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The purpose of this paper is to explore a new grey relational analysis model to measure the coupling relationship between the indicators for the water environment status assessment. Meanwhile, the model deals with the problem that the changing of indicator order may result in the changing of the degree of grey relation.

The binary index submatrix of the sample matrix is given first. Then the product of the matrix and its own transpose is used to measure the characteristics of the index and the coupling relationship between the indicators. Thirdly, the grey relational coefficient is defined based on the matrix norm, and a grey coupling relational analysis model is proposed.

The paper provides a novel grey relational analysis model based on the norm of matrix. The properties, normalization, symmetry, relational order invariance to the multiplicative, are studied. The paper also shows that the model performs very well on the water environment status assessment in the eight cities along the Yangtze River.

The model in this paper has supplemented and improved the grey relational analysis theory for panel data.

In order to explore a new estimation approach of hyperspectral estimation, this paper aims to establish a hyperspectral estimation model of soil organic matter content with the principal gradient grey information based on the grey information theory.

Firstly, the estimation factors are selected by transforming the spectral data. The eigenvalue matrix of the modelling samples is converted into grey information matrix by using the method of increasing information and taking large, and the principal gradient grey information of modelling samples is calculated by using the method of pro-information interpolation and straight-line interpolation, respectively, and the hyperspectral estimation model of soil organic matter content is established. Then, the positive and inverse grey relational degree are used to identify the principal gradient information quantity of the test samples corresponding to the known patterns, and the cubic polynomial method is used to optimize the principal gradient information quantity for improving estimation accuracy. Finally, the established model is used to estimate the soil organic matter content of Zhangqiu and Jiyang District of Jinan City, Shandong Province.

The results show that the model has the higher estimation accuracy, among the average relative error of 23 test samples is 5.7524%, and the determination coefficient is 0.9002. Compared with the commonly used methods such as multiple linear regression, support vector machine and BP neural network, the hyperspectral estimation accuracy of soil organic matter content is significantly improved. The application example shows that the estimation model proposed in this paper is feasible and effective.

The estimation model in this paper not only fully excavates and utilizes the internal grey information of known samples with “insufficient and incomplete information”, but also effectively overcomes the randomness and grey uncertainty in the spectral estimation. The research results not only enrich the grey system theory and methods, but also provide a new approach for hyperspectral estimation of soil properties such as soil organic matter content, water content and so on.

The paper succeeds in realizing both a new hyperspectral estimation model of soil organic matter content based on the principal gradient grey information and effectively dealing with the randomness and grey uncertainty in spectral estimation.

Grey relational analysis (GRA) has already proved itself as an efficient tool for multi-objective optimization of many of the machining processes. In GRA, the distinguishing coefficient (ξ) plays an important role in identifying the optimal parametric combinations of the machining processes and almost all the past researchers have considered its value as 0.5. In this paper, based on past experimental data, the application of GRA is extended to dynamic GRA (DGRA) to optimize two electrochemical machining (ECM) processes.

Instead of a static distinguishing coefficient, this paper considers dynamic distinguishing coefficient for each of the responses for both the ECM processes under consideration. Based on these coefficients, the application of DGRA leads to determination of the dynamic grey relational grade (DGRG) and grey relational standard deviation (GRSD), helping in initial ranking of the alternative experimental trials. Considering the ranks obtained by DGRG and GRSD, a composite rank in terms of rank product score is obtained, aiding in final rankings of the experimental trials for both the ECM processes.

In the first example, the maximum material removal rate (MRR) would be obtained at an optimal combination of ECM parameters as electrolyte concentration = 2 mol/l, voltage = 16V and current = 4A, while another parametric intermix as electrolyte concentration = 2 mol/l, voltage = 14V and current = 2A would result in minimum radial overcut and delamination. For the second example, an optimal combination of ECM parameters as electrode temperature = 30°C, voltage = 12V, duty cycle = 90% and electrolyte concentration = 15 g/l would simultaneously maximize MRR and minimize surface roughness and conicity.

In this paper, two ECM operations are optimized using a newly developed but yet to be popular multi-objective optimization tool in the form of the DGRA technique. For both the examples, the derived rankings of the ECM experiments exactly match with those obtained by the past researchers. Thus, DGRA can be effectively adopted to solve parametric optimization problems in any of the machining processes.

In the present-day highly customer-conscious service environment, supply chain management has become a critical component of health-care industry, helping in fulfilling patient expectation, optimizing inventory and automating departmental activities. Supplier selection is one of the crucial elements of health-care supplier chain, establishing mutually beneficial relationships with the reliable suppliers that provide the most value of money. Health-care supplier selection with feasible sets of alternatives and conflicting criteria can be treated as a multi-criteria decision making (MCDM) problem. Among the MCDM methods, grey relational analysis (GRA) appears as a potent tool due to its simple computational steps and ability to deal with imprecise data. The purpose of this paper is to explore the applicability of a newly developed MCDM tool for solving a health-care supplier selection problem.

In GRA, the distinguishing coefficient (ξ) plays a contributive role in final ranking of the alternative suppliers and almost all the past researchers have considered its value as 0.5. In this paper, a newly developed MCDM tool, i.e. dynamic GRA (DGRA), is adopted to evaluate the relative performance of 25 leading pharmaceutical suppliers for a health-care unit based on nine important financial metrics. Instead of static value of ξ, DGRA treats it as a dynamic variable dependent on grey relational variator and ranks the health-care suppliers using their computed rank product scores.

Based on rank product scores and developed exponential curve, DGRA classifies all the suppliers into reliable, moderately reliable and unreliable clusters, helping the health-care unit in identifying the best performing suppliers for subsequent order allocation. Among the reliable suppliers, alternatives A₂ and A₁₁ occupy the top two positions having almost the same performance with respect to the considered financial metrics.

Application of DGRA along with determination of the most reliable suppliers would help in effectively adopting multi-sourcing strategy to increase resilience while diversifying the supply portfolio, thereby enabling the health-care unit to minimize chances of sudden disruption in the supply chain. It can act as an intelligent decision-making framework aiding in solving health-care supplier selection problems considering perceived risks and dynamic input data.

The purpose of this study to identify and optimize the machining of polyvinyl butyral (PVB) material for industrial uses. The research is based on input machining parameters of rotary ultrasonic machining for better understand the output response surface roughness (SR) property of polyvinyl butyral (PVB) by using the Taguchi approach. The grey relational grade analysis (GRG) is also implemented to resolve the complex interrelationship of SR data for optimization and predicting and validate the results.

In experimental work, the input parameters, namely, concentration, abrasives, power rate, grit size, tool material and hydrofluoric (HF) acid has been selected. The experiment’s design was created using MINITAB Software; the L27 orthogonal array was selected for the experimentation. SR was examined with the GRG technique for process optimization. On the other hand, for single parameter optimization analysis of variance (ANOVA) has been used.

ANOVA optimization technique gives the best result on concentration (40%) of abrasive (Al2O3+SiC+B4C), power rate (40%), grit size (600), HF acid (1.5%) and tool material (D2 alloy) are the optimal parameters to provide the slightest degree of SR. GRG optimization of multi-response parameter setting: 40% concentration, SiC+B4C mixed abrasive slurry, 40% of power rating, 280 grit size, 0.5% HF acid and high-speed tool steel tool material gives better results. The SR of PVB glass material improved by 20% after grey relational analysis.

There are several practical applications in a variety of material processing sectors, including metallurgy, machinery, electronics and transportation. These real-world applications have produced substantial and discernible economic benefits.

The analytical and optimization results will be used in the various material processing sectors, including metallurgy, machinery, electronics and transportation.

The ANOVA and grey theory approaches offer the reader a primary picture of the machining research and process parameter optimization. Combined abrasive slurry of Al₂O3+SiC+B₄C with a high power-rating exhibits lower SR. Similarly, grit size is vital; larger grits produce better SR. Ra – 0. 611 m is the lowest SR value at the hole found in trial 25 after the experimentation.

The purpose of this study is to establish a grey-entropy-catastrophe progression method (CPM) model to assess the photovoltaic (PV) industry chain resilience of Jiangsu Province in China.

First, we designed the resilience evaluation index system of such a chain from two aspects: the external environment and internal conditions. We then constructed a PV industry chain resilience evaluation model based on the grey-entropy-CPM. Finally, the feasibility and applicability of the proposed model were verified via an empirical case study analysis of Jiangsu Province in China.

As of the end of 2022, the resilience level of its PV industry chain is medium-high resilience, which indicates a high degree of adaptability to the current unpredictable and competitive market, and can respond to the uncertain impact of changes in conditions effectively and in a timely manner.

The construction of this model can provide reference ideas for related enterprises in the PV industry to analyze the resilience level of the industrial chain and solve the problem of industrial chain resilience.

Firstly, an analysis of the entire industrial chain structure of the PV industry, combined with its unique characteristics is needed to design a PV industry chain resilience evaluation index system. Second, grey relational analysis (GRA) and the entropy method were adopted to improve the importance of ranking the indicators in the evaluation of the CPM, and a resilience evaluation model based on grey-entropy-CPM was constructed.

The study aims to identify Green Lean Six Sigma (GLSS) barriers in the context of Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) and prioritize them for executing the GLSS approach.

A systematic literature review (SLR) was used to identify a total of 14 barriers, which were then verified for greater relevance by the professional judgments of industrial personnel. Moreover, many removal measures strategies are also recommended in this study. Furthermore, this work also utilizes Gray Relational Analysis (GRA) to prioritize the identified GLSS barriers.

The study reveals that training and education, continuous assessment of SDG, organizational culture, resources and skills to facilitate implementation, and assessment of satisfaction and welfare of the employee are the most significant barriers to implementing this approach.

The present study provides an impetus for practitioners and managers to embrace the GLSS strategy through a wide-ranging understanding and exploring these barriers. In this case, the outcomes of this research, and in particular the GRA technique presented by this work, can be used by managers and professionals to rank the GLSS barriers and take appropriate action to eliminate them.

The ranking of GLSS barriers gives top officials of HEIs a very clear view to effectively and efficiently implementing GLSS initiatives. The outcomes also show training and education, sustainable development goals and organizational culture as critical barriers. The findings of this study provide an impetus for managers, policymakers and consultants to embrace the GLSS strategy through a wide-ranging understanding and exploring these barriers.

The GLSS barriers in HEIs may significantly affect the society. HEIs can lessen their environmental effect by using GLSS practices, which can support sustainability initiatives and foster social responsibility. Taking steps to reduce environmental effect can benefit society as a whole. GLSS techniques in HEIs can also result in increased operational effectiveness and cost savings, which can free up resources to be employed in other areas, like boosting student services and improving educational programs. However, failing to implement GLSS procedures in HEIs could have societal repercussions as well. As a result, it is critical for HEIs to identify and remove GLSS barriers in order to advance sustainability, social responsibility and operational effectiveness.

GLSS is a comprehensive methodology that facilitates the optimum utilization of resources, reduces waste and provides the pathway for sustainable development so, the novelty of this study stands in the inclusion of its barriers and HEIs to prioritize them for effective implementation.

The study aims to verify and establish the result of the most suitable optimization approach for higher performance and lower emission of a variable compression ratio (VCR) diesel engine. In this study, three types of test fuels are taken and tested in a variable compression ratio diesel engine (compression ignition). The fuels used are conventional diesel fuel, e-diesel (85% diesel-15% bioethanol) and nano-fuel (85% diesel-15% bioethanol-25 ppm Al₂O₃). The effect of bioethanol and nano-particles on performance, emission and cost-effectiveness is investigated at different load and compression ratios (CRs). The optimum performance and lower emission of the engine are evaluated and compared with other optimization methods.

The test engine is run by diesel, e-diesel (85% diesel-15% bioethanol) and nano-fuel (85% diesel-15% bioethanol-25 ppm Al₂O₃) in three different loadings (4 kg, 8 kg and 12 kg) and CR of 14, 16 and 18, respectively. The optimum value of energy efficiency, exergy efficiency, NO_X emission and relative cost variation are determined against the input parameters using Taguchi-Grey method and confirmed by response surface methodology (RSM) technique.

Using Taguchi-Grey method, the maximum energy and exergy efficiency, minimum % relative cost variation and NO_X emission are 24.64%, 59.52%, 0 and 184 ppm, respectively, at 4 kg load, 18 CR and fuel type of nano-fuel. Using RSM technique, maximum energy and exergy efficiency are 24.8% and 62.9%, and minimum NO_X emission and % cost variation are 208.4 ppm and –6.5, respectively, at 5.2 kg load, 18 CR and nano-fuel. The RSM is suggested as the most appropriate technique for obtaining maximum energy and exergy efficiency, and minimum % relative cost; however, for lowest possible NO_X emission, the Taguchi-Grey method is the most appropriate.

Waste rice straw is used to produce bioethanol. 4-E analysis, i.e. energy, exergy, emission and economic analysis, has been carried out, optimized and compared.

Data breaches in the US healthcare sector have more than tripled in the last decade across all states. However, to this day, no established framework ranks all states from most to least at risk for healthcare data breaches. This gap has led to a lack of proper risk identification and understanding of cyber environments at state levels.

Based on the security action cycle, the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) cybersecurity framework, the risk-planning model, and the multicriteria decision-making (MCDM) literature, the paper offers an integrated multicriteria framework for prioritization in cybersecurity to address this lack and other prioritization issues in risk management in the field. The study used historical breach data between 2015 and 2021.

The findings showed that California, Texas, New York, Florida, Indiana, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Ohio, and Georgia are the states most at risk for healthcare data breaches.

The findings highlight each US state faces a different level of healthcare risk. The findings are informative for patients, crucial for privacy officers in understanding the nuances of their risk environment, and important for policy-makers who must grasp the grave disconnect between existing issues and legislative practices. Furthermore, the study suggests an association between positioning state risk and such factors as population and wealth, both avenues for future research.

Theoretically, the paper offers an integrated framework, whose basis in established security models in both academia and industry practice enables utilizing it in various prioritization scenarios in the field of cybersecurity. It further emphasizes the importance of risk identification and brings attention to different healthcare cybersecurity environments among the different US states.

Staffing is one of the most influential human resource (HR) activities and is the primary method of hiring and retaining human resources. Among staffing’s several activities, recruitment and selection are one of the most crucial activities. It is possible to rehire former firm employees using the talent management strategy known as “boomerang recruitment”. The boomerang recruitment trend has tremendously grown because many employees who believe they are qualified for the position now wish to return to their old employers. According to data, boomerang employees can be 50% less expensive than conventional ways of hiring. The purpose of this study is to identify the generic critical factors that play a role in the boomerang hiring process based on the literature review. Next, the objective is to determine the relative weight of each of these factors, rank the candidates, and develop a decision-making model for boomerang recruitment.

This paper focuses on the grey-based multicriteria decision-making (MCDM) methodology for recruiting some of the best candidates out of a few who worked for the organization earlier. The grey theory yields adequate findings despite sparse data or significant factor variability. Like MCDM, the grey methods also incorporate experts' opinions for evaluation. Furthermore, sensitivity analysis is also done to show the robustness of the suggested methodology.

Seven (7) recruitment criteria for boomerang employees were identified and validated based on the opinions of industry experts. Using these recruitment criteria, three candidates emerged as the top three and created a pool out of six. In addition, this study finds that Criteria 1 (C1), the employee's past performance, is the most significant predictor among all other criteria in boomerang hiring.

Since the weights and ratings of attributes and alternatives in MCDM methods are primarily based on expert opinion, a significant difference in expert opinions (caused by differences in their knowledge and qualifications) may impact the values of the grey possibility degree. However, enough attention was taken while selecting the experts for this study regarding their expertise and subject experience.

The proposed method provides the groundwork for HR management. Managers confronted with recruiting employees who want to rejoin may use this model. According to experts, each attribute is not only generic but also crucial. In addition, because these factors apply to all sectors, they are industry-neutral.

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first study to apply a grey-based MCDM methodology to the boomerang recruitment model. This study also uses an example to explain the computational intricacies associated with such methods. The proposed system may be reproduced for boomerang recruiting in any sector because the framework is universal and replicable. Furthermore, the framework is expandable to include new criteria for different work.