Changes In Consumption Levels Research Articles

Phosphorus flow characteristics in the waste system of Poyang Lake Watershed over the past 70 years

With the intensification of human activities, the amount of phosphorus (P)-containing waste has increased. When such waste is not recycled, P is released into the environment, leading to environmental issues such as the eutrophication of water bodies. In this study, based on the material flow analysis method, a P Waste Flow analysis model (P-WFA) was developed to analyze the P flow in the waste system of Poyang Lake, the largest freshwater lake in China. To address the research gap in long-term P flow analysis at the watershed scale, this study quantified the P content in the waste system of the Poyang Lake Watershed from 1950 to 2020. The analysis revealed that from 1950 to 2020, the total P input into the waste system increased from 5.49 × 104 tons in 1950 to 2.28 × 105 tons in 2020. The breeding industry system was identified as the primary source, accounting for 25.19–41.59 % of the total waste system. Over the past 70 years, P loss to surface water from waste systems has been primarily facilitated by manure from the breeding industry, as well as drainage from crop farming systems (77.74 % in 2020). At the same time, the P recycling rate (PRR) of the waste system exhibited an initial increase followed by a decrease, increasing from 44.14 % to 47.75 % before dropping to 44.41 %. Population growth, urbanization, and changes in consumption levels in Jiangxi Province have led to changes in the dietary structure and fertilizer use, consequently affecting the P cycling pattern. This study presents a comprehensive P flow model for waste systems in the Poyang Lake Watershed. This model can be used as a reference to enhance P cycling and manage P loss in other large freshwater lakes.

Evaluation of the impact before and after the application of an antimicrobial stewardship program at Dong Thap General Hospital, Vietnam, from 2017 to 2021

Vietnam has one of the highest rates of antibiotic resistance in Asia. In 2020, the Vietnam Minister of Health introduced new legislation for the implementation of an antimicrobial stewardship program (ASP). The evidence for the effectiveness of ASP in small hospitals and hospitals located in provinces was limited compared with larger-scale and central city hospitals. Evaluation of the impact before and after the introduction of an antimicrobial stewardship program at Dong Thap General Hospital, from 2017 to 2021. Retrospective data was collected from June 2017 to June 2021. The impact of the ASP on changes in antibiotic use and the clinical outcome associated with the implementation of the ASP was evaluated using autoregressive integrated moving average modelling of controlled interrupted time-series analysis. There was a significant and sustained decrease in antibiotic consumption level (step change) in 2 indicators, DOT/1000PD (129.55; P<0.01) and LOT/1000PD (99.95, P<0.01), immediately after the ASP intervention. There were no statistically significant changes identified in terms of consumption with DDD/1000PD, or in the clinical outcomes. The results showed no statistically significant change in consumption trend (ramps) in all evaluated indicators. No statistically significant changes in consumption levels and trends were observed in the control group. The ASP implemented in Dong Thap General Hospital from 2017 to 2021 showed a considerable influence on antibiotic consumption as indicated by the DOT/1000 PD and LOT/1000 PD during the initial stages. Moreover, controlling antibiotic consumption did not negatively impact patient outcomes.

Sex-specific foraging response to interspecific interactions in carabid beetles

Carabids beetles are considered important biocontrol agents of weeds, but predicting levels of weed seed consumption and regulation is difficult. Olfactory cues from predators or potential competitors alter the selection and consumption of particular food resources by foraging individuals. Whether this leads to changes in consumption levels or simply to changes in the rate at which consumption takes place over time is not yet known. Identifying and understanding the factors that drive the seed foraging behaviour of carabid beetles, in the context of interspecific interaction, is essential for predicting consumption levels in different carabid communities and hence improve the ecosystem service of weed regulation by carabid beetles.We tested the response of 119 Harpalus affinis individuals foraging for Viola arvensis or Taraxacum officinale seeds, to encounters with individuals of another carabid species, Pterostichus melanarius. Their foraging behaviour (i.e. total consumption, latency to first seed acceptance and position in the arena) was recorded for 72 h and the consumption rates were reported in detail for the first 7 h of the experiment for all treatments.Even though the total number of seeds consumed after 24 h did not differ, the dynamic of seed consumption by H. affinis changed significantly in the presence of P. melanarius. The attraction of individuals to the seeds diminished over time, indicating a probable state of satiety being reached. This suggests that looking at the total number of seeds consumed after a long period of time may be misleading and that a greater focus on of the temporal dynamics of consumption is needed if we are to understand carabids interest in specific weed species in a specific foraging context. We found that only females seemed to react to the presence of P. melanarius individuals, indicating that the perception of the level of risk may be sex-specific in carabid beetles.

Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic in Antibiotic Consumption in Navarre (Spain): An Interrupted Time Series Analysis

On 11 March 2020, the World Health Organization declared coronavirus disease 19 (COVID-19) a global pandemic. This exceptional situation changed the world not only in terms of mortality and morbidity, but also in terms of epidemiology and health system resources consumption. The objective of this work was to analyze the consumption of antibiotics during the period around the pandemic in our region. A drug utilization study was performed comparing the antibiotic consumption in the community during the years 2018, 2019, 2020, and 2021. Quarterly antibiotic use (defined daily doses (DDD) per 1000 inhabitants per day (DID)) and number of patients treated were the outcomes. Interrupted time series regression analysis was performed to estimate the statistical significance of the change in level of consumption before and after the COVID-19 pandemic. The drop of global antibiotic consumption was statistically significant, both in number of patients and in DID when analyzing pre-pandemic period versus pandemic period. The use of strategic antibiotics for respiratory infections such as amoxicillin, amoxicillin-clavulanic acid, and levofloxacin also decreased significantly. Seasonal pattern of use of antibiotics disappeared due to the global measures imposed over the world to work against COVID-19.

Determining the preferred liquid reward in adult C57BL/6 mice.

Using food rewards to motivate mice is commonplace in behavioural research. Using a reward which is highly desirable is of benefit, as it can reduce the need to food restrict animals and can encourage higher levels of consumption, allowing for changes in levels of consumption following an intervention to be easily determined. Here, we aimed to determine the preferred milk reward for adult male C57Bl/6 mice. Thirty male C57Bl/6 mice were provided with soya milk, chocolate milk, almond milk or water for a four-hour period in a cross-over design. When planning studies that involve the use of a palatable liquid reward, soya milk is the preferred option for adult male C57BL/6 mice. Providing a liquid reward of high value will give increased levels of consumption, with little or no food restriction required.

Sensitivity of Pressure-Mediated Reflection Spectroscopy to Detect Dose-Dependent Changes in Skin Carotenoids: A Randomized Controlled Trial

ObjectivesSkin carotenoids respond to changes in the consumption of carotenoid-rich fruits and vegetables (FV); however, the sensitivity of pressure-mediated reflection spectroscopy (PMRS) to detect changes in skin carotenoids in response to changes in FV consumption is not yet known. The objective of this study was to assess the sensitivity of PMRS to detect dose-dependent increases in skin carotenoids.MethodsIn this 8-week parallel controlled trial, participants were randomly assigned to either a control group (water; n = 19; age: 31 ± 14; BMI: 26 ± 3) or to one of three high-lycopene vegetable juice consumption doses – 1) the LOW group consumed 5.5 fl. oz./day (0.8 cups or 1.5 servings; n = 22; age: 33 ± 14; BMI: 25 ± 3); 2) the MED group consumed 10 fl. oz./day (1.5 cups or 3 servings; n = 21; age: 30 ± 8; BMI: 26 ± 2); 3) the HIGH group consumed 13 fl. oz./day (2.0 cups or 4 servings; n = 17; age: 35 ± 14; BMI: 24 ± 3). All beverages were provided in premeasured containers for daily consumption. PMRS-assessed skin carotenoids were measured weekly in triplicate. The mean PMRS intensity of the three scans was used for the analyses.ResultsPMRS-assessed skin carotenoids were greater than baseline starting at week 2 in the HIGH group (p ≤ .003), week 4 in the MED group (p ≤ .002), and week 5 in the LOW group (p ≤ .04). No changes were observed in the control group. Differences in PMRS-assessed skin carotenoids were observed beginning at week 2 between the control and HIGH groups (p ≤ .04), at week 4 between the LOW and HIGH groups (p ≤ .05), and at week 8 between the control and MED groups (p = .01). No differences were observed between the LOW and MED groups, the MED and HIGH groups, or the control and LOW groups.ConclusionsIn conclusion, PMRS-assessed skin carotenoids increase in a linear dose- and time-dependent manner. These preliminary results indicate that PMRS is capable of detecting changes in skin carotenoids when the daily consumption of carotenoid rich FV are increased by at least 0.8 cups or 1.5 servings for a minimum of 5 weeks. These preliminary results also indicate that the lowest level of detection between groups is the consumption of 1.5 cups or 3 servings of carotenoid rich FV daily for a minimum of 8 weeks. Changes in consumption levels or differences between groups below these thresholds may not be detected using PMRS.Funding SourcesStudy was supported by USDA ARS.

Recent changes in trends of opioid overdose deaths in North America

BackgroundAs several regulatory and environmental changes have occurred in North America, trends in overdose deaths were examined in the United States (US), Ontario and British Columbia (BC), including changes in consumption levels of prescription opioids (PO) and overdose deaths, changes in correlations between consumption levels of PO and overdose deaths and modeled differences between observed and predicted overdose deaths if no changes had occurred.MethodsConsumption levels of PO included defined daily doses for statistical purposes per million inhabitants per day for the US and Canada (2001–2015). Overdose deaths included opioid overdose deaths for the US (2001–2017) and Ontario (2003–2017) and illicit drug overdose deaths for BC (2001–2017). The analytic techniques included structural break point analyses, Pearson product-moment correlations and multivariate Gaussian state space modeling.ResultsConsumption levels of PO changed in the US in 2010 and in Canada in 2012. Overdose deaths changed in the US in 2014 and in Ontario and BC in 2015. Prior to the observed changes in consumption levels of PO, there were positive correlations between consumption levels of PO and overdose deaths in the US (r = 0.99, p < 0.001) and Ontario (r = 0.92, p = 0.003). After the observed changes in consumption levels of PO, there was a negative correlation between consumption levels of PO and overdose deaths in the US (r = − 0.99, p = 0.002). Observed overdose deaths exceeded predicted overdose deaths by 5.7 (95% Confidence Interval [CI]: 4.8–6.6), 3.5 (95% CI: 3.2–3.8) and 21.8 (95% CI: 18.6–24.9) deaths per 100,000 people in the US, Ontario and BC, respectively in 2017. These excess deaths corresponded to 37.7% (95% CI: 31.9–43.6), 39.2% (95% CI: 36.3–42.1) and 72.2% (95% CI: 61.8–82.6) of observed overdose deaths in the US, Ontario and BC, respectively in 2017.ConclusionsThe opioid crisis has evolved in North America, as a sizeable proportion of overdose deaths are now attributable to the several regulatory and environmental changes. These findings necessitate substance use policies to be conceptualized more broadly as well as the continued expansion of harm reduction services and types of pharmacotherapy interventions.

Supranational changes in drinking patterns: factors in explanatory models of substantial and parallel social change

Background: That there have been ‘long waves’ of consumption in parallel in different societies has previously been noted. Now there is a sustained drop in drinking among youth in most of Europe, Australia and North America. Can such changes be understood in a common frame? In terms of inexorable historical phenomena or forces, like Kondratieff waves? In terms of generational shifts, with a younger generation reacting against the habits of an older?Method: Such conceptual models for understanding the dynamics of social change are examined in terms of their potential contribution in explaining when and how substantial changes in levels of consumption occur roughly in concert in different societies, with particular reference to the decline in drinking and heavy drinking in current youth cohorts.Results and Conclusion: Timing tends to rule out economic change as a factor in the current widespread decline in youth drinking. The technological revolution of the electronic web and the smart phone seems a primary explanation, with the widespread change in social presentation and interaction — in habitus — between parents and children also involved. Directions for further research are suggested.

ECONOMIC CONDITIONS AFFECTING FRUIT CONSUMPTION IN POLAND: EVIDENCE FROM A COUNTRY WITH TWO ECONOMIC SYSTEMS IN 1965–2014

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the longterm changes in total fruit consumption in Poland from 1965 to 2014, and to test the impact of developing trends and the effects of the economic situation on fruit consumption in that period. The analysis suggests that changes in fruit consumption in Poland over the last half century correlate with the characteristics of the economic cycle. Two phases of growth in consumption and two phases representing a downward trend may be identified. The artificial variable (the increase or decrease value) allowed to confirm the existence of cyclical factors. The two methods (HP and MLS) used to assess the changes provided a picture of the activity of these factors. It should be noted that the coefficient of the regression function calculated with the HP is very similar to the one calculate with the MLS, and is R2 = 0.645. These methods may therefore be useful in predicting short-term changes in consumption levels

Changes in Consumer Food Preferences in EU Countries from 2001-2013

This paper attempts to rank EU countries according to changes in consumer food preferences between 2001 and 2013. The size of these changes was determined using a synthetic rate created for this purpose. This rate was intended to accommodate changes in consumption levels in 9 product groups per capita. It turns out that we may use the greatest possible measure of the structure’s dissimilarity as an analogy to the Gini coefficient, to express this rate. Using the “ar” measure to compare structures of food consumption in two separate three-year time periods for each country, scientists may rank and group the countries according to the value of changes in consumer food preferences.

More Water Please, It's Getting Hot! The Effect of Climate on Residential Water Demand

Climate change is expected to alter the supply and demand for water in the residential sector. Existing studies exploit the differences in climate across seasons mostly in North America and Europe, and identify changes in consumption levels attributed only to households' short-term responses. The results from models that simulate household consumption of water are sensitive to the parameters that govern the behavior of climate variables and household responses in the upcoming decades, and fail to consider short-term determinants of water consumption. The findings in the literature suggest an inexistent or small effect of climate on residential water demand. This paper studies the relationship between climate conditions and residential water consumption that corresponds to households' long-term adaptation to climate, while controlling for the effect of short-term determinants of water demand. I take advantage of the geographic variation in climate conditions across municipalities of Ecuador to identify the effect of temperature, precipitation and humidity on water demand. I adopt average prices and an IV technique to address the endogeneity problem between water prices and quantities that arise from the use of increasing-block water tariffs. I find a large and significant effect of temperature on residential water demand, whereas precipitation and humidity have a small effect. Temperature also has a stronger effect on water demand among low-income households.

The impact of regional co-payment and national reimbursement criteria on statins use in Italy: an interrupted time-series analysis.

BackgroundStatins are among the most commonly prescribed drugs worldwide in the prevention of cardiovascular diseases and their effectiveness is largely acknowledged. The consumption of statins increased four-fold during the 2000–2010 decade in Italy and national and regional control policies were developed. Restrictions to reimbursement were fixed at the national level, whereas co-payment was introduced in some, but not all, regions. The aim of the present study is to assess the impact of such policies on the consumption of statins in Italy between 2001–2007 among outpatients.MethodsThe statin use was measured in terms of defined daily doses per 1,000 inhabitants per day (DDD/1000 inh. day) from May 2001 to December 2007. The study was conducted in 17 out of 21 regions, nine of which had implemented a co-payment policy. Time trends in consumption before and after the introduction of co-payment policies and reimbursement criteria were examined using segmented regression analysis of interrupted time-series, adjusting for seasonal components.ResultsThe consumption of statins increased by 22.9 DDD/1000 inh. day in May 2001 to 54.7 DDD/1000 inh. day in December 2007. On average, there was a 1.7% increase in statin use each month before the national guideline changed while the increase was about 0.5% afterwards. The revision of the reimbursement criteria was associated with a significant decrease in level (coefficient = −2.80, 95% CI −3.70 to −1.90 p-value <0.001) and trend (coefficient = −0.33, 95% CI −0.37 to −0.29 p-value <0.001). The introduction of co-payment was associated with a significant change in trend of consumption so that the overall use of the drug increased by 0.04 (95% CI 0.02 to 0.07, p-value < 0.001) DDD/1000 inh. day per month in the post-intervention period, but there was no evidence of a change in level of consumption (p-value = 0.163).ConclusionsConsumption of statins in Italy increased almost three-fold during the study period. The restriction to reimbursement Interventions was associated with an immediate drop and a decrease in trend of statin use, while the regional copayment was associated with a small increase in trend of statin use.

Impact of Over-the-Counter Restrictions on Antibiotic Consumption in Brazil and Mexico

BackgroundIn Latin American countries over-the-counter (OTC) dispensing of antibiotics is common. In 2010, both Mexico and Brazil implemented policies to enforce existing laws of restricting consumption of antibiotics only to patients presenting a prescription. The objective of the present study is therefore to evaluate the impact of OTC restrictions (2010) on antibiotics consumption in Brazil and Mexico.Methods and FindingsRetail quarterly sales data in kilograms of oral and injectable antibiotics between January 2007 and June 2012 for Brazil and Mexico were obtained from IMS Health. The unit of analysis for antibiotics consumption was the defined daily dose per 1,000 inhabitants per day (DDD/TID) according to the WHO ATC classification system. Interrupted time series analysis was conducted using antihypertensives as reference group to account for changes occurring independently of the OTC restrictions directed at antibiotics. To reduce the effect of (a) seasonality and (b) autocorrelation, dummy variables and Prais-Winsten regression were used respectively.Between 2007 and 2012 total antibiotic usage increased in Brazil (from 5.7 to 8.5 DDD/TID, +49.3%) and decreased in Mexico (10.5 to 7.5 DDD/TID, −29.2%). Interrupted time series analysis showed a change in level of consumption of −1.35 DDD/TID (p<0.01) for Brazil and −1.17 DDD/TID (p<0.00) for Mexico. In Brazil the penicillins, sulfonamides and macrolides consumption had a decrease in level after the intervention of 0.64 DDD/TID (p = 0.02), 0.41 (p = 0.02) and 0.47 (p = 0.01) respectively. While in Mexico it was found that only penicillins and sulfonamides had significant changes in level of −0.86 DDD/TID (p<0.00) and −0.17 DDD/TID (p = 0.07).ConclusionsDespite different overall usage patterns of antibiotics in Brazil and Mexico, the effect of the OTC restrictions on antibiotics usage was similar. In Brazil the trend of increased usage of antibiotics was tempered after the OTC restrictions; in Mexico the trend of decreased usage was boosted.

Elevator simulator design and estimating energy consumption of an elevator system

It has become vitally important to control the use of the energy resources in our world of severe energy depletion. Elevators (and the escalators) constitute an important part in total energy consumption of modern high buildings. Thus, it has grown in importance to estimate the energy consumption of the elevators and to analyze the changes in consumption levels caused by the use of different technology, design, capacity and optimization methods. The use of the simulators specialized in performance estimate and service quality is common in literature since the elevators are suitable, in respect of traffic, to be analyzed by discrete simulation. Using such simulators with some plugins, it can be possible to calculate the energy consumption levels for different scenarios. In this study, a simulator that can produce results to be used in analysis of service quality and energy consumption levels of an elevator is designed. Using the simulator designed, simulation of a real system with poor service quality is carried out. Once the number of elevators is increased, it has been found that the service quality is improved to a desired level, and contrary to expectations, the level of energy consumption is decreased.

Analysing policy interventions to prohibit over‐the‐counter antibiotic sales in four Latin American countries

To describe and evaluate policies implemented in Chile, Colombia, Venezuela and Mexico (1995-2009) to prohibit antibiotic OTC sales and explore limitations in available data. We searched and analysed legislation, grey literature and peer-reviewed publications on regulatory interventions and implementation strategies to enforce prohibition of OTC antibiotic sales. We also assessed the impact using private sector retail sales data of antibiotics studying changes in level and consumption trends before and after the policy change using segmented time series analysis. Finally, we assessed the completeness and data quality through an established checklist to test the suitability of the data for analysis of the interventions. Whereas Chile implemented a comprehensive package of interventions to accompany regulation changes, Colombia's reform was limited to the capital district and Venezuela's limited to only some antibiotics and without awareness campaigns. In Mexico, no enforcement was enacted. The data showed a differential effect of the intervention among the countries studied with a significant change in level of consumption in Chile (-5.56 DID) and in Colombia (-1.00DID). In Venezuela and Mexico, no significant change in level and slope was found. Changes in population coverage were identified as principal limitations of using sales data for evaluating the reform impact. Retail sales data can be useful when assessing policy impact but should be supplemented by other data sources such as public sector sales and prescription data. Implementing regulatory enforcement has shown some impact, but a sustainable, concerted approach will be needed to address OTC sales in the future.

Sustainable Consumption Governance: A History of Promises and Failures

What are the implications of the current international political, and economic settings for consumer policy, and, in particular, those regarding sustainable consumption? In terms of improvements in the efficiency of consumption, the settings have induced efforts to this effect and show potential for further progress. In terms of necessary changes in consumption levels and patterns, however, little progress has been made since the Rio Summit nor is there likely to be any in the near future. These two dimensions of sustainable consumption need to be differentiated, as there is a substantial amount of controversy regarding our ability to achieve sustainable consumption on the basis of improvements in efficiency alone. The paper traces these differences with respect to the work of the major international governmental organizations (IGOs) engaged in developing sustainable consumption governance. It argues that the lack of commitment to strong sustainable consumption among IGOs can be explained by their “weakness” as actors in global governance and the existence of strong opposing interests among consumers and business actors.

Strain-dependent differences in schedule-induced polydipsia: an assessment in Lewis and Fischer rats

Strain-dependent differences have been used to highlight unknown genetic contributions to important behavioral and physiological end points. In this regard, the Fischer (F344) and Lewis (LEW) rat strains have often been studied because they exhibit a myriad of behavioral and physiological differences. Recently, schedule-induced polydipsia (SIP), a potential model of stress and drug abuse, has been reported to differ between the two strains (see [Pharmacol. Biochem. Behav. 67 (2002) 809]) with F344 rats displaying greater levels of consumption than LEW rats. Given the importance of SIP as a behavioral model of stress and of drug abuse, the present study further explored SIP in F344 and LEW strains by assessing the acquisition and steady-state performance of SIP (under a fixed-time 30 schedule of food delivery; FT30), its characteristic postprandial temporal licking pattern and its modulation by variations in the food delivery schedule (FT15, FT30 and FT60). F344 rats acquired SIP at a faster rate and drank at a higher asymptotic level than LEW rats. Both strains displayed the typical inverted U-shaped post-pellet pattern of drinking and changes in levels of consumption (and displacement of the initiation of post-pellet drinking) with changes in the FT value, supporting the position that the increased drinking seen in both groups was schedule induced. These strain differences in SIP are consistent with the fact that the F344 and LEW strains differ on other behavioral and physiological indices of stress and raise the issue of the use of this model in the assessment of differential drug intake between the two strains.

The Disparate Roots of Voluntary Modesty

The effective solution of environmental problems calls for changes in levels of consumption. Sociologists have described moderation in households of high socio-economic status in affluent countries, and also a type of modesty which cannot be a response to the experience of abundance. However, its essence is not the way of life of a traditional community. Sustainable living based on self-restraint could be considered to be a symptom of the summit of cultural evolution to date. Nevertheless, historical experience warns us against making too much of contemporary cases of moderation.

The Disparate Roots of Voluntary Modesty

The effective solution of environmental problems calls for changes in levels of consumption. Sociologists have described moderation in households of high socio-economic status in affluent countries, and also a type of modesty which cannot be a response to the experience of abundance. However, its essence is not the way of life of a traditional community. Sustainable living based on self-restraint could be considered to be a symptom of the summit of cultural evolution to date. Nevertheless, historical experience warns us against making too much of contemporary cases of moderation.

Estimated Intakes of Trans Fatty and Other Fatty Acids in the US Population

Objective To estimate mean level of trans fatty acid intakes using a representative sample of the US population. Design The study used food intake data from the 1989-1991 Continuing Survey of Food Intakes by Individuals (CSFII) and the trans fatty acid contents of specific foods calculated from a database compiled by the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) to estimate the mean level and deciles of trans fatty acid intake of the representative US population. Subjects/setting Trans fatty acid intakes were estimated for each subject (N=11,258) in the CSFII data who completed both a 24-hour recall and a 2-day food record. Statistical analyses performed Weights developed by USDA for the survey were used for all data analyses. The Technical Assessment Systems (TAS) International Diet Research System (TAS-DIET), software developed by TAS, was used to derive weighted estimates of the mean and percentiles of the intake distribution. PC CARP, software designed by Iowa State University, was used to estimate standard errors. Results Mean percentage of energy ingested as trans fatty acids was 2.6% and the mean percentage of total fat ingested as trans fatty acids was 7.4%. Across all age and gender groups examined, estimates ranged from 2.6% to 2.8% and 7.1% to 7.9%, respectively. Applications/conclusions Dietetics practitioners can use the representative data of this study to help clients achieve desired changes in consumption levels of trans fatty acids. J Am Diet Assoc. 1999;99:166–174.