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Are there systematic trends around the world in levels of creativity, aggressiveness, life satisfaction, individualism, trust, and suicidality? This article suggests a new field, latitudinal psychology, that delineates differences in such culturally shared features along northern and southern rather than eastern and western locations. In addition to geographical, ecological, and other explanations, we offer three metric foundations of latitudinal variations: replicability (latitudinal gradient repeatability across hemispheres), reversibility (north-south gradient reversal near the equator), and gradient strength (degree of replicability and reversibility). We show that aggressiveness decreases whereas creativity, life satisfaction, and individualism increase as one moves closer to either the north or the south pole. We also discuss the replicability, reversibility, and gradient strength of (a) temperatures and rainfall as remote predictors, and (b) pathogen prevalence, national wealth, population density, and income inequality as more proximate predictors, of (c) latitudinal gradients in human functioning. Preliminary analyses suggest that cultural and psychological diversity often need to be partially understood in terms of latitudinal variations in integrated exposure to climate-induced demands and wealth-based resources. We conclude with broader implications, emphasizing the importance of north-south replications in samples that are not from Western, Educated, Industrialized, Rich, and Democratic (WEIRD) societies.

© 2018 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. This is an open access article under the CC BY license ; The cities in which we live are changing rapidly, presenting the scenery to debate future visions of transformative designs and its impact on the city. In order to take advantage of the changes and opportunities offered by the inclusion of digital technologies, an accommodation of the digital transformation into the visualization of Urbanism is required. It is a challenge for organizations and society to question the status quo and experiment often. The discussion about the increasing integration of digital technologies in urban spaces involves a number of questions relating to the complex processes of transformation that impact cities, like economic, social, political, and environmental. The main goal of the paper is to present the use of Digital Transformation in processes of urban design through technological innovation in which the diverse forms of active citizenship operate from below as agents of innovation, inclusion and social development. The results showed that it is possible to empower Digital Transformation –as for example the use Augmented and Virtual Reality (AR/VR) systems in collaborative urban design– to improve public motivation, implication, and satisfaction in urban decision-making processes. ; Peer Reviewed ; Postprint (published version)

In Payback: Debt and the Shadow Side of Wealth, Margaret Atwood examines different forms of debt and their various interrelations. Her work invites, but does not provide, an account or philosophy of debt or its deep implication in Christian beliefs such as sin, satisfaction, and atonement. This paper aims to bring to light insights into the link between debt and some aspects of Christian belief, especially the ideas of sin and satisfaction. It draws upon another unlikely source-the Ethics and political treatises of Spinoza. Spinoza's view at least implies that the idea that sin (understood as the voluntary actions of a free agent) creates a 'debt' that is 'paid' by punishment is a potentially dangerous 'fiction.' Spinoza intuits that the subsumption of the idea of debt into notions of retribution, vengeance, satisfaction, or atonement, are driven by 'superstition,' envy, and hatred, and through imitating others' hateful ideas of oneself. The idea of 'debt' is an artefact of civil authority that can only assume affective, normative purchase through internalizing fear of the implicit threat of punishment inherent in law. I will seek, finally, to suggest an implicit critique in Spinoza of the imaginative subsumption of debt into the space of religio.

Advances in computing and mathematical techniques have given rise to increasingly complex models employed in the management of risk across numerous disciplines. While current military doctrine embraces sound practices for identifying, communicating, and mitigating risk, the complex nature of modern operational environments prevents the enumeration of risk factors and consequences necessary to leverage anything beyond rudimentary risk models. Efforts to model military operational risk in quantitative terms are stymied by the interaction of incomplete, inadequate, and unreliable knowledge. Specifically, it is evident that joint and inter-Service literature on risk are inconsistent, ill-defined, and prescribe imprecise approaches to codifying risk. Notably, the near-ubiquitous use of risk matrices (along with other qualitative methods), are demonstrably problematic at best, and downright harmful at worst, due to misunderstanding and misapplication of their quantitative implications. The use of fuzzy set theory is proposed to overcome the pervasive ambiguity of risk modeling encountered by today's operational planners. Fuzzy logic is adept at addressing the problems caused by imperfect and imprecise knowledge, entangled causal relationships, and the linguistic input of expert opinion. To this end, a fuzzy inference system is constructed for the purpose of risk appraisal in military operational planning.

Inequities in access to fast and reliable internet connections, essential for digital access to services and information that are important for health, can exacerbate social inequalities in health. We evaluated the social equity of the rollout of the National Broadband Network (NBN) in Australia based on the type of digital infrastructure delivered to areas of varying socioeconomic status. We found that areas of greater socioeconomic disadvantage were significantly less likely to receive the highest quality infrastructure, controlling for level of remoteness. These social inequities in provision of quality infrastructure will shape and possibly exacerbate inequities in health. In our discussion we consider how political decisions have obstructed equitable implementation of the policy. Lessons from the Australian case study may be valuable for other countries investing in public digital infrastructure who want to ensure equity of provision and can also inform Australian policy in the NBN's remaining rollout. ; This study is part of a wider National Health and Medical Research Council funded Centre for Research Excellence in the Social Determinants of Health Equity (APP1078046) examining the policy cycle in areas that shape the distribution of power, money, and resources that affect people's daily living conditions, including infrastructure policy, and the implications for health equity.

Research into the role of place in shaping inequalities in health has focused largely on examining individual and/or localised drivers, often using a context-composition framing. Whilst this body of work has advanced considerably our understanding of the effects of local environments on health, and re-established an awareness of the importance of place for health, it has done so at the expense of marginalising and minimising the influences of macro political and economic structures on both place and health. In this paper, we argue that: (i) we need to scale up our analysis, moving beyond merely analysing local horizontal drivers to take wider, vertical structural factors into account; and (ii) if we are serious about reducing place-based health inequalities, such analysis needs be overtly linked to appropriate policy levers. Drawing on three case studies (the US mortality disadvantage, Scotland's excess mortality, and regional health divides in England and Germany) we outline the theoretical and empirical value of taking a more political economy approach to understanding geographical inequalities in health. We conclude by outlining the implications for future research and for efforts to influence policy from 'scaling up' geographical research into health inequalities.

This paper discusses the way politics is performed in the age of social media through popular platforms such as Facebook and Twitter. While these platforms function as a site for networking and information sharing, these sites also contain a wealth of data about the users ready to be mined by any interested parties, be it for political or economic gains. This feature is a characteristic of the present world brought about by the Fourth Industrial Revolution. As the world is increasingly becoming online, traditional way of doing and performing politics, ranging from practicing politics to communicating about politics, has changed. The paper outlines five interrelated ways in which politics are now performed online and the implications to governance and democracy. Following the argument of Neil Postman on public discourse in the age of television, this paper argues that in the age of social media, politics is now performed not only in an entertaining manner, but social media has also encouraged speculations and uncertainties among its citizens. Thus, while the potential for social media is there to increase political participation among citizens, it also carries with it the danger of creating a mis-informed public despite the wealth of political information available. Keywords: social media, Neil Postman, performing politics

Amidst growing dissatisfaction with the state of government performance and an erosion of trust in our political class, Competing for Influence asks: what sort of public service do we want in Australia? Drawing on his experience in both the public and private sectors - and citing academic research across the fields of public sector management, industrial organisation, and corporate strategy - Barry Ferguson argues the case for the careful selection and application of private sector management concepts to the public service, both for their ability to strengthen the public service and inform public policy. These include competitive advantage, competitive positioning, horizontal strategy and organisational design, and innovation as an all-encompassing organisational adjustment mechanism to a changeable environment. But these are not presented as a silver bullet, and Ferguson addresses other approaches to reform, including the need to rebuild the Public Sector Act, the need to reconsider the interface between political and administrative arms of government (and determine what is in the 'public interest'), and the need for greater independence for the public service within a clarified role. This approach, and its implications for public sector reform, is contrasted with the straitjacket of path dependency that presently constricts the field.

The share of the population that is 65 or older keeps on rising over the years in the U.S. According to the 2017 US population projection, the rate of growth of older population is much faster than other age groups. The growing aging population will affect the economy in many ways, especially in fiscal balance of regional governments. The main goal of the study is to examine the fiscal implication of increasing old-age population in U.S states. The old-age dependency ratio is used to measure aging population, which derived by diving the population 65 years and over by the 18 to 64 years population and multiplying by 100. The old-age dependency ratio increases government spending on primary education, public welfare (Medicaid), health and hospital, and highways and roads. The old-age dependency ratio increases property tax and corporate income tax while it has negative effects on individual income tax, other tax (taxes on motor vehicle licenses), charges (tolls on highway, tuition paid to state universities etc.), and all other revenue. All told, a one percent point increases in the old-age dependency ratio would decrease state fiscal balance by $104/person.

A host of national reports and media (e.g., Chu & Posner, 2013) in the past decade have ranked Utah last or near last in terms of women being in positions of decision making and leadership, and women in Utah politics is foundational to this issue. Raising awareness of the reasons why this is the case is critical to social change efforts focused on improving the representation of women in political roles within the state. Women serving in public office within the state of Utah have positive implications for women's health. Research shows that when more women are involved in decision-making roles related to public policy, families and societies benefit (Madsen, 2015). Female legislators tend to extend greater support than their male counterparts toward legislation focused on health, education, and social programs that tend to positively impact families and society. This report compares current Utah data to national trends in terms of women in Utah politics, with a specific focus on Congress, state executive offices, and state legislatures. Tracking progress through updated status reports is an important way to help decision makers and other influencers clarify what is working and to determine and refine best steps moving forward.

Social entrepreneurship (SE) strategic literature is in an under-theorized condition for large-scale strategy setting and classification. However, the research intends to fill the gap by proposing a literature-supported governmental-scale SE strategic grid. Thus, a systematic SE literature review was conducted up to getting four core strategic orientations of Externalism vs. Internalism, and Governmentalism vs. Volunteerism. Accompanied with a study of large-scale SE strategic partnerships by local, global, national and international social enterprises, four patterns of partnership (hence, dimensionality) within Localism vs. Globalism, and Nationalism vs. Internationalism were emerged. Later, the orientations and dimensions were corroborated based on the officially released documents of 15 governments, selected randomly in three economic classes, based on the recent UN's triad economic classification. Next, four comprehensive SE strategic classifications of Global Citizen Strategy, Opened Door Strategy, Closed Door Strategy, and Country Citizen Strategy were recognized. Finally, combining the classified strategies with their orientations and dimensions on a visualized framework led to an ultimate comprehensive SE strategic grid. The implications of the grid are its potential consensus making effect not only among SE strategists on the governmental scale but also in the academic settings.

The paper provides information for railway systems based on 30 years' experience of Japanese railway privatization. First, we introduce the background, framework, and result of the Japanese National Railway reform, especially from the perspective of the former president of the JR Kyushu Railway Company. We explain the challenges, such as diversified businesses and employee capacity building, that the company faced during that time and the creation of the business foundation in preparation for the transformation into a private company. We also discuss the tasks of the railway, including the freight transport of the high-speed railway (the Shinkansen logistics), as well as the population decline and aging society in Japan and their relationship with the railway system. Last, we summarize the implications of Japan's railway experience for a broader railway system. The high levels of safety and efficiency of Japan's railway system are based on the railway culture (hard, soft, heart) and the Japanese nationality. The railway system is extremely important for long-term economic development. In addition, we introduce the PPET Railway-ology, which integrates philosophy, politics, economy, and technology. The paper crystallizes years of railway experience and offers valuable lessons for the development of railway systems worldwide.

While most of the advanced economies are facing saturated markets, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) has been touted a stable and attractive investment region averaging 5.4% growth since 1980. In 2013, ASEAN overtook China as the top foreign direct investment destination. Boasting the world's fifth largest economy with over 650 million people and 400 million reaching middle class, ASEAN has commendably transitioned from a subsistence economy to product and service industries. Despite the success, many live in marginalized areas without access to banking facilities. Advancing internet capability and availability present investors an opportunity to offer financial technology, or Fintech, to meet the need for financial services in this digital era. The aim of this research is to identify the countries with the highest need for financial inclusion and, hence, the best potential for Fintech growth. The results may help governments formulate policy that improves investment competitiveness. The methodology includes identifying relevant criteria and allocating weight to each criterion to evaluate the best international markets. The findings show Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia as the countries with the highest potential. The associated risks and opportunities are discussed, followed by managerial implications, limitations, and recommendations for future research.

The purpose of this study is to explore the relationships between three intangible resources and the innovation performance of Chinese high-tech firms, and the moderating effect of internationalization on these relationships. We implement a hierarchical multiple regression analysis using data for 274 Chinese high-tech firms. The results show that all three intangible resources, measured by top management team diversity, research and development intensity, and government subsidies, positively influence Chinese high-tech firm innovation performance. We find the relationships between these intangible resources and the innovation performance of Chinese high-tech firms are significantly positively moderated by internationalization. These findings have important implications, as follows. First, they provide evidence of the strategic value of intangible resources and their effects on innovation performance. Second, our results show that increasing internationalization alone does not guarantee performance improvement. Firms should consider their internal and external environments and the complex relationships among factors when they make decisions about internationalization investments. Prior research does not provide an explanation for how internationalization affects performance, because it primarily focuses on the direct relationship between internationalization and performance. This study overcomes this limitation by examining the indirect effect of internationalization on performance.

This paper investigates the macroeconomic implications of alternative tax regimes. For this purpose, a one-sector general equilibrium model is constructed in which heterogeneous agents differ in productivity and holdings of capital in the sense of incurring transaction costs for participating in the capital market. A Cobb-Douglas production function is employed that can capture the capital-skill complementarity effect and the difference in productivities of the skilled and unskilled workers. With regards to fiscal policy experiments, this paper examines tax structures where a permanent reduction in each of the three main tax instruments namely, consumption, labour and capital income tax is compensated by a permanent increase in one of the remaining two policy instruments such that the government budget constraint is tax revenue neutral. The government levies taxes on consumption, labour income and capital income in order to finance its only activity, government consumption. Next, the model economy is calibrated to the Greek economy to reflect the great ratios over 1960:1-2005:4 and then, it studies the long-run, welfare and transitional effects of the undertaken analysis. The sensitivity analysis shows that the quantitative and qualitative findings are quite robust.