Deceptive minds in digital spaces: the influence of the dark triad on posting fake online reviews

In the digital age, online reviews play a critical role in consumer decision‐making. Despite growing interest in fake online reviews, the personality antecedents of posting such reviews remain largely unexplored. This study addresses this gap by investigating the influence of Dark Triad personality traits on the behavior of posting fake reviews. Leveraging Interpersonal Deception Theory, we apply natural language processing techniques to detect fake reviews in Amazon's data set and employ logistic regression modeling to examine the relationship between these traits and deceptive online behavior. Our findings reveal that Machiavellians use fake reviews as calculated tools to manipulate perceptions, whereas narcissists, driven by their need for validation and fear of detection, avoid posting fake reviews to protect their credibility and online self‐image. Furthermore, psychopaths' impulsivity and short‐term focus deter them from the cognitively demanding task of crafting plausible fake reviews. These new insights into the distinct effects of each Dark Triad trait on online deceptive behavior enhance theoretical models and offer practical implications. Incorporating personality‐based metrics into fake review detection systems can help businesses safeguard their platform integrity and promote authentic consumer feedback

Disasters and technological upgrading measured by changes in demand for ICT labour: estimating the impacts with text

Extensive literature has studied the economic impact of disasters. However, specific impacts on labour markets have received less attention. Using a massive earthquake (> 8.0 Mw) that struck Chile in 2010 and proprietary data from a Chilean online job board (4136 job postings published between 2008 and 2012), we examine changes in demand for Information and Communications Technologies, ICT, related labour as a proxy for technological upgrading, by assuming that ICT and related technologies drive much of the technical change in production. We implement a structural topic model to discover and estimate the difference in the prevalence of ICT and Construction labour, among others. Our results show that ICT labour does not change. In contrast, Construction labour significantly differed after the disaster, suggesting that reconstruction activities led to employment differences. Our results suggest that there was no substantive technological replacement following the earthquake

What shared learning spaces taught me about student belonging

An examination of what we can learn from the transition from online learning spaces during the Covid pandemic to our campus teaching post-pandemi

Pulse and legume consumption is associated with a more optimal nutrient intake and a higher EAT-Lancet index in a representative UK population

Purpose Diets high in pulses and legumes have been associated with improved cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk markers but the relationship is less well studied in UK populations. To address this, associations between consumption of pulses (dried beans, peas and lentils) and legumes (pulses, fresh peas and green beans) with nutrient intake and status, a sustainable diet quality score (EAT-Lancet index), CVD risk markers and food expenditure was assessed in representative UK populations. Methods A secondary analysis of data from the UK National Diet and Nutrition Survey (2008–2019) and the Living Costs and Food Survey (2001–2022) was conducted. To assess the relationships, regression models controlling for covariates were used. Results Children and adults consumed mean ± SD 10.6 ± 27.0 g/day and 15.0 ± 21.0 g/day of pulses, and 16.7 ± 32.5 g/day and 27.3 ± 26.0 g/day of legumes, respectively. Diets rich in pulses and legumes were associated with higher intakes of energy, fibre, vitamin E, thiamine, folate, biotin, sodium, potassium, phosphorus, magnesium, iron, zinc, and manganese; lower intakes of saturated fats, total and free sugars and higher plasma selenium and total carotenoid concentrations (all P < 0.05). Consumption of a portion (80 g) of pulses and legumes was associated with a 3.7 point increase in EAT-Lancet index (P < 0.001). Average expenditure on pulses and legumes/person/week in 2022 was £1.68 and £2.90, equivalent to 0.33% and 0.56% of weekly income respectively. Conclusions Pulse and legume-rich diets are broadly associated with a more optimum nutrient intake, higher micronutrient status and a more sustainable diet. Strategies are needed to increase pulse and legume consumption in UK populations

Evaluation of easterly wave disturbances over the tropical South Atlantic in CMIP6 models

This study aims to evaluate the ability of the new phase Coupled Model Intercomparison Project (CMIP6) models to estimate the characteristics of Easterly Waves Disturbances (EWD) over the Tropical South Atlantic (TSA) that reach Northeast Brazil (NEB). Initially, the precipitation variable output of CMIP, AMIP, hist-1950 and highresSST-present models skill was evaluated using the Global Precipitation Climatology Center (GPCC) dataset to define the best models that reproduce the spatial and temporal precipitation patterns over the study regions. In total, 17 historical CMIP, 16 AMIP, 7 do hist-1950 and 10 do highresSST-present models were assessed. The ensemble's spatial analysis showed the ability of the models in reproducing annual and seasonal climatological precipitation patterns but with CMIP exhibiting the highest variability. Models underestimated the precipitation intensity on NEB's coast and overestimated on TSA and NEB's north. Larger (smaller) uncertainties among models were observed at higher (lower) latitudes. Regarding the annual precipitation cycle analysis, 8 subareas were selected and investigated within the total study area. Models were capable of representing the annual cycle in all subareas, particularly between July and October. However, greater spread was observed in the first half of the year, especially in the north of the Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ) and in CMIP models. Based on those analyses, 3 best models from each ensemble were selected to evaluate the model's ability to represent EWD over the study area: CMIP (AS-RCEC.TaiESM1, CAS.FGOALS-f3-L, and NCC.NorESM2-MM), AMIP (CAS.FGOALS-f3-L, AS-RCEC.TaiESM1, and CMCC.CMCC-CM2-SR5), hist-1950 (HadGEM3-GC31-HH, CMCC-CM2-VHR4 e ECMWF.ECMWF-IFS-HR) and highresSST (MRI.MRI-AGCM3-2-H, CMCC-CM2-VHR4 e ECMWF.ECMWF-IFS-HR). An objective automatic tracking algorithm was utilized in each model. It was observed that the models were able to represent mean values of lifetime (~6 days) and phase speed (~7 m.s-1) close to climatological values and those of ERA5. However, most models failed to capture the EWD's interannual variability or climatological mean frequency. All models successfully identified the two preferential genesis regions of this system, one over the TSA and another near the West African coast. Thus, despite many improvements still being necessary in CMIP6 models, precipitation climatological patterns and EWD's characteristics over NEB and adjacent TSA were represented by the models, especially in atmospheric and high-resolution models (HighResMIP)

How does small-scale mining stabilize rural livelihoods in Sub-Saharan Africa? the case of Mozambique

This paper examines the linkages between subsistence farming and artisanal and small-scale mining (ASM) – lowtech, labor-intensive mineral extraction and processing – in sub-Saharan Africa, focusing on the case of Mozambique. While the body of literature on this subject is burgeoning, it is comprised mostly of conceptual pieces and country case studies that rely heavily on qualitative data. Focusing on Manica Province, long an epicentre of small-scale gold mining activity in Mozambique, the paper showcases the value of including complementary quantitative data in analyses of ASM-farming linkages in rural sub-Saharan Africa. In particular, quantitative data that provide detail on the demographical composition of communities engaged in both ASM and agriculture, and which shed light on the spending patterns of households involved, could go a long way toward enriching dialogues on this subject, and, in the process, yield more effective (and, indeed, representative) rural development and poverty alleviation strategies in the region. The data gathered in Manica Province provide a more nuanced picture of how the ages and educational levels of household heads, and the sizes of their families, shape views on ASM and agriculture in gold-rich sections of Mozambique. Studies exploring the linkages between ASM and agriculture in sub-Saharan Africa that feature both qualitative and quantitative data provide greater clarity on the role each activity could play in tackling some of the region’s broader development challenges, including food insecurity and (building) community resilience

Meaning in life mediates the effects of sense of self and prosocial behaviours on anhedonia: a path analysis

Background Anhedonia, the loss of interest and pleasure, is a core symptom of depression that is resistant to treatment. Anhedonic young people describe a weakened sense of self and reduced meaning in life. Knowing if these experiences predict anhedonia could reveal novel targets for intervention development. Methods We recruited young people (N = 429, mean age: 20 years) with a range of depression scores. Using path analysis, we examined anhedonia, sense of self, meaning in life, and prosocial behaviours cross-sectionally and longitudinally at ~5-month follow-up (N = 160). Results Cross-sectionally, sense of self (β =. 81, p < .001) and prosocial behaviours (β = 0.37, p < .001) had direct effects on meaning in life, and meaning in life had a direct effect on anhedonia (β = −0.11, p < .001). Sense of self (β = −0.09, p < .001) and prosocial behaviours (β = −0.04, p < .001) had indirect effects on anhedonia, mediated by meaning in life. In the longitudinal analysis, sense of self at T1 had a direct effect on meaning in life at T2 (β = 0.36, p < .01) and an indirect effect on anhedonia at T2 (β = −0.05, p < .01), mediated by meaning in life. Limitations Approximately 70 % of the participants were female. Future studies should include equal numbers of males and females. Conclusion We provide novel evidence that targeting meaning in life, sense of self, or prosocial behaviours in psychotherapeutic interventions could be effective in alleviating anhedonia

Diesel exhaust and ozone adversely affect pollinators and parasitoids within flying insect communities

The effects of air pollution on human and animal health and on the functioning of terrestrial ecosystems are wide-ranging. This potentially includes the disruption of valuable services provided by flying insects (e.g. pollination and biological control). However, quantifying the extent of this disruption requires a clearer understanding of insect community responses at field-scale. By elevating diesel exhaust and ozone (O3) pollutants, individually and interactively, over two summers, we investigated the field-scale effects of air pollution on the abundance and diversity of flying insects from pan traps. We quantified which groups of insects were more at risk of air pollution-mediated decline and whether responses to air pollution were influenced by the presence of flowering plants. In addition, a common pest of Brassicaceae, the large cabbage white butterfly (Pieris brassicae L.) was used to investigate the effects on oviposition success of the two interacting air pollutants. Air pollution had the most detrimental effects on pollinators and parasitoids, compared with other insect groups, lowering their abundance by up to 48% and 32%, respectively. The adverse effects of O3 and diesel exhaust on pollinators occurred only when flowers were available, indicating the relative importance of floral odours compared with visual cues. Air pollutants resulted in either increased insect herbivore abundance or had no effect, potentially increasing the threat air pollution poses to food security. However, both pollutants resulted in decreased oviposition by cabbage white butterflies, which, if demonstrated to be a more ubiquitous phenomenon, may result in reduced larval pest damage. Quantifying the relative changes in composition and abundance among feeding guilds is valuable for predicting the effects of air pollution on insect communities. Of the groups identified, pollinators are likely to be at the greatest risk of air pollution-mediated decline due to their use of floral odour cues for foraging