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This study aims to investigate the inhibition performance of an aqueous extract of Matricaria recutita chamomile on the corrosion of S235JR steel in 0.5 M NaCl by using electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) and polarization measurements.

The inhibition performance was investigated using EIS and polarization measurements. Surface analysis demonstrates the presence of a protective layer on the steel surface in the presence of the extract. Quantum chemical parameters calculated for the molecules contained in the aqueous extract are interpreted to predict the corrosion inhibition efficiency of the considered extract.

The inhibition efficiency of chamomile aqueous extract for S235JR steel increases with increasing amounts of plant concentration and with an increase in the immersion time. The optimal inhibition efficiency of chamomile extract, 98.90 per cent, was achieved for S235JR steel when immersed in 15 per cent v/v of extract concentration for 2 h. The surface analysis in the absence and presence of the chamomile extract confirmed the formation of a protective layer on steel surface. The quantum chemical calculations allowed to explain the great inhibition efficiency values by interpreting the calculated quantum parameters.

This is the first study carrying out an experimental and theoretical investigation on M. recutita chamomile as a green corrosion inhibitor, with interesting potential industrial applications.

Solid thin films have been deposited on stainless steel 314 (SS 314) substrates in a chemical vapor deposition (CVD) reactor at different flow rates of natural gas mostly methane (CH₄). The purpose of this paper was to investigate experimentally the variation of thin film deposition rate with the variation of gas flow rate.

During experiment, the effect of gap between activation heater and substrate on the deposition rate has also been observed. To do so, a hot filament thermal CVD unit is used. The flow rate of natural gas varies from 0.5 to 2 l/min at normal temperature and pressure and the gap between activation heater and substrate varies from 4 to 6.5 mm.

Results show that deposition rate on SS 314 increases with the increase of gas flow rate. It is also seen that deposition rate increases with the decrease of gap between activation heater and substrate within the observed range. These results are analyzed by dimensional analysis to correlate the deposition rate with gas flow rate, surface roughness and film thickness. In addition, friction coefficient and wear rate of SS 314 sliding against SS 304 under different normal loads are also investigated before and after deposition. The obtained results reveal that the values of friction coefficient and wear rate are lower after deposition than that of before deposition.

In this study, thin film deposition rate on SS 314 was investigated using CVD. The obtained results were analyzed by dimensional analysis to correlate the deposition rate with gas flow rate, surface roughness and film thickness. The friction coefficient and wear rate of SS 314 were also examined before and after deposition.

The construction project is implemented under uncertainty environment, and the product of construction is very complex. Selecting a project delivery system/approach is a critical task, which determines the project schedule, quality and investment objectives. The purpose of this paper is to propose a decision-making model for the selection of project delivery system which is based on information entropy and unascertained measure model.

A decision-making model based on information entropy and unascertained set is employed to select project delivery approach. In order to overcome the subjective evaluations from the experts, the theory of “entropy weight” is applied to modify the experts’ subjective weight. The multi-attribute unascertained measure decision making is fitted to deal with the uncertainty information for selection of project delivery system.

The proposed methodology is more comprehensive compared with the previous work, especially in the uncertainty environment.

There is some further work that should be considered, such as how to deal with the imprecise and subjective information given by the experts; how to determine the weight of the experts’; finding a set of importance factors influencing the selection of a delivery system is a complex task to further research.

The proposed method can help the construction owner to select a most fitted project delivery system of a construction project.

A new approach to select project delivery approach is proposed based on information entropy and unascertained set.

Despite discussions of the increasingly global character of information systems (IS), IS research remains highly “Western‐centric” both in terms of its subjects of study and the nationalities of the authors. Researchers interested in IS in non‐Western settings are thus reliant on a fragmented and not easily accessible literature that presents a potentially distorted picture of IS practice in these regions. This paper explores this situation through an examination of the literature relating to IS in Egypt (both directly, but also as a Middle Eastern, Arab or Islamic country). A macro analysis of these studies indicates that they are predominantly positivistic in epistemology, quantitative in methodology and focused on economic development and national culture. Although many of the studies make comparisons with other countries in the region, the explicit, or sometimes implicit, point of reference is almost invariably with “the West”. This is repeated in a detailed analysis of individual studies. Implications of these findings for research on IS in non‐Western settings are discussed.

This study delves into the significant impact of entrepreneurial leadership (EL), organizational innovation (OI) and competitive advantage (CA) on the sustainability of organizations in the Jordanian Islamic insurance sector. This study aims to unravel the intricate dynamics among these pivotal factors, highlighting their collective role in the sustained success and resilience of Islamic insurance companies in Jordan. By examining the synergistic interplay between EL, OI and CA, the research seeks to offer invaluable insights into cultivating a sustainable future for these institutions.

This study adopts a positivist, quantitative approach to investigate the relationships between EL, OI, CA and organizational sustainability (OS). Data collection was achieved through questionnaires in a cross-sectional analysis of these variables. Convenience sampling yielded 389 valid responses, an 81% response rate, ensuring a thorough understanding of the dynamics within this framework.

The findings from the study on Jordanian Islamic insurance companies highlight the critical role of EL in influencing organizational dynamics. The research establishes a positive relationship between EL and both OI and OS. Furthermore, it identifies a significant positive correlation between EL and CA, underscoring the importance of leadership in securing a competitive edge. This study also emphasizes the vital role of OI in bolstering OS and confirms that a strong CA enhances OS, reinforcing the interconnectivity of these essential organizational components.

This study provides important insights for professionals in the insurance sector, especially those within the Jordanian Islamic insurance industry. It emphasizes the crucial role of EL in fostering innovation, competitiveness and sustainability. By understanding the significance of EL, companies can adopt more dynamic and effective strategies in leadership, organizational development and strategic planning, thereby enhancing their overall performance and resilience.

By conceptualizing EL and OS as second-order constructs, this study seeks to provide a detailed understanding of how EL catalyzes OI, CA and sustainability in an organizational context. This approach contributes significantly to the broader discussion on EL and OS, particularly within the Arab region and specifically in Jordan, offering nuanced insights into their roles and interrelations in shaping organizational dynamics.

The authors examine whether managers switch from artificial income smoothing using discretionary accruals to real income smoothing around corporate governance reform in Egypt.

The sample comprises 61 non-financial companies listed on the Egyptian Stock Exchange for the years 2004–2011. The authors use discretionary accruals as a proxy for artificial income smoothing and income/loss from asset sales as a proxy for real income smoothing.

The authors offer a significant contribution to accounting literature by providing new empirical evidence on the trade-off between real smoothing technique (e.g. income/loss from asset sales) and discretionary accruals around governance reform in a developing country.

This study suffers from some limitations. First, the study sample is limited to only 338 observations. However, this is due to collecting the data manually and to the small number of listed firms during the study period. Second, the study period ended in 2011 due to the unprecedented political instability after the 2011 Egyptian people revolution. Third, although this study examines the effect of corporate governance, not all the governance aspects have been examined in the study models due to the lack of data.

First, the results of the total samples reveal that managers prefer real income smoothing than accruals income smoothing. This result may confirm the literature arguments on the advantages of REM methods over AEM methods. Cohen et al. (2008) find that firms switch to manage earnings using REM methods and explain that REM methods are harder to detect because they depend on operating decisions (Schipper, 1989). REM can be undertaken anytime during the year (Gunny, 2010). Besides, REM could not be deemed a violation of accounting standards or regulations (MyVay, 2006).

The authors offer a significant contribution to accounting literature by providing new empirical evidence on the trade-off between real smoothing technique (e.g. income/loss from asset sales) and discretionary accruals around governance reform in a developing country.

The purpose of this study is to investigate the authors' previously prepared and fully characterized poly (methacrylamide)-chitosan nanoparticles (CNPs) graft copolymer having 50.2% graft yield with respect to flocculation efficiency for ferric laurate aqueous dispersions. This was done to compare the ability of the latter cheap, biodegradable and ecofriendly hybrid natural-synthetic polymeric substrate as a flocculant in comparison with higher cost, nonbiodegradable and harmful polyacrylamide as a well-known synthetic flocculant counterpart.

The graft copolymerization process was carried out at 450°Cfor 120 min using (1.0 g) CNPs, methacrylamide (1.5 g), 100 mmol/l potassium chromate and 80 mmol/l mandelic acid. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis, elemental analysis and specific viscosity were used to characterize and analyze the resultant copolymer. The flocculation efficiency was conferred in terms of transmittance % and weight removal %. The main factors influencing the flocculation process, such as flocculent dose, flocculation medium pH, stirring speed, flocculation temperature and grafting extent, were comprehensively discussed.

The flocculation efficiency of the prepared copolymers revealed the following findings: increased by increasing the flocculant dose, pH, temperature and stirring speed to a maximum values denoted at 30 ppm, 6.0, 30°C and 50 r/min, respectively, then decreased thereafter; increased by increasing the extent of grafting within the range studied; showed a comparable flocculation efficiency in comparison with polyacrylamide as a synthetic polymeric flocculent; and, finally, a preliminary bridging mechanism representing the attraction between the anionic suspended particles ferric laurate and cationic poly (MAam)-CNPs graft copolymer has been projected.

The advancement addressed here is undertaken with using the authors’ poly (MAam)-CNPs graft copolymers having different extent of grafting (a point which is not cited in the literature especially for the authors’ prepared copolymer) as a hybrid natural-synthetic polymeric substrate as a flocculant for ferric laurate aqueous dispersions in comparison with the high cost and nondegradable polyacrylamide synthetic flocculant.

This paper aims to investigate the relationship between digitalization and money laundering and tests whether ethical behaviour of firms and corruption moderate this association.

The sample includes 114 countries during 2016. Basel Anti-Money Laundering Report for 2016 is used to collect data concerning money laundering. Digitalization proxies are collected from digital adoption index from the World Bank for 2016. Finally, the remaining variables are gathered from the Global Competitiveness Report for the same year.

Results show negative and significant associations between the overall digitalization score and sub-scores dealing with digitalization adoption by businesses, people and government and money laundering. When testing for the moderating effect of corruption, the negative and significant association remains stable for both low and high corrupt environments for the overall digitalization score and sub-scores dealing digitalization adoption by businesses and people and money laundering. Similarly, ethical behaviour of firms does not moderate the association between digitalization (overall index and digitalization by business and people) and money laundering, as the relationship remains negative and significant for low and high ethical behaviour sub-samples. By contrast, the association becomes insignificant between digitalization adoption by government and money laundering for countries characterized by high corruption and low ethical behaviour of firms, while it is negative and significant for countries characterized by low corruption and high ethical behaviour firms.

These findings confirm that digitalization effort represents a crucial arm to combat money laundering. It also emphasizes the interrelation that may exist between digitalization effort in governmental institutions and institutional environment, as low levels of money laundering cannot be reached if the digitalization effort undertaken by governments is not supported by low corruption and ethical business environment.