The rapid spread of monkeypox (mpox) has been declared as a public health emergency of international concern (PHEIC). The present study aimed to assess the knowledge, attitude, and worry levels of the general population in the Kurdistan region of Iraq regarding the ongoing mpox multi-country outbreak. An online cross-sectional survey was conducted between 27–30 July 2022, using a convenience sampling method. The questionnaire was adapted from previous studies addressing the same topic. The independent Student’s t-test, one-way ANOVA, and logistic regression were used to assess possible factors associated with knowledge, attitude, and worry toward mpox. A total of 510 respondents were included in the final analysis. The participants showed a moderate level of mpox knowledge, a neutral attitude towards mpox, and a relatively moderate worry level. The logistic regression analysis showed that age, gender, marital status, religion, level of education, and place of residence were associated with mpox knowledge; however, the significant variables in the multivariate regression analysis were gender, religion, level of education, and residential area. Gender and residential area were associated with attitudes toward mpox; however, the significant variables in the multivariate regression analysis were gender and residential areas. The worry toward mpox was influenced by gender, marital status, religion, and place of residence, yet the significant variables in the multivariate regression analysis were gender, religion, educational level, and residential area. In conclusion, the Kurdish population had moderate knowledge, a neutral attitude, and a moderate level of worry about mpox. Considering the continuous rapid rise in mpox cases in several countries, and its possible risk as pandemic amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, proactive control measures, adequate disease prevention strategies, and preparedness plans need to be formulated and immediately implemented to tackle the appearance of fears among people, and to safeguard the mental health of the public.

This study aims to apply the golden ratio to the capital structure of non-financial institutions in France and the United Kingdom to find the effect of the golden ratio’s deviation from the capital structure on financial performance. A golden ratio is an irrational number with an approximate value of 1.618. In this paper, the golden ratio was applied to develop the assumption that the firm should use debt at a percentage of 61.8% and equity at 38.2%, which deviates from the capital structure variables. The final study sample consisted of 150 non-financial institution firms from France and 200 from the U.K. between 2002 and 2021. In addition, the general method of movement (GMM) was chosen to estimate the effect of capital structure variables deviating from the golden ratio on firms’ financial performance. The study results show that when a firm uses equity at a percentage of 38.2% in its capital structure, it can have a positive and significant impact on its financial performance in both France and the U.K. However, the results show that the debt-to-equity ratio deviated from the golden ratio and had a negative and statistically significant effect on both countries’ TOBQ, EPS, ROA, and ROE. Moreover, the firms’ adoption of IFRS can positively and significantly impact financial performance in France and the UK. Generally, managers in France are encouraged to use 38.2% equity and 61.8% debt in their capital structure. However, managers in the U.K. should apply equity of 38.2% and debt of 61.8%, depending on the performance measurement demanded.

The United Kingdom has long been a frontrunner in green finance, establishing programs like the Green Finance Institute to promote corporate engagement in sustainable initiatives. The Green Finance Strategy, enacted in 2019, aligns UK financial procedures with international standards, including the EU taxonomy for sustainable Activities. The study examined how sustainable finance enhances the corporate reputation of the firms listed on the London Stock Exchange. A purposive sampling yielded 17 years of data from 143 non-financial companies from the Thomson Reuters Eikon DataStream between 2007 and 2023. In dealing with the issue of endogeneity and auto-serial correlation, the Generalized Methods of Movement (GMM) was employed to provide reliable and unbiased estimation results. The study revealed a positive impact of green bond issues, environmental expenditures, and policies for emission reduction on corporate reputation. The moderating relationship between green bond issues, environmental expenditures, and board diversity revealed a positive and significant relationship with corporate reputation. Managers should ensure that their endorsed activities gain public recognition and align with sustainability goals, particularly by emphasizing the issuance of green bonds in their financing strategy. They should also collaborate with environmental experts and stakeholders to ensure that the outcomes of funded projects are evaluated in line with international ESG standards.