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This study aims to investigate unripe carob pod as a source of antioxidant molecules useful in the eco-friendly synthesis of a gelatin conjugate. This one was involved in the preparation of gummies able to produce remarkable human health benefits.

Eco-friendly strategies (ultrasound-assisted extraction, low temperatures and eco-friendly solvents) were employed in the extraction of active molecules. Antioxidant molecules were involved in the grafting reaction with gelatin chains (ascorbic acid/hydrogen peroxide couple as initiator system). Gelatin conjugate represents a useful material able to prepare gummies with remarkable rheological and antioxidant performances over time.

Experimental results confirmed that the green approach allowed the achievement of extracts with remarkable antioxidant properties due to the presence of phenolic moieties. Gelatin conjugate synthesis preserved these functionalities, usefully exploited in the preparation of gummies with significant structural and biological features.

Compared to the literature data the preparation of the gummies with outstanding biological properties was performed by employing functional gelatin synthesized by an eco-friendly approach.

This article focuses on research carried out on gender discrimination and biasness in the workplace in order to understand how gender discrimination can have far reaching consequences on the careers of working women. It looks at five aspects of this issue, namely workplace harassment, hiring, maternity leave, women in leadership roles, and the experience of marginalised women. Although a global issue, this article looks at gender discrimination from Indian Context.

This article is descriptive in nature, that studied the arguments of other researchers and elaborated understanding from those articles considering gender discrimination and gender bias at the workplace.

It was found that despite an intense and growing call for gender equality at the workplace, to provide its female workforce with adequate freedom to work and protection from conservative opinions and biases that keep women out of the workforce. Several women have taken over top positions in companies; regardless, a lot more work remains to be done. Bringing in legislative changes is of utmost importance, as it will ensure that women have legal routes to protect their rights. There also needs to be more research undertaken in the field of gender discrimination to understand how structural changes can be established in companies.

The current study is unique, every industry faces this challenge, which is considered one of the critical challenges. Practitioners, experts, strategists, also fall into the game of gender discrimination and biasness.

Volkswagen has radically changed its Emden plant. The flexible body‐in‐white facility can accept types other than the plant's main product, the Passat, and is a pathfinder for the whole of the VW Group.

This study aims to predict the fracture properties of geopolymer concrete, which is necessary for studying failure behaviour of concrete.

Geopolymers are new alternative binders for cement in which polymerization gives strength to concrete rather than through hydration. Geopolymer concrete was developed from industrial byproducts such as GGBS and dolomite. Present study estimates the fracture energy of GGBS geopolymer concrete using three point bending test (RILEM TC50-FMC) with different percentages of dolomite and compare with cement concrete having same strength.

The fracture properties such as peak load, critical stress intensity factor, fracture energy and characteristic length are found to be higher for GGBS-dolomite geopolymer concrete, when their proportion becomes 70:30.

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is an original experimental work.

This study aims to investigate the existence of bubbles and their contagion effect in crude oil and stock markets of oil-exporting countries Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) from 2016 to 2021.

The authors use Generalized Sup augmented Dickey–Fuller (GSADF) and Backward Sup augmented Dickey–Fuller (BSADF) to significantly identify multiple bubbles stock and oil markets with precise dates. Furthermore, the authors check the contagion effect of bubbles between crude oil and GCC stock markets based on the time-varying Granger causality test.

First, the authors find empirical evidence of downwards bubbles in crude oil prices and in all GCC stock indexes (except the Saudi stock index) during the corona virus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak. Second, the authors do not detect empirical evidence of bubble transmission between crude oil markets and GCC stock markets (except with the Dubai Financial Market index).

The findings of this study would illuminate policymakers not to limit the factors of systematic financial crises in oil-exporting countries to crude oil and to consider factors such as monetary policy and economic diversification measures. This study has also crucial implications for investors. In fact, investors should not ignore the responses of the stock markets to oil price shocks that are heterogeneous across countries when looking for investment opportunities in the GCC region.

The study justifies the changing nature of the bubble contagion effect through the novel implementation of the time-varying Granger causality test to detect whether bubble contagion exists between oil and GCC stock markets and if that does, in which direction.

The study examines the effect of increased Economic Policy uncertainty on analyst optimism in the Indian market. The study also explores whether the SEBI Research Analyst Regulation, 2014, has effectively contained the optimistic nature of analysts.

The study is based on firms in the Indian market. The sample period is 2003–2020. It runs a linear panel regression to measure the impact of Economic Policy uncertainty on the optimism level of analysts' forecasts and recommendations, controlling for firm fixed effects. Further, the impact of the SEBI Research Analyst Regulation, 2014, has been assessed with the help of the difference-in-difference approach.

The Economic Policy uncertainty is significantly and positively related to the analyst optimism, reflected in the forecast bias and recommendation in the Indian context. The experience of analysts and the age of the firm positively drive optimism. However, introducing the Research Analyst Regulation by SEBI led to a decline in analyst optimism. The regulation decoupled the analysts' compensation from brokerage service transactions. Thus, the results suggest that the regulation has effectively curbed the incentive to produce optimistic output.

This is the first study in the Indian market to assess the impact of uncertainty on analyst output. It also investigates the effectiveness of the first analyst-specific regulation in India, i.e. The Research Analyst Regulation, 2014.

Written communication differences across cultures can set the tone for effective or disastrous business relationships. Although English has been the go-to language in business, managers from different countries can significantly differ in how they convey the firms' information. This study explored these differences by examining the documentation presented by foreign corporations as part of their initial public offering (IPO) in the USA, particularly Chinese firms.

This work examined cultural-related differences in written communications by looking at foreign corporations' descriptions of their strengths, strategies and challenges included in F-1 documents submitted to the Securities and Exchange Commission as part of the IPO process. The sample consisted of 97 American depositary receipts (ADRs) identified in the Bank of New York Mellon's ADR directory from 2003 to 2015.

This study found that Chinese firms significantly differ from other countries' firms in depicting their strengths, strategies and challenges.

Limitations have to do with the sample size. Future research may address this by considering other depositary markets, not just the USA.

The results will be significant for potential ADRs investors; they must be conscious of these differences in the written documentation submitted by Chinese firms compared to other foreign firms. The market should also be aware of these differences, as the Chinese seem less open to sharing information about the under spinning of their operations and financial prospects.

This study aims to report the extent of voluntary carbon emission disclosures by major Australian companies during the years 2006 to 2008. This paper provides contemporary data and explanations about carbon emissions reporting in Australia. Additionally, the paper aims to determine the variables that explain the extent of carbon disclosures.

The carbon disclosure score is measured directly from individual companies' annual reports and sustainability reports. A checklist is established to determine the breadth and depth of the information related to climate change and carbon emissions incorporated in these publicly available reports.

The overall carbon disclosure score has increased significantly over the authors' research period. Furthermore, regression results show that larger firms with higher visibility tend to make more comprehensive carbon disclosures. Overall, the authors' results indicate that the legislation of the National Greenhouse and Energy Reporting Act (the NGER Act) in 2007 may have enhanced the voluntary carbon emission disclosures in 2008, even though the NGER Act was not operative until the 2009 financial year. From a theoretical perspective, the findings of the paper are consistent with legitimacy theory.

Previous studies examining environmental disclosures in Australia are based on a time period prior to widespread public discussion and interest in climate change and carbon emissions. By investigating voluntary disclosures made by large Australian companies around the time that the mandatory emission reporting scheme was introduced, this paper investigates whether the prominence of discussion and impending operation of the mandatory environmental disclosures have led to a greater extent of voluntary carbon disclosures. The findings can help regulators draft appropriate legislation that targets industries and specific practices where disclosure is of greatest importance to relevant stakeholders. In addition, an understanding of who and why entities disclose carbon gas emission information can arm green groups and other stakeholders with an appropriate level of understanding about the motivation for such disclosures.

This study aims to investigate the possibilities of cryptocurrencies as hedges and diversifiers in the Indian stock market before and during financial crisis due to the pandemic and the Russia–Ukraine war.

Researchers have used daily data on cryptocurrencies and Indian stock prices from March 10, 2015 to August 26, 2022. The researchers have used the dynamic conditional correlations (DCC)-GARCH model to determine the volatility spillover and dynamic correlation between stocks and digital currencies. Further, researchers have explored hedge ratio, portfolio weight and hedging effectiveness using the estimates of the DCC-GARCH model.

The findings indicate a negative conditional correlation between equities and cryptocurrencies before the crisis and a positive conditional correlation except for Tether during the crisis. Which implies that cryptocurrencies serve as a hedging asset in the stock market before a crisis but are not more than a diversifier during the crisis, except for Tether. Notably, Tether serves as a safe haven during times of crisis. Finally, the study suggests that Bitcoin, Ethereum, Binance Coin and Ripple are the most effective diversifiers for Indian stocks during the crisis.

This study makes several contributions to the existing literature. First, it compares the hedge and diversification roles of cryptocurrencies in the Indian stock market before and during crisis. Second, the study findings provide insights on risk hedging and can serve as a guide for investors. Third, it may help rational investors avoid underestimating risk while constructing portfolios, particularly in times of financial turmoil.