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This paper examines the short-term market impact of the beginning of the military conflict between Russia and Ukraine (February 24, 2022) on the world’s largest defense firms.

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

We observe a positive and statistically significant stock price reaction at and around the beginning of the military conflict. These results are consistent with the asset-pricing perspective/expected cash flow hypothesis. Consistent with the captured regulator theory, we find superior market returns for the two portfolios with a greater weight of defense sales. Superior market returns are also found for defense firms with higher R&D and capital expenditure intensity. Finally, these reactions are reinforced or mitigated by other firm-specific characteristics such as size, profitability and institutional ownership.

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.

How do citizens who live in municipalities that are in ‘news deserts’ find out about what is happening where they live? Developed in the United States and investigated in Brazil and the United Kingdom, the concept of ‘news deserts’ has aroused the curiosity of scholars and agents involved in the development of public policies in Europe, with the mapping of such areas being the target of a European Commission Call for Proposals to support local media in news-poor communities. The phenomenon of news deserts results from a systemic and wide-ranging crisis that journalism as a whole is facing, with profound effects on the local media. A ‘news desert’ is defined as a community without a local newspaper and also a community whose inhabitants face significantly reduced access to news that feeds the foundation of local democracy. One of the first mappings carried out in Europe, the News Deserts Europe 2022: Portugal Report, revealed that 25.3% of Portugal's municipalities did not have media outlets based in the municipality about which they produced contents, a phenomenon linked to more isolated communities with lower economic activity and smaller. But people somehow obtain information in these news deserts. Studies show that much of the local information in those regions is accessed through social media, such as Facebook pages and groups, which can be sources of disinformation and manipulation. When there is no media covering local affairs, communities are left without a point of reference.

This study aims to investigate the intricate interrelationships between brand experience, self-congruence, brand trust, brand image and brand love within the halal fashion industry. The primary objective is to uncover the underlying dynamics that influence consumer perceptions and behaviours in this unique market context.

Using a quantitative method and purposing sampling, data were collected from 500 consumers of halal fashion brands using online questionnaires by Google Forms. Partial least square-structural equation modelling techniques were used to analyse the data and test the hypothesized relationships between the variables.

The findings reveal significant positive relationships between brand experience and self-congruence, brand experience and brand trust, self-congruence and brand trust and self-congruence and brand image. Furthermore, brand trust and brand image emerged as a significant predictor of brand love within the halal fashion context.

The sample size and geographic scope were limited to consumers in Indonesia, which may impact the generalizability of the findings. Although fashion trends are often seen as more applicable to women, this research included both women and men to provide a comprehensive understanding of consumer behaviour. Future research should explore these constructs in diverse cultural contexts and consider gender-specific nuances to enhance generalizability and robustness.

This study offers actionable strategies for halal fashion branding. Marketers should create brand experiences aligned with Islamic values, ensure transparency in sourcing and halal certification and embrace cultural diversity in campaigns. Leveraging digital platforms and influencers can enhance engagement and foster brand loyalty. These insights provide a framework for building trust, inclusivity and long-term success in the halal fashion market.

This study offers a novel contribution by examining the relationships between brand experience, self-congruence, brand trust, brand image and brand love specifically within the halal fashion market. Unlike previous research, it focuses on how Islamic cultural and religious values influence these constructs, providing fresh insights into branding strategies in this niche sector. Theoretically, it enriches understanding of consumer behaviour in culturally specific markets, whereas practically, it offers actionable guidance for marketers to build trust and emotional connections with halal fashion consumers.

The study aims to understand what learning is evidenced regarding knowledge about the teaching of mathematics by five primary teachers when they reflect on research lessons. To do so, we used situations from the formal and informal reflection sessions that took place after teaching four research lessons.

It is a qualitative and interpretative research. Data collection was done by participant observation with elaboration of a research journal, audio recording of sessions and a whole-group interview. Data analysis was made by content analysis based on the conceptual framework.

The study shows the relevance of carrying out successive research lessons, followed by moments of formal and informal reflection, leading to improvements in relation to the way the task is proposed to the pupils, the representations used and the monitoring and questioning carried out by the teacher in the various phases of the lesson.

In lesson study, very often, only one research lesson is held. This case shows the potential of successive research lessons, each of which is followed by moments of reflection, in promoting the development of teachers’ didactic knowledge, namely regarding teaching practice, providing a more in-depth look at the way pupils work on mathematical tasks and the role of the teacher in promoting learning. Reteaching proved to be a valuable strategy to support teachers’ reflections in order to improve the leading of pupils’ work.

This study explored the effects of incorporating RA into geopolymer concrete, particularly examining its performance under ambient and elevated temperatures ranging from ambient temperature to 700°C.

The current study incorporates RA to replace conventional aggregates in the mix, with replacement levels ranging from 0 to 50%. Each mix designation is identified by a unique ID: RA0, RA10, RA20, RA30, RA40 and RA50, representing the percentage of RA used. The alkaline-to-binder ratio adopted for this study is 0.43.

The compressive strength starts at 50.51 MPa for 0% RA and decreases to 39.12 MPa for 50% RA after 28 days. It is highest with 0% RA and diminishes as the RA content increases. All mixes show a slight increase in compressive strength when heated to 100°C. However, the compressive strength starts to decrease for all mixes at 300°C. At 700°C, there is a drastic drop in compressive strength for all mixes, indicating significant structural degradation at this temperature.

The study evaluates the qualitative impact of RA on the properties of geopolymer concrete when exposed to severe temperatures. The experimental setup included several tests to assess the concrete mixes' mechanical properties and responses. Specifically, the researchers conducted compressive, flexural and split tensile strength tests.