Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
How Corporate Sharewashing Practices Undermine Consumer Trust

Sharewashing describes a platform’s act of misleading consumers by purposely portraying an image of social and ecological principles while the platform’s business model does not necessarily involve them. Drawing on Corporate Social Responsibility and Green Marketing literature, we propose and evaluate a research model for investigating the impact of sharewashing perceptions on consumer trust. Based on survey data from 145 millennials, our results reveal a significant negative effect of sharewashing perceptions on consumer trust, partially mediated by perceptions of risk and confusion. We discuss our findings in view of their practical and strategic relevance to sharing economy platform operators.
Deep Learning Method used in Skin Lesions Segmentation and Classification

Malignant melanoma (MM) is a type of skin cancer that is associated with a very poor prognosis and can often lead to death. Early detection is crucial in order to administer the right treatment successfully but currently requires the expertise of a dermatologist. In the past years, studies have shown that automatic detection of MM is possible through computer vision and machine learning methods. Skin lesion segmentation and classification are the key methods in supporting automatic detection of different skin lesions. Compared with traditional computer vision as well as other machine learning methods, deep neural networks currently show the greatest promise both in segmentation and classification. In our work, we have implemented several deep neural networks to achieve the goals of skin lesion segmentation and classification. We have also applied different training schemes. Our best segmentation model achieves pixel-wise accuracy of 0.940, Dice index of 0.867 and Jaccard index of 0.765 on the ISIC 2017 challenge dataset. This surpassed the official state of the art model whose pixel-wise accuracy was 0.934, Dice index 0.849 and Jaccard Index 0.765. We have also trained a segmentation model with the help of adversarial loss which improved the baseline model slightly. Our experiments with several neural network models for skin lesion classification achieved varying results. We also combined both segmentation and classification in one pipeline meaning that we were able to train the most promising classification model on pre-segmented images. This resulted in improved classification performance. The binary (melanoma or not) classification from this single model trained without extra data and clinical information reaches an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.684 on the official ISIC test dataset. Our results suggest that automatic detection of skin cancers through image analysis shows significant promise in early detection of malignant melanoma.
Effects of essential oils and their components on in vitro rumen microbial fermentation

The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of essential oils (EO) and essential oil compounds (EOC) on in vitro rumen microbial fermentation. Treatments were: control (no additive), cinnamon leaf oil (400 mg L-1), clove leaf oil (200 mg L-1), sweet orange oil (200 mg L-1), oregano oil (200 mg L-1), thyme oil (200 mg L-1), carvacrol (400 mg L-1), cinnamaldehyde (400 mg L-1), eugenol (800 mg L-1), and thymol (400 mg L-1). Treatments were evaluated using in vitro 24-h batch culture of rumen fluid with a 51:49 forage:concentrate dairy ration [16.7% crude protein (CP), 34.4% neutral detergent fibre (NDF)]. Incubations were conducted in triplicate with gas production (GP) measured at 0, 2, 6, 8, 12, and 24 h, while pH, ammonia (NH3), volatile fatty acid (VFA), in vitro dry matter (IVDMD) and neutral detergent fibre (IVNDFD) digestibilities were determined after 24 h of incubation. Among the EO and EOC evaluated, only the phenolic compounds, carvacrol, thymol, and eugenol affected ruminal ferment.
The Effectiveness of Development Aid for Agriculture in Sub-Saharan Africa

Purpose Agriculture is the major source of livelihood for the majority of population in Sub-Saharan Africa but its productivity is not only low it has started showing signs of decline since 2012. The purpose of this paper is to find out whether official development assistance for agriculture is effective. Design/methodology/approach The data for development assistance for agriculture are broken down into the major agricultural sectors in receiving countries. The empirical evidence is based on the two-step system, i.e. generalized method of moments, to assess the degree of responsiveness of agricultural productivity to development assistance. Findings There is a positive relationship between development assistance and agricultural productivity in general. However, when broken down into the major agricultural recipient sectors, there is a substitution effect between food crop production and industrial crop production. Better institutions and economic freedom are found to enable agricultural productivity growth, and to increase the effectiveness of development assistance. The structural economic transformation associated with agricultural development assistance is also found to be weak. Practical implications Allocation of development assistance for agriculture is primarily determined by need, although expected effectiveness also increases the assistance receipts. Agricultural assistance policies could focus more on building productive capacity to reduce the need while boosting effectiveness. Originality/value Breaking down data into agricultural recipient sectors and controlling for the potential spurious correlation under the assumption that more development assistance could be allocated, where agricultural productivity is already increasing due to some other factors.
Role of Mixed Layer Dynamics in Tropical North Atlantic Interannual Sea Surface Temperature Variability

AbstractThis study examines the causes of observed sea surface temperature (SST) anomalies in the tropical North Atlantic between 1982 and 2015. The emphasis is on the boreal winter and spring seasons, when tropical Atlantic SSTs project strongly onto the Atlantic meridional mode (AMM). Results from a composite analysis of satellite and reanalysis data show important forcing of SST anomalies by wind-driven changes in mixed layer depth and shortwave radiation between 5° and 10°N, in addition to the well-known positive wind–evaporation–SST and shortwave radiation–SST feedbacks between 5° and 20°N. Anomalous surface winds also drive pronounced thermocline depth anomalies of opposite signs in the eastern equatorial Atlantic and intertropical convergence zone (ITCZ; 2°–8°N). A major new finding is that there is strong event-to-event variability in the impact of thermocline depth on SST in the ITCZ region, in contrast to the more consistent relationship in the eastern equatorial Atlantic. Much stronger anomalie.
Effects of coherent ferroelastic domain walls on the thermal conductivity and Kapitza conductance in bismuth ferrite

Ferroelectric and ferroelastic domain structure has a profound effect on the piezoelectric, ferroelectric, and dielectric responses of ferroelectric materials. However, domain walls and strain field effects on thermal properties are unknown. We measured the thermal conductance from 100–400 K of epitaxially grown BiFeO3 thin films with different domain variants, each separated primarily by 71° domain walls. We determined the Kapitza conductance across the domain walls, which is driven by the strain field induced by the domain variants. This domain wall Kapitza conductance is lower than the Kapitza conductance associated with grain boundaries in all previously measured materials.
Remote influence of Interdecadal Pacific Oscillation on the South Atlantic meridional overturning circulation variability

This study explores potential factors that may influence decadal variability of the South Atlantic meridional overturning circulation (SAMOC) by using observational data as well as surface‐forced ocean model runs and a fully coupled climate model run. Here we show that SAMOC is strongly correlated with the leading mode of sea surface height (SSH) variability in the South Atlantic Ocean, which displays a meridional dipole between north and south of 20°S. A significant portion (~45%) of the South Atlantic SSH dipole variability is remotely modulated by the Interdecadal Pacific Oscillation (IPO). Further analysis shows that anomalous tropical Pacific convection associated with the IPO forces robust stationary Rossby wave patterns, modulating the wind stress curl over the South Atlantic Ocean. A positive (negative) phase IPO increases (decreases) the westerlies over the South Atlantic, which increases (decreases) the strength of the subtropical gyre in the South Atlantic and thus the SAMOC.
Corporal punishment by parents and child-to-parent aggression in Spanish adolescents

Child-to-parent aggression (CPA) is a social problem that is receiving much attention because of the increasing frequency and the consequences for its victims. The primary aim of this study was to assess the longitudinal relationship between receiving corporal punishment (CP) and perpetrating physical and psychological CPA in adolescents. The second aim was to investigate whether receiving CP in a positive parenting context, age and gender of the adolescent, moderated the relationship between CP and CPA. A total of 896 adolescents (527 girls) between the ages of 13 and 19 (M = 14.88; SD = 1.021), completed measures of CPA, CP and positive parenting at Time 1 and six months later. The results showed that CP at Time 1 predicted an increased psychological CPA at Time 2. None of the variables (positive parenting, age and gender) moderated the relationship between CP at T1 and CPA at T2.
Use of reflectance band ratios to estimate suspended and dissolved matter concentrations in estuarine waters

In the Tamar estuary (south‐west UK), the concentrations of coloured dissolved organic and suspended (total, organic and inorganic) matter were measured and related to in situ hyperspectral remote‐sensing reflectance (R rs) measurements. A simple method was used to determine the R rs signal from underwater optical measurements, in order to avoid any surface reflection effects. As previously observed in other estuaries, a large correlation was obtained between the R rs(850 nm)/R rs(550 nm) ratio and total suspended matter concentration. The same R rs ratio was also highly correlated to the inorganic suspended matter concentration. The corresponding relationships are linear. The R rs(400 nm)/R rs(600 nm) ratio correlates with the coloured dissolved organic matter concentration, according to a power law regression. These relationships, which appeared to be invariant during the summer period (June–September) and valid for the whole estuary, may be applied to airborne remote sensing data to map the tidal movements of turbidity in the estuary.
Bedarfsgemeinschaften im SGB II: Warum Alleinerziehende es besonders schwer haben

Haushalte mit Kindern und nur einem Elternteil haben in Deutschland ein erhohtes Armutsrisiko. Sie sind ofter und langer auf staatliche Transferleistungen angewiesen als andere Haushalte. Die nachfolgende Studie zur Situation der hilfebedurftigen Alleinerziehenden zeigt nicht nur die Entwicklung ihres Bestands sowie die Struktur der Zugange. Sie gibt insbesondere Hinweise auf Grunde fur den langen Verbleib im Leistungsbezug.
Retrieval of vertical columns of sulfur dioxide from SCIAMACHY and OMI: Air mass factor algorithm development, validation, and error analysis

[1] We develop an improved retrieval of sulfur dioxide (SO2) vertical columns from two satellite instruments (SCIAMACHY and OMI) that measure ultraviolet solar backscatter. For each SCIAMACHY and OMI observation, a local air mass factor (AMF) algorithm converts line-of-sight “slant” columns to vertical columns using altitude-dependent scattering weights computed with a radiative transfer model (LIDORT), weighted by relative vertical SO2 profile (shape factor) determined locally with a global atmospheric chemistry model (GEOS-Chem). The scattering weights account for viewing geometry, surface albedo, cloud scattering, absorption by ozone, and scattering and absorption by aerosols. Absorption of radiation by mineral dust can reduce seasonal mean instrument sensitivity by 50%. Mean SO2 shape factors simulated with GEOS-Chem and used in the AMF calculation are highly consistent with airborne in situ measurements (INTEX-A and INTEX-B); differences would affect the retrieved SO2 columns by 10%. The retrieved vertical columns are validated with coincident airborne in situ measurements (INTEX-A, INTEX-B, and a campaign over east China). The annual mean AMF errors are estimated to be 35–70% in polluted regions (e.g., East Asia and the eastern United States) and less than 10% over clear ocean regions. The overall SO2 error assessment is 45–80% for yearly averages over polluted regions. Seasonal mean SO2 columns retrieved from SCIAMACHY and OMI for 2006 are significantly spatially correlated with those from GEOS-Chem, in particular over the United States (r = 0.85 for SCIAMACHY and 0.82 for OMI). A sensitivity study confirms the sensitivity of SCIAMACHY and OMI to anthropogenic SO2 emissions.
Deep Learning of Graph Matching

The problem of graph matching under node and pairwise constraints is fundamental in areas as diverse as combinatorial optimization, machine learning or computer vision, where representing both the relations between nodes and their neighborhood structure is essential. We present an end-to-end model that makes it possible to learn all parameters of the graph matching process, including the unary and pairwise node neighborhoods, represented as deep feature extraction hierarchies. The challenge is in the formulation of the different matrix computation layers of the model in a way that enables the consistent, efficient propagation of gradients in the complete pipeline from the loss function, through the combinatorial optimization layer solving the matching problem, and the feature extraction hierarchy. Our computer vision experiments and ablation studies on challenging datasets like PASCAL VOC keypoints, Sintel and CUB show that matching models refined end-to-end are superior to counterparts based on feature hierarchies trained for other problems.
The Impact of Vitamin D in Cancer

The relationship between vitamin D and cancer has previously been reported in the literature. A systemic review and meta-analysis of prospective cohort studies revealed that a 20 nmol/L increase in the 25-hydroxyvitamin D3 (25OHD) levels was associated with an 8% lower mortality in the elderly population (Schöttker et al., 2012). Oncology patients had significantly lower mean serum vitamin D levels than non-cancer primary care patients from the same geographic region (Churilla et al., 2011). In a community oncology experience, vitamin D deficiency is widespread in cancer patients and correlates with advanced stage disease (Churilla et al., 2012). A high prevalent of vitamin D deficiency has been associated with head and neck cancer (Orell-Kotikangas et al., 2011), breast cancer (Crew et al., 2009; Peppone et al., 2012), vulvar cancer (Salehin et al., 2012), prostate cancer (Varsavsky et al., 2011), pancreatic cancer (Wolpin et al., 2011), gastric cancer (Ren et al., 2012), colon and rectal cancer (Tangrea et al., 1997), ovarian cancer (Lefkowitz et al., 1994), oral cavity and esophagus cancers (Lipworth et al., 2009), myelo-proliferative neoplasms and myelo-dysplastic syndromes (Pardanani et al., 2011), multiple myeloma (Ng et at., 2009), non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma (Drake et al., 2010), and chronic lymphocytic leukemia (Shamafelt et al., 2011). On the other hand, a serum 25OHD concentration of 25 nmol/L was associated with a 17% reduction in incidence of cancer, a 29% reduction in total cancer mortality, and a 45% reduction in digestive system cancer mortality (Giovannucci et al., 2006). Improving vitamin D status may also help lower the risk of colorectal cancer (Wu et al., 2011a). In a case-control study, a higher vitamin D intake is associated with a lower risk of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (Launoy et al., 1998). A meta-analysis revealed that an increase of serum 25OHD by 50 nmol/L was associated with a risk reduction of 59% for rectal cancer and 22% for colon cancer (Yin et al., 2009). High 25OHD levels were associated with better prognosis in breast, colon, prostate cancer, and lung cancer relative to patients with lower 25OHD levels (Robsahm et al., 2004; Zhou et al., 2007). In a murine model, dietary vitamin D may play an important role as a preventive agent in andro‐
Reduced-magnetohydrodynamic simulations of toroidally and poloidally localized edge localized modes

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Evolution Strategy Based Automatic Tuning of Neural Machine Translation Systems

Neural machine translation (NMT) systems have demonstrated promising results in recent years. However, non-trivial amounts of manual effort are required for tuning network architectures, training configurations, and pre-processing settings such as byte pair encoding (BPE). In this study, we propose an evolution strategy based automatic tuning method for NMT. In particular, we apply the covariance matrix adaptation-evolution strategy (CMA-ES), and investigate a Pareto-based multi-objective CMA-ES to optimize the translation performance and computational time jointly. Experimental results show that the proposed method automatically finds NMT systems that outperform the initial manual setting.
Protein-Energy Malnutrition among Women of Child Bearing Age in Semi Arid Areas of Keiyo District, Kenya

Background: Women of child bearing age are vulnerable to food shortage in arid areas and this ultimately affects their nutritional status. Research on these women remains largely unexploited in many parts of the developing countries such as Kenya. The study sought to establish the prevalence of malnutrition and associated factors among women of child bearing age in the Semi arid areas of Keiyo District. Methods: This was a cross-sectional survey of 335 randomly selected women from three semi arid divisions. Anthropometric measurements of height, weight and mid upper arm circumference (MUAC) were taken. Nutrient intake data was collected using a 24 hour recall questionnaire. A structured questionnaire was used to collect data on socio-demographic information. Data was analysed using SPSS V.16. 0. T-test, chi-square and logistic regression were employed in the analysis. P-value of less than 0.05 was considered significant. Results: The mean (SD) age of mothers was 29.9±6.3 years. The prevalence of CED was 44.9%. Compared to RDA, protein, energy, vitamin A, Iron and Zinc intake were significantly low (p<0.05). Vitamin C and Folate intake were significantly higher than RDA. Based on BMI, 39 (12.2%) were underweight, 54 (16%) overweight while 49 (15.9%) were obese. Only 120 (35.8%) of the households ate a diversified diet. Age, marital status, education level, occupation and income level were significantly associated with under-nutrition (p<0.05) Conclusion: Enhancing diversified diets should be encouraged. Awareness on proper nutrition should be done through education to the community.
Importance of the variability of hydrographic preconditioning for deep convection in the Gulf of Lion, NW Mediterranean

Abstract. We study the variability of hydrographic preconditioning defined as the heat and salt contents in the Ligurian Sea before convection. The stratification is found to reach a maximum in the intermediate layer in December, whose causes and consequences for the interannual variability of convection are investigated. Further study of the interannual variability and correlation tests between the properties of the deep water formed and the winter surface fluxes support the description of convection as a process that transfers the heat and salt contents from the top and intermediate layers to the deep layer. A proxy for the rate of transfer is given by the final convective mixed layer depth, that is shown to depend equally on the surface fluxes and on the preconditioning. In particular, it is found that deep convection in winter 2004–2005 would have happened even with normal winter conditions, due to low pre-winter stratification.
Realization of qudits in coupled potential wells

Quantum computation strongly relies on the realization, manipulation, and control of qubits. A central method for realizing qubits is by creating a double-well potential system with a significant gap between the first two eigenvalues and the rest. In this work, we first revisit the theoretical grounds underlying the double-well qubit dynamics, then proceed to suggest novel extensions of these principles to a triple-well qutrit with periodic boundary conditions, followed by a general d-well analysis of qudits. These analyses are based on representations of the special unitary groups SU(d) which expose the systems’ symmetry and employ them for performing computations. We conclude with a few notes on coherence and scalability of d-well systems.
How You Get Shot in the Back: A Systematical Study about Cryptojacking in the Real World

As a new mechanism to monetize web content, cryptocurrency mining is becoming increasingly popular. The idea is simple: a webpage delivers extra workload (JavaScript) that consumes computational resources on the client machine to solve cryptographic puzzles, typically without notifying users or having explicit user consent. This new mechanism, often heavily abused and thus considered a threat termed "cryptojacking", is estimated to affect over 10 million web users every month; however, only a few anecdotal reports exist so far and little is known about its severeness, infrastructure, and technical characteristics behind the scene. This is likely due to the lack of effective approaches to detect cryptojacking at a large-scale (e.g., VirusTotal). In this paper, we take a first step towards an in-depth study over cryptojacking. By leveraging a set of inherent characteristics of cryptojacking scripts, we build CMTracker, a behavior-based detector with two runtime profilers for automatically tracking Cryptocurrency Mining scripts and their related domains. Surprisingly, our approach successfully discovered 2,770 unique cryptojacking samples from 853,936 popular web pages, including 868 among top 100K in Alexa list. Leveraging these samples, we gain a more comprehensive picture of the cryptojacking attacks, including their impact, distribution mechanisms, obfuscation, and attempts to evade detection. For instance, a diverse set of organizations benefit from cryptojacking based on the unique wallet ids. In addition, to stay under the radar, they frequently update their attack domains (fastflux) on the order of days. Many attackers also apply evasion techniques, including limiting the CPU usage, obfuscating the code, etc.