 min and heated at 500 °C for 30 min to form the coatings. The coatings have been characterized by using field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS). The EIS tests were performed in a corrosive solution of 3.5% NaCl.

The results showed that the coating of ceria sol modified by ZnO nanoparticles has higher corrosion resistance than the ceria sol coating and the bare sample. Also, the best efficiency is related to aluminum sample immersion after 1 h in NaCl corrosive solution for coating modified by ZnO nanoparticles.

In this research, the modification of ceria sol coating by ZnO nanoparticles had an effect on improving the corrosion behavior of aluminum alloy. It is also understood that modification of coatings is an effective parameter on corrosion resistance.

This study aims to assess the social network and perceived social support among community corrections offenders in China and compare the relationship between different sub-dimensions of social support and offenders’ social adaptation.

A descriptive design combined with self-administered questionnaires was used. A total of 54 valid responses were analysed, with participants displaying the following demographic characteristics: male offenders outnumbered female offenders, probationers constituted the highest proportion among all community corrections offenders and educational levels were generally low. Descriptive statistics and correlation analysis were conducted. The Lubben Social Network Scale, Interpersonal Support Evaluation List Scale and Person at Re-education-centre Social Adaptation Scale were used to measure the variables.

Participants exhibited generally good levels of social support, with moderately extensive social networks and perceived support. All sub-dimensions showed significant positive correlations with social adaptation, with the highest correlation for appraisal support (r = 0.743, p < 0.01), followed by instrumental support (r = 0.714, p < 0.01), emotional support (r = 0.687, p < 0.01), informational support (r = 0.685, P < 0.01) and social networks (r = 0.426, p < 0.01).

This study expands the understanding of community corrections offenders in China by focusing on the underexplored Sichuan Province, using empirical methods for data collection. It addresses a gap in previous research by examining both structural and functional support for offenders rather than focusing solely on one aspect. The study uses two scales, rarely used in Chinese research, to measure structural and functional support, thereby enhancing research on social support for offenders. Practically, it explores the correlation between social support and re-entry, offering valuable insights for improving offenders’ reintegration into society.

These results underscore the critical role of social networks and perceived social support in reintegrating Chinese community corrections offenders. Distinct from prior research, this study used a more comprehensive scale, less commonly used by Chinese scholars, to enable detailed measurement and analysis, highlighting the significance of both structural and functional support in informing practice in related fields.

This paper aims to analyze the influence of organizational and contextual factors on companies’ decisions to set absolute emissions targets and science-based targets (SBTs).

This study uses a sample of 23,166 observations across 69 countries from 2016 to 2020 to analyze the likelihood of firms to establish absolute emissions targets and SBTs.

The results show that firm size, governance, climate-related regulation and moral acceptance in the country in question positively influence companies’ decisions on these matters. Furthermore, while profitability has a positive influence on the participation of companies in the SBT initiative (SBTi), both the financial risk involved and sector emissions intensity can discourage companies from participating in the SBTi or from establishing absolute emissions targets.

This study may allow regulators and policymakers to encourage carbon information disclosure with a greater focus on aspects that specifically contribute to evaluating ways of promoting effective behavior on the part of companies in the fight against climate change.

The results of this study serve to support the demands of civil society, as well as to guide regulators in the design of measures in the fight against climate change and steer the decision-making of investors in moving toward a low carbon economy.

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this study is the first to examine whether organizational and contextual factors affect companies’ propensity to set absolute emissions targets and SBTs.

This study aims to better understand the morphological characteristics of single particle and the health risk characteristics of heavy metals in PM_2.5 in different functional areas of Handan City.

High resolution transmission electron microscopy was used to observe the aerosol samples collected from different functional areas of Handan City. The morphology and size distribution of the particles collected on hazy and clear days were compared. The health risk evaluation model was applied to evaluate the hazardous effects of particles on human health in different functional areas on hazy days.

The results show that the particulate matter in different functional areas is dominated by spherical particles in different weather conditions. In particular, the proportion of spherical particles exceeds 70% on the haze day, and the percentage of soot aggregates increases significantly on the clear day. The percentage of each type of particle in the teaching and living areas varied less under different weather conditions. Except for the industrial area, the size distribution of each type of particle in haze samples is larger than that on the clear day. Spherical particles contribute more to the small particle size segment. Soot aggregate and other shaped particles contribute more to the large size segment. The mass concentrations of hazardous elements (HEs) in PM_2.5 in different functional areas on consecutive haze pollution days were illustrated as industrial area > traffic area > living area > teaching area. Compared with the other functional areas, the teaching area had the lowest noncarcinogenic risk of HEs. The lifetime carcinogenic risk values of Cr and As elements in each functional area have exceeded residents’ threshold levels and are at high risk of carcinogenicity. Among the four functional areas, the industrial area has the highest carcinogenic and noncarcinogenic risks. But the effects of HEs on human health in the other functional areas should also be taken seriously and continuously controlled.

The significance of the study is to further understand the morphological characteristics of single particles and the health risks of heavy metals in different functional areas of Handan City. the authors hope to provide a reference for other coal-burning industrial cities to develop plans to improve air quality and human respiratory health.

The globalization of markets poses great challenges, and thus, the manufacturing businesses trying to expand their operations to cater to a global audience have to undergo significant transformations. Therefore, this research aims to identify key challenges and elucidate the critical success factors (CSFs) required for the global growth of manufacturing companies on a worldwide scale.

A range of interval-valued spherical fuzzy sets (IVSFs) and flexible methodologies such as the analytic hierarchy process (AHP) and data envelopment analysis (DEA) have been employed to evaluate the issues in detail. It calculates the effectiveness delivered by each critical success factor (CSF) and identifies the factors acting as a barrier to global market penetration.

This research highlights the transformative potential of smart manufacturing in developing economies, identifying CSFs such as government support, cost optimization and resilient supply chain management as essential for overcoming obstacles like over-reliance on foreign technologies, regulatory rigidity and skill gaps. The integration of IVSFS with AHP and DEA models offers actionable insights to foster localized innovation, reduce foreign dependencies and promote user-centric designs, aligning with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.

This study shows that IVSFs, AHP and DEA can be used together to estimate the global challenges of manufacturing firms in developing markets. The combination of efficient decision-making and these strategies is novel as it provides ways in which businesses in developing countries can deal with their obstacles and improve their competitiveness on the global stage.

The significance of organizational culture (OC) pervades all workplaces, extending even to health systems. While numerous studies have examined the perceptions of OC among nurses and physicians, there is a notable gap in understanding the perspectives of non-patient-facing health system employees. This study aims to fill this void by investigating the perceptions and drivers of OC among non-patient-facing personnel within health systems.

This study employed a mixed-methods approach, starting with a 31-question survey disseminated to health system employees through trade organizations to capture diverse perspectives on OC. Subsequently, employees were invited to participate in semi-structured interviews. A total of 23 interviews were conducted to explore the underlying factors shaping employees’ perceptions of OC.

A total of 67 surveys were completed, with 61 used in the analysis. The results revealed a predominantly positive outlook, highlighting the significance of supportive leadership and involvement in decision-making processes. The qualitative analysis identified four key themes: effective communication and transparency, coordinated teamwork, supportive leadership and the impact of external factors like the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic.

Effective leadership should prioritize open communication, employee autonomy and involvement in decision-making. These strategies foster a culture of trust, accountability and engagement, enhancing employee morale and job satisfaction while promoting a collaborative and innovative work environment conducive to long-term success and growth.

This research examines the often-overlooked perspectives of non-patient-facing health system staff, providing valuable insights and strategies for leaders to improve OC and create a more positive, inclusive and supportive work environment.

Social work developed using information and communication technologies (ICTs) within a techno-social sphere has been defined as ‘e-social work’. It is a social work field that includes, among others, the use of digital devices and digital platforms in the professional relationship (with individuals, groups and communities), social service programs' monitoring and social work education. Through a literature review, the chapter will explore some parts of the international debate on e-social work. It seems to especially emphasise the positive aspects of digitisation in social work; at the same time, questions and ethical issues are proposed, especially about the social work clients' digital gaps and the need to protect vulnerable people. Digitalisation influences clients' behaviour and affects processes of social exclusion and inclusion. With reference to the elders, for example, the impact of digital divides is very significant; hence, social workers need to promote every tool at their disposal to reduce it to the bare minimum. At the same time, social workers face some risks of using digital devices and digital platforms in the professional one-to-one relationship, which especially during the Covid-19 pandemic have been increased in the welfare system.

Various methods are used for cancer detection such as genetic tests, scanning, MRI, mammography, etc. These methods help collect data on patients, which can be utilized for comparing a new patient’s information with the aggregated data to detect cancer. The main step in this process is data classification. There are several cancer detection methods with their own disadvantages in flexibility, non-linear complexity and sensitive in imbalance data. In this paper, a new fuzzy bio-inspired based classification method is designed to classify the imbalance medical data.

In this paper, a new fuzzy bio-inspired-based classification method is designed to classify the imbalance of medical data. The method consists of a new fuzzy draft of the Cuckoo Optimization Algorithm (COA) and separating hyper-planes based on assigning binary codes to separated regions that are called Hyper-Planes Classifier (HPC). Based on the technical review is done in the paper, the HPC has a better structural superiority than the other classification algorithms. The Fuzzy Cuckoo Optimization Algorithm (FCOA), which fills up its challenge in proper tuning parameters, is proposed to optimize the weights of the separating hyper-planes with linear complexity time.

The experimental results were presented in five steps. Step1, the details of the average and the best results of the proposed methods were reported and compared. Step2, the quality of the detection methods with different numbers of hyper-planes were compared. The obtained weights of different numbers of hyper-planes were reported in Step3. Step4, the convergence process of the FCOA and the COA were shown. Step5, the best obtained results were compared with the best reported one in previous literature. The experimental results and the presented comparisons show that the proposed hybrid detection method is comparable to other methods and operates better than them in most cases.

A technical review has been done based on classifying the applied classification methods to cancer detection and analyzing advantages (+) and disadvantages (−) of the methods and their optimizer algorithms. A new fuzzy draft of COA has been designed to dynamically tuning the Egg Laying Radius based on a fuzzy inference system with four fuzzy rules. A novel hybridization of the hyper-planes classification method and the designed FCOA has been proposed to optimize the hyper-planes' weights. The effectiveness of the proposed hybridization has been examined in famous UCI cancer datasets based on one, two, three and four hyper-planes and compared with more than 30 previous researches.

In this chapter, we emphasise how Creative Artificial Intelligence (AI) can and will transform the practice of financial operations (FinOps). To do this, we first place AI in the context of FinOps and how operations need to change, explicitly using Creative AI to be faster, more accurate and more creative when assessing client needs. This is achieved by explaining how traditional approaches fall well short of the mark by highlighting their fundamental limitations and showcasing how AI helps to address those shortcomings. We also provide a detailed discussion of how AI is transforming finance operations when we focus on four discursive areas: (1) risk, (2) fraud detection, (3) predictive analytics and (4) trading algorithms. In all four areas, Creative AI supports many decisions that benefit the clients, improves customer service and guides financial institutions to allocate their resources more effectively. We elaborate throughout this text how AI, in particular by using methods such as natural language processing, generative adversarial networks (GANs) and other related techniques, can be understood as what we have termed ‘Explainable AI’ to address operational issues in the modern financial world creatively. As AI offers great disarming power, we also discuss the threats, limitations and specific pitfalls of AI adoption and use in financial contexts. This includes addressing clearly ethical and regulatory concerns, in addition to the technical ones.