Real Consequences Research Articles

CyberX 2.0: From Hacks to Head Games - Evolving Cyber Defence with Strategic Twists and Tactical Consequences

CyberX is a unique, large-scale cyber operations exercise that incorporates a cyber-kinetic battlespace, designed to provide participants with a realistic, multifaceted problem space. The original environment offered limited support for Information Environment operations beyond scenarios for Defensive Cyber Operations, Offensive Cyber Operations, and Computer Network Exploitation. These scenarios did not initially include aspects of information operations or cognitive influence, such as diplomacy, propaganda, fake news, social media manipulation, and political subversion—key elements associated with hybrid warfare. This paper presents the ongoing evolution of CyberX, which introduces new dimensions of Information Operations to enhance the exercise scenarios and broaden learning opportunities for participants. The goal is to incorporate open-source intelligence and cognitive influence elements into Information Environment operations. New features include a geopolitical context for the mission scenario and a cognitive dimension to the Information Environment, ensuring that decisions made at the tactical cyberspace level carry real consequences. An integrated social media environment now supports Information Operations scenarios, populated by simulated personas and social media interactions. Exercise control referees use this platform to set up the scenario and manage gameplay. The platform leverages AI to semi-automatically generate message content, blending AI-generated rumors with ground-truth information. This simulated information space provides commanders with a more nuanced understanding of adversary disposition and movements. However, with this enhanced insight comes a greater strategic responsibility, requiring commanders to operate within the cognitive geopolitical space. This evolution makes the CyberX mission scenarios more tangible and realistic. The goal is to ensure that decisions made at the tactical cyberspace layer have real consequences. Choices aimed at locally optimizing risk in response to a cyber threat at the expense of overall mission success are discouraged. The learning outcomes now emphasize the integrated nature of cyber operations with other operational domains and their interdependence for mission success.

Ecologization of the Russian tax system: Shifting the tax burden from labor to ecology

Subject. The article considers the tax burden shifting from mobile factors of production (labor) to environmental indicators. Objectives. The study aims to create a model for transferring the tax burden from labor to resources by reducing the rates of some taxes, and increasing others. Methods. The paper explores a variety of sources of information, the analysis and synthesis of information, logical formalization, and math modeling. Results. I analyze the interpretation of the greening or ecologization category and provide my own definition, consider various approaches to the implementation of this category presented earlier by scientists, who dealt with this issue, outline advantages and problems of applying the theory of greening the tax system in practice, create a model of transferring the tax burden from labor to resources, describe possibilities of its application, its strengths and weaknesses. Conclusions. The idea of greening the tax system that rests on the redistribution of tax burden between the means of production is the most popular. Based on this idea, it should be borne in mind that environmental taxes should serve as a tool for ensuring sustainable environmental and economic development of a country, which can be achieved, if environmental taxes meet not only formal criteria, performing the function of pumping up the budget, but also perform other functions (preventive, compensatory, stimulating, etc.). Nevertheless, even if all the conditions are met, the real consequences of tax burden shift may differ from targets.

Адміністративні стягнення та заходи впливу щодо неповнолітніх: критичний аналіз і потреба реформування

The article presents a critical analysis of administrative sanctions and measures of influence applied to minors. It is noted that such instruments serve as a means for the state to respond to unlawful behavior. The author substantiates the need to review and update approaches to the system of administrative sanctions and measures of influence concerning minors, taking into account current realities and changes driven by societal transformation. A significant portion of these measures has either lost its effectiveness or fails to meet the modern challenges in the field of public administration. The outdated nature of certain types of sanctions, their disproportionality to the nature of the offense, as well as the lack of clarity in implementation mechanisms, reduce the overall efficiency of the administrative liability system. Therefore, the revision of the list of administrative sanctions, their substantive refinement, and adaptation to the principles of justice, proportionality, and legal certainty is an urgent task for the legislator. It is considered appropriate to replace the term “sanction” with “punishment” in the context of administrative liability, as this is lexically and substantively justified. The article also argues for lowering the age of administrative liability to 14. Modern children are increasingly involved in social processes, actively interact with the digital environment, make independent decisions, and thus may commit offenses that have real consequences for others and for society at large. Furthermore, contemporary practice demonstrates a growing number of administrative offenses committed by individuals aged 14 to 18, confirming the necessity to reconsider the age limits of delictual capacity. The transformation of social reality and the shift to a digital society require abandoning outdated measures of influence and applying administrative sanctions to minors aged 14 to 18, with the entire system requiring legislative review. Keywords: administrative offense, delictual law, administrative liability, minors, administrative sanctions, measures of influence, the Code of Ukraine on Administrative Offenses.

SÜNİ İNTELLEKTİN SOSİETAL TƏSİRLƏRİ VƏ YA POST-İNSAN EPOXASI HAQQINDA DÜŞÜNCƏLƏR

The presented article discusses the social impact of ‎innovations in the field of ICT and artificial ‎intelligence on society. The article examines the ‎possibilities of artificial intelligence's impact on the ‎social character of society, analyzes artificial ‎intelligence from its positive and negative aspects, and ‎notes the possibilities of pragmatic use of artificial ‎intelligence against the background of new changes, as ‎well as its real and probable consequences. At the same ‎time, it discusses global and regional challenges related ‎to artificial intelligence and analyzes the main goals of ‎national strategies related to artificial intelligence. ‎Preventive security measures and ethical aspects during ‎the use of artificial intelligence against the background ‎of changes in the field of artificial intelligence in ‎Azerbaijan are also among the main research topics.

Can we stop calling ‘critical theory’ ‘history’?

Several articles have debated the differences between critical and traditional accounting history, generally concluding with a call for reconciliation. This article argues that this debate has been lost, and critical history has claimed the field. After reviews of historiography that dispute the foundations of accounting critical history research, the article discusses the very real consequences of this defeat: that actual history research has become irrelevant to accounting research. On a hopeful note, a review of several recent historiographic articles in accounting journals suggests that this point is gaining currency, although it has yet to permeate most mainstream journals.

The impact of armed conflicts on the environment

Armed conflicts are always accompanied by large-scale destruction not only of infrastructure and human potential, but also of the natural environment. Modern practice of conducting military operations shows that the environmental consequences of war can be long-term, transboundary and irreversible. Of particular concern is the lack of appropriate mechanisms for responding to and holding accountable for wartime environmental crimes. The article examines key international legal acts regulating environmental protection during armed conflicts, in particular Additional Protocol I to the Geneva Conventions. The practice of the UN International Law Commission on the draft principles for environmental protection during conflicts is also analyzed, as well as the positions of leading scientists on improving legal mechanisms for protecting nature in wartime. Attention is focused on the complexity of the practical application of existing international legal norms, the lack of effective monitoring and gaps in holding accountable for environmental damage. Examples from international practice are also considered, demonstrating the need to strengthen legal protection of the environment during armed conflict. A separate place in the article is devoted to the analysis of the impact of the armed aggression of the Russian Federation against Ukraine, which has been ongoing since 2014 and has become full-scale since February 2022. Using the example of Ukraine, the real consequences of hostilities for the environment are examined: large-scale fires in contaminated areas, the blowing up of dams, shelling of industrial facilities, chemical leaks, destruction of ecosystems, destruction of protected areas, and a threat to nuclear safety. Ukraine has become one of the first examples in modern history when issues of military ecology are actively documented and recorded at the international level for further legal response. The potential of the concept of ecocide as an international crime, which can become the basis for the formation of a new paradigm of international law in the field of environmental security, is separately analyzed. The conclusions of the article indicate the need to develop a specialized international agreement on environmental protection during armed conflicts, strengthen the role of international institutions in the field of environmental monitoring and adapt existing norms to the challenges of hybrid and protracted wars.

PENGARUH KOMPENSASI, KOMUNIKASI, KOMPETENSI DAN DISIPLIN KERJA TERHADAP KINERJA PEGAWAI PADA BADAN PENGELOLA KEUANGAN DAN ASET DAERAH (BPKAD) KABUPATEN LABUHANBATU

The Regional Financial and Asset Management Agency (BPKAD) of Labuhanbatu Regency is the subject of this study, which aims to examine the relationship between employee performance and factors including salary, communication, competence, and work discipline. Increasing employee effectiveness in managing regional funds and assets to support good governance is the main topic underlying this study. Using a saturated sample technique, researchers in this study surveyed 44 BPKAD employees of Labuhanbatu Regency to compile quantitative data. The data were analyzed using multiple linear regression analysis after conducting conventional assumption tests. At a level greater than the t-table, this study found that the remuneration variable had a positive and statistically significant effect on employee performance. Other characteristics that had a significant and positive effect on employee performance were competence, communication, and work discipline. The four independent determinants at BPKAD Labuhanbatu Regency simultaneously had a significant effect on employee performance, which was 76% of the performance difference and the remaining 24% was influenced by other variables not studied. These results have real consequences for the executives of BPKAD Labuhanbatu Regency, who should prioritize aspects such as remuneration, communication, competence, and work discipline if they want to see better performance from their employees

THE POWER OF LEXICON IN SHAPING MILITARY NARRATIVE

The article dwells on the role of military lexicon as a significant component in the development of character portraying, and the overall aesthetic and semantic structure of military-themed fiction. The material for analysis is based on Heart of War, a novel by contemporary American writer and military journalist Luciano Truscott, which reflects the peculiarities of military-legal discourse in literary form. The study examines how various types of military vocabulary – terminology, abbreviations, jargon, and euphemisms – perform not only nominative but also stylistic, psychological, pragmatic, and sociocultural functions. Special attention is paid to the integration of these lexical elements into the narrative structure, their influence on the pace and logic of plot development, and their role in shaping the linguistic portraits of the characters. The analysis demonstrates that military terminology in the novel is not merely a background element or a tool for creating a realistic setting – It becomes a full-fledged artistic instrument through which the author constructs the atmosphere, sets the rhythm of narration, defines the characters’ value systems, and highlights the conflict between the institutional logic of military and the individual’s moral stance. The use of military slang and abbreviations enhances the authenticity of dialogues, reveals the characters’ affiliation with military subculture, as well as their emotional states, experience, and professional roles. Euphemisms, on the other hand, emphasize the detachment of military bureaucracy from the real consequences of warfare, underscore the psychological transformation of speech in wartime conditions, and serve as a means of implicit criticism of the system. The methodological framework of the research is grounded in the principles of linguistic-stylistic and discourse analysis, which allow for the identification of both structural and functional characteristics of military vocabulary within the literary text. Elements of pragmatic linguistics are also applied, offering a deeper understanding of how the military lexicon shapes the reader’s perception of the novel’s moral and ideological content. The article argues that military vocabulary in fiction serves not only as a mirror of reality but also as a powerful ideological tool, shaping a critical perspective on military events, bureaucratic mechanisms, and ethical dilemmas. Through linguistic means, the author creates a complex, multilayered structure of communication, where words function as markers of professional identity, inner conflict, personal transformation, and worldview evolution. Thus, military vocabulary in Heart of War emerges as a powerful device for artistic modeling of conflict that intertwines the institutional, personal, and social dimensions of war.

An Undergraduate Course on the Statistical Principles of Research Study Design

The undergraduate curriculum in statistics and data science is undergoing changes to accommodate new methods, newly interested students, and the changing role of statistics in society. Because of this, it is more important than ever that students understand the role of study design and how to formulate meaningful scientific and statistical research questions. While the traditional Design of Experiments course is still extremely valuable for students heading to industry and research careers, a broader study design course that incorporates survey sampling, observational studies, and the basics of causal inference with randomized experiment design is particularly useful for students with a wide range of applied interests. Here, I describe such a course at a small liberal arts college, along with ways to adapt it to meet different student and instructor background and interests. The course serves as a valuable bridge to advanced statistical coursework, meets key statistical literacy and communication learning goals, and can be tailored to the desired level of computational and mathematical fluency. Through reading, discussing, and critiquing actual published research studies, students learn that statistics is a living discipline with real consequences and become better consumers and producers of scientific research and data-driven insights.

Verschillende ongelijkheden?

Studies on economic inequality in the past have rapidly risen to prominence in recent years. Oorlog en ongelijkheid reminds us that inequality manifests not only in aggregate disparities in income or wealth, but also in uneven access to political decision-making, affecting everyday experiences. Both the history of inequality and scholars working with the concept of inequality historically can deepen our understanding of economic disparities by more integrally approaching inequality as an abstract structure with real life material consequences.

The Politics of Grief and Mourning: Calls to Action and Processing Emotions

Using data from an ethnographic study of U.S. antiwar activism during the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, this article draws lessons for reinvigorating the anti-nuclear movement and making it successful. By examining the roles of emotions in the military peace movement, this work illuminates their power to mobilize and maintain activism in movements more broadly. Grief, particularly when displayed in culturally expected ways, offers an important call to action and can provide publicity for antiwar or other oppositional framing of policy. The community building within collective action helps individuals heal and facilitate resilience for managing negative emotions brought on by political (including nuclear) anxiety and the very real consequences of policies; by intentionally creating rituals and spaces for consciousness-raising movements facilitate movement maintenance.

Disclosure costs: The impact of bipolar diagnosis and social desirability on stigma.

Disclosure costs: The impact of bipolar diagnosis and social desirability on stigma.

GENDER-BASED VIOLENCE IN NIGERIAN HIGHER EDUCATION: IMPACT ON STUDENTS, FACULTY, AND STAFF

Background: Gender-based violence (GBV) is a critical global human rights issue, particularly prevalent in Africa and escalating in higher education institutions (HEIs) in Nigeria against female students, faculty, and staff. This disturbing problem demands immediate attention. Objective: To examine the prevalence and perpetrators of GBV against female students, faculty, and staff in Nigerian HEIs. Methods: The study employed a cross-cultural descriptive survey research design, targeting female students, faculty, and staff in HEIs across Nigeria. Multi-stage sampling technique was used to select 960 participants from HEIs across the six geopolitical zones. Data were analyzed using pie charts, frequencies, and percentages. Results: Findings indicate a high prevalence of psychological/emotional violence (students: 62.1%, faculty: 57.0%, staff: 58.2%), sexual violence (students: 60.0%, faculty: 25.0%, staff: 28.2%), economic violence (students: 51.2%, faculty: 37.0%, staff: 39.0%), and physical violence (students: 41.2%, faculty: 24.0%, staff: 28.0%). Students identified lecturers as the primary perpetrators of sexual (22%), psychological (17%), and economic/financial violence (20%), while non-relatives were the main perpetrators of physical violence (16%). Faculty and staff reported male colleagues as the primary perpetrators of sexual violence (34%), while husbands were the leading perpetrators of physical (25%), psychological (26%), and economic/financial violence (30%). Surprisingly, majority of perpetrators faced no real consequences, with 52.3% of students, 55.8% of faculty, and 52.1% of staff reporting that offenders were merely warned without punishment. Conclusion: The study indicates a significant prevalence of GBV in Nigerian HEIs, with psychological/emotional violence being the most common. The lack of accountability for offenders suggests the urgent need for stricter enforcement of policies and institutional reforms.

Artificial intelligence technologies as a factor in improving public administration: Challenges and threats

Aim. The work aimed to consider in detail and systematize the impact of artificial intelligence (hereinafter referred to as AI) on various aspects of public administration, including improving decision-making processes, optimizing interaction with citizens, increasing the efficiency of government agencies, as well as identifying potential risks and challenges associated with the use of these technologies, including neural interfaces.Objectives. The work seeks to assess the real consequences of integrating AI into the management sphere with an emphasis on improving the efficiency of decision-making, automating processes and interacting with citizens; identify risks, including threats to privacy and risks of job losses, as well as the impact on ethical standards; study expert opinions on the problems of developing models for integrating AI and neurotechnologies into public administration; analyze their impact on the social structure and the role of AI technologies in regulating public policy from the standpoint of the sociology of management.Methods. The use of systemic and risk-oriented approaches in studying the impact of AI technologies on the transformation of the public administration system provided a comprehensive analysis of the processes of integrating AI into public administration processes. This approach enabled to identify key management relationships and explore the multi-level structure of AI technologies institutionalization in management activities.Results. AI is used to optimize the processing of government applications, improve budget management and resource planning. AI-based systems help analyze large amounts of data, which contributes to more accurate forecasting of economic and social trends, making more informed decisions in social policy, healthcare, and education. In particular, AI algorithms are used to optimize the distribution of budget funds, improve the process of adopting legislative initiatives, and assessing their impact on society. The use of intelligent systems also contributes to the automation of many administrative processes, such as the processing of tax returns or applications for public services, which reduces bureaucratic obstacles and accelerates the interaction of citizens with government agencies.Conclusions. Russia is actively introducing AI technologies in the field of public administration and public decision-making in order to increase the efficiency and transparency of administrative processes for a fundamental increase in the effectiveness and efficiency of the implemented public policy in all spheres of the country’s life, making qualified, well-founded decisions on certain issues, primarily if it is necessary to proceed from the analysis (understanding) of an array of data.

The Etruscan Woman and “Romanization”: An Onomastic Case Study

Abstract The disappearance of the female praenomen is typically seen as yet another sign of the “Romanization” and decline of late Etruscan culture. This development supposedly saw the Etruscan woman reduced from a prominent public personality to a role of secondary importance. However, a thorough examination of this onomastic element shows that the timing of its disappearance differs greatly by locality and is strongly linked to the process of Latinization. Three case studies are investigated – Chiusi, Tarquinia, and Volterra – each showing that this onomastic development is connected to cultural shifts in epigraphic paradigms rather than institutional or social changes. While this different way of describing women in funerary contexts may have had real consequences for their social status, there are also reasons to assume an improvement in their position took place (e.g., a higher percentage of female epitaphs and votive inscriptions), painting a complex picture.

Motor somatotopy impacts imagery strategy success in human intracortical brain–computer interfaces

Objective:The notion of a somatotopically organized motor cortex, with movements of different body parts being controlled by spatially distinct areas of cortex, is well known. However, recent studies have challenged this notion and suggested a more distributed representation of movement control. This shift in perspective has significant implications, particularly when considering the implantation location of electrode arrays for intracortical brain-computer interfaces (iBCIs). We sought to evaluate whether the location of neural recordings from the precentral gyrus, and thus the underlying somatotopy, has any impact on the imagery strategies that can enable successful iBCI control.Approach:Three individuals with a spinal cord injury were enrolled in an ongoing clinical trial of an iBCI. Participants had two intracortical microelectrode arrays implanted in the arm and/or hand areas of the precentral gyrus based on presurgical functional imaging. Neural data were recorded while participants attempted to perform movements of the hand, wrist, elbow, and shoulder.Main results:We found that electrode arrays that were located more medially recorded significantly more activity during attempted proximal arm movements (elbow, shoulder) than did lateral arrays, which captured more activity related to attempted distal arm movements (hand, wrist). We also evaluated the relative contribution from the two arrays implanted in each participant to decoding accuracy during calibration of an iBCI decoder for translation and grasping tasks. For both task types, imagery strategy (e.g. reaching vs wrist movements) had a significant impact on the relative contributions of each array to decoding. Overall, we found some evidence of broad tuning to arm and hand movements; however, there was a clear bias in the amount of information accessible about each movement type in spatially distinct areas of cortex.Significance:These results demonstrate that classical concepts of somatotopy can have real consequences for iBCI use, and highlight the importance of considering somatotopy when planning iBCI implantation.

Kicking Yourself: Going Against Your Inclinations Leads to Greater Feelings of Control and Culpability.

Despite knowing better, people often follow the opinions of others when making decisions. Although people in joint evaluation mode (i.e., comparing options side-by-side) anticipate feeling less culpable if things go wrong after following someone else's suggestion, our research shows the opposite effect when they actually experience one of the options. Across multiple studies (n = 3,200), including four with real monetary consequences, we find that people feel more culpable when they go against their better judgment. This counterintuitive effect occurs because going against one's better judgment increases thoughts about alternative, better decisions that could have been made, which amplify feelings of control over the situation. This effect occurs regardless of whether the input is solicited or unsolicited and is specific to situations where people go against their better judgment. It does not occur if people reject poor suggestions or follow input that aligns with their judgment.

Fake Diplomas, Real Consequences: Legal and Ethical Challenges in the Legal Profession

Integrity and trust are fundamental in the legal profession, yet diploma forgery threatens these values, leading to ethical violations and diminished public trust. This study examines the legal implications of diploma forgery in Case No. 20/Pid.B/2024/PN Tmg, where an individual used a fraudulent diploma to practice law. Using a normative legal approach, the study analyzes court decisions, legal doctrines, and statutory regulations, including Article 263 of the Indonesian Penal Code and Article 69 of Law No. 20 of 2003. Findings reveal weaknesses in verification systems, allowing unqualified individuals to enter the legal profession. To prevent such fraud, the study proposes blockchain-based diploma verification, offering tamper-proof credentialing and real-time authentication. Stricter regulations, enhanced verification, and ethical awareness campaigns are crucial to safeguarding legal integrity. Adopting blockchain verification can restore public trust, ensure professional accountability, and uphold the credibility of legal institutions.

Till Tech Do Us Part: Betrayal Aversion and Its Role in Algorithm Use

Failing to follow expert advice can have real and dangerous consequences. While any number of factors may lead a decision maker to refuse expert advice, the proliferation of algorithmic experts has further complicated the issue. One potential mechanism that restricts the acceptance of expert advice is betrayal aversion, or the strong dislike for the violation of trust norms. This study explores whether the introduction of expert algorithms in place of human experts can attenuate betrayal aversion and lead to higher overall rates of seeking expert advice. In other words, we ask: are decision makers averse to algorithmic betrayal? The answer to this question is uncertain ex ante. We answer this question through an experimental financial market where there is an identical risk of betrayal from either a human or algorithmic financial advisor. We find that the willingness to delegate to human experts is significantly reduced by betrayal aversion, while no betrayal aversion is exhibited toward algorithmic experts. The impact of betrayal aversion toward financial advisors is considerable: the resulting unwillingness to take the advice of the human expert leads to a 20% decrease in subsequent earnings, while no loss in earnings is observed in the algorithmic expert condition. This study has significant implications for firms, policymakers, and consumers, specifically in the financial services industry. This paper has been This paper was accepted by D. J. Wu for the Special Issue on the Human-Algorithm Connection. Funding: This work was supported by National Science Foundation [Grant 1541105]. Supplemental Material: The data files are available at https://doi.org/10.1287/mnsc.2022.03510 .

Secondary Market Monetization and Willingness to Share Personal Data

People are often unaware that their personal data can serve as valuable inputs for economic activities in secondary data markets. However, whether secondary monetization of personal data determines privacy preferences remains unclear. I examine whether privacy decisions are motivated by the data recipient’s ability to benefit from trading individuals’ data with a third party. A large online laboratory experiment involving personally identifiable psychometric data is implemented with real data-sharing consequences and monetary benefits. I find that individuals decrease their willingness to share data—both in terms of their likelihood of participating in the data market and the prices demanded for such participation—when the recipient’s ability to monetize the data through secondary trade is salient. Strategic responses to updated beliefs about the recipient’s gain from the trade are ruled out via the chosen price elicitation. I find that increased data exposure (to more recipients) does not explain the significant revealed disutility from secondary monetization. These findings are also robust to controlling for the risk exposure differences between data recipients and third parties. This paper was accepted by Anindya Ghose, information systems. Funding: This project was funded in part by the Institute for the Social Sciences, Cornell University. Supplemental Material: The online appendix and data files are available at https://doi.org/10.1287/mnsc.2022.03423 .