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India has produced several drafts of data policies. In this work, they are referred to [1] JBNSCR 2018, [2] DPDPR 2018, [3] NSAI 2018, [4] RAITF 2018, [5] PDPB 2019, [6] PRAI 2021, [7] JPCR 2021, [8] IDAUP 2022, [9] IDABNUP 2022. All of them consider Artificial Intelligence (AI) a social problem solver at the societal level, let alone an incentive for economic growth. However, these policy drafts warn of the social disruptions caused by algorithms and encourage the careful use of computational technologies in various social contexts. Hence, the emerging data society and its implications in India's social contexts demand immense social science attention, which needs to be improved in the policy drafts, primarily because they are creations of industry stakeholders, technocrats, bureaucrats, and experts from tech schools. In the larger social milieu of digital infrastructure emerging, the fundamental question is whether India's national philosophy envisioned in the Indian constitution is reflected in the policy papers. The paper enquires whether the national data policy upholds the core values dispersed through the philosophy of the Indian constitution, which, among other things, is not confined only to inclusion, diversity, rights, liberty, justice and equality. By focusing on constitutional values, the paper seeks to offer a broader and more critical understanding of India's approach to AI policy by bringing together analyses of a wide array of policy documents available in the public realm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Early childhood development (ECD) refers to the physical, motor, socio-emotional, cognitive, and linguistic development of a young child. The 'Countdown to 2030' global distribution of 'children at risk of poor development' indicates the need for urgent action and investment in ECD. Nurturing care enhances ECD, even in the presence of adversities. Strategic actions should exist at multiple levels: the family, community, health care providers and government. Previously, child health related policies and programs of the Government of India functioned in isolation, but have recently started demonstrating multi-sectoral collaboration. Nonetheless, the status of ECD in India is far from optimal. There is strong evidence that parenting programs improve outcomes related to ECD. This is dependent on key programmatic areas (timing, duration, frequency, intensity, modality, content, etc.), in addition to political will, funding, partnership, and plans for scaling up. Each country must implement its unique ECD program that is need-based and customized to their stakeholder community. Barriers like inadequate sensitization of the community and low competency of health care providers need to be overcome. IAP firmly believes that responsive parenting interventions revolving around nurturing care should be incorporated in office practice. This paper outlines IAP's position on ECD, and its recommendations for pediatricians and policy makers. It also presents the roadmap in partnership with other stakeholders in maternal, neonatal, and child health; Federation of Obstetric and Gynaecological Societies of India (FOGSI), National Neonatology Forum (NNF), World Health Organization (WHO), and United Nation Children Fund (UNICEF) [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Numerous variables are involved in determining the market capitalization and price of cryptocurrencies. So, It is impossible to ignore the feedback of each variable on the other ones. Also, Bitcoin management is challenging due to inter-dependencies and feedback between economic and social drivers. To better understand the dynamics that different variables have on Bitcoin, a system dynamics approach has been developed to investigate the complex interactions between factors related to Bitcoin and paper money and how these factors may affect the stability of Bitcoin. This paper aims to examine the impact of government support for Bitcoin in the future, news and sentiments effect on Bitcoin market price, and the future orientation of Bitcoin. For this purpose, a simulation period is considered from 2017 to 4500 days later. Moreover, In this study, policies have been designed to check the impact of policies on variables in the long term by keeping other variables constant. The results show that if governments support Bitcoin as an official trading currency in the future, the market price of Bitcoin and its trading volume will grow upward and fluctuate so that its market price will go up to about 90 thousand dollars. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Across the world, artificial intelligence (AI) technologies are being more widely employed in public sector decision-making and processes as a supposedly neutral and an efficient method for optimizing delivery of services. However, the deployment of these technologies has also prompted investigation into the potentially unanticipated consequences of their introduction, to both positive and negative ends. This paper chooses to focus specifically on the relationship between gender bias and AI, exploring claims of the neutrality of such technologies and how its understanding of bias could influence policy and outcomes. Building on a rich seam of literature from both technological and sociological fields, this article constructs an original framework through which to analyse both the perpetuation and mitigation of gender biases, choosing to categorize AI technologies based on whether their input is text or images. Through the close analysis and pairing of four case studies, the paper thus unites two often disparate approaches to the investigation of bias in technology, revealing the large and varied potential for AI to echo and even amplify existing human bias, while acknowledging the important role AI itself can play in reducing or reversing these effects. The conclusion calls for further collaboration between scholars from the worlds of technology, gender studies and public policy in fully exploring algorithmic accountability as well as in accurately and transparently exploring the potential consequences of the introduction of AI technologies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

De Economist is calling for papers for a special issue on "Inequality in the Housing Market." The editors are seeking empirical and theoretical submissions on housing and inequality. The special issue aims to address the interactions between cyclical market developments, government policies, and housing outcomes at the macro and micro level. Topics of interest include the implications of housing for wealth inequality, neighborhood effects and inequality, social rent assistance, homeownership, financial risks in the housing market, housing markets and the growth of cities, telework, pricing in the housing market, intergenerational mechanisms of housing, and housing affordability and energy. The deadline for submission is March 31, 2024. [Extracted from the article]

In the face of complex and changeable uncertain environments, corporate resilience is the crucial foundation for survival and sustainable development, and enhancing corporate resilience becomes an important goal for governments. In this context, this paper investigates the impact of government subsidies, as a typical government tool, on corporate resilience in crises. Based on the panel data of 2315 listed companies in China Shanghai and Shenzhen A-share market during the COVID-19 pandemic, this paper finds that: (1) government subsidies received before and during the crises can both enhance corporate resilience in crises. (2) Government subsidies enhance corporate resilience by alleviating financial constraints and boosting confidence. (3) The crises improve the efficiency of subsidies used by corporates, resulting in the enhancement of subsidies received during the crises being more pronounced than those received before the crises. This paper deepens the understanding of government subsidies' roles in crises, enriches the literature on government subsidies and corporate resilience, and provides a reference for improving government subsidies policy and enhancing corporate resilience. The government should increase government subsidies to mitigate the negative impact of uncertainty shocks on corporates and improve corporates' ability to respond to risks, and pay attention to the timing of subsidies to maximize the efficiency of government subsidies at the same time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The interaction between the government's carbon reduction policy and a firm's product strategy has not been well studied in the literature. This paper considers the government's two different carbon quota allocation policies for the cap-and-trade scheme and the firm's two product strategies and investigates the interaction between them by establishing a theoretical model and deriving the optimal decisions. This paper first examines the firms' selection of low-carbon products or ordinary product strategies under the government's two carbon quota allocation policies and then studies the government's optimal carbon quota allocation policy for overall social welfare, which is based on the firm's two product strategies. Our analysis reveals that (i) when the government allocates carbon quotas aimed at reducing the firm's total carbon emissions, the firm will choose the low-carbon product strategy. When the government allocates a carbon quota aimed at optimal total social welfare, the firm's decision depends on the impact of total carbon emissions. (ii) To achieve optimal social welfare, the government will formulate different carbon quota allocation policies on the basis of firms' different product strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on a dynamic panel data model, this paper estimates the impact of lockdown policies on inflation with U.S. metropolitan-level data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. After controlling for the unit/time fixed effects and several aggregate demand/supply shifters, lockdown policies created a mild inflationary effect nationwide, though the individual effect was heterogeneous. This study novelly analyzes the political economy of coronavirus disease policy and the subsequent economic outcomes. In particular, the inflationary impact was most pronounced for Republican-governed states that switched votes from President Trump in 2016 to President (elect) Biden in 2020, suggesting price stability is a source of voting behavior. On the contrary, lockdown policies caused deflation in Democratic-governed states where unemployment rates and public compliance with lockdown measures were presumably higher. The results indicate that the economic consequences of public policies depend critically on the political partisanship of the region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent years have witnessed the rapid development of the China's stock market, but investment risks have also emerged. Stock price is always unstable and non-linear, affected not only by historical transaction data but also by national policies, news, and other data. Stock price and textual data are beginning to be employed in the prediction process. However, the challenge lies in effectively integrating feature information derived from stock price and textual information. To address the problem, in this paper, this paper proposes a Hybrid Data-driven Multi-task Learning(HDML) framework to predict stock price. HDML adopts hybrid data as model input, mining the transaction and capital flow data information in the stock market and considering the impact of investors' emotions on the stock market. In addition, we incorporate multi-task learning, which predicts the closing price range of stock based on structured data and then corrects the prediction results through investors' comment text data. HDML effectively captures the relationship between different modal data through multi-task learning and achieve improvements on both tasks. The experimental results show that compared with previous work, HDML reduces the RMSE of the evaluation set by 12.14% and improves the F1 score by an average of 13.64% at the same time. Moreover, value at risk (VaR), together with the HDML model, can help investors weigh the potential gains against the associated risks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Achieving exceptional financial performance is a primary goal for every management team due to its importance in establishing a solid firm structure and facilitating growth. However, several factors consistently hinder the attainment of this objective, resulting in adverse effects on a firm's performance and financial success. Therefore, this study aims to analyze scholarly publications to understand relevant factors influencing the financial performance of firms in the manufacturing industry. Using keywords in the Scopus database, we identified a total of 808 papers published between 1987 and 2022, and ultimately selected 289 for further analysis based on predetermined criteria. The selected literature was then analyzed in two different ways. First, we discerned the crucial factors affecting the financial performance of manufacturing firms. Our systematic review revealed that organizational characteristics (e.g., CSR practices, strategy, board characteristics, innovation & technology, information, decision-making and communication, and environmental and sustainability practices) play a more significant role in determining the financial performance of a firm than external factors (e.g., market economic parameters, government policies & support, and competition). Second, we employed VOSViewer software to dissect the selected publications, including the creation of bibliometric co-word maps and the examination of bibliographic coupling among journals. The results yielded valuable insights into leading nations, notable journals, noteworthy studies, trending keywords, and prominent publications in this field. Moreover, our research emphasizes the multifaceted nature of financial performance-related factors, offering useful insights for future studies exploring the interplay between factors and the performance of manufacturing firms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper aims to investigate government policy intervention for mitigating the impacts of COVID-19 on small and medium enterprises (SMEs). This paper has utilized a methodology comprising of bibliometrics, network, and content analyses on 831 documents extracted from the Scopus database to explore the extant literature on this domain. A systematic literature review has also been performed to propose the government policy intervention during the crisis framework. The analysis and review discerned that government policy interventions yielding the greatest success display a pronounced industry focus, regardless of a country's economic context. Notably efficacious interventions encompass government support for market access and promotion, regulatory flexibility, wage subsidies, supply chain bolstering, sustainable long-term support, training and development, digitization aid, and industry-specific access to credit and capital. Collaborative efforts between governments and financial institutions also proved instrumental in expediting SME recovery. Furthermore, initiatives like knowledge-sharing, capacity-building, digitalization of SMEs, and crisis management training played pivotal roles in ensuring SME survival during the COVID-19 pandemic. This paper has also provided guidelines for future research direction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study uses a two-step approach to construct a multi-period double-difference model and introduces a quasi-natural experiment of the Broadband China pilot policy to investigate whether household financial market participation at the urban level is affected by the digital economy, which is significant for promoting Chinese households' shift from savings to investment and alleviating the long-standing problem of insufficient household financial market participation in China. In terms of direct impact, the digital economy increases the household financial market participation rate of urban residents by 3.26%, and increases the financial market participation rate of highly financially literate households by 2.14%; in terms of indirect impact, the development of the digital economy increases the total number of household smart Internet devices by 8.27%, and similarly increases the attention to household financial information by a significant 4.22%, which further positively influences the household financial market participation rate. This paper also evaluates the individual and regional differences of the digital economy on household financial market participation, and the estimated causal effect of the digital economy on household financial market participation is purer, which expands the scope of research on the digital economy and household financial market participation, and provides a certain reference basis and policy inspiration for the government to promote the construction of the digital economy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper identifies the ethical issues associated with college instructors' use of plagiarism detection software (PDS), specifically the Turnitin program. It addresses the pros and cons of using such software in higher education, arguing that its use is justified on the basis that it increases institutional trust, and demonstrating that two common criticisms of such software are not universally valid. An analysis of the legal issues surrounding Turnitin, however, indicates that the way it is designed and operates raises some ethical issues because it denies students notice, access and choice about the treatment of their personal information. The paper concludes with a set of guidelines for instructors using Turnitin in the classroom. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research paper delves into the intricate domain of policy science, focusing on the policy-making process itself. Existing theoretical frameworks in policy science often overlook essential nuances, particularly the role of political willingness causing non-linearity in the policy-making process. Three fundamental questions drive the research at hand. First, the research delves into the adequacy of existing policy frameworks in effectively elucidating the complexities of policymaking in the context of large democracies, with a particular focus on India. Second, it investigates the significant role of political willingness in shaping the trajectory of policymaking, particularly within democratic systems. Lastly, the research aims to construct a comprehensive framework capable of accommodating and explaining the non-linear dynamics introduced by the influence of political willingness throughout the policy-making process. Through an analysis of India's Data Protection Regulation formulation process, this paper attempts to map the existing gap and way forward. As an outcome of the case study analysis, the proposed framework introduces political willingness as a central element extending the policy formulation cycle and showcases its influence on agenda setting, policy formulation, adoption, implementation, and evaluation. This research contributes to the field of policy science by providing a comprehensive framework that accounts for the complexities of policymaking, especially in the Indian context. By acknowledging the pivotal role of political willingness, this framework seeks to bridge the gap in existing theoretical models, offering a more holistic understanding of policy formulation and analysis. This research lays the foundation for a paradigm shift in the study of policy science, addressing the challenges posed by evolving governance mechanisms and the rising influence of political agendas in the modern world. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The growing concern about climate change necessitates the development of models for long-term measurements of the sustainability performance. The Global Reporting Initiative suggests a framework for sustainability reporting. This study intends to fill two gaps in the existing literature. On the one hand, it assesses the Global Reports Initiative's impact on academics. This article, on the other hand, will compare public policies aimed at a Global Reporting Initiative in rich and developing countries from 1999 to 2020. The above research utilizes bibliometric analysis via Biblioshiny and the Scopus publications database, as well as an online interface for Bibliometrix analysis. For studying the Global Reports Initiative literature, this method offers a viable alternative to traditional bibliometric analysis. This is one of the first studies to use a computer approach to examine the literary paths of the Global Reporting Initiative issue. Among the findings we can mention that, the most GRI inquiries were distributed by the "Journal of Cleaner Production." The most useful GRI creators are Clarkson PM., Azapagic A., and Milne MJ. The findings of this paper suggest that the composition of the GRI addresses one of the keys to global monetary advancement, particularly in developing countries, for the foreseeable future. Our paper indicates that the Global Reporting Initiative principles have a strong potential to handle these connected issues in managing and maintaining the environment by adapting developed-country experiences to developing-country challenges. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The governance policies have a prominent impact on the development and regional planning of the Yangtze River Basin, a key region for China to achieve modernization. Taking the public policy documents issued by China's central government for the Yangtze River Basin from 1980 to 2022 as the research object, this paper introduces the NLP (Natural Language Processing) technology and semantic analysis methods to carry out quantitative research on policies. This study first examines the textual connotations of the policies and the characteristics of the policy changes based on the LDA (Latent Dirichlet Allocation) model to determine how policy changes occur for the governance of the Yangtze River Basin. Using the punctuated equilibrium theory, it then conducts two case studies in which the implications of specific major events are analyzed in depth. Research has shown that the changes in governance policies for the Yangtze River Basin are characterized by gradual changes and intermittent mutation, roughly divided into three stages: the stage of reform and development, the stage of transition, and the stage of prioritizing ecological conservation and green development. Moreover, such changes jointly result from three factors: the major events, the focus of public opinions, and the care of the central government. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of the GLocal dataset is to enable research in international development that requires both global scope and local precision. Leveraging modern geospatial analysis tools, we process a diverse array of sources to provide researchers with a growing set of economic, demographic, ecological and socio-political variables for geographic units relevant to public policy. We provide separate data files for different levels of administrative and periodic aggregation, along with ad-hoc files with more detailed information on specific topics. In this data descriptor paper, we discuss both our data processing methodologies and validation pipelines, and provide a short case study to illustrate the research potential of the dataset. We also introduce a simple web app, glocal.streamlit.app, which offers a user-friendly interface for exploring and visualizing the dataset. Given the growing number of public and granular sources of relevance for international development research, we hope to continue adding features and expand the GLocal dataset in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Assesses the homogenous approach and policy measures towards small and medium sized enterprises (SME), adopted by the `White Paper on Growth, Competitiveness and Employment' and by national policies in Greece. Role of SME in the Greek economy; Structural characteristics of SME; European Union policy measures in favor of SME.

With only a few exceptions, U.S. copyright law does not allow copyrights for software created by the U.S. federal agencies' government-operated laboratories. This paper explains the public policy concern that the inability to copyright the software causes a barrier to the transfer of government software to the private sector. Using a survey of developers and managers of custom software developed within the federal agencies, the paper presents and interprets new evidence supporting the view that allowing copyright protection would dramatically increase the transfer of the technology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Development is a fundamental pursuit of human society. When it comes to national governance, there are issues of imbalanced and insufficient development that must be addressed. Since 1949, when the People's Republic of China was founded, the Chinese government has adopted a series of ethnic policies to resolve these development issues across ethnic minority areas. Since the late 1970s, Chinese scholars and the government have paid particular attention to the development issues of ethnic groups with smaller populations. This paper examines the relevant literature on this topic and divides China's policies on this issue into three stages: (1) initial exploration, (2) targeted assistance, and (3) specialized planning. It discusses the Chinese government's policy process and its experience empowering ethnic groups with smaller populations. The paper argues that the Chinese government's support for ethnic groups with smaller populations is guided by valid ethnic theories and a comprehensive policy system. In the implementation of policies, the government recognizes "development" as the primary objective. It then formulates, implements, and evaluates policies based on the characteristics of the different ethnic groups with smaller populations. This approach effectively addressed the problems faced by these ethnic groups during different stages of their development and achieved the intended policy goals. Therefore, these policies are practical and sustainable. They are a valuable asset, and studying them could be beneficial to any unified multi-ethnic country that wants to tackle the development issues of their ethnic minorities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Rare diseases pose immense challenges for healthcare systems due to their low prevalence, associated disabilities, and attendant treatment costs. Advancements in gene therapy, such as treatments for Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA), have introduced novel therapeutic options, but the high costs, exemplified by Zolgensma® at US$2.1 million, present significant financial barriers. This scoping review aimed to compare the funding approaches for rare disease treatments across high-performing health systems in Australia, Singapore, South Korea, the United Kingdom (UK), and the United States (US), aiming to identify best practices and areas for future research. Methods: In accordance with the PRISMA-ScR guidelines and the methodological framework by Arksey and O'Malley and ensuing recommendations, a comprehensive search of electronic databases (Medline, EMBASE, and Cochrane) and grey literature from health department websites and leading national organizations dedicated to rare diseases in these countries was conducted. Countries selected for comparison were high-income countries with advanced economies and high-performing health systems: Australia, Singapore, South Korea, the UK, and the US. The inclusion criteria focused on studies detailing drug approval processes, reimbursement decisions and funding mechanisms, and published from 2010 to 2024. Results: Based on a thorough review of 18 published papers and grey literature, various strategies are employed by countries to balance budgetary constraints and access to rare disease treatments. Australia utilizes the Life Saving Drugs Program and risk-sharing agreements. Singapore depends on the Rare Disease Fund, which matches public donations. South Korea's National Health Insurance Service covers specific orphan drugs through risk-sharing agreements. The UK relies on the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) to evaluate treatments for cost-effectiveness, supported by the Innovative Medicines Fund. In the US, a combination of federal and state programs, private insurance and non-profit support is used. Conclusion: Outcome-based risk-sharing agreements present a practical solution for managing the financial strain of costly treatments. These agreements tie payment to actual treatment efficacy, thereby distributing financial risk and promoting ongoing data collection. Countries should consider adopting and expanding these agreements to balance immediate expenses with long-term benefits, ultimately ensuring equitable access to crucial treatments for patients afflicted by rare diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Modern democratic states are increasingly adopting new information and communication technologies to enhance the efficiency and quality of public administration, public policy and services. However, there is substantial variation in the extent to which countries are successful in pursuing such public digitalization. This paper zooms in on the role of social trust as a possible account for the observed empirical pattern in the range and scope of public digitalization across countries. Our argument is that high social trust makes it easier to digitalize the public sector to the benefit of overall society. We develop a simple game-theoretical model that specifies this positive externality from a high-trust culture and provide empirical evidence that a higher level of social trust is associated with a higher level of public digitalization. Of course, high-trust countries cannot do without the rule of law (formal rules of the game) and some institutionalized mechanisms of control and accountability. However, from our argument, it follows that one future challenge could be that control crowds out trust, so that the balance is no longer optimal. If such overcontrol occurs, public digitalization win–win situations between citizens and government can be undermined, even in high-trust countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The promises and risks of Artificial Intelligence permeate current policy statements and have attracted much attention by AI governance research. However, most analyses focus exclusively on AI policy on the national and international level, overlooking existing federal governance structures. This is surprising because AI is connected to many policy areas, where the competences are already distributed between the national and subnational level, such as research or economic policy. Addressing this gap, this paper argues that more attention should be dedicated to subnational efforts to shape AI and asks which themes are discussed in subnational AI policy documents with a case study of Germany's 16 states. Our qualitative analysis of 34 AI policy documents issued on the subnational level demonstrates that subnational efforts focus on knowledge transfer between research and industry actors, the commercialization of AI, different economic identities of the German states, and the incorporation of ethical principles. Because federal states play an active role in AI policy, analysing AI as a policy issue on different levels of government is necessary and will contribute to a better understanding of the developments and implementations of AI strategies in different national contexts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research considers advertising and corporate social responsibility (CSR) in a supply chain. The supply chain composed of a retailer and a manufacturer is considered. It is assumed that the manufacturer chooses one of two strategies: the manufacturer is only concerned with its profit, and the manufacturer is concerned with society's satisfaction level in addition to its profit. Accordingly, in the second strategy, the manufacturer has a utility consisting of profit and consumer satisfaction. Concerning the manufacturer over consumers, satisfaction is assumed as the CSR concern. Therefore, in this study, a measure for determining the satisfaction level in society is developed for the first time. Moreover, we assume that the manufacturer could have environmental transparency in advertising when facing its customers. Hence, it is considered that the demand function is sensitive to advertising transparency. The effect of advertising transparency on the demand function is also considered in this paper. In addition, we assume that the supply chain members are rivals and tend to determine their equilibrium decision variables to earn the maximum profit or utility. At last, based upon the equilibrium values of variables, some analysis and managerial insights are proposed. For instance, when the manufacturer is concerned with CSR, the equilibrium advertising, demand, and the profit of the retailer are higher and the wholesale and retail prices are lower than when he is not concerned about CSR. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bright ICT research involves taking a holistic view at the design of ICT enabled future society (Lee, [8]; Lee et al., [9]). Opportunities for Future Research Taken together, the papers in this special issue contribute to the literature on the unintended use of ICT and provide insights for practice. The accepted papers contribute to our understanding of the threats of ICT adoption by organizations and individuals. [Extracted from the article]

The article focuses on the impact a Russian amended law concerning state secrets is having on science publishing by Russian scientists. It states President Vladimir Putin used a decree in May 2015 expanding the scope of a law requiring scientists get permission from the Federal Security Service prior to publishing results which could have industrial or military applications. It reports Russian universities are requiring scientists seek approval to the publication of any findings without exception.

Sustainable development in freight transportation networks is becoming increasingly important due to its significant role in the economic development process and its impacts on the environment. Governments usually improve sustainability dimensions in freight transportation by imposing taxes on transportation networks. Therefore, they should extend their knowledge of interactions between sustainability dimensions and how their interventions affect the sustainability of the transportation sector. In this regard, we analyze duopoly competition in three freight transportation networks in the context of government intervention. These networks include green, semi-green, and non-green modes, where the green and semi-green networks are regarded as environmentally sustainable networks. In this paper, two bi-level mathematical models are proposed, in which a government, as a Stackelberg leader, levies fuel consumption taxes based on environmental and economic concerns. A Nash game was built at the lower level to examine price competitiveness in the transportation market. A case study was conducted in the Tehran-Esfahan freight transportation networks (Iran). Due to the complexity of the bi-level models, the Karush–Kuhn–Tucker approach was adopted to unify the models. Finally, the relevant calculations were performed based on actual information. The results of the problems in the case study showed the economic and environmental dimensions are contradictory and that the government's minimization of economic risks aids in ensuring environmental sustainability. Also, improving energy efficiency in transportation networks can have negative environmental consequences. However, when accompanied by government intervention, improving energy efficiency effectively reduces the fuel consumption rate. Moreover, government support will reduce total fuel consumption by reducing green vehicle fuel taxes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Accelerating efforts for the Sustainable Development Goals requires understanding their synergies and trade-offs at the national and sub-national levels, which will help identify the key hurdles and opportunities to prioritize them in an indivisible manner for a country. Here, we present the importance of the 17 goals through synergy and trade-off networks. Our results reveal that 19 provinces show the highest trade-offs in SDG13 (Combating Climate Change) or SDG5 (Gender Equality) consistent with the national level, with other 12 provinces varying. 24 provinces show the highest synergies in SDG1 (No Poverty) or SDG6 (Clean Water and Sanitation) consistent with the national level, with the remaining 7 provinces varying. These common but differentiated SDG priorities reflect that to ensure a coordinated national response, China should pay more attention to the provincial situation, so that provincial governments can formulate more targeted policies in line with their own priorities towards accelerating sustainable development. The paper reveals areas of common and differentiated SDG priority at the national and subnational levels in China considering synergy and trade-off. The findings suggest that provincial governments should formulate more targeted policy aligning with national priority to achieve SDGs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Agricultural manufacturers (abbreviation: Manufacturers) are conventionally committed to carbon emission reductions under government subsidies to achieve carbon neutrality goals, such as manufacturer subsidies and consumer subsidies. In addition, with the increase in consumers' low-carbon preferences, a growing number of retailers exert sales efforts to promote carbon emission reduction. In this paper, we apply a game theory approach and focus on investigating how sales effort and different government subsidies promote manufacturers' carbon emission reductions. We draw several important conclusions: First, we find that government subsidies are not always conducive to promoting carbon emissions reductions. Second, we show that consumer subsidies impose a higher (lower) financial burden on the government than manufacturer subsidies when carbon abatement costs are above (below) a threshold. Furthermore, retailers are preferable to impose sales effort under consumer subsidies when the cost of sales effort is higher. Third, the results suggest that manufacturer subsidies are more conducive to maximizing social welfare when consumer low-carbon preferences are small in the presence of retailer-imposed sales effort. Something counterintuitive is that we find that social welfare is more likely to be optimal without government subsidies as consumer low-carbon preferences increase. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An introduction is presented in which the editor discusses various reports within the issue on topics including policy analysis and management, editorial policy, and publication statistics.

Reports on Great Britain's 1993 white paper `Realizing Our Potential.' Research reforms proposed in the white paper; Threat on the medical Research Council's institutes; Particle Physics and Astronomy Research Council's funding of basic research; Privatization of public research laboratories.

Background: While gun owners are frequently surveyed, we are not aware of any study that has examined principles held by gun owners that underlie their gun policy opinions, or their opinions about specific provisions of each policy. To find the common ground between gun owners and non-gun owners, this paper aims to answer the following: (1) What underlying principles affects gun owner support for gun policies; (2) how do gun owners' attitudes change depending on the specific provisions within these policies? Methods: In May 2022, a survey was administered by NORC at the University of Chicago and completed by adult gun owners (n = 1078) online or by phone. Statistical analyses were performed using STATA. The survey used a 5-point Likert scale to evaluate gun owners' principles and attitudes toward firearm regulation, such as red flag laws, and possible provisions to these policies. Focus groups and interviews were conducted with 96 adult gun owners and non-gun owners to further clarify points in the survey for the former and to ascertain support for the same policies and their potential provisions for the latter. Results: The principle that gun owners identified with the most concerned keeping guns out of the hands of those with an increased risk for violence. There was significant overlap among gun owners and non-gun owners on policy support, especially with this central theme that those with a history of violence should be prevented from accessing a firearm. The degree of support for policies was different depending on what provisions were said to be included in the policy. For example, the degree of support for universal background checks ranged from 19.9 to 78.4% depending on the details of the legislation. Conclusion: This research demonstrates common ground between gun owners and non-gun owners: It informs the gun safety policy community about gun owners' views and principles on gun safety policy and which policy provisions impact their support for a given law. This paper suggests that an effective, mutually agreed upon gun safety policy is possible. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper proposes a critical review of the debate on related versus unrelated diversification undergoing within and across Evolutionary Economic Geography. It remarks the accumulating evidence on related diversification in regions, but it is mainly concerned with the sources and implications of unrelated diversification. It is claimed that the scope for unrelated diversification is narrower for lagging regions and it develops this claim by focusing on two sets of regions: the old industrial areas and the peripheral regions. Accordingly, unrelated diversification is depicted as deeply embroiled with the broader question of uneven regional development, but also as a potential catalyst of economic and technological convergence. A similar theoretical proposition is then advanced with respect to sustainability transitions, where unrelated diversification is eligible to undermine the detrimental role played by dominant technological regimes. Finally, it advocates for a proper assessment of the role of public policies in fostering processes of regional diversification and discusses the theoretical and methodological implications of including public policies in the EEG approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper discusses the regional economic development of Yogyakarta, a former Indonesian capital city carrying dynamic change over the past forty years. Government policy to build massive infrastructure was crucial to starting the agglomeration of Yogyakarta as a central city. According to the New Economic Geographic perspective, this paper shows that Sleman, as a medium-level suburban area becomes a shadow urban for Yogyakarta, whereas the urban Yogyakarta and Sleman suburban have become indifferent and borderless over recent years. Spatially, this economic transformation indicates a shifting perception of economic power among the regions. This paper examines the economic development in urban Yogyakarta using data triangulation in analysis. The finding shows that their Gross Regional Domestic Product (GRDP), economic activities, and regional populations were increasingly dispersed into its suburban areas. Thus, distributing potential markets all over regions should be concerned in planning and regional development in Yogyakarta. This argument is consistent with the spirit of inequality alleviation between urban and suburbs toward a convergent economy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Collaborative governance involves convening of government and non-government actors in policy formulation and implementation. Motivating collaborative governance is the expectation that engagement of diverse arrays of stakeholders in the public policy process allows policymakers and administrators to draw on the expertise, resources, and perspectives of these stakeholders to develop more contextually appropriate and effective policies. Since collaborative governance is fundamentally premised on the representation of diverse stakeholders in collaborative processes, assessing the extent to which representation is actualized is paramount. This paper adds to recent scholarship that examines representation dynamics in collaborative governance arrangements, focusing specifically on: (i) how diverse stakeholders included in collaborative governance arrangements are descriptively and substantively represented; (ii) how substantively represented stakeholders are coordinating on informational and relationship building activities; (iii) how representation and coordination dynamics change over time; and (iv) the extent to which representation and coordination dynamics are indicative of collaboration life cycle stage. Additionally, in responding to this latter aim, the paper presents a novel approach for measuring life cycle stages. The paper reports on a comparative case study of environmental justice councils, which are collaborative governance arrangements convened by states to assist in the design and implementation of policies aimed at reducing environmental harms within low income and minority populated communities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper studies the nexus between asset returns volatility in six major segments of Indian financial markets (viz. money, equity, gsec, forex, equity and banking stocks) and macro-economic shocks (viz. GDP, Inflation, Current Account Deficit, market capitalisation to GDP ratio, US Treasury Yield and Foreign Portfolio Investment). The period of study is from April 2002 to March 2021, a period covering four instances of significant economic and financial market stress. Findings of the study are generally aligned to economic theory, except for the case of gsec market. Besides, macro-variables were found to be exerting greater impact when they are in their weaker/unstable state and the behaviour of US treasury yield and FPI flows were found be more significant factors during stress periods and recovery immediately thereafter. Therefore, there is a need to focus on maintaining macroeconomic stability as a policy to foster financial market stability. Besides, there is a need to monitor a customized and dynamic list of macroeconomic variables in respect of each of the financial market segments to decide on the timing, type and quantum of policy and regulatory responses from time to time. This study contributed towards financial markets public policy, particularly during periods of uncertainties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The dual-credit policy, implemented by the Chinese government on April 1, 2018, aims at boosting the production of new energy vehicles and further reducing fuel consumption of internal combustion engine vehicles. However, whether the policy is effective has caused controversy among many scholars in China and one of the hot spots of debate is about the effectiveness of the pricing method. In this paper, the government pricing model of dual-credit policy and the market pricing model are compared by the optimization theory. The factors include the transaction price of credits, the quantity of vehicles, the monopoly manufacturer's profits, and social welfare. Our results show that the dual-credit policy benefits energy saving and emission reduction in the transport sector. In addition, it is suggested that the government should formulate the transaction price of credits and subsidy the automobile enterprise in the early stage of the policy while adopting free market pricing in the late stage of the policy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Discusses reaction to the British government's White Paper (policy statement) on the organization of science and technology, `Realising our Potential,' published last week in London, England. The lack of radical change; Additional information. INSETS: Waldegrave gets help, by D.D.;A global search, by D.D..

The bundle of forest landowners' rights largely varies from one jurisdiction to another. On a global scale, the diversity of forest management regime and property rights systems is such that finding comprehensive and standardised approaches for governance analysis purposes is a challenging task. This paper explores the use of the Property Rights Index for Forestry (PRIF) as an analytical tool based on five rights domains (access, withdrawal, management, exclusion, and alienation) to assess how regulatory frameworks impact the owners' forest property rights. We show that PRIF is a reliable index for various governance arrangements, considering its ability to score forest owners' freedom to decide in case studies that range from the Amazon area (Brazil), Misiones province (Argentina) and Quebec (Canada) to community-managed Nepalese and Mexican forests. PRIF scores obtained in these diverse governance arrangements confirm that the governance of forests held by entities other than the state is driven by two factors: the owner's ability to exclude the public from the use of his/her own resource and the owner's freedom to decide on the forest management goals. These factors explained 66.44% of the variance in our sample and should be considered as the main potential drivers while implementing any new international or national policy. Despite having a few limitations, the PRIF is a promising governance indicator and has been proven to perform well for various socioeconomic and legal contexts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Born globals (BG)' post-entry evolution is a process characterized by superior growth opportunities, but also higher risks of failure. These concerns lead to the fundamental question regarding the factors that may play a role in BGs' post-entry performance and survival. To provide a comprehensive picture on this issue, this paper critically examines 185 articles that have appeared in 39 academic journals over the past three decades. Drawing on complexity theory, we map a dynamic complex system comprising the interplay of six components relating to system inputs, managerial and firm-level capabilities – e.g., innovativeness, learning, and experience – , networks and system outputs – e.g., international growth and survival. Our review also suggests that strategic choices and orientations may act as change catalysts that bring BGs' complex systems to the next stages of evolution, with further consequences on firm expansion. Our review contributes to the extant literature by taking stock of the present state of knowledge, and providing a taxonomy on the components of the dynamic system that influences the post-entry performance and survival of BGs. Furthermore, this paper and the resulting taxonomy unpacks the various sources of BGs' heterogeneity, based on factors such as their different resources, capabilities, and strategies. In doing so, the paper uncovers significant gaps and contradictions in the literature, which opens important opportunities for future research. The paper concludes with a discussion of managerial and public policy implications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Decisions where there is not enough information for a well-informed decision due to unidentified consequences, options, or undetermined demarcation of the decision problem are called decisions under great uncertainty. This paper argues that public policy decisions on how and if to implement decision-making processes based on machine learning and AI for public use are such decisions. Decisions on public policy on AI are uncertain due to three features specific to the current landscape of AI, namely (i) the vagueness of the definition of AI, (ii) uncertain outcomes of AI implementations and (iii) pacing problems. Given that many potential applications of AI in the public sector concern functions central to the public sphere, decisions on the implementation of such applications are particularly sensitive. Therefore, it is suggested that public policy-makers and decision-makers in the public sector can adopt strategies from the argumentative approach in decision theory to mitigate the established great uncertainty. In particular, the notions of framing and temporal strategies are considered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Scholars in technology transfer come from a variety of different backgrounds and employ different theoretical and methodological assumptions. Such multidisciplinary approach has fertilized the evolution of a florid technology transfer literature, with insights from entrepreneurship, economics, and management. This paper brings the perspective of entrepreneurial finance into the realm of technology transfer, and identifies emerging topics that can complement our understanding of some aspects of technology transfer, especially with regard to supply-side public policies. This article introduces the rationale for the special issue dedicated to entrepreneurial finance and technology transfer. We summarize the main topics and themes covered by a selection of papers presented at the annual conference of the Technology Transfer Society in 2013, and suggest areas for future research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Reports on a policy document prepared by Jurgen Ruttger, Germany's research minister, concerning the federal funding of space research. The focus on projects that promise economic return; The proposed merger of the German Space Agency with the national air and space research center.

This paper examines the role of convergent media and the film, Windrush Betrayal (2020), in representing and challenging borders, mobilities and UK government immigration policies. Print and digital news provide important contexts for exploring media geographies of current events. Documentary film is also a provocative medium for investigative analyses that go beyond more general headline reporting. This study seeks to expand on earlier studies by examining how complementary mediums such as digital news media and film can respond to each other and become part of dynamic transnational conversations around place and identity. Media formats have been pushed to incorporate new settings and styles as Covid-19 restrictions have been implemented and alternative approaches utilised in media production. Adopting innovative techniques for filming in response to pandemic restrictions, Windrush Betrayal illustrates the ongoing impacts of immigration policies on Caribbean Diaspora populations in the UK. This paper provides a timely opportunity to tease out the ways in which changes in government immigration policies, media work practices and the production of migration narratives can highlight hidden geographical stories and marginalised voices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Biomass as an abundant renewable energy source can play a vital role in controlling the greenhouse gas emissions. The distributed nature of biomass and its low energy density have complicated the utilization of this cheap and available source of energy. Governments can stimulate the bioenergy industry and remove barriers for adoption of bioenergy by implementing supporting regulations and incentives. In this paper, two types of government incentives, representing direct and indirect incentives, are analyzed and their efficiencies in fostering bioenergy generation are compared. A Stackelberg (leader–follower) game is proposed to formulate the integration of incentives as a bi-level problem in coordination of biomass supply chains. We further illustrate the applicability of the proposed approach through an empirical case study of three Canadian remote communities. The case study demonstrates the effects of incentives on coordination of biomass suppliers and end-user communities and promoting bioenergy share in electricity generation mix of communities. The findings of this study highlight the importance of government's support, in form of indirect incentives, for provisioning of infrastructure needed for biomass supply and conversion, with a significant impact on increasing the share of bioenergy generation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: A sustainable energy system based on renewables, energy-efficiency, decentralisation of energy generation and synergies between different sectors requires new energy planning methods and policies. Energy transition and climate change mitigation achievement can no longer be seen only through top-down activities from a national government. Local and regional governments have a crucial role in delivering public policies relevant to such endeavour. Therefore, the implementation of multilevel governance (MLG) has become a priority for fostering local and regional development more inclusively. Paper analyses the existing energy planning governance in Austria throughout the MLG structure by focusing on the alignment between the local energy and climate initiatives and the national and EU goals. Also, the paper examined the effectiveness of the current MLG structures and outlined the fields where improvements are needed. The successfulness of the MLG approach is shown on Judenburg city case study. Desk research is enhanced by a series of interviews with energy policy experts and implementation of case study measures in TIMES model. Results: The MLG analysis showed the solid alignment of different governance levels. In contrast, the comparison of the energy and climate initiatives on the local level outlined recommendations for the design of more effective energy planning approach. Four areas of action are identified for further improvement: territorial fragmentation, data availability, spatial energy planning and new integrated MLG. The remaining non-conventional biomass potential of the Murtal region is enough to increase the share of district heating for the residential buildings of the Judenburg city from 16.3 to 30.8% while the building refurbishment increases district heating share to 32%. Conclusion: Application of MLG analysis demonstrated the alignment of energy targets in Austrian policy on different governance levels. The general willingness of Austrian municipalities to take part in local energy actions was shown through the local initiatives' analysis. It is argued that strengthening the listed areas of work is necessary to raise the effectiveness of the local initiatives. The case study for the city of Judenburg developed in the TIMES model confirmed that coordinated actions from different levels of governance lead to effective implementation of measures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines the response of income concentration in the US to the occurrence of major systemic banking crises since the beginning of the twentieth century. In doing so, the paper analyzes the shape of the upper income tail as well as the national income shares accruing to different groups within the richest decile. The findings suggest that systemic banking crises reduce income concentration within the top decile of the US pre-tax and transfers income distribution, and more generally, that the effect is highly heterogeneous across different top income groups. While the richest income group loses ground, the lower half of the top decile appears to gain in relative terms. However, evidence suggests that the estimated short-term effect of market forces stemming from banking crises can be relatively small in magnitude and even temporary in nature, as it may be quickly reabsorbed. These findings lend indirect support to the idea that only substantial changes in government policies and institutional frameworks can bring about radical changes in income distribution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper proposes and validates a comprehensive model of consumer acceptance in the context of offline e-cash payment. It modifies the unified theory of acceptance and the use of technology model (UTAUT) with constructs of perceived security, cost of use, and government policy. Data collected from 4428 questionnaires about users' attitudes toward e-cash is used to apply a structural equation model which, in turn, assesses the predictive model. The empirical results indicate that perceived security and cost of use are beneficial extensions to the traditional UTAUT model, and intention is a key antecedent to users' actual utilization of e-cash. In addition, the demographic moderators are found to have significant effects on the relations among the variables. These results are useful to e-cash development and significant to the issue of Digital Currency Electronic Payment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]