Changes In Consumption Patterns Research Articles

Robust operation of distribution network based on photovoltaic/wind energy resources in condition of COVID-19 pandemic considering deterministic and probabilistic approaches

In this paper, optimal allocation and planning of wind and photovoltaic energy resources are performed in a distribution network with the objective of reducing losses, improving reliability, and minimizing energy generation cost in terms of changes in load consumption pattern during the COVID-19 pandemic condition. The main goal is identifying the best operating point, ie the optimal location and size of clean energy resources in the worst load change conditions, which ensures the best network operation in all conditions during the COVID-19 condition via the turbulent flow of water-based optimization (TFWO). First, the deterministic approach is implemented in Hybrid and Distributed cases before and during COVID-19 conditions. The probabilistic approach is performed considering generation uncertainty during the COVID-19 conditions. The results showed better performance in the Distributed case with the lowest losses and higher reliability improvement. Moreover, the losses are significantly reduced and the reliability is improved during the COVID-19 pandemic conditions. The findings indicate that the allocation and planning during the COVID-19 conditions is a robust option in network operating point changes. Also, the probabilistic results showed that considering the uncertainty has increased active and reactive losses (4.67% and 5.82%) and weakened the reliability (10.26%) of the deterministic approach.

Analysis of perceived robustness, adaptability and transformability of Spanish extensive livestock farms under alternative challenging scenarios

CONTEXTExtensive livestock farms in the EU operate in a context of increasing market liberalization and competition, changing consumer patterns and decreasing meat consumption, and increasing climate change-related risks. In turn, EU policy calls for better supporting extensive systems due to their numerous socio-ecological benefits and aims to improve the resilience of extensive livestock farms. OBJECTIVEThe research question underlying this paper is: which resilience capacities may help livestock farmers deal with different types of challenges? The specific research objectives are: 1) to quantify the resilience capacities of robustness, adaptability and transformability and the challenges as perceived by farmers; 2) to identify the main challenges affecting the perceived resilience capacities; and 3) to evaluate how perceived resilience capacities perform under alternative scenarios. METHODSThe paper relies on the use of data from a survey of 120 cattle and sheep farmers in Spain to study the latent property of resilience through farmers' perception. The methodology consists of mixed statistical methods to address the three specific objectives. First, descriptive statistics to quantify the perceived resilience capacities and challenges threatening farming systems; second, fitting Partial Least Square regressions to identify the main challenges affecting robustness, adaptability and transformability; and third, stochastically simulate challenging scenarios to predict the behavior of the three resilience capacities under different types of challenges. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONSResilience capacities perform in different manners when dealing with challenges. Adaptability and transformability seem to be more effective under socio-economic long-term pressures. Robustness performs poorly under challenges either in the short- or long-run and appears to be more effective against economic and environmental challenges. Institutional challenges are the main threats to resilience, especially when it comes to reduced subsidies, restricted access to land, and subsidies-induced competition. SIGNIFICANCEThe paper's contribution consists of the empirical advances in understanding the resilience capacities and their ability to deal with different types of challenges, about which the literature offers little guidance. To this end, the paper proposes a quantitative methodological solution that is relevant considering the need for methodological progress towards resilience quantifications. Lastly, the paper may inform policymaking by bringing new evidence into the debate on the future of extensive livestock in the EU based on the case of Spanish cattle and sheep farms.

Solid wastes generation and its management in tourist destinations of Sri Lanka

In the recent decade (2009-2019), the tourism industry has become a major driving force Sri Lankan economy. It accounts for 12.6 % of the country's GDP and is considered one of the significant employment generators in the service sector. However, it is an industry that generates a decent amount of solid waste, but a few research findings rely on this to verify. Hence, this review study aimed to identify, quantify, and characterize different types of waste in major tourist destinations of Sri Lanka with adopted management strategies. Solid waste generation in touristic locations is varied between 1 to 12 kg per guest per day, which mainly depend on the tourist attributes, the season of the year, and the prevailing environmental legislation of the country. The management of solid waste in tourist destinations is particularly problematic due to climatic conditions, topography, financial restraints, planning issues, changing consumption patterns, transient population, and seasonal variations in solid waste quantity and composition. Improper waste management methods, lack of essential facilities, underestimation of actual waste generation rates, and inadequate management and technical skills are the key factors attributed to the poor waste management of developing countries like Sri Lanka. Overall, the literature concludes that the proper management of solid waste would enhance the sustainable development of the tourism industry and economy of Sri Lanka.

Endangered Food Systems: Agriculture, Nutrition and Cultural Heritage in Bali, Indonesia

The long-established, traditional food systems maintained by indigenous and local communities in developing countries have witnessed rapid changes in production, trade, and consumption patterns in recent decades. These changes tend to be detrimental to ecological and human health. The central highlands and northeastern coast of the island of Bali, Indonesia, are illustrative examples of such a regional food system, with centuries of documented history and subject to a longitudinal ethnographic study by the author. This paper describes the recent decline in local biodiversity, ecological sustainability, social resilience, nutrition, and food security in this food system in the wake of agricultural ‘modernization.’ Greater attention to the culturally modulated dimensions of food systems, it is argued, will contribute to creating a rural development model for (re-)creating moral economies that support ecologically and socially responsible food systems.

Knowledge Processing Capability and Business Sustainability of Mobile Telecommunication Firms in Kenya

Mobile telecommunication firms in Kenya operate in a dynamic and highly competitive business environment. This may be attributed to innovativeness, emerging technologies, and rapid changes in consumer consumption patterns. This has necessitated firms in this sector to develop strategies to remain competitive and sustainable. Therefore, this paper sought to assess Knowledge Processing Capability's influence on the sustainability of mobile telecommunication firms in Kenya. The study's variables were anchored on Knowledge-Based View (KBV) theory and adopted a descriptive, explanatory research design. The study targeted three mobile telecommunication firms with an accessible population of 1,177 employees. The study relied on stratified random sampling techniques to select 299 respondents. Primary data was obtained through a semi-structured questionnaire. Data were analysed by the use of descriptive and inferential statistics. The findings revealed a significant positive relationship between knowledge processing capability and sustainability of the mobile telecommunication companies in Kenya.

Urban Low-Carbon Consumption Performance Assessment: A Case Study of Yangtze River Delta Cities, China

Urban low carbonization has been an essential element in China’s carbon peak and carbon neutrality strategies. An assessment of urban low-carbon performance could provide valuable information for monitoring and guiding the low-carbon transition in cities. However, due to cross-regional carbon transfer, the actual level of achievement would be masked, if the assessment was based only on a production-based index such as carbon emission intensity (CEI). Focusing, instead, on consumption-based low-carbon performance, this study calculated levels of urban carbon consumption intensity (CCI) based on city-level carbon footprint accounting, investigated the patterns and drivers of changes in CCI of 26 Yangtze River Delta (YRD) cities from 2012 to 2015, and conducted a comparative analysis of CEI and CCI data from both static and dynamic viewpoints. It was found that the CCI of YRD cities decreased from 1.254 to 1.153 over the period. Cities at higher economic levels were found to have lower CCI values. Decomposition results show that shifts in production structure, intensity of emissions and changing consumption patterns contributed to the decline in CCI of the YRD area. Richer cities were found to show greater declines in CCI due to decarbonizing structures in production and consumption. The comparative results show that although the CEI and CCI of cities were generally correlated in both static level and dynamic change, the net carbon transfer impacted the correlation sensitivity between various cities. Finally, our findings provide practical guidance on achieving coordinated emission reductions at an inter-city level from both production and consumption perspectives.

Consumer perceptions and attitudes towards climate information on food

The food sector is a major contributor to climate change, and reducing meat consumption is important to achieve significant reductions in global carbon emissions. The implementation of information policies to reduce carbon emissions from red meat consumption entails understanding of how such information is expected to be received and used by consumers. This study uses survey data from a consumer panel, and match this with data on the same respondents' actual purchase behavior based on scanner data. Individuals with lower knowledge levels about the climate impact from food purchase the highest share of red meat, and the lowest share of sustainability labelled products. This indicates that information provision has the potential to increase knowledge among individuals with the highest climate impact. Four sub-groups of consumers are identified in a latent class cluster model based on their motivations for consuming or avoiding meat. It is mainly the ‘meat reducers’ and ‘meat avoiders’ that are interested in using climate information when purchasing food. However, individuals in these sub-groups already purchase the least amount of meat and the highest amount of sustainable products. These findings point to limitations with climate information as a policy instrument, and suggests that other measures are needed as complements to initiate and achieve the necessary changes in consumption patterns.

GECEM Project Database: A digital humanities solution to analyse complex historical realities in early modern China and Europe

Abstract The GECEM Project Database stands out as a new Digital Humanities solution to accurately order and analyse the new historical Big Data gathered in Chinese and European historical archives. Traditional challenges such as capture, storage, analysis, data curation, searching, sharing, transfer, visualization, querying, updating, and information privacy are being tackled and solved within the design of this new multi-relational database. The implementation of this database has as its main innovative elements the capability of coding and cross-referring historical data in Chinese and Western languages. Thus, we present a new database as a digital solution to solve the long-lasting problem in historical research: the maximization and optimization of data collection when analysing historical sources and how to make use of a large amount of registers and information when developing case studies and work hypotheses for historical research. In this paper, we present a solution for data collection and analysis of probate inventories and trade records which is a relevant source when determining changes in patterns of consumption and global trade through the introduction of Chinese goods into Europe and vice versa during the early modern period.

The Correlation between Waist Circumference and Cognitive Function in Type II Diabetic Mellitus Patients in the Work Area of the Sedayu 2 Health Center Bantul

Background: The prevalence of diabetes mellitus continues to increase every year, the increase in cases of diabetes mellitus that increases occurs in many people with changes in consumption patterns of high fat and low physical activity habits, so that problems of motion tend to be overweight and obese. Obesity has strong relationship with diabetes mellitus, particularly in type 2 diabetes. Obesity occurs when excessive fat accumulation increases health risks. Increased body fat mass, and excessive central fat can lead to an increased risk of vascular and metabolic disorders which are risk factors for cognitive decline. Aims: To identify the relationship between waist circumference and cognitive function in type II DM patients in the Work Area of ​​the Sedayu 2 Health Center, Bantul. Methods: This is quantitative study with a cross-sectional design. The population in this study were respondents with type 2 diabetes mellitus aged 45 years with a simple random sampling of 110 samples. The instruments of this research used the midline and MMSE (Mini-Mental State Exam) questionnaire. Results: This study using Kendall's tau correlation analysis with 110 respondents showed that there was a significant relationship between waist circumference and cognitive function in type II DM patients in the working area of ​​the Sedayu 2 Bantul Public Health Center. The results of analysis showed a p-value of 0.000 (<0.05).Conclusion: There is a significant relationship between waist circumference and cognitive function in type II DM patients in the working area of ​​the Sedayu 2 Health Center, Bantul.

Geographical and Temporal Variability of Ultra-Processed Food Consumption in the Spanish Population: Findings from the DRECE Study.

The consumption of ultra-processed foods (UPFs) has increased in recent decades, worldwide. Evidence on the negative impacts of food processing on health outcomes has also been steadily increasing. The aim of this study is to describe changes in consumption patterns of ultra-processed foods in the Spanish population over time and their geographical variability. Data from four representative cohorts of the Spanish population were used (1991–1996–2004–2008). Dietary information was collected using a validated frequency questionnaire and categorized using the NOVA classification. A total increase of 10.8% in UPF consumption between 1991 and 2008 was found in Spain (p-value < 0.001). The products contributing most to UPF consumption were sugar-sweetened beverages, processed meats, dairy products, and sweets. Those who consumed more ultra-processed foods were younger (p-value < 0.001) and female (p-value = 0.01). Significant differences between the different geographical areas of Spain were found. The eastern part of Spain was the area with the lowest UPF consumption, whereas the north-western part was the area with the highest increase in UPF consumption. Given the negative effect that the consumption of ultra-processed foods has on health, it is necessary to implement public health policies to curb this increase in UPF consumption.

Optimization of the Decision-Making System for Advertising Strategies of Small Enterprises—Focusing on Company A

In the post-COVID-19 era, the founding rates of micro enterprises and startups will increase due to the low youth employment rates and increased retirement of baby boomers. Therefore, the portion of small enterprises among all enterprises is expected to grow. The rapid change in consumption patterns due to the COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated the entry of small enterprises into the online advertising market. However, advertising costs spent in running the businesses are taking up a large portion of their sales budgets due to intense competition and various advertising platforms. This study examines the decision-making system to optimize advertising expenditures considering the difference in advertising costs depending on various media types and keywords based on limited advertising budgets for stable management of small enterprises. To this end, this study modeled the advertising system of small enterprise A (Company A) with system dynamics and used the Java-based simulation software AnyLogic. Through simulation modeling, we conducted optimization analysis of two scenarios, maximum buyers and minimum advertising costs, in the post-COVID-19 era. Based on the results, this study forecast the conditions for optimization of decision-making in each advertising platform.

The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Changes in Food Choice, Purchase, and Consumption Patterns in the World: A Review Study

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has caused serious disruption to food security in the world. Declining incomes, purchasing power, and food production and rising prices in the food supply and consumption chain have affected and increased the risk of food insecurity, the most important consequence of which is the worsening of world hunger and malnutrition. The outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic since December 2019 in Wuhan, and its spread around the world has caused major changes in people's lives; one of the most important affected areas is the food and nutrition sector. This study aims to evaluate the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on changes in food choice, purchase, and consumption.&#x0D; Methods: Keywords "food", "nutrition", "choice or select", "buy or purchase", "consumption" and "behavior" in combination with the word "COVID-19" were used to search for English articles in Google Scholar, PubMed, and Scopus. All articles from the beginning of the pandemic to the end of May 2021 were included in this study. After deleting some studies due to non-English language, duplication, inconsistency with the intended purpose, and being reviewed, 25 articles entered the final phase.&#x0D; Results: The results indicate that forced quarantine and travel restrictions with the formation of new nutritional behaviors have affected the quality of nutrition of different populations. It has positive consequences, such as reducing ready meals and fast foods, increasing attention to nutrients to promote and maintain health and reduce food waste. The negative consequences include increased intake of snacks, high-calorie foods, canned foods, and processed meats in some countries.&#x0D; Conclusion: Decreased nutritional quality from this pandemic can have adverse effects on public health. More detailed studies are needed to examine the impact of quarantine on food choice, purchase, and consumption during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Mundane normativity and the everyday handling of contested food consumption

Much contemporary public debate focuses on food consumption. Societal and individual health, risk, climate change, sustainability, animal welfare and food quality are all issues which influence the culturally established or traditional food routines practised in every day life. This cultural contestation and debate suggests that consumption in everyday life is already a site of normative action. Yet existing research has focused largely either on political and ethical consumption, or on tacitly reproduced routines in consumption. The mundane processes in which explicit and implicit ways of handling normative issues are entangled have received little attention, either empirically or theoretically. This article seeks to consider these issues in detail, suggesting a new framework for empirical investigations of processes of reproduction and change in consumption patterns. It introduces two new terms in mundane normativity – expectable and acceptable consumption – and uses examples to show how these terms can help better understand mundane normativity from a practice theoretical perspective. Material from four different Danish research studies on contested food consumption exemplifies these new terms. The article suggests that the terms expectable and acceptable consumption can enable consumption researchers to examine more variety in relation to the normative in consumption and investigate the intertwined processes of reproduction and change in consumption better. Furthermore, the article argues that analysing mundane normativity points towards an issue in consumption that practice theoretical research has not yet addressed sufficiently – social hierarchies.

ریزش طبقه متوسط و تهی‌دستان نوظهور شهری (مطالعه موردی: تهران)

Recent statistics indicate that the inflation rate in Iran has increased significantly since 2017, which has resulted in several negative consequences for the Iranian population. A combination of changes in lifestyles, consumption patterns, and economic and cultural capital has resulted in an increase in financial vulnerability among the urban middle class. As a consequence, the middle class may collapse and a new urban poor may emerge. For the purpose of exploring this idea and analyzing the changes in the lifestyles of urban middle-class families, Pierre Bourdieu’s class analysis has been chosen to establish a link between lifestyle and class. Through qualitative research and grounded theory, the factors contributing to the collapse of the urban middle class and the emergence of the new urban poor have been identified. The collapse of the middle class has been attributed to a combination of unemployment, changes in employment conditions (part-time jobs, salary cuts, precarious employment, etc.), and the loss of economic and cultural capital. In the absence of effective legal protection and reduced government support, employers are able to alter working conditions and increase unemployment rates. A lack of financial resources in times of crisis (such as the cost of medical treatment, the purchase of essentials, rising rents, etc.) erodes people’s social and cultural capital, resulting in their loss of status. Because of economic sanctions, Iranian economies are experiencing structural crises and investment risks, which both contribute to unemployment and a decline in economic and cultural capital. The final focus of this paper is to discuss and analyze the consequences of the decline of the urban middle class. These include changes in lifestyle, poor housing, migration to the suburbs, expropriation of the masses, and marginalization of the workforce. Nonetheless, we acknowledge that, given the qualitative nature of this study, the limited number of interviewees, and the narrow scope of the study (e.g. Tehran city), more thorough and comprehensive research is required to generalize the findings.

Prosuming – energy sufficiency and rebound effects: Climate impact of changing household consumption patterns in Germany

Changes in energy consumption patterns after becoming a prosumer household are rarely associated with negative environmental effects, as prosuming is intuitively assumed to be emission-reducing. This paper demonstrates the importance of sufficiency-oriented energy prosumer behavior for climate neutrality goals by quantifying GHG emissions for photovoltaic (PV) prosumers at the German household and energy system level. Based on the results, recommendations are derived for promoting energy sufficiency in prosumer households.

Overcoming the Challenges of Sustainable Family Agriculture in Southern Brazil: Contributions to the 2030 Agenda

Concerning sustainability and food production, efforts are made by social, political, and environmental actors to enact changes in production and consumption patterns and adopt new management models and instruments. Hunger, waste, poor distribution of food, and low diversity affect many countries, and small family farmers are abandoning their activities due to the challenges which minimize the possibilities of contemplating SDG 12. Local production and SDG 12 favor access to safe and cheaper food, thereby encouraging food security and minimizing food waste. Focus groups and interviews were conducted with the participation of local actors in 16 municipalities in southern Brazil. The study took a qualitative research approach and content analysis was used as a mode of investigation. It was then possible to provide assistance to the decision-making process of local and regional public authorities in terms of development to support sustainable production and consumption. This study highlights the contribution of family agriculture to the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDG), specifically SDG 12. The study presents guidelines and means of implementation for a more sustainable family agriculture, as well as attributes to the challenges of the sector. With this approach, it was possible to connect the problem with the solutions, classifying them by thematic axes.

MEDIA WEBSITE SEBAGAI SOLUSI PROMOSI PENJUALAN PADA UMKM

Currently, the existence of information technology is unavoidable. The COVID-19 pandemic has brought changes in consumer consumption patterns from traditional sales patterns to a website-based digitalized sales system. MSMEs in Janti village still use the traditional sales system. This condition makes it difficult for MSMEs in Janti village to carry out sales promotions. The purpose of community service is to provide solutions faced through socialization activities and website creation training as a means of promoting MSME products in Janti village. This is a new breakthrough for MSMEs because traditional marketing is no longer effective. Implementation of activities with the methods of socialization, discussion, and training. The socialization and training activities received a positive response from MSME actors. Overall, the activity went smoothly and received a positive response from MSME actors. The results of these activities have an impact on increasing sales so that the income of MSMEs also increases as general, so that it will impact to increase economic and role of human resource. There the COVID-19 in 2020-2021 makes MSMEs in Janti Village have capable although has hard work.

Nutrition Transition in Europe: East-West Dimensions in the Last 30 Years-A Narrative Review.

The current review aims to summarize published research on nutrition transition patterns (depicting changes in dietary consumption) in European populations over the last three decades (1990–2020), with a focus on East-West regional comparisons. Pubmed and Google-Scholar databases were searched for articles providing information on repeated dietary intakes in populations living in countries across Europe, published between January 1990 and July 2021. From the identified 18,031 articles, 62 were found eligible for review (17 from Eastern and 45 from Western European populations). Overall, both in Eastern and Western Europe, there have been pronounced changes in dietary consumption patterns over the last three decades characterized by reductions in average reported intakes of sugar, carbohydrates and saturated fats and increases in reported fruit and vegetable consumption. There has also been a tendency toward a reduction in traditional foods, such as fish, observed in some Mediterranean countries. Overall, these data suggests that European countries have undergone a nutrition transition toward adopting healthier dietary behaviors. These processes occurred already in the period 1990–2000 in many Western European, and in the last decades have been also spreading throughout Eastern European countries. Firm conclusions are hampered by the lack of standardized methodologies depicting changes in dietary intakes over time and the limited coverage of the full variety of European populations. Future studies based on standardized dietary assessment methods and representative for the whole range of populations across Europe are warranted to allow monitoring trends in nutrition transition within and among European countries.

Transition of Logistics to Sustainable Development Under the Impact of COVID-19

The pandemic has clearly demonstrated the global interdependence of states and contributed to the formation of new trends that have changed the image of traditional logistics. Modern logistics, being in a state of transition, has faced not only short-term challenges such as COVID-19, but also long-term problems ranging from structural shifts in production and marketing processes and globalization patterns, and ending with changes in consumption patterns and resource spending, as well as a broad global agenda in the field of sustainable development. In this regard, there is a need to develop theoretical and applied aspects of the transition of logistics to sustainable development under the influence of COVID-19. The theoretical basis was the scientific works of domestic and foreign authors in the field of logistics, sustainable development, certain provisions of international framework documents. The initial information for analysis, forecasting and drawing conclusions was the official data of the Statistical office of the European Union (Eurostat), the State Statistics Service of Ukraine (Goskomstat), International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), International Transport Forum (ITF), United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD). As a result of the generalization of the theoretical and methodological foundations of logistics, the article proposes the author’s definition of sustainable logistics, which made it possible to expand the scientific vision of its content, taking into account modern challenges, as well as to identify its role in ensuring sustainable development. An analysis was made of the development of transport logistics before and during the pandemic. A forecast of freight turnover by type of transport for 2022 has been built. The main trends in the transition of logistics to sustainable development under the influence of COVID-19 are identified.

Food Processing Technologies Aspects on Plant-Based Milk Manufacturing: Review

The emergence of immune and non-immune related diseases such as lactose intolerance and milk allergy has contributed to the milk consumption pattern changes over the last decades. Moreover, the problem with calorie concern, a saturated fatty acid in dairy milk, and the emergence of vegan diets have further shifted consumer choices to dairy milk alternatives. Plant-based milk is the liquid part extracted from plants such as legumes, nuts, cereals, seeds, and pseudo cereals. It is regarded as a replacement for dairy milk and perceived as a healthier product due to the presence of bioactive compounds. However, the nutritional content, sensory properties, and stability of the products are the main drawbacks of plant-based milk, as these properties are very different compared to dairy milk. Application of food processing technologies in plant-based milk production have been applied to ensure the quality of the final product. New technologies such as non-thermal processing have been applied to address issues related to the quality of plant-based milk. This article reviewed the technological aspects of plant-based milk production, including advanced processing technologies.