Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Determinants influencing customers' decision to use mobile payment services: The case of Vietnam

Article history: Received: February 16, 2020 Received in revised format: March 22 2020 Accepted: March 22, 2020 Available online: March 25, 2020 This study is conducted to investigate the impact levels of determinants on customers' decision to use payment services via mobile devices in Hanoi, Vietnam. Data were collected from a survey of people living in Hanoi city of Vietnam who may or not use mobile payment services. Based on the theory of technology acceptance and use (UTAUT) developed, we design a research model with six determinants including expected efficiency, effort expectations, social impact, safety and security, perceived costs and supplier reputation. The results show that determinants of expected efficiency, expected effort, social impact, safety and security and supplier reputation (except perceived costs) had positive impacts on the decision of customer. However, the degree and order of impact varies between two groups of unused and already used customers. In particular, the determinants of effort of expectation, safety and security, reputation of suppliers had the strongest impacts on the decisions of customers in both groups in using payment services through mobile device. Based on the findings, we give suggestions for managers and service providers in developing this kind of service in Hanoi, Vietnam as a case study for emerging countries. © 2020 by the authors; licensee Growing Science, Canada
How to Help Crowded Destinations: Tourist Anger vs. Sympathy and Role of Destination Social Responsibility

Crowding at destinations is becoming an important issue in sustainable tourism. This study examines the relationship between tourist perceptions of crowding, environmentally responsible behavior (ERB), and intention to recommend a destination, from a helping behavior perspective. It proposes two discrete emotions, in particular anger and sympathy, to understand how tourist perceptions of crowding affect their helping behavior. We collected data through an online survey of tourists who had visited Jeju Island, which has emerged as Korea’s tourism hub. We performed structural equation modeling (SEM) and regression analysis to empirically test the research model. The results reveal that while tourist perceptions of spatial crowding positively impact both anger and sympathy, human crowding perceptions do not link to them. Further, we investigated the incompatible roles of anger and sympathy in tourist ERB and intention to recommend. Whereas anger weakens tourist ERB and intention to recommend, sympathy may strengthen them. This study also examined whether destination social responsibility (DSR) moderates the impact of crowding perceptions on the aforementioned emotions. In addition to encouraging relevant studies, we emphasize the importance of DSR, given the need for destination management organizations and tourism managers to understand tourists’ emotional responses and helping behavior at crowded destinations.
Improved Solubility and Dissolution Rates in Novel Multicomponent Crystals of Piperine with Succinic Acid

The objectives of this study were to prepare and characterize a novel piperine–succinic acid multicomponent crystal phase and to evaluate the improvement in the solubility and dissolution rate of piperine when prepared in the multicomponent crystal formation. The solid-state characterization of the novel multicomponent crystal was performed by powder X-ray diffraction (XRD), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), and Fourier transform-infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy. Solubility and dissolution rate profiles were evaluated in distilled water. The physical stability was evaluated under high relative humidity (75% and 100% RH). The determination of the single crystal X-ray diffraction structure revealed that this novel multicomponent crystal was a cocrystalline phase of piperine–succinic acid (2:1 molar ratio). The differential scanning calorimetry thermogram of the cocrystal showed a single and sharp endothermic peak at 110.49 °C. The cocrystal resulted in greater solubility and a faster dissolution rate of piperine than intact piperine. This improvement was a result of the formation of a channel structure in the cocrystal. In addition, the cocrystal was stable under a humid condition.
It takes a village to manipulate the media: coordinated link sharing behavior during 2018 and 2019 Italian elections

ABSTRACT Over the last few years, a proliferation of attempts to define, understand and fight the spread of problematic information in contemporary media ecosystems emerged. Most of these attempts focus on false content and/or bad actors detection. In this paper, we argue for a wider ecological focus. Using the frame of media manipulation and a revised version of the ‘coordinated inauthentic behavior’ original definition, the paper presents a study based on an unprecedented combination of Facebook data, accessed through the CrowdTangle API, and two datasets of Italian political news stories published in the run-up to the 2018 Italian general election and 2019 European election. By focusing on actors’ collective behavior, we identified several networks of pages, groups, and verified public profiles (‘entities’), that shared the same political news articles on Facebook within a very short period of time. Some entities in our networks were openly political, while others, despite sharing political content too, deceptively presented themselves as entertainment venues. The proportion of inauthentic entities in a network affects the wideness of the range of news media sources they shared, thus pointing to different strategies and possible motivations. The paper has both theoretical and empirical implications: it frames the concept of ‘coordinated inauthentic behavior’ in existing literature, introduces a method to detect coordinated link sharing behavior and points out different strategies and methods employed by networks of actors willing to manipulate the media and public opinion.
The Effects of Two Mindset Interventions on Low-Income Students’ Academic and Psychological Outcomes

Abstract This study examined two widely available light-touch, writing-based mindset interventions: one that targeted students’ purpose for learning and one that aimed to increase students’ growth mindset. In order to examine the potential mechanisms underlying previously reported effects of mindset interventions, we analyzed these interventions’ effects on low-income, ethnic minority adolescents’ academic outcomes, task persistence, task-relevant anxiety, critical motivation, and sense of belonging. Results indicated that the purpose for learning intervention had a small negative impact on students’ self-reported grades the following year, and null results for the other outcomes. The growth mindset intervention was administered one year following the purpose for learning intervention and we found no evidence of treatment impacts on any outcomes. Analyses of treatment impact moderation suggested that certain student characteristics, such as student gender and race could play a role, but most of these tests also presented null results. The primarily null results of both interventions suggest that further study is needed to determine the effectiveness of one-time, self-administered mindset interventions across a variety of contexts and student populations.
Effects of Transients on High Voltage Cable Insulation

Occasionally sporadic defects in high voltage cable insulation may escape from detection by commissioning or maintenance tests. Usually these tiny defects will not initiate significant partial discharges or cause breakdown in the cable insulation system under normal AC operating condition and normal transient situations. However, nowadays more often complex transient’s behaviour occurs in power systems. For example, in a mixed line and cable system, superimposed transients with large overvoltage can occur due to switching operations. Such transients may have unexpected influences on the partial discharge behaviour and degradation of the cable insulation. This thesis aims to investigate which potential effects such transients have on the insulation condition of the HV cable system, in particular in one of its weakest links, the cable joint.
A Particle Filter-Based Approach for Vehicle Trajectory Reconstruction Using Sparse Probe Data

Trajectory data collected from probe vehicles become increasingly important for urban traffic operation and management. However, current data tend to be sparse in time and space due to technical constraints or privacy concerns, which fail to provide a complete picture of traffic flow. This study proposes a particle filter (PF) based approach to reconstruct the vehicle trajectory for signalized arterial using sparse probe data. First, the arterial intersection is divided into multiple road cells and the estimation of cell travel time is formulated as a quadratic programming problem. Then, PF is applied to reconstruct the incomplete vehicle trajectory between consecutive updates. Specifically, to calculate and update the weight of initial particles, three measurability criteria are designed for importance sampling considering the structure of signalized arterial and the feature of vehicular updates, i.e., travel time adjustment accuracy, arterial link speed limit and travel time adjustment possibility. Last, NGSIM trajectory data are extracted at intervals to construct the sparse data, which are used to verify the effectiveness of the proposed method. The results show that reconstructed trajectories match closely with ground truth both at the single intersection and along the arterial with multiple intersections.
OHS Disclosures Within Non-Financial Reports: The Romanian Case

The article addresses the issue of disclosing Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) issues by corporations in Romania, under the influence of recent changes in the legislative framework imposed by the adoption of the EU Directive 2014/95/EU on non-financial reporting by large corporations exceeding 500 employees. The goal of our study consist in determining the relevant factors that influence the level of the Romanian companies’ OHS disclosure. To this end, we have compiled a sample of 35 organizations that have elaborated and published non-financial reports during 2016–2017 and we have analysed the impact of some relevant determinants upon the reporting phenomenon. With the aim of providing a clear picture of the regional context of our study, we put together many pieces of information regarding the corporations that played the trend-setters role in Romania, by disclosing corporate social responsibility (CSR)/sustainability reports between 2003 and 2017, although this practice has been characterized by a voluntary and unsteady approach in many cases. The importance of outlining the regional context of the Romanian reporting companies is given by the urge to raise the local managers’ level of awareness towards sustainability issues and to use the recent legislative changes as opportunities to catch up with more advanced EU countries. The research methods used in order to identify the interdependencies established between the key factors involved in the disclosure practices included a mixed quantitative-qualitative approach, and referred to: content analysis of sustainability reports; descriptive analysis of the statistical variables which were taken into consideration; correlation analysis of numerical variables; and the ANOVA method for investigating the interdependencies between the categorical and numerical variables. Among the influencing factors that impact with a greater or lesser intensity the quality of OHS reporting performed by the local companies, the following were highlighted: the corporations’ market share, their field of activity, and the ownership structure.
Effects of Neodymium on Nitrogen Metabolism of Plantlet Loquat in Vitro

The effect of NdCl3 on the rooting and nitrogen metabolism of loquat in vitro was studied when NdCl3 was added to the rooted medium. The results show that 0.4 μmol*L-1 NdCl3 in the rooted medium can obviously increase the rooting rate, length of root and fresh weight of roots, and enhance the activities of nitrate reductase, glutamine synthetase, glutamate dehydrogenase in the root system and in the leaves. The transformation of NO3- to NH4+ in root system and leaves are promoted and the nitrogen metabolism is accelerated with 0.4 μmol*L-1 NdCl3 treatment.
Preparation and Characterization of β-Cyclodextrin Nanosponges and Study on Enhancing the Solubility of Insoluble Nicosulfuron

Nicosulfuron (NSF) is a water-insoluble and unstable sulfonylurea herbicide, which is mainly used in the treatment of stems and leaves after the corn seedling stage. Nanosponges (NS) have more interaction sites and higher drug encapsulation capabilities. In this paper, three kinds of β-cyclodextrin nanosponges (CDNS) were prepared by crosslinking β-cyclodextrin with diphenyl carbonate (DPC), pyromellitic dianhydride (PMDA) and epichlorohydrin (EP), respectively. The NSF-loaded CDNS were characterized by TEM, FTIR, DSC, TGA and XRD. The solubility, stability and biological activity of NSF were studied. The results showed NSFEP-CDNS could significantly enhance the solubility of NSF. In vitro release test, the cumulative release of NSF-EP-CDNS was 90.11%. Compared with pure NSF and NSF oil suspension, NSF-EP-CDNS had the strongest inhibitory effect on acetolactate synthase (ALS). In conclusion, CDNS have beneficial effects on the solubility, stability and biological activity of NSF.
Validation of histological and visual scoring systems for foot-pad dermatitis in broiler chickens

In this study, an appropriate visual scoring system for foot-pad dermatitis was validated, considering the histologically measured depth of the inflammation zone and the histopathological grade (no lesion, mild lesion, ulcer). The aim being to evaluate whether the visual, macroscopic scoring of foot-pad dermatitis can represent the histological, microscopic findings. Two hundred Ross 308 broiler chicken feet (birds aged 39–42 fattening days) were collected at a slaughterhouse and scored macroscopically according to a modified version of the Welfare Quality® Assessment Protocol for Poultry. Afterwards, 200 histological slides (one per foot) were prepared, the extent of the inflammation measured and all slides scored by veterinarian pathologists using Michel et al's modified scheme. The statistical relationship between microscopic and macroscopic score and depth of inflammation were estimated via regression models. Increasing macroscopic score was found to be linked with an increase in microscopic score and the depth of inflammation. In particular, feet without lesions and feet with ulcers were identifiable using the macroscopic score. Macroscopic scoring of foot-pad dermatitis can mirror histological findings once certain limitations are taken into account (superficial lesions were not clearly identifiable). Foot-pad dermatitis is considered a useful indicator of animal welfare and our findings suggest that visual, macroscopic scoring could be a practicable assessment tool.
Downscaling climate projections over large and data sparse regions: Methodological application in the Zambezi River Basin

Climate impact studies often require climate data at a higher space–time resolution than is available from global and regional climate models. Weather generator (WG) models, generally designed for mesoscale applications (e.g., 101–105 km2), are popular and widely used tools to downscale climate data to finer resolution. One advantage of using WGs is their ability to generate the necessary climate variables for impact studies in data sparse regions. In this study, we evaluate the ability of a previously established state of the art WG (the AWE‐GEN‐2d model) to perform in data sparse regions that are beyond the mesoscale, using the Zambezi River basin (106 km2) in southeast Africa as a case study. The AWE‐GEN‐2d model was calibrated using data from satellite retrievals and climate re‐analysis products in place of the absent observational data. An 8‐km climate ensemble at hourly resolution, covering the period of 1976–2099 (present climate and RCP4.5 emission scenario from 2020), was then simulated. Using the simulated 30‐member ensemble, climate indices for both present and future climates were computed. The high‐resolution climate indices allow detailed analysis of the effects of climate change on different areas within the basin. For example, the southwestern area of the basin is predicted to experience the greatest change due to increased temperature, while the southeastern area was found to be already so hot that is less affected (e.g., the number of 'very hot days' per year increase by 18 and 9 days, respectively). Rainfall intensities are found to increase most in the eastern areas of the basin (1 mm·d−1) in comparison to the western region (0.3 mm·d−1). As demonstrated in this study, AWE‐GEN‐2d can be calibrated successfully using data from climate reanalysis products in the absence of ground station data and can be applied at larger scales than the mesoscale.
Gastroprotective Activity of Olive Leaves Extract on 2,3,7,8 Tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin Induced Gastric Fundic Mucosal Injury in Adult Male Albino Rats (Light and Electron Microscopic Study)

Background: 2,3,7,8-Tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD) is one of the most toxic artificial chemicals present in the environment. TCDD exposure is associ‌ated with stomach damage. Olive leaves extract (OLE) is a herbal agent, used in medication with a variety of beneficial therapeutic effects. Objective: To evaluate the protective effect of OLE against TCDD induced fundic mucosal damage in adult male albino rats. Materials and methods: Seventy rats were divided into 3 groups: Group I (control group), group II (TCDD group): these rats received TCDD (100 μg/kg body weight/day) orally for 8 weeks, group III (TCDD and OLE group): rats of this group received TCDD and OLE (0.5 g/ body weight/day) orally for 8 weeks. Specimens from the gastric fundus were excised and stained with H&E and Periodic acid Schiff (PAS) for both routine histological and histochemical studies, and immunohistochemically for the detection of chromomgranin A. Morphometric and electron microscopic studies were also carried out. Results: TCDD induced mucosal injury, sloughing of surface mucosal cells, areas of gastric ulcer, glandular disarrangement, and decreased mucosal height, as well as a decrease in the PAS and chromogranin A positive reactions. Electron microscopic studies showed deteriorating changes in parietal cells, chief cells, mucous cells, and enteroendocrine cells. In contrast, most of the changes induced by TCDD were not observed in TCDD and OLE-treated group. Conclusion: TCDD has toxic effects on the histological and ultrastructure of fundic mucosa of rats, and OLE decreased these effects. OLE can be used to avoid TCDD-induced gastric complications.Keywords: TCDD, Olive Leaves Extract, Stomach, gastric fundus, Histology, Ultrastructure.
Comparing canopy height estimates from satellite-based photogrammetry, airborne laser scanning and field measurements across Australian production and conservation eucalypt forests

ABSTRACT Airborne Laser Scanning (ALS) generates accurate data for calculating forest metrics, such as canopy height, yet can be cost-prohibitive. Satellite-based stereo pair photogrammetry has the potential to overcome this limitation of ALS to facilitate multi-temporal change analysis when ALS data capture is unfeasible; however, it remains largely untested across Australian conservation and production eucalypt forests. This study examined root-mean-square differences (RMSD) between canopy height measurements derived from ALS, field measurements and satellite-based photogrammetry for a spotted gum (Corymbia citriodora) plantation and scribbly gum (Eucalyptus racemosa) woodland in south-east Queensland, Australia. The comparison found satellite-based photogrammetry under predicted canopy height compared to field measurements and ALS, whilst the RMSD indicated low performance for satellite-based photogrammetry across the eucalypt plantation and woodland. The open and heterogenous forest structure typical in eucalypt forests combined with low point cloud density for photogrammetry to inadequately sample the canopy and increase stereo matching errors; which was exacerbated across the open and heterogenous scribbly gum woodland. Current satellite-based photogrammetry is therefore unlikely to provide a viable alternative to ALS when analysing canopy height across eucalypt forests at high-resolution. General surface analysis across large areas of eucalypt forest at moderate resolution, or airborne photogrammetric methods, could demonstrate increased viability as an alternative to ALS.
Plagiochila xerophila (Plagiochilaceae, Marchantiophyta) – a highly xerophilous new species from the Tibetan Spur (China)

Background and aims – The xeric landscapes of the Tibetan floristic province are adverse habitats for leafy liverworts. Here we report on the occurrence of a population of a species of the genus Plagiochila from exposed high-elevation cliffs in the Sichuan Province, China. We assessed its taxonomic distinctiveness and affinities within a morphological and phylogenetic framework. Results and discussion – The population is accommodated in a new species, Plagiochila xerophila Bakalin & Vilnet – probably the most xerophilous taxon within the genus in Asia – and a new section (sect. Xerophilae Bakalin & Vilnet) based on integrative analyses of molecular and morphological traits. The species is characterized by a greenish colour, unexpected given the highly exposed habitat, rigid texture and stem paraphyllia. The closest morphological relatives from sect. Poeltiae are phylogenetically only distantly related, whereas members of its sister groups, namely of sect. Trabeculatae and sect. Fruticosae are morphologically conspicuously different.