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This paper aims to investigate the dyeability of tussah silk fabric with lotus seedpod extract as the source of nontoxic and eco-friendly dyestuffs and functional agent.

Mordant free dyeing method was carried out using citric acid (CA) as the cross-linking agent to link the fibre and dye molecules. First, the natural pigment of oligomeric procyanidins was extracted from the lotus seedpod and then used to dye the tussah silk fabric. After the dyeing process, the dyed samples were treated with CA solution under different concentrations to improve the colour fastness.

The tussah silk fabric was successfully coloured in reddish brown through the dyeing process and charactered by using Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy spectrometer. Moreover, lotus seedpod extract could impart excellent UV protection ability to the dyed samples, and UPF values reached up to 2000. CA dosage influenced the colour characteristics, UV protection and anti-wrinkling performance. The optimum dosage of CA was 7% (Wt.%). In addition, dyed silk fabric showed good antibacterial activity and the calculated bacteriostatic rate against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus were 83.27 and 60.2%, respectively.

This bio-dyeing strategy provided a simple and effective method for sustainable tussah silk fabric dyeing process.

This paper provides a novel dyeing strategy for mordant free dyeing and functionalization of tussah silk fabric, with lotus seedpod extract as natural pigment and CA as cross-linking agent to link the fibre and dye molecules.

The main objective of this study is to examine the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on earnings management practices in China using a sample of family and non-family enterprises. More specifically, this study aims to examine whether the COVID-19 pandemic causes variation in Chinese listed family and non-family enterprises' operations, as reflected in the level of real earnings management (REM).

This study uses three standardised REM indicators, namely, the abnormal level of cash flows from operations, the abnormal level of production costs and the abnormal level of discretionary expenses. Ordinary least squares (OLS) regressions are applied to compare the earnings management of Chinese family and non-family enterprises during the pre-pandemic period (2017–2019) and the pandemic period (2020).

The authors find that Chinese listed non-family enterprises tend to participate in more REM activities than family enterprises before the COVID-19 outbreak. However, the opposite is true during the pandemic. The authors also find that COVID-19 has increased the involvement of family and non-family enterprises in REM activities.

The results of previous studies based on REM using Chinese listed firms may not be applicable under the new social background of COVID-19. As the period after the COVID-19 outbreak is relatively recent, Chinese researchers have yet to study it comprehensively. The present study is amongst the first empirical attempts investigating the effect of a pandemic financial reporting by investigating whether and how the burst of the COVID-19 crisis affected financial reporting through the earnings management practices of listed Chinese family and non-family enterprises. Such information is crucial because it can provide analysis for all stakeholders to make better decisions.

This chapter aims to investigate and interpret China’s educational aid by analyzing its history, philosophies, and practices in Africa. The study is based on review and analysis of governmental documents, reports, academic papers, and news by Chinese and foreign scholars on China’s aid, particularly educational aid to Africa. The analysis unveils three transformations of China’s aid “from pro-ideology to de-ideology,” “from single area to multiple areas,” and “from pragmatic economy driven to sustainable and humane economy focused” in Africa. Meanwhile, it indicates a continuity of the philosophy of solidarity, morality, and reciprocity in China’s South-South cooperation with African educational development.

The analysis also shows China’s educational aid does not match well with the framework of the Western donors. China, under the FOCAC framework, is devoted to higher education cooperation, human resources training program, scholarship, and Chinese language education with African partners. With the growth of its economic and political influence, China will play multiple roles as the biggest developing country and as an active promoter and provider for South-South cooperation in the negotiation and construction of the post-2015 agenda. Nevertheless, we assume China will keep a pragmatic higher education cooperation with its developing country partners to inclusively link it with business, technology transfer, and people-to-people exchange.

This study delivers a comprehensive review and analysis of paradigm shift, philosophy, mechanism, and practice of China’s educational aid to Africa to fill up the literature gap in this field. It also timely presents China’s stance toward discussion on the post-2015 agenda.

ChatGPT is a revolution in the field of lifelong learning in the digital era of higher education. This chapter explores ChatGPT's enormous influence on universities, showcasing its revolutionary potential for individualized, captivating and cooperative learning environments. With ChatGPT's exceptional adaptability to individual learning needs, students can navigate complex subjects with unparalleled ease and speed. ChatGPT is a sophisticated artificial intelligence (AI) language model. It enhances the learning process overall and creates a sense of community by enabling lively peer discussions and exchanges across geographic boundaries. However, alongside its potential benefits, ChatGPT presents ethical dilemmas that demand necessitate careful consideration. Issues such as algorithmic bias and data privacy need to be properly addressed in order to ensure responsible and equitable use of this technology is used in educational settings. The trajectory ChatGPT in higher education may be significantly influenced by forthcoming innovations like augmented and virtual reality, promising a new era of immersive and inclusive lifelong learning experiences. The chapter underscores the importance of a balanced strategy that leverages ChatGPT's benefits while proactively addressing associated challenges, supporting the fundamental transformation of higher education.

The pressing issues of climate change and environmental degradation call for a reevaluation of how we approach economic activities. Both leaders and corporations are now shifting their focus, toward adopting practices and embracing the concept of circular economy (CE). Within this context, the Food and Beverage (F&B) sector, which significantly contributes to greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, holds the potential for undergoing transformations. This study aims to explore the role that Artificial Intelligence (AI) can play in facilitating the adoption of CE principles, within the F&B sector.

This research employs the Best Worst Method, a technique in multi-criteria decision-making. It focuses on identifying and ranking the challenges in implementing AI-driven CE in the F&B sector, with expert insights enhancing the ranking’s credibility and precision.

The study reveals and prioritizes barriers to AI-supported CE in the F&B sector and offers actionable insights. It also outlines strategies to overcome these barriers, providing a targeted roadmap for businesses seeking sustainable practices.

This research is socially significant as it supports the F&B industry’s shift to sustainable practices. It identifies key barriers and solutions, contributing to global climate change mitigation and sustainable development.

The research addresses a gap in literature at the intersection of AI and CE in the F&B sector. It introduces a system to rank challenges and strategies, offering distinct insights for academia and industry stakeholders.

This study examines the influence of the stock market on foreign direct investment in developing countries and how government effectiveness moderates this relationship.

The study involved four East African Community countries and a panel dataset from 1995 to 2020. The study utilized feasible generalized least squares (FGLS) as a primary model and panel-corrected standard errors (PCSE) for a robustness check.

The impact of the stock market on foreign direct investment (FDI) is mixed. While value traded, market capitalization and the number of listed companies positively affect FDI, stock turnover has a negative impact. Government effectiveness also positively influences FDI and significantly moderates the relationship with the stock market.

The sample is only limited to stock markets and East African Community countries, and due to the unavailability of data, only four countries were captured.

Stock markets and government effectiveness are crucial for attracting FDI by enhancing the attractiveness of host countries for investment. The policymakers should improve institutional quality, support stock market development, bolster investment appeal and provide an alternative capital source.

Policy formulation should encourage institutional quality practices and support the stock market development that serves as an alternative source of capital.

This paper examines how stock markets impact FDI inflows and investigates the moderating role of government effectiveness in this relationship. The findings reveal that both stock market development and government effectiveness enhance a host country’s attractiveness for inward FDI.

The research objective was to check the impact of industry 4 (I4) technologies on environmental sustainability (ENS) with the mediating role of green supply chain management (GSCM) of textile companies in Saudi Arabia.

Data was collected from those respondents who were linked with management and also have knowledge of I4 technologies. The researchers distributed 500 questionnaires among respondents for data collection, 350 questionnaires were received, and used for analysis. The researchers employed the quantitative research approach and cross-sectional research design.

The results indicate that I4 has a positive effect on ENS and GSCM practices except for green purchasing where I4 has an insignificant impact on green purchasing. On the other hand, GSCM practices also significantly mediate between I4 and ENS except for green purchasing which has an insignificant mediating effect.

This study has a great theoretical contribution to literature as it provides strategic insight to managers as well as policymakers. From the perspective of resource-based view, this study is supportive to use I4 technology practices in GSCM. Furthermore, the current research suggests managers to implement I4 technologies and adopt the GSCM practices. These practices should be part of environmental strategies. The implementation of these practices will assist in building a strong reputation and satisfaction of customers and to fulfill the requisites of stakeholders.

The research was conducted with the extended framework of the mediating effect of GSCM between I4 and ENS of Saudi Arabia textile companies which are considered to be a pioneer study in the extant literature.

By observing facts of the “reversal of agglomeration” of Chinese enterprises during the period of rapid Internet development and using a new economic geography model combined with the data of the real estate sector, this paper deduces the influence of the “reshaping mechanisms” of the Internet on China's economic geography based on the “gravitation mechanism” of the Internet that affects the enterprises and the “amplification mechanism” of the Internet that amplifies the dispersion force of house prices.

In the empirical aspect, the dynamic spatial panel data model is used to test the micromechanisms of the impact of the Internet on enterprises' choice of location and the instrumental variable method is used to verify the macro effects of the Internet in reshaping economic geography.

It is found that in the era of the network economy, the Internet has become a source of regional competitive advantage and is extremely attractive to enterprises. The rapidly rising house price has greatly increased the congestion cost and has become the force behind the dispersion of enterprises. China's infrastructure miracle has closed the access gap which gives full play to network externalities and promotes the movement of enterprises from areas with high house prices to areas with low house prices.

The Internet is amplifying the dispersion force of congestion costs manifested as house prices and is reshaping China's economic geography. This paper further proposes policy suggestions such as taking the Internet economy as the new momentum of China's economic development and implementing the strategy of regional coordinated development.

Currently, China’s economy is in the critical phase of transforming economic development patterns and replacing old growth drivers with new ones. Whether it can successfully overcome the “middle-income trap” has become a significant issue attracting wide attention.

Driven by underlying digital technologies such as artificial intelligence, blockchain, cloud computing and big data, the fourth industrial revolution featuring the booming digital economy has provided significant opportunities for China’s economy to “overtake” and overcome the “middle-income trap”. The transformation of economic development pattern, the optimization of industrial structure, and the change of growth drivers, brought by the deep integration of digital and real economies are the keys to leaping over the “middle-income trap”.

From the supply side, the digital economy can improve the quality and efficiency of the supply side and promote the supply-side structural reform and economic growth from the following three aspects: First, promote the quality, efficiency and diversification of the supply system; second, promote networking, opening-up and synergy in the innovation system and third, promote the socialization, modularization and flexibility of production pattern. From the demand side, the digital economy can boost the new drivers of the “troika” of economic growth consisting of consumption, exports and investment by changing the market investment direction, promoting consumption upgrade and fostering export strengths. However, once these two attributes interact with each other, especially when data is combined with capital, the most adhesive factor in the market economy, a series of new social relations will then be produced based on the technical attribute, resulting in significant adjustments in social relations, involving both positive and negative externalities.

To overcome the “middle-income trap”, it is necessary to adapt to the laws of economic evolution and promote a fundamental change in economic growth drivers; boost the high-quality development of the digital economy by strengthening the support role of data in the digital economy; and accelerate digital industrialization and industrial digitalization to realize the integration of digital and real economies.