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Prior to managing a company’s processes in the presence of a combination of paradigms, there is a need to understand their underlying interaction. This paper systematically reviews the existing literature that discusses the interaction between lean production (LP) and the fourth industrial revolution (i.e. Industry 4.0). The study aims to understand how the interaction unfolds and whether it is synergistic.

The research relies on a systematic literature review of peer-reviewed articles from Scopus and Web of Science that discuss the interaction between the two paradigms. The final set of articles pertaining to the topic was analysed.

The article presents that the interaction between the two paradigms occurs through a representation of the pillars of the House of Lean (HoL) interacting with the nine technological pillars of Industry 4.0. There is a consensus on the synergistic nexus among the pillars and their positive impact on operational performance. We also demonstrate the weights of the interactions between the two paradigms and the areas of operations management where this interaction takes place through Sankey charts. Our research indicates that the largest synergistic interaction occurs between just-in-time and industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) and that companies should invest in IoT and cyber-physical systems as they have the greatest weight of interactions with the pillars of the HoL.

This research facilitates a deeper insight into the interaction between LP and Industry 4.0 by organising and discussing existing research on the subject matter. It serves as a starting point for future researchers to formulate hypotheses about the interaction among the various pillars of LP and Industry 4.0, apply these interactions and test them through empirical research.

It could serve as a guide for managers to understand with which interactions they should start the digitalisation process.

With the rise in discussions on the interaction between the two paradigms, there is still an opportunity to understand the specificity of this interaction. Compared to the initial seminal works on the subject, such as Buer et al. (2018b), which investigated the direction of interaction between the two paradigms, this research contributes to further investigating this specificity and gaining a better understanding of the relationship governing the interaction between LP and Industry 4.0 by delineating the interaction state among the pillars of the two paradigms and its relevant importance.

As of 2022, the scope of the engagement and interest of debt capital providers in ESG reporting is mainly untapped. However, a vast amount of literature has produced conflicting findings about the importance of debt capital (leverage) as a factor in sustainability reporting (SR). This is the first meta-analysis reconciling the mixed results of 85 single country studies containing 131 effect sizes across 24,482 firms conducted over past three decades (1999–2022) investigating the influence of leverage on SR. The study emphasizes the significance of contextualizing research by identifying the macro-environmental elements modifying debt's impact on SR, through the use of the institutional theory. Eleven country variables were tested on the collected dataset, spread across 36 countries.

Meta-analysis technique for aggregation of existing extant empirical work. Continuous and categorical variable-based moderator analysis to demystify the influence of country characteristics affecting the leverage–SR relationship.

Results show positive significant impact of debt capital providers on SR. Country's level of development, GDP, extent of capital constraints in a country, financial sector development within a nation, country governance factors and corruption levels, country's culture, number of sustainability reporting instruments operational in a country and geographical location proved to be significant moderators.

The study details relevant meaningful research gaps, worthy of uptake by researchers to produce targeted research.

Governments must increasingly go beyond their mandated disclosure role and acknowledge the important institutional factors that have contributed to the expansion of ESG reporting through the creation of nation-specific tools, incentive structures and disclosure-encouraging regulations. To secure a steady flow of funding and prevent negative effects on company value and cost of capital in the midst of prolonged global economic upheaval, businesses must address the information requirements of lenders. The limited total effect size emphasizes the necessity for debt providers to step up their ESG activism and exercise their maximum power and potential in stimulating extensive SR firm-level practices.

The present study is the first meta-analysis reconciling the mixed results of 85 single-country studies containing 131 effect sizes across 24,482 firms conducted over the past three decades (1999–2022) investigating the influence of leverage on SR and demystifying the macro-environmental factors affecting the leverage–SR association.

Drug cryptomarkets increase information available to market actors, which should reduce information asymmetry and increase market efficiency. This study aims to determine whether cryptomarket listings accurately represent the advertised substance, weight or number and purity, and whether there are differences in products purchased from the same listing multiple times.

Law enforcement drug purchases – predominantly cocaine, methamphetamine, MDMA and heroin – from Australian cryptomarket vendors (n = 38 in 2016/2017) were chemically analysed and matched with cryptomarket listings (n = 23). Descriptive and comparative analyses were conducted.

Almost all samples contained the advertised substance. In most of these cases, drugs were either supplied as-advertised-weight or number, or overweight or number. All listings that quantified purity overestimated the actual purity. There was no consistent relationship between advertised purity terms and actual purity. Across the six listings purchased from multiple times, repeat purchases from the same listing varied in purity, sometimes drastically, with wide variation detected on listings purchased from only one month apart.

In this data set, cryptomarket listings were mostly accurate, but the system was far from perfect, with purity overestimated. A newer, larger, globally representative sample should be obtained to test the applicability of these findings to currently operating cryptomarkets.

This paper reports on the largest data set of forensic analysis of drug samples obtained from cryptomarkets, where data about advertised drug strength/dose were obtained.

This scientific article aims to evaluate the efficacy of the drug Doxorubicin for treating hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in Egypt. The study analyzes data from patients referred to a multi-disciplinary consultation at the National Cancer Institute, Cairo University. The study includes 40 intermediate-stage HCC patients who underwent treatment with either Doxorubicin-Lipiodol or Doxorubicin-loaded drug-eluting beads-trans-arterial chemoembolization (DEB-TACE).

Patients referred to a multi-disciplinary consultation at the National Cancer Institute, Cairo University with a possible diagnosis of HCC in the intermediate stage were eligible for the study.

The study finds that the plasma peak concentration of Doxorubicin is significantly higher in patients treated with Lipiodol compared to those treated with DEB-TACE. The median plasma peak concentration of patients treated with Lipiodol was significantly higher 424 (202.5–731) than the peak level of patients treated with beads 84.95 (26.6–156.5) with p-value = 0.036. However, there is no significant difference in other pharmacokinetic parameters between the two treatment groups. The research article also investigates the genetic polymorphisms in HCC patients treated with Doxorubicin-Lipiodol and Doxorubicin-loaded DEB-TACE. It identifies a significant association between the ABCB1 gene (C3435T) and the concentration of Doxorubicin in plasma. Patients with the CCand computed tomography (CT) genotypes of ABCB1 have higher concentrations of Doxorubicin compared to those with the TT genotype. Furthermore, the study examines the progression-free survival rates and tumour response in the two treatment groups. It demonstrates that DEB-TACE patients have a higher progression-free survival rate compared to cTACE patients. DEB-TACE also leads to better tumour regression.

The current study helps to increase the understanding of the genetic factors that may contribute to HCC susceptibility in the Egyptian population. However, it is essential to consider that genetic polymorphism is just one aspect of HCC risk, and other factors such as environment, lifestyle and viral infections also play crucial roles. Further research is needed to elucidate the complex interactions between genetic and environmental factors in HCC development among Egyptians.

Maintenance represents an indispensable role in the productive sector of the steel industry. The increasing use of operating with a high level of precision makes hydraulic systems one of the issues that require a high level of attention. This study aims to explore an empirical investigation for decreasing the occurrences of corrective maintenance of hydraulic systems in the context of Lean 4.0.

The maintenance model is developed based on action-research methodology through an empirical investigation, with nine stages. This approach aims to build a scenario to analyze and interpret the occurrences, seeking to implement and evaluate the actions to be performed. The undertaken initiatives demonstrate that this approach can be applied to optimize the maintenance of an organization.

The main contribution of this paper is to demonstrate that the applied method allows the overviewing results, with a qualitative approach concerning the maintenance actions and management processes to be considered, allowing a holistic understanding and contributing to the current literature. The results also indicated that Lean 4.0 has direct and mediating effects on maintenance performance.

This research intends to propose an evaluation framework with an interdimensional linkage between action research methodology and Lean 4.0, to explore an empirical investigation and contributing to understanding the actions to reduce the occurrences of hydraulic systems corrective maintenance in a production line in the steel industry.