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Analyzing and reducing entropy generation is useful for enhancing the thermodynamic performance of engineering systems. This study aims to explore how polymers and nanoparticles in the presence of Lorentz forces influence the fluid behavior and heat transfer characteristics to lessen energy loss and entropy generation.

The dispersion model is initially used to examine the behavior of polymer additives over a magnetized surface. The governing system of partial differential equations (PDEs) is subsequently reduced through the utilization of similarity transformation techniques. Entropy analysis is primarily performed through the implementation of numerical computations on a non-Newtonian polymeric FENE-P model.

The numerical simulations conducted in the presence of Lorentz forces provide significant insights into the consequences of adding polymers to the base fluid. The findings suggest that such an approach minimizes entropy in the flow region. Through the utilization of polymer-MHD (magnetohydrodynamic) interactions, it is feasible to reduce energy loss and improve the efficiency of the system.

This study’s primary motivation and novelty lie in examining the significance of polymer additives as agents that reduce entropy generation on a magnetic surface. The author looks at how nanofluids affect the development of entropy and the loss of irreversibility. To do this, the author uses the Lorentz force, the Soret effect and the Dufour effect to minimize entropy. The findings contribute to fluid mechanics and thermodynamics by providing valuable insights for engineering systems to increase energy efficiency and conserve resources.

Prioritizing the shift from a traditional economy towards complex integrated economies has been the top priority among policymakers to achieve sustainable development goals (SDGs). Countries involved in economic integration must safeguard their labor markets. The Developing-8 (D-8) is an alliance of economic cooperation including Bangladesh, Egypt, Indonesia, Iran, Malaysia, Nigeria, Pakistan and Turkey, all of which are among the world’s largest labor-abundant countries but have insufficient attention toward labor market policies, especially in gender roles. This issue motivated this study, which aims to investigate the impact of economic complexity on trade through with the interaction of gender equality.

The annual data for the panel of D-8 countries from 1990 to 2020 were collected. The Driscoll and Kraay (D-K) regression was employed for empirical investigation after observing the presence of autocorrelation, heteroscedasticity and cross-sectional dependency (CSD) across the sample.

Findings show that the economic complexity index (ECI) and gender equality (GE) have a significant impact on trade openness (TO). Moreover, the interaction of GE and ECI strengthens the relationship between ECI and TO. Therefore, both factors worked together to enhance the trading system by supplying the nation with highly sophisticated and complex products.

Policymakers in D-8 countries should enable equal access to resources, investment and decision-making for both men and women. This leads toward stubble, innovative and complex products that enhance trade and goodwill in the international market.

This study incorporated GE as an interaction term in economic complexity and TO in D-8 countries for the first time, to the best of the authors' knowledge.

The peer review history for this article is available at: https://publons.com/publon/10.1108/IJSE-11-2023-0908

The role played by corporate governance mechanisms on corporate deleveraging policies has not been clarified. Empirical evidence is confined to developed economies, even with conflicting and inconclusive results. This paper aims to examine the role of corporate governance mechanisms, such as ownership structure, board composition and CEO dominance, in explaining corporate deleveraging policies.

Using a sample of listed Pakistani firms between 2010 and 2022, this study resorts to binary response models to examine the effects of governance mechanisms on firms’ decision to go debt-free.

A greater ownership concentration, institutional ownership and family ownership increase the propensity for zero leverage. Board gender diversity decreases the propensity for deleveraging policies, which seems to indicate that the presence of females reinforces the monitoring function of the board. Finally, lower managerial ownership or CEO dominance decreases the propensity toward zero leverage (interest convergence hypothesis), but higher managerial ownership or CEO dominance increases the propensity toward zero leverage (managerial entrenchment hypothesis).

Risk-averse managers who prefer to control a firm using little or no debt will find it easier to implement these financing policies in firms with greater ownership concentration and where institutional holders have a substantial stake. For shareholders, this study suggests that investing in firms with females on board reduces the risk of corporate deleveraging policies being adopted for entrenched reasons.

The presence of females on board seems to decrease the propensity of managers to adopt opportunistic actions and may also contribute to enhancing human welfare and society in developing countries.

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first study considering the effect of board diversity on zero leverage. Another singularity is that this study exhibits a nonlinear relationship between managerial ownership and corporate deleveraging policy.

This chapter examines three common fintech use cases transforming the financial industry. First, the chapter introduces fintech's role in enhancing financial services and promoting financial inclusion, especially through digital platforms. Second, it investigates various fintech applications that support financial institution management by harnessing the power of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML). Finally, the chapter explores fintech use cases related to the regulatory environment, including regulatory technology (regtech), blockchain technology, and cryptocurrencies. The insights presented in this chapter cater to researchers and practitioners keen on better understanding fintech's diverse applications in the ever-evolving financial industry landscape.

In this chapter, we critically interrogate Pakistani Higher Education Commission (HEC)'s “Policy Guidelines against Sexual Harassment in Institutions of Higher Learning” (HEC, 2011, 2020) to reveal that the policy represents a form of rhetorical genderwashing, rather than a concerted attempt to effect structural change (Fox-Kirk et al., 2020). Through this critical interrogation, we introduce a new methodological approach to investigate genderwashing, that of collaborative feminist policy analysis. This chapter is based on the theoretical framework of Sara Ahmed's concept of “institutional nonperformativity” (2012). Pakistan recognized workplace harassment as a legal issue for the first time in the 2010 Sexual Harassment Act (Jabbar & Imran, 2013). The Act, and subsequent policies, was an attempt to practice equity and fairness in sexual harassment cases. Our investigation revealed that the policy reinforces gender power inequality, gendered language, and is an example of institutional silence, and genderwashing in the workplace (Fox-Kirk et al., 2020).

To improve the thermal performance of base fluid, nanoparticles of three types are dispersed in the base fluid. A novel theory of non-Fourier heat transfer is used for design and development of models. The thermal performance of sample fluids is compared to determine which types of combination of nanoparticles are the best for an optimized enhancement in thermal performance of fluids. This article aims to: (i) investigate the impact of nanoparticles on thermal performance; and (ii) implement the Galerkin finite element method (GFEM) to thermal problems.

The mathematical models are developed using novel non-Fourier heat flux theory, conservation laws of computational fluid dynamics (CFD) and no-slip thermal boundary conditions. The models are approximated using thermal boundary layer approximations, and transformed models are solved numerically using GFEM. A grid-sensitivity test is performed. The accuracy, correction and stability of solutions is ensured. The numerical method adopted for the calculations is validated with published data. Quantities of engineering interest, i.e. wall shear stress, wall mass flow rate and wall heat flux, are calculated and examined versus emerging rheological parameters and thermal relaxation time.

The thermal relaxation time measures the ability of a fluid to restore its original thermal state, called thermal equilibrium and therefore, simulations have shown that the thermal relaxation time associated with a mono nanofluid has the most substantial effect on the temperature of fluid, whereas a ternary nanofluid has the smallest thermal relaxation time. A ternary nanofluid has a wider thermal boundary thickness in comparison with base and di- and mono nanofluids. The wall heat flux (in the case of the ternary nanofluids) has the most significant value compared with the wall shear stresses for the mono and hybrid nanofluids. The wall heat and mass fluxes have the highest values for the case of non-Fourier heat and mass diffusion compared to the case of Fourier heat and mass transfer.

An extensive literature review reveals that no study has considered thermal and concentration memory effects on transport mechanisms in fluids of cross-rheological liquid using novel theory of heat and mass [presented by Cattaneo (Cattaneo, 1958) and Christov (Christov, 2009)] so far. Moreover, the finite element method for coupled and nonlinear CFD problems has not been implemented so far. To the best of the authors’ knowledge for the first time, the dynamics of wall heat flow rate and mass flow rate under simultaneous effects of thermal and solute relaxation times, Ohmic dissipation and first-order chemical reactions are studied.

The adoption of energy-efficient systems is crucial for Pakistan to meet its growing energy demand and address its energy challenges. However, adoption of these systems in Pakistan is hindered by several barriers, including economic constraints, lack of awareness and social attitudes toward sustainable development. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to explore adoption of energy-efficient household systems and the associated social influence.

The study incorporates social influence as a mediating factor to examine the relationships between awareness of consequences, perceived consumer effectiveness and attitudes toward the adoption of energy-efficient systems. A quantitative survey method was used to collect data from households from Faisalabad, Pakistan. A total of 203 valid questionnaires were received and data analyzed through SmartPLS 4 for structural equation modeling.

The results revealed that awareness of consequences positively impacts compliance, social identification and internalization, while perceived consumer effectiveness has a positive relationship with social identification and internalization. Moreover, the positive association of social identification and internalization with attitude were supported but relationship of compliance with attitude was unsupported.

The results may also be used to develop compelling marketing campaigns focusing environmental conservation and social influence for positive attitude development.

The study contributes to theoretical literature by examining the empirical relationships between specific individual characteristics and societal pressure that play a critical role in shaping attitudes toward the acceptance of energy-efficient systems. Additionally, the study's findings offer actionable implications for policymakers and marketers, contributing to the development of targeted interventions for promoting sustainable consumption.

The purpose of this paper is to study the two-dimensional micropolar fluid flow with conjugate heat transfer and mass transpiration. The considered nanofluid has graphene nanoparticles.

Governing nonlinear partial differential equations are converted to nonlinear ordinary differential equations by similarity transformation. Then, to analyze the flow, the authors derive the dual solutions to the flow problem. Biot number and radiation effect are included in the energy equation. The momentum equation was solved by using boundary conditions, and the temperature equation solved by using hypergeometric series solutions. Nusselt numbers and skin friction coefficients are calculated as functions of the Reynolds number. Further, the problem is governed by other parameters, namely, the magnetic parameter, radiation parameter, Prandtl number and mass transpiration. Graphene nanofluids have shown promising thermal conductivity enhancements due to the high thermal conductivity of graphene and have a wide range of applications affecting the thermal boundary layer and serve as coolants and thermal management systems in electronics or as heat transfer fluids in various industrial processes.

Results show that increasing the magnetic field decreases the momentum and increases thermal radiation. The heat source/sink parameter increases the thermal boundary layer. Increasing the volume fraction decreases the velocity profile and increases the temperature. Increasing the Eringen parameter increases the momentum of the fluid flow. Applications are found in the extrusion of polymer sheets, films and sheets, the manufacturing of plastic wires, the fabrication of fibers and the growth of crystals, among others. Heat sources/sinks are commonly used in electronic devices to transfer the heat generated by high-power semiconductor devices such as power transistors and optoelectronics such as lasers and light-emitting diodes to a fluid medium, thermal radiation on the fluid flow used in spectroscopy to study the properties of materials and also used in thermal imaging to capture and display the infrared radiation emitted by objects.

Micropolar fluid flow across stretching/shrinking surfaces is examined. Biot number and radiation effects are included in the energy equation. An increase in the volume fraction decreases the momentum boundary layer thickness. Nusselt numbers and skin friction coefficients are presented versus Reynolds numbers. A dual solution is obtained for a shrinking surface.

In this study, we aim to investigate entrepreneurial intention (EI) among potential entrepreneurs who were students at Pakistan’s higher education institutes (HEIs) of technical and vocational education and training (TVET).

We used a quantitative and correlational method in this study, and we based its theoretical framework on the theory of planned behavior (TPB) and the entrepreneurial event model (EEM). We based this study’s findings on 367 samples collected from Pakistan’s HEI TVET students who were potential entrepreneurs.

By employing path analysis, the findings reveal that TPB constructs, such as personal attitudes (PA), subjective norms (SN) and perceived behavioral control (PBC), have a positive and significant effect on EI. The findings show, also, that EEM constructs, such as perceived desirability (PD), perceived feasibility (PF) and propensity to act (PT) are positive and significant predictors of EI. Moreover, self-efficacy (SE) and the quality of TVET (QTT) positively and significantly affect EI.

This study’s findings support the improvement of Pakistan’s HEIs in developing TVET to enhance individuals’ skills and, ultimately, to create employment and socioeconomic circumstances. They also assist Pakistan’s HEIs in developing EI among their TVET potential entrepreneurs to ensure that they are sufficiently equipped for the job markets.

This study’s findings empirically confirm that TPB, EEM, SE and the QTT provide an integrated path for Pakistan’s entrepreneurs.

This study aims to investigate numerically the impact of the three-dimensional convective nanoliquid flow on a rotating frame embedded in the non-Darcy porous medium in the presence of activation energy. The cross-diffusion effects, i.e. Soret and Dufour effects, and heat generation are included in the study. The convective heating condition is applied on the bounding surface.

The control model consisted of a system of partial differential equations (PDE) with boundary constraints. Using suitable similarity transformation, the PDE transformed into an ordinary differential equation and solved numerically by the Runge–Kutta–Fehlberg method. The obtained results of velocity, temperature and solute concentration characteristics plotted to show the impact of the pertinent parameters. The heat and mass transfer rate and skin friction are also calculated.

It is found that both Biot numbers enhance the heat and mass distribution inside the boundary layer region. The temperature increases by increasing the Dufour number, while concentration decreases by increasing the Dufour number. The heat transfer is increased up to 8.1% in the presence of activation energy parameter (E). But, mass transfer rate declines up to 16.6% in the presence of E.

The applications of combined Dufour and Soret effects are in separation of isotopes in mixture of gases, oil reservoirs and binary alloys solidification. The nanofluid with porous medium can be used in chemical engineering, heat exchangers and nuclear reactor.

This study is mainly useful for thermal sciences and chemical engineering.

The uniqueness in this research is the study of the impact of activation energy and cross-diffusion on rotating nanoliquid flow with heat generation and convective heating condition. The obtained results are unique and valuable, and it can be used in various fields of science and technology.