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This paper aims to investigate the effect of laser energy density on the fretting wear properties of TC4 alloys prepared by selective laser melting to enhance their service life.

The friction test used a ball-to-plane contact structure and simulated the actual working conditions by applying a linear reciprocating motion. In the experiments, the authors prepared TC4 alloys using different laser energy densities and performed fretting wear tests with D = 100 µm on a friction machine, as well as comparative analyses with conventional cast TC4 materials. 3D optical microscope, scanning electron microscopy and energy spectrum x-ray spectrometer were used to analyze the surface morphology and elemental content of the samples.

The results indicate that the friction coefficient and wear volume of selective laser melting (SLM)-TC4 are lower than those of cast TC4, demonstrating superior wear resistance. As the laser energy density increases, the grain size of the SLM-TC4 samples gradually coarsens, leading to an initial improvement followed by a decline in friction coefficient and wear resistance. Among the samples, ET3 (42 J/mm³) exhibits the lowest friction coefficient and wear volume, with the friction coefficient ranging from 0.67 to 0.7 and the wear volume being only 9.92% of that of cast TC4.

The main contribution of this work is to provide a new reference for improving the wear resistance of TC4 prepared by selective laser melting. By studying the effect of different laser energy densities on the wear resistance of TC4, it provides a theoretical basis for the preparation of SLM-TC4 alloys for industrial applications.

The peer review history for this article is available at: https://publons.com/publon/10.1108/ILT-11-2024-0414/

This study addresses the remarkable research gap in the existing literature on Chat Generative Pre-training Transformer (ChatGPT), which has primarily explored its functional benefits rather than the psychological states of its users. By integrating the self-concept theory and functional theory of attitudes, this study develops a moderated-mediating model to examine the impact of the bandwagon effect on users’ habit formation and subsequent feelings of pride associated with the ChatGPT application.

This study analyzed self-reported survey data from 568 respondents from mainland China using partial least squares structural equation modeling.

The findings reveal that the bandwagon effect indirectly influences users’ pride through the formation of habits related to ChatGPT applications. This study also identifies the boundary condition of social-adjustive attitude, which strengthens both the direct relationship between the bandwagon effect and habit formation and its indirect relationship with pride.

This study contributes to the field by offering a novel perspective on ChatGPT adoption, highlighting the role of self-concept and attitudinal functions in driving users’ intentions to utilize the technology, with a focus on the desire for pride as a motivating factor.

Audit firms have a strong historical tradition of professionalism, but they are also commercial entities. This study aims to investigate the relationship between auditor cash compensation and office-level financial performance.

This study uses proprietary compensation expense and financial performance data from audit offices in China. Using the ordinary least squares regressions, this study tests the association between per capita compensation and office-level financial outcomes.

This study provides evidence that audit offices offering higher compensation achieve more profitable performance, as reflected in increased market share, higher return on assets and greater operating profit margins. Mechanism tests suggest that reductions in auditor turnover, driven by compensation incentives, partially account for this performance improvement. Additional tests show that the benefits of compensation incentives are particularly pronounced in audit firms licensed to conduct listed firm audits or when accompanied by staff training and technical development. Furthermore, both partner-level and staff auditor compensation significantly enhance office-level financial performance. The results might be of interest to both practitioners and regulatory bodies.

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this study is the first to examine the relationship between auditor cash compensation and audit-office profitability. The findings highlight important policy implications for audit firms seeking to retain high-caliber auditors and maximize their economic benefits through human capital investments, including compensation, education, training and technical development.

With the accumulation of theoretical research and practical experience in the field of garment production research, it is imperative to methodically analyze and reflect on the achievements that have been made. This review aims to systematically map the academic landscape of research articles on garment production, elucidate the evolutionary trajectory of this discipline, identify emerging research frontiers and provide insights into its prospects.

Based on the Web of Science core database, 307 research articles were systematically analyzed by CiteSpace software. The study employed bibliometric and thematic analyses to offer in-depth insights into the dynamics and evolution of research on garment production.

Results reveal that keyword analysis emphasizes the significance of topics such as apparel assembly line, lean production, circular economy, fuzzy logic, global production networks, social sustainability and supply chain management in garment production research. Citation analysis demonstrates that articles related to environmental impact, supply chain management, production process and production technology constitute the knowledge base and core of garment production research. Eight principal research themes emerge: customized garment production, production technology, quality assurance, equipment, production lines, supply chain management, environmental impact and social and human impact. Future research hotspots will focus more on sustainable, intelligent and digital clothing production.

The findings systematically sort out the hotspots and trends in garment production, establish knowledge structures and display them through intuitive representations. The rich insights set the stage for the development of garment production and provide future guidance for theoretical research.

To maximize health synergistic benefits and provide a scientific foundation for enhancing air pollution control policies, this research proposed a causal inference framework with a decomposition ensemble prediction model for comprehensive policy assessment.

We introduced the CD-OASVR-Ensemble-CC method, a policy assessment approach that combined machine learning-based decomposition ensemble prediction (CD-OASVR-Ensemble) with counterfactual contrast (CC) analysis. The CD-OASVR-Ensemble model incorporated support vector regression (SVR) optimized through swarm intelligent optimization algorithms (OA), complete ensemble empirical model decomposition of adaptive noise (CD) and a linear ensemble model (Ensemble). This approach was applied to analyze patterns in historical PM2.5 data and predict the future trend. The predicted PM2.5 served as a counterfactual trend, enabling an evaluation of the policy’s environmental and health effects.

Analysis of prediction errors confirmed the proposed CD-OASVR-Ensemble model’s accuracy and robustness in predicting PM2.5 levels. The findings indicated that the implementation of “Regulation 2019” led to a significant reduction in PM2.5 concentration, preventing an estimated 7,960 premature deaths and saving approximately 2,602.95 m yuan in health-related economic costs.

This study introduces an innovative framework for evaluating the environmental effect of policies, with a specific emphasis on health synergistic benefits.

The purpose of this study is to examine the moderating effect of personality traits on social responsibility-oriented human resources management (SR-HRM) practices and job performance.

The sample of the study consists of 442 employees working in firms developing knowledge and innovation-based systems in Ankara (Turkey). The strengths of this study stem from its methodology, which contributes to the literature in terms of analysis comparing linear and fuzzy set qualitative comparative analyzes (fsQCA).

Both linear analyses and fsQCA results show the moderating effect of conscientiousness on the relationship between job performance and SR-HRM. Both models demonstrate the impact of agreeableness on business performance. Study results indicate that linear and fsQCA examine the moderating effect of conscientiousness in the same way as the literature. The linear analysis results differ from fsQCA, which examined the moderating effect of compatibility in this study. The fsQCA results of this study show that SR-HRM affects job performance when extraversion and conscientiousness are taken into account.

Further research may compare linear and fuzzy logic models about moderating and mediating effects. Future researchers may highlight the increasing importance of linear and fsQCA in any organizational behavior or organizational theory subject.

The main implication is that managers should consider the significant impacts of effective SR-HRM development on employees’ job performance. Personality traits should be taken into account in HRM processes such as recruitment and retention.

The main contribution of the current study is the insight it provides into the moderating effects of the big five personality traits on the relationship between job performance and SR-HRM and how they differ in the linear model and fsQCA.

The current study contributes to the relevant literature by presenting the research design and questions. Using a multi-method approach, this research provides a better understanding of patterns between variables and contributes to the existing literature.

This paper aims to provide a full introduction, new classification, comparison and investigation of the challenges as well as applications of layerless 3D printing, which is one of the industry 4.0 pioneers.

Given the significance and novelty of uniform 3D printing, more than 250 publications were collected and reviewed in an unbiased and clear manner.

As a result, the majority of uniform parts printed in polymer form are known up to this point. In a novel division for better researchers’ comprehension, uniform printing systems were classified into three categories: oxygen inhibition (OI), liquid lubrication (LL) and photon penetration (PP), and each was thoroughly investigated. Furthermore, these three approaches were evaluated in terms of printing speed, precision and accuracy, manufacturing scale and cost.

The parameters of each approach were compared independently, and then a practical comparison was conducted among these three approaches. Finally, a variety of technologies, opportunities, challenges and advantages of each significant method, as well as a future outlook for layerless rapid prototyping, are presented.

This study aims to examine the awareness of the inhabitants regarding energy consumption in relation to comfort in Tlemcen and analyze the paths of influence and the effects of individual objective and subjective characteristic factors. This determines the factors' level of perception of the importance of energy retrofitting.

As part of an exploratory empirical study, this paper further discusses accompanied survey data from a sample of 208 properties, through a triangulation of in-depth qualitative studies and quantitative studies developed and analyzed by SPSS software (the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences).

Analysis of the results of the survey shows that the respondents have a level of awareness on comfort linked to energy savings but they lack guidance and recourse to specialists. The conclusion is that resident awareness is crucial and beneficial and that the key socio-demographic characteristics to determine the perception factors are related to age, occupation, household size and time lived in the house.

By exploring some of the key insights from the survey, this research improves residents' perception of the importance of energy retrofitting in the residential sector, highlighting the importance of priorities. This influences public attitudes and contributes to raising awareness in order to provide useful results for developing, in future studies, motivational strategies for these inhabitants. The present research is expected to add value to existing studies academically and methodologically and provide policy guidance to policy makers and other energy efficiency (EE) practitioners in the Maghreb region and beyond.

Drawing upon compensatory ethics theory, this study explored the underlying mechanisms through which gossipers engaged in helping behavior as a form of compensation after initiating negative workplace gossip.

Through a two-wave field study of 394 Chinese employees, this study tests theoretical hypotheses using path analysis and bootstrapping methods.

The findings suggested that negative workplace gossip positively influenced the gossipers’ helping behavior through moral self-image and guilt. Moreover, moral reflectiveness not only positively moderated the impacts of negative workplace gossip on moral self-image and guilt but also positively moderated the mediating effects of moral self-image and guilt in the relationship between negative workplace gossip and helping behavior.

These results enrich the theoretical research on negative workplace gossip, offer new perspectives for studying this phenomenon and provide a theoretical basis and decision-making reference for management practices.

Nano graphitic-carbon nitride (g-C₃N₄) is an emerging lubrication technology with excellent performance and significant potential for future applications. This study aims to investigate the effect of nano g-C₃N₄ as a lubricant additive on the wear performance of bearing steel disk.

Various mass fractions of g-C₃N₄ were introduced into the base oil. Combining tribological testing, rheological testing and surface analysis methods, the anti-wear properties and lubrication mechanisms were analyzed.

Transmission electron microscopy images revealed that the size of the nanoparticles of g-C₃N₄ ranges from 10 to 100 nm. Phase analysis of the g-C₃N₄ sample was conducted using X-ray diffraction. Further, 1.0% mass fraction of g-C₃N₄ in the base oil provides excellent anti-wear and friction-reducing performance. Compared to the base oil alone, it reduces the average friction coefficient by 63.8% and decreases the wear rate by 43.1%, significantly reducing the depth and width of the wear scar. Energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy and scanning electron microscope analysis revealed that the oil sample containing nano g-C₃N₄ can form a lubricating film on the sliding surface of bearing steel after wear, which enhances the lubricating properties of the base oil.

The synergistic effect of the base oil and nanoparticles reduces friction and wear and is expected to extend the service life of bearing steel. These findings suggest that incorporating nano g-C₃N₄ as a lubricant additive offers significant potential for improving the performance of mechanical components.

The peer review history for this article is available at: https://publons.com/publon/10.1108/ILT-12-2024-0456/