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The development of semiconductor photocatalysts has recently witnessed notable momentum in the photocatalytic degradation of organic pollutants. ZnO is one of the most widely used photocatalysts; however, its activity is limited by the inefficient absorption of visible light and the fast electron–hole recombination. The incorporation of another metal or semiconductor with ZnO boosts its performance. In this present study, a heterostructured ZnO-Bi2O3 composite was synthesized via a simple co-precipitation method and was investigated for the UV-driven photocatalytic degradation of the Reactive Orange 16 (RO16), a model textile dye. The successful fabrication of ZnO-Bi2O3 microstructures with crystalline nature was characterized using X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and energy-dispersive X-ray (EDX). The discoloration of the dye solution was quantified using UV–Vis spectroscopy to determine the photocatalytic efficiency. The photocatalytic activity results demonstrated that the photodegradation at ZnO-Bi2O3 heterojunction was more efficient and 300 and 33% faster than individual Bi2O3 and ZnO catalysts, respectively, an effect that is indicative of a synergistic effect. In the presence of ZnO-Bi2O3 particles, the UV light-driven activity for RO16 degradation was twice as high as in its absence. The influence of adding the oxidant H2O2 on the UV-induced photocatalytic degradation was investigated and the results revealed a two-time increase in the photocatalytic activity of ZnO-Bi2O3 compared to UV irradiation alone, which could be ascribed to a summative degradative effect between UV and H2O2. Hence, this approach holds the potential for environmentally friendly wastewater treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The grim effects of COVID-19 have widely obstructed every sector of life, and the education sector is not an exception. The physical meeting restrictions, lockdowns, social distancing, and movement control orders increased the dropouts of students in educational institutes. These dropouts compromised the contribution of the educational sector to the gross domestic product (GDP) and worsened the economic situation. The spike of COVID-19 shaped a curve of fears, and students are clueless as to how to mitigate its affects. Therefore, this study proposes an implication of a rare phenomenon termed as student volunteering behavior. Student volunteering behavior has the capacity to turn existing students into advocates of the institute, a great assistance to attract potential students and bring back the dropout students. This study suggests that educational institutes in Thailand should provide a better experience to students, strengthen the institute's image, and make students aware of their services. Their memorable experiences of institutional services will enhance students' loyalty and urge them to exhibit volunteering behavior. The result of this study indicates significant fallout of institute experience and image to student loyalty and to the student volunteering behavior. However, the study unveiled insignificant results of the relationship between institute awareness to the student loyalty and student volunteering behavior. Furthermore, the study proposes directions for further studies based on the rarer limitations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examined the mediating role of corporate social responsibility practices and the nexus between the operational excellence of competitive strategies, and performance, for Islamic banks operating in Pakistan. Particularly, two competitive strategies, namely, the cost-sensitive strategy and the differentiation strategy were considered. This study employed a structured questionnaire to collect the data from 512 respondents (361 from fully-fledged Islamic banks, FFIBs, and 151 from Islamic window banks, IWBs). A partial least square–structural equation modeling approach was employed to test the hierarchal component model. As a robustness check, the Gaussian copula approach was used to address the endogeneity issue, and the Partial least square prediction-oriented segmentation approach was adopted to explore the unobserved heterogeneity. The findings showed evidence of complementary partial mediation between competitive strategies and bank performance, channeled through operational excellence. However, corporate social responsibility (CSR) practices partially mediated the relationship between cost-sensitive strategy and bank performance. This study is worthwhile for managers, policy makers and regulatory authorities concerned with religiously conscious corporations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]