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This chapter examines how the nature of World War I catalyzed significant changes in the laws of war, the Treaty of Versailles, the failed Leipzig Trials, and the multiple treaties enacted in the 1920s, with particular focus on the Geneva Convention of 1929.

This paper aims to describe a proposal for an innovative method of normal shock wave–turbulent boundary layer interaction (SBLI) and shock-induced separation control.

The concept is based on the introduction of a tangentially moving wall upstream of the shock wave and in the interaction region. The SBLI control mechanism may be implemented as a closed belt floating on an air cushion, sliding over two cylinders and forming the outer skin of the suction side of the airfoil. The presented exploratory numerical study is conducted with SPARC solver (steady 2D RANS). The effect of the moving wall is presented for the NACA 0012 airfoil operating in transonic conditions.

To assess the accuracy of obtained solutions, validation of the computational model is demonstrated against the experimental data of Harris, Ladson & Hill and Mineck & Hartwich (NASA Langley). The comparison is conducted not only for the reference (impermeable) but also for the perforated (permeable) surface NACA 0012 airfoils. Subsequent numerical analysis of SBLI control by moving wall confirms that for the selected velocity ratios, the method is able to improve the shock-upstream boundary layer and counteract flow separation, significantly increasing the airfoil aerodynamic performance.

The moving wall concept as a means of normal shock wave–turbulent boundary layer interaction and shock-induced separation control has been investigated in detail for the first time. The study quantified the necessary operational requirements of such a system and practicable aerodynamic efficiency gains and simultaneously revealed the considerable potential of this promising idea, stimulating a new direction for future investigations regarding SBLI control.

This paper aims to examine the short-term market impact of the beginning of the military conflict between Russia and Ukraine (24 February 2022), the world’s largest oil and gas companies.

The authors examine the world’s 100 largest listed oil and gas companies at and around the beginning of the military conflict between Russia and Ukraine using an event study methodology.

The authors observe a positive and statistically significant stock price reaction at and around the military conflict. These results are consistent with the asset pricing perspective. Conversely, the stock market returns of Russian oil and gas companies, as well as those companies that were “forced” to divest in Russia due to corporate activism, exhibit a negative and statistically significant impact from the conflict. These reactions are reinforced or mitigated by company-specific characteristics such as size, profitability and institutional ownership. Finally, the findings indicate that companies engaged in oil and gas exploration and production report abnormally higher returns compared to firms in the other two subsectors of the industry.

The effect of the war on stock markets has been relatively little examined in the financial theory. This study intends to fill this gap in the literature.

Natural disasters represent an increasing threat to businesses, putting at risk their continuity in light of sustainable performance conditions. The present chapter explores the role of organizational resilience and of human capital in manufacturing companies hit by a natural disaster, an earthquake in the current study, by considering performance in the long run. In doing so, a survey has been performed on a sample of 131 manufacturing companies hit by the Emilia earthquake (Italy) in 2012, considering both perceptual data and balance sheet data. This represents a key contribution of this chapter, as extant literature on the impact of resilience on business performance has mainly used perceptual data; conversely, our study, considering balance sheet data, enables a more comprehensive and realistic view of the phenomenon. The sample was selected from the AIDA database, as it includes revenue data that we could add to the perceptual measures obtained by administering a structured questionnaire. Partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) was then employed. The results show the importance of developing adaptive processes that leverage on the organization’s human capital and resilience to respond to adverse exogenous events. More specifically, it has been found that human capital and organizational resilience are profitable to post-disaster economic performance in the long run, supporting the economic sustainability of affected businesses. The implications are related to reinforcing new business solutions and adaptive strategies, looking at both organizational resilience and human capital investment to reach a stable economic business performance in the long-run after a detrimental event.

This study aimed to compare the performance of sustainable shoes made with bacterial cellulosic composite and commercial leather shoes using an experimental research design. The two specific research objectives were: (1) to examine the basic material properties of multi-layered bacterial cellulosic materials (MBC), which include green tea-based cellulosic (GBC) mats, hemp fabrics, and denim fabrics, in comparison with those of two-layered leathers (MCP) consisting of calf-skin and pig-skin – commonly used in shoe manufacturing; and (2) to explore wearers’ performance in the two types of shoes by assessing quantitative kinematic and kinetic parameters of lower body movements.

This study focused on assessing the basic materials testing and performance of sustainable shoes through a biomechanical approach, in contrast to commercially available leather shoes, through human wear trials. In this study, green tea-based cellulosic (GBC) mats were developed using the optimal combination of ingredients for cellulose growth. Subsequently, the GBC, denim fabric (100% cotton), and 100% hemp fabric were combined to create multi-layered bacterial cellulosic materials (MBC) as an alternative to leather. Additionally, calf-skin and pig-skin leathers were utilized to produce a commercially available two-layered leather (MCP), commonly employed in shoe manufacturing. 37 of the 42 human subjects who participated in wear testing were collected. A paired t-test was conducted to determine whether significant mean differences existed between the two shoe types, a paired t-test was conducted.

To develop a biodegradable and compostable material that could be used as a leather alternative for the footwear industry, we proposed MBC and examined its properties compared with those of MCP, a product often used when making shoes. These findings confirmed the similar properties of MBC and MCP from the material testing and the possibility of using a men’s sustainable shoe prototype as a leather alternative, in terms of kinematics and kinetics.

The new multi-layered bacterial cellulosic materials (MBC) could be an alternative to commercial leathers such as innovative sustainable material construction, advanced design, and advanced techniques to optimize the overall performance of sustainable footwear.

Investigating the integration of smart textile technologies, ergonomic design principles, and personalized customization will contribute to developing MBC and making sustainable shoes using MBC compared with commercial leather shoes. This study provides valuable insights into further refinement and innovation in the sustainable footwear industry.

This study aims to explore the experiences of non-offending partners (NOPs) of men who perpetrated contact and non-contact sexual offences.

In-depth semi-structured interviews were carried out with eight women and analysed using interpretative phenomenological analysis.

Findings yielded two superordinate themes, eight subordinate themes and an overarching theme. The first superordinate theme “Paying for their Husband’s Transgressions” captured many ways in which the women’s lives were impacted by their husbands offending. The second superordinate theme “Navigating the Darkness” encompassed the women’s experiences of trying to adapt to their new lives. The overarching theme “A Contaminated Life” pertained to the shared experiences of the women who all described encountering instant and profound consequences. This research highlighted the need for immediate signposting to support services for NOPs. The value of a humanistic counselling approach paired with forensic expertise was also identified. Future research with cross-cultural samples and same sex-couples would enrich the current understanding of this experience.

This research highlighted the need for immediate signposting to support services for NOPs. The value of a humanistic counselling approach paired with forensic expertise was also identified.

Qualitative research on the experiences of NOPs of men who perpetrated sexual offences is sparse. Furthermore, existing research focuses on the experiences of women who’s own children were abused, with the partners of men who have perpetrated extra-familial or non-contact offenses remaining largely neglected.

Organizational innovation (OI) is important for multinational enterprises to adapt to changes in their broader technological and market environments. Despite its power to transform organizations, OI has remained at the periphery of international business (IB) scholarship. The purpose of this paper is that IB is particularly equipped to further the understanding of OI. IB studies place significant value on “context” and how the context in which the firm operates can enable or hinder the evolution of internal routines and practices, leading (or not) to OI.

The authors identify the key challenges which have contributed to the seemingly less important role of OI in IB, notable among them being the ambiguity of concepts associated with OI across different research fields. The authors advance the research agenda by offering a comprehensive definition of OI. The authors then put forward an integrative framework where the authors discuss the importance, and contribution, of IB to OI and vice versa.

The literature is characterized by terminological and empirical ambiguity. Some management scholars have coined the term “management innovation” with a clear element of invention and state-of-the-art attached to it. Others have referred to “organizational innovation,” when exploring incremental and targeted changes to extant team- and firm-level practices. In turn, IB scholars developed their own terminology, often (implicitly) referring to technological innovations as “asset-type firm-specific advantages” (FSAs) and associating OI with “transaction-type” FSAs.

The authors offer a new definition for OI – to address the challenges associated with terminological ambiguity. The authors put forward an integrative framework of OI in IB. The proposed framework of OI emphasizes the wider organizational context in which OI takes place, i.e. firm heterogeneity; and the broader external (IB) context of OI.

The Eastern Mediterranean countries exhibit diversity in religion, culture, politics, and economy, amid rapid and dynamic regional developments shaped by global polarization and the international security landscape, rendering future prognostications challenging. This chapter delves into the realms of oil and natural gas production, the influx of multinational corporations, water boundaries, and renewable energy vis-à-vis fossil fuels in the Eastern Mediterranean, elucidating the realities of cooperation and competition within the region. Analysis of cooperation and competition dynamics is imperative for comprehending the tensions among states. Enhanced cooperation between states may lead to mutual benefits, such as increased oil and gas prices favoring their partnership, while any escalation in competition can swiftly be perceived as a threat, exacerbating tensions. The desirability of such cooperation or competition in the international political economy remains subject to ongoing debate.