Comprehensive Study Research Articles

Fintech adoption and financial well-being of persons with disabilities: the mediating role of financial access, financial knowledge and financial behaviour

PurposeThe prime purpose of the study is to analyse the effect of fintech adoption on the financial well-being of persons with disabilities (PWDs), considering the intervening role of financial behaviour, financial access and financial knowledge.Design/methodology/approachA self-administered survey schedule collected primary data on fintech adoption and financial well-being among 205 PWD, through snowball sampling from January to May 2023. Researchers used exploratory factor analysis to identify reliable factors and PLS-SEM for testing mediation and research hypotheses.FindingsThe study’s outcome found that fintech adoption does not directly impact the financial well-being of PWDs. Instead, the impact on financial well-being is explained by mediating factors like financial access, financial knowledge and financial behaviour. Financial access is the most significant among these mediating factors.Research limitations/implicationsThe study demonstrates the significance of mediating factors in comprehending the influence of fintech adoption on financial well-being. These results underpin existing literature on determinants of financial well-being.Practical implicationsFindings evidenced that developing disabled-friendly fintech tools can enhance financial access, reduce inequality and improve the financial well-being of PWDs, which would be helpful for public policymakers.Originality/valueThere has been no comprehensive study conducted on this topic, particularly among PWDs. In the current study, an effort is being made to examine the relative effects of fintech adoption on financial well-being directly and indirectly through mediating variables.Peer reviewThe peer review history for this article is available at: https://publons.com/publon/10.1108/IJSE-08-2023-0596

Digital nasoalveolar molding through presurgical orthopedics in newborns/infants with cleft lip and palate: A comprehensive review and case study.

This study aims to provide a comprehensive review and case study about the advantages and disadvantages of the application of digital technologies in presurgical orthopedics in newborns/infants with cleft lip and palate (CLCP). Positive changes in the nasal anatomy, maxillary arch, and cleft width could be achieved. Three representative cases of newborns/infants with CLCP were managed using the presurgical newborn/infant orthopedics (PSIO) approach. The patients were diagnosed and treated. Detailed descriptions of the impression procedures and PSIO appliance construction and placement were provided for each case. Case 1 utilized traditional impression techniques, Case 2 employed a semi-digitalized approach with intraoral digital scanning, and Case 3 utilized a completely digitalized method for appliance construction. Positive changes in maxillary arch dimensions and cleft width reduction were observed in all cases. The management of CLCP in newborns and infants poses a complex challenge with profound implications. The PSIO approach not only facilitates reconstructive surgery but also enhances overall quality of life. Digital tools, like specialized optical scanners and 3D printing, revolutionize the PSIO process, making it more efficient and patient-friendly. Clinical benefits include improved facial morphology, esthetics, feeding, speech, and optimized future surgical results. Despite ongoing efficacy debates, global adoption as the initial surgical approach underscores its value. The integration of digital technologies offers new hope for patients and families, promising a brighter future for those affected by this congenital condition.

Enhancing Security in Internet of Things (IoT) Architecture through Defense-in-Depth Mechanism: A Comprehensive Study

The Internet of Things (IoT) has revolutionized various domains, offering connectivity and data sharing among diverse devices and services. However, this interconnectedness poses significant security challenges, primarily centered around confidentiality, integrity, and availability. This paper investigates the security issues embedded in the layers of IoT architecture, ranging from the perception layer to the application layer. By leveraging the Defense-in-Depth security mechanism, we propose a comprehensive approach to fortify IoT systems against cyber threats. The Defense-in-Depth strategy is illustrated through a layered model, addressing security concerns at the perimeter, host, OS/application, and data layers. The study explores various security measures applicable to each layer, emphasizing the need for a multi-faceted approach to ensure the robustness of IoT security. Keywords: Internet of Things (IoT), Security Issues, Defense-in-Depth Mechanism, Perception Layer, Network Layer, Data Processing Layer, Application Layer, Confidentiality, Integrity, Availability

On the Existence of Pnictogen Bonding Interactions in As(III) S-Adenosylmethionine Methyltransferase Enzymes.

As(III) S-adenosylmethionine methyltransferases, pivotal enzymes in arsenic metabolism, facilitate the methylation of arsenic up to three times. This process predominantly yields trivalent mono- and dimethylarsenite, with trimethylarsine forming in smaller amounts. While this enzyme acts as a detoxifier in microbial systems by altering As(III), in humans, it paradoxically generates more toxic and potentially carcinogenic methylated arsenic species. The strong affinity of As(III) for cysteine residues, forming As(III)-thiolate bonds, is exploited in medical treatments, notably in arsenic trioxide (Trisenox®), an FDA-approved drug for leukemia. The effectiveness of this drug is partly due to its interaction with cysteine residues, leading to the breakdown of key oncogenic fusion proteins. In this study, we extend the understanding of As(III)'s binding mechanisms, showing that, in addition to As(III)-S covalent bonds, noncovalent O⋅⋅⋅As pnictogen bonding plays a vital role. This interaction significantly contributes to the structural stability of the As(III) complexes. Our crystallographic analysis using the PDB database of As(III) S-adenosylmethionine methyltransferases, augmented by comprehensive theoretical studies including molecular electrostatic potential (MEP), quantum theory of atoms in molecules (QTAIM), and natural bond orbital (NBO) analysis, emphasizes the critical role of pnictogen bonding in these systems. We also undertake a detailed evaluation of the energy characteristics of these pnictogen bonds using various theoretical models. To our knowledge, this is the first time pnictogen bonds in As(III) derivatives have been reported in biological systems, marking a significant advancement in our understanding of arsenic's molecular interactions.

Performance Evaluation in Macroeconomics based on DEA Malmquist Index with a New Approach for the Efficiency Evaluation in a Two-Stage Process

The goal of this work is to know and evaluate the macroeconomic development progress dynamics based on the Malmquist index by also giving a new and as explicit as possible approach to the evaluative reasoning of the DMUs’ overall performance. The calculation of the DEA (Data envelopment analysis) Malmquist index and of its composing components in coordination with the DMUs’ ranking positions opens up perspectives for a broad comprehensive and evaluative study. Rankings and the Malmquist index are, each in its-self, a performance test. To coordinate these two tests in as organic as possible way, two factors, the so called Z1 and Z2 “statistical” indicators are used in this work. They are expressed as functions (given by the formula, by further calculating the geometric mean of their values) in the evaluation of the overall performance. In this work, the effects of each variable factor are analyzed. A new approach, studied as a two-stage process, is given here. The inserted intermediate variable factors are not simply dealt with as “exogenous” variables fixed in the approach of the two-stage process, but they are considered as included in the total system of the studied variables set (input-output). To interpret the advantages and disadvantages that support the macroeconomic development dynamics, along with the indication of the best practices, the factors that affect the inefficient DMUs are studied. The study covers the 2015-2020 period of time and includes 19 European region countries.

Effect of Silica Fume Concentration and Water–Cement Ratio on the Compressive Strength of Cement-Based Mortars

This study investigated how the water–cement ratio and silica fume concentration affect the compressive strength of cement mortars. This comprehensive study delved into the intricate interplay between water–cement ratio and silica fume concentration, examining their influence on cement-based mortars’ compressive strength and water absorption characteristics. The silica fume concentration was investigated, ranging from 5% to 15% of the cement weight. The investigation employed two distinct mixing techniques, mixing cement and silica fume, before extracting appropriate samples; alternatively, a magnetic stirrer was used to prepare samples by dissolving silica fume in water. The cement mortars were also prepared with three different water–cement ratios: 0.44, 0.47, and 0.5. The interesting findings of compressive tests illuminated a consistent trend across all curing days and mixing methods—a reduction in the water–cement ratio corresponded with a notable increase in compressive strength. However, it is essential to note that the influence of the mixing method on the compressive strength of cement-based mortars is based on the water–cement ratio. The results show that by using the suggested technological method, it was observed that samples prepared with water–cement ratios (W/C) of 0.47 and 0.44 exhibited higher compressive strengths compared to those prepared using the well-known standard mixing method. The compressive test results underscored that the water–cement ratio reduction consistently enhanced the compressive strength in every combination of curing days and mixing techniques. Furthermore, this reduction in the water–cement ratio was correlated with a decrease in water absorption of the mortar. Conversely, the water–cement ratio itself played a pivotal role in defining how the mixing technique affected the compressive strength and water absorption of cement-based mortars. This multifaceted exploration underscores the nuanced relationships between key variables, emphasizing the need for a comprehensive understanding of the intricate factors influencing the mechanical and absorptive properties of cement-based materials.

Between grasslands, shrublands and forests. Paleoenvironmental and taphonomic implications of micromammals in hunter-gatherer archaeological contexts of Southern Pampean Hills

ABSTRACT The integral study of micromammals recovered from archaeological contexts provides a number of contributions to the understanding of the dynamics of human occupation. In this paper, based on a comprehensive study of Holocene and actualistic samples from central Argentina, we discuss the taphonomic and paleoenvironmental implications in sites with hunter-gatherer occupations. The sequence studied (ca. 1500–4500 BP) indicates the presence of natural predators (i.e. nocturnal and diurnal birds of prey) as responsible for the formation of the assemblage, ruling out, so far, the participation of human groups. On the other hand, the taxonomic composition of the preterite and actualistic assemblages shows a process of advancement of shrubland and forest environments at the expense of the decrease of open environments, grassland and fresh water contexts.

Evaluation of Fresh and Frozen Beef Strip Loins of Equal Aging Periods for Palatability Traits

Although studies evaluating freezing are prevalent, most have used varied postmortem aging times to facilitate study design. The lack of a comprehensive study evaluating equally aged fresh and frozen steaks prevents a true under-standing of the impact of freezing. Therefore, the objective of this study was to determine the eating quality and consumer perception differences between fresh and frozen beef steaks of 3 equal aging periods. Beef carcasses were selected from a processing plant on 2 kill dates 1 wk apart to allow for a 1-wk freezing period, fabricated, and aged for 21, 28, or 35 d. On the same day, all samples of equal aging periods were fed to consumer and trained sensory panelists, sheared for shear force, and powdered for lab assays. For consumer panels, the first 4 steaks were given with no additional information, whereas the last 4 steaks were served with the labels “previously frozen” or “fresh, never frozen.” The consumer panelists rated the frozen samples as more tender (P<0.05) than the fresh samples but found no other differences (P>0.05). Even when given additional information, the perception of quality was not impacted (P>0.05). Similarly, the trained panelists rated the frozen samples higher (P<0.05) than the fresh counterparts for overall tenderness, but the fresh samples scored higher (P<0.05) for initial and sustained juiciness. Supporting the sensory data, the frozen steaks had lower (P<0.05) shear force values regardless of the aging period. However, the fresh samples resulted in lower (P<0.05) purge and cook loss. Although some meat quality factors were impacted by freezing, the overall eating quality and perception of quality were not negatively impacted. Therefore, frozen meat should not be discounted due to the eating quality or perception of the quality of beef steaks.

Multi-Objective Optimization of Cutting Parameters for Polyethylene Thermoplastic Material by Integrating Data Envelopment Analysis and SWARA-Based CoCoSo Approach

This paper presents a comprehensive study on the multi-objective optimization of cutting parameters for Polyethylene (PE) thermoplastic material utilizing a CO2 laser. Recognizing the pivotal role of precise and efficient cutting in various sectors, from packaging to biomedical engineering, we integrate two potent analytical methodologies - Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) and Step-Wise Weight Assessment Ratio Analysis (SWARA)-based Comprehensive Criteria Score Optimization (CoCoSo) approach. The cutting parameters chosen for the study were material thickness, power, and cutting speed. The experiments were conducted according to the Taguchi L18 orthogonal array. Measurements of surface roughness and kerf width were performed to examine the cutting quality. Additionally, another response variable, material removal rate, was calculated. By integrating Data Envelopment Analysis and SWARA-Based CoCoSo approach, the experimental condition that yielded the lowest surface roughness, kerf width, and the highest material removal rate was determined. The optimum experimental condition was found to be 4 mm material thickness, 80 W laser power, and 15 mm/s cutting speed. This work, therefore, paves the way for the innovative application of these combined methodologies in enhancing the production processes of PE and other thermoplastic materials, with clear implications for cost-effectiveness and sustainability in the manufacturing sector.

The Role of Regulatory T cells (Tregs) in Tumorigenesis: A Comprehensive Literature Review

Introduction: Regulatory T cells (Tregs) are a subpopulation of CD4+ T lymphocytes that contribute to immune homeostasis by suppressing excessive immune activation. However, these immunosuppressive properties can lead to the suppression of anti-tumor immune responses. Depletion or blocking of Tregs through therapeutics has emerged as a possible method for enhancing anti-tumor immunity. However, the lack of selective targeting of Tregs in the tumor microenvironment is a significant limitation to the effectiveness of Treg therapies. Therefore, this investigation aims to review current literature on how Tregs suppress the antitumor immune response and how they can be targeted to promote anti-tumor immunity. Methods: This review examines recent literature on Tregs in the tumor microenvironment, focusing on both cell-contact dependent and independent mechanisms. Clinical trial studies were also included to assess therapeutic targeting of Tregs. The PubMed database was systematically searched for English articles from 2010 to present, supplemented by manual searches without date restrictions. Boolean expressions ensured comprehensive study retrieval. Results: The involvement of Tregs in the development of multiple cancer types is evident, and targeting these cells could potentially enhance the efficacy of antitumor immunity. In addition, we compiled a list of the novel approaches currently being used for Treg targeting in the context of cancer. Discussion: This review has identified the most promising targets for Treg-based therapies, opening avenues for accelerating the development of innovative cancer treatments. Conclusion: Our literature review offers insights into the complex interplay between the immune system and cancer. The understanding of this interaction is not just an endpoint but could potentially act as a steppingstone towards new scientific discoveries.

A Comprehensive Study on Sudden Deafness for Analyzing Their Clinical Characteristics and Prognostic Factors.

Background: To study the factors associated with the prognosis of patients with sudden deafness to facilitate clinical treatment and improve efficacy. Methods: A total of 414 patients with sudden deafness treated in Zhenjiang First People's Hospital from January 2020 to December 2022 were chosen. Relevant data were gathered and the effectiveness of treatment was assessed by comparing hearing test results before and after hospital admission and divided into effective and ineffective groups, and the effectiveness of each factor was analyzed using univariate analysis, Spearman's correlation analysis, and multifactor logistic regression. Results: The 2 groups had significant differences in age, presence of tinnitus, degree of hearing loss, and triglyceride levels. Spearman's rank correlation analysis showed a negative correlation between hearing threshold of at least 81 dB at 250 to 8000 Hz, the low-density lipoprotein (LDL), triglyceride levels, and the prognosis (r < 0, P < .001). A positive correlation exists between high-density lipoprotein levels and prognosis (r > 0, P < .001). Receiver operating characteristic curve showed LDL level, age, and time since disease onset appears to be highly predictive. Multivariable logistic regression analysis showed that age >47 years, LDL >2.93 mmol/L, and time to presentation >10 days after disease onset are at higher risk for poor prognosis. Conclusion: Factors that influence the prognosis of patients with sudden deafness include age, tinnitus symptoms, high LDL levels, and the type of hearing curve. Early intervention and targeted treatment should be given to high-risk patients to improve the outcome of sudden deafness in clinical practice.

Unlocking the Power of Corporate Social Responsibility Communication in the Online Sphere: A Systematic Exploration

Socially responsible behavior is evolving due to changing economic, social, and environmental landscapes. This has led to a growing interest in sharing corporate social responsibility activities online, known as CSR (corporate social responsibility) web communication. However, there has not been a comprehensive study that has provided a complete synthesis of knowledge in this field or has outlined research trends, existing gaps, and future directions. Through a systematic review of 141 articles published from 2006 to 2023, four core research themes were identified: (1) motives behind CSR web communication, (2) evaluation of the level of CSR web communication, (3) the role of stakeholders in the process of CSR web communication, and (4) CSR web communication strategy. The scattered research highlights the need for more focused investigation. In particular, future research should focus on understanding what stakeholders require in CSR web communication, evaluating how they perceive its value and benefits, and investigating the relationship between CSR web communication and a company’s economic performance.

Assessing Competitive Strategies in UK Manufacturing SMEs

In this comprehensive study, we delve into an exhaustive examination of effective competitive strategies tailored for small to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). The principal objective of this research centers on scrutinizing the strategic orientation of UK Manufacturing SMEs. Conducting an extensive literature review, we critically evaluated Porter's framework and identified several gaps in its applicability. Notably, critiques assert that the model inadequately captures the intricate nature of strategic behavior within real organizations and fails to provide a fully accurate representation of strategy-performance relationships. Empirical research further highlights the model's limitations, indicating its inability to facilitate the desirable combination of competitive strategies by firms. To address the outlined objectives, we employed a semi-structured questionnaire in our investigation. The ensuing analysis involved the application of factor and cluster analysis to identify strategic variables currently employed by SMEs in the manufacturing domain. Our data analysis revealed a divergence from the adoption of Porter's single generic strategies. Instead, the findings supported the utilization of mixed strategies that integrate elements from both differentiation and low-cost strategies. Significantly, these hybrid approaches were found to be associated with enhanced firm performance. This study contributes valuable insights into the nuanced landscape of competitive strategies within the UK SMEs, shedding light on the dynamic interplay between strategic choices and firm performance.

Visual Clue Guidance and Consistency Matching Framework for Multimodal Named Entity Recognition

The goal of multimodal named entity recognition (MNER) is to detect entity spans in given image–text pairs and classify them into corresponding entity types. Despite the success of existing works that leverage cross-modal attention mechanisms to integrate textual and visual representations, we observe three key issues. Firstly, models are prone to misguidance when fusing unrelated text and images. Secondly, most existing visual features are not enhanced or filtered. Finally, due to the independent encoding strategies employed for text and images, a noticeable semantic gap exists between them. To address these challenges, we propose a framework called visual clue guidance and consistency matching (GMF). To tackle the first issue, we introduce a visual clue guidance (VCG) module designed to hierarchically extract visual information from multiple scales. This information is utilized as an injectable visual clue guidance sequence to steer text representations for error-insensitive prediction decisions. Furthermore, by incorporating a cross-scale attention (CSA) module, we successfully mitigate interference across scales, enhancing the image’s capability to capture details. To address the third issue of semantic disparity between text and images, we employ a consistency matching (CM) module based on the idea of multimodal contrastive learning, facilitating the collaborative learning of multimodal data. To validate the effectiveness of our proposed framework, we conducted comprehensive experimental studies, including extensive comparative experiments, ablation studies, and case studies, on two widely used benchmark datasets, demonstrating the efficacy of the framework.

Comprehensive Study of Surface Cu-Boride on Cu Substrate and One-dimensional Boron Chains

Comprehensive Study of Surface Cu-Boride on Cu Substrate and One-dimensional Boron Chains

Analyzing clinical laboratory specimen rejection rates at a specialized hospital in Ethiopia: A 2-year document review.

Accurate laboratory diagnosis is essential for effective patient care, but the rejection of specimens within laboratories can have serious consequences. A retrospective cross-sectional study was conducted from September to November 2021 at the University of Gondar Comprehensive Specialized Hospital laboratory. Two years of laboratory data were collected from laboratory log books and analyzed to determine trends in specimen rejection rates and identify potential reasons for those rejections. We analyzed 114,439 specimens, of which 786 (0.70%) were rejected. The hematology service exhibited the highest rejection rate, at 273 (0.2%). The main reasons for specimen rejection were specimens without requests or requests without specimens (40.2%), poor smear preparation (12.3%), clotted specimens (11.3%), and labeling problems (8.0%). This study emphasized a significant incidence of specimen rejection, particularly in the hematology laboratory, underscoring the need for immediate implementation of corrective actions and preventive measures. Furthermore, conducting comprehensive larger-scale studies is recommended to deepen our understanding of and investigate the specific factors contributing to specimen rejection in greater detail.

Study of the circulation and properties of the West Nile virus in Russia in 2022

Introduction. The relevance of the study is due to the need to assess the real expansion of West Nile fever (WNF) in Russia, analyze the manifestations of epizootic and epidemic processes and study the population structure of West Nile virus (WNV).&#x0D; Aim. To obtain objective data on the intensity of WNV circulation in certain territories of Russia and study the properties of the isolated strains of the pathogen.&#x0D; Materials and methods. 4564 samples of field material from 23 subjects of the Russian Federation and 1547 samples of clinical material from 12 subjects of the Russian Federation were examined. A set of laboratory diagnostic methods was used: ELISA, RT-PCR, virological, sequencing.&#x0D; Results. In 20 out of 1331 (1.5%) examined febrile patients, IgM antibodies to WNV were detected, including positive cases identified for the first time in the Karachay-Cherkess Republic, Tver and Vladimir regions. The presence of immunity to WNV was found on average in 8.6% of 11 federal subjects' population with high seroprevalence rates in Zaporozhye (24,5%), Tula (15,4%) and Kursk (11,1%) regions. Low-avidity IgG antibodies were detected in 44 (33,1%) samples from a population of 9 federal subjects. Intensive circulation of WNV lineage 2 in the epizootic cycle in the southern part of European Russia was confirmed. 12 WNV isolates were obtained, including those isolated for the first time in the Republic of Crimea, the Karachay-Cherkess Republic and the Stavropol Territory. The heterogeneity of circulating WNF causative agent's strains related to the two clades of the WNV lineage 2 formed in 2021 and 2022 was established.&#x0D; Conclusion. In the course of comprehensive monitoring studies, a new northern border of the WNF range was established, which as of 2022 passes through the territory of the Tver region. Data from seroepidemiological studies, including the detection of low-avidity IgG antibodies, confirm fairly intense, but undiagnosed contact of the population of the European part of Russia with the WNF pathogen. In the southern region of the European part of Russia, WNV genotype 2 predominantly circulates, belonging to at least two clades formed in 2021 and 2022.

The Hydrophilic Metabolite UMP Alleviates Obesity Traits through a HIF2α-ACER2-Ceramide Signaling Axis.

Metabolic abnormalities contribute to the pathogenesis of obesity and its complications. Yet, the understanding of the interactions between critical metabolic pathways that underlie obesity remains to be improved, in part owing to the lack of comprehensive metabolomics studies that reconcile data from both hydrophilic and lipophilic metabolome analyses that can lead to the identification and characterization of key signaling networks. Here, the study conducts a comprehensive metabolomics analysis, surveying lipids and hydrophilic metabolites of the plasma and omental adipose tissue of obese individuals and the plasma and epididymal adipose tissue of mice. Through these approaches, it is found that a significant accumulation of ceramide due to inhibited sphingolipid catabolism, while a significant reduction in the levels of uridine monophosphate (UMP), is critical to pyrimidine biosynthesis. Further, it is found that UMP administration restores sphingolipid homeostasis and can reduce obesity in mice by reversing obesity-induced inhibition of adipocyte hypoxia inducible factor 2a (Hif2α) and its target gene alkaline ceramidase 2 (Acer2), so as to promote ceramide catabolism and alleviate its accumulation within cells. Using adipose tissue Hif2α-specific knockout mice, the study further demonstrates that the presence of UMP can alleviate obesity through a HIF2α-ACER2-ceramide pathway, which can be a new signaling axis for obesity improvement.

Towards Mental Health Analysis in Social Media for Low-resourced Languages

The surge in internet use for expression of personal thoughts and beliefs has made it increasingly feasible for the social Natural Language Processing (NLP) research community to find and validate associations between social media posts and mental health status . Cross-sectional and longitudinal studies of low-resourced social media data bring to fore the importance of real-time responsible Artificial Intelligence (AI) models for mental health analysis in native languages. Aiming at classifying research for social computing and tracking advances in the development of learning-based models, we propose a comprehensive survey on mental health analysis for social media and posit the need of analyzing low-resourced social media data for mental health . We first classify three components for computing on social media as: SM - data mining/natural language processing on social media , IA - integrated applications with social media data and user-network modeling, and NM - user and network modeling on social networks. To this end, we posit the need of mental health analysis in different languages of East Asia (e.g., Chinese, Japanese, Korean), South Asia (Hindi, Bengali, Tamil), Southeast Asia (Malay, Thai, Vietnamese), European languages (Spanish, French) and the Middle East (Arabic). Our comprehensive study examines available resources and recent advances in low-resourced languages for different aspects of SM, IA, and NM to discover new frontiers as potential field of research.

Optimizing Sb2Se3 thin-film solar cells: A comprehensive simulation study of multiple influential factors

This article presents a comprehensive simulation study of Sb2Se3-based thin-film solar cells, exploring critical parameters that influence their performance and efficiency. We demonstrate that tuning the Sb2Se3 thickness offers a versatile approach to optimize light absorption and charge transport, offering promising avenues for efficiency enhancement. Furthermore, we highlight the pivotal role of carrier concentration variation in balancing carrier mobility and recombination, enabling fine-tuned control over device performance. Investigating the work function values of back contact metals uncovers crucial insights into open-circuit voltage, short-circuit current, and efficiency. Temperature effects are examined, emphasizing the need for effective thermal management strategies to ensure stable and efficient operation over a wide range of environmental conditions. The study underscores the significance of the HTL in improving charge carrier collection and reducing recombination losses. Lastly, our exploration of cadmium-free design underscores the industry's commitment to sustainable and environmentally friendly photovoltaic technologies. Overall, this simulation study advances our understanding of Sb2Se3-based solar cells and offers valuable guidance for optimizing their performance, ultimately contributing to the development of efficient and eco-friendly renewable energy solutions. Post-optimization, our findings indicate an impressive efficiency of 23.39%, with a noteworthy efficiency level of 23.02% achieved for cadmium-free solar cell configurations.