Consumerism Research Articles

TRANSFORMATION OF MORAL VALUES IN MODERN INFORMATION SPACE

It is indicated that morality in the traditional national spiritual culture has always had priority in constructing an ontological image of the world. Morality is quite difficult to shape in the conditions of mass culture because it declares the identity of material and spiritual values that act as products of mass consumption. It is pointed out that traditional values have ceased to be traditional because they are unable to meet the contemporary spiritual needs of people. The content and essence of moral norms change with changes in the social life of society. The most important crisis moments in the life of contemporary youth are analyzed. In the 21st century, such manifestations as intolerance, conflict, aggression, terrorism, and war became a particular threat to the moral values of young people. Now morality becomes global as global problems take precedence over regional problems. These are problems like the survival of mankind. Such problems bring with them the need to create a new vision of the world, to create a new moral paradigm that will significantly reevaluate traditional moral values. Such a system should be based on the common interest of human with all their conflicts and contradictions. One of the aspects of shaping the spiritual culture of youth, both innovative and consistent with high moral values, should be considered the conceptual approach within the so-called “culture of peace” that should be pursued not only as the goal of certain shaping influences, but as a strategic resource.

Non-carcinogenic risk assessment of cadmium and lead in raw milk from dairy production farms in Iran, using Monte Carlo simulation approach

This study evaluated toxic metal concentration in raw milk and related potential health risks. 100 raw milk samples and 30 water samples consumed by cows were gathered from 10 dairy farms in Behbahan county, and Pb and Cd were analyzed by Inductively Coupled Plasma - Optical Emission Spectrometry (ICP-OES). In raw milk samples, mean Pb and Cd levels were 0.55 ± 0.09 and 0.0031 ± 0.0004 mg/l, respectively. Concentrations of Pb and Cd in cows' drinking water were 0.0035 ± 0.0007 and 0.0022 ± 0.0001 mg/l, respectively. Health risk assessment and Monte Carlo simulation (MCS) were used to undertake the exposure assessment and estimate the examined elements' noncarcinogenic effects. Target Hazard Quotient (THQ) values in the milk were for Cd (0.044) and Pb (0.314), respectively, which showed non-carcinogenic health risk in the computed hazard quotient for the discussed elements. The findings of the sensitivity analysis indicated that body mass and milk consumption rate had the biggest influence on the predicted risk. The heavy metal concentrations were within the acceptable level, and there was no carcinogenic health concern. However, it is necessary to prevent contaminating milk with toxic metals. Furthermore, it is necessary to check cows' feed to find the source of toxic metals.

Sustainable Consumption and Production in India and its Global Impact: A Complex System Approach to its Solution

There are various facets that can play a telling role in mitigating the aspect of climate change and the linkages associated with it. While largely the global focus has been on energy transition and moving away from fossil fuel-based consumption, a lot needs to be explored on how we as a society need to move towards responsible production and consumption patterns and the elements that can enable it. The phenomenon of climate change and sustainability is rooted in the products/services and their eventual mass consumption that warrant their degradation. Given the wide range of interdependencies that exist within the ecosystem of sustainability, this paper brings to light the need for analysing our consumption and production patterns through the lens of complex system mechanism, and its subsequent impact on India and the world.

Experimental Investigation of Throttleable and Polypropylene Hybrid Rocket Motor

This study experimentally investigated the propulsion performance of a swirling-type throttleable hybrid rocket motor using hydrogen peroxide and polypropylene. An in-house throttle valve consisted of a servomotor, and an industrial ball valve was integrated to instantaneously control the oxidizer mass flow rate. Several ground static hot-fire tests with fixed oxidizer mass flow rates of (100%) and (82%) and many step-varying oxidizer mass flow rates were performed to examine its propulsion performance. The hybrid rocket motor achieved an impressive sea-level of 240 s, an engine efficiency of more than 97%, and a thrust uncertainty of less than 5% when the oxidizer flow rate was fixed as . For the multiple-step hot-fire test results, the thrusts and chamber pressures were both found nearly proportional to the oxidizer mass flow rates with different proportionalities. The overall ratio of the tests is 5.61, which is hardly shifted, unlike most hybrid rocket data reported previously. In summary, the total impulse and thrust are both linear to total oxidizer mass consumption in the range of 50–100% of . This major finding would indeed broaden the application of hybrid rocket motors to future space technology.

Lift High the Cross: The Visual Message of Popular Chinese Christianity

What does popular Chinese Christianity look like? Answers are elusive, because the materials that survive tend to be books and buildings—artifacts that tell us more about the elites who produced them than the average believers who used them. The Center for Global Christianity and Mission’s digitization of 700 Chinese Christian propaganda posters at ccposters.com offers a rare glimpse into the Christian ideas and images that circulated on the street. Produced between 1920 and 1950, these posters packaged Christianity for mass consumption, and what they offered China was not Jesus Christ but his cross. Popular Christianity was crucicentric, not Christocentric.

Multi-Resin Masked Stereolithography (MSLA) 3D Printing for Rapid and Inexpensive Prototyping of Microfluidic Chips with Integrated Functional Components.

Stereolithography based 3D printing of microfluidics for prototyping has gained a lot of attention due to several advantages such as fast production, cost-effectiveness, and versatility over traditional photolithography-based microfabrication techniques. However, existing consumer focused SLA 3D printers struggle to fabricate functional microfluidic devices due to several challenges associated with micron-scale 3D printing. Here, we explore the origins and mechanism of the associated failure modes followed by presenting guidelines to overcome these challenges. The prescribed method works completely with existing consumer class inexpensive SLA printers without any modifications to reliably print PDMS cast microfluidic channels with channel sizes as low as ~75 μm and embedded channels with channel sizes as low ~200 μm. We developed a custom multi-resin formulation by incorporating Polyethylene glycol diacrylate (PEGDA) and Ethylene glycol polyether acrylate (EGPEA) as the monomer units to achieve micron sized printed features with tunable mechanical and optical properties. By incorporating multiple resins with different mechanical properties, we were able to achieve spatial control over the stiffness of the cured resin enabling us to incorporate both flexible and rigid components within a single 3D printed microfluidic chip. We demonstrate the utility of this technique by 3D printing an integrated pressure-actuated pneumatic valve (with flexible cured resin) in an otherwise rigid and clear microfluidic device that can be fabricated in a one-step process from a single CAD file. We also demonstrate the utility of this technique by integrating a fully functional finger-actuated microfluidic pump. The versatility and accessibility of the demonstrated fabrication method have the potential to reduce our reliance on expensive and time-consuming photolithographic techniques for microfluidic chip fabrication and thus drastically lowering our barrier to entry in microfluidics research.

A Generic Pharmacokinetic Model for Quantifying Mother-to-Offspring Transfer of Lipophilic Persistent Environmental Chemicals.

Lipophilic persistent environmental chemicals (LPECs) can accumulate in a woman's body and transfer to her developing child across the placenta and via breast milk. To assess health risks associated with developmental exposures to LPECs, we developed a pharmacokinetic (PK) model that quantifies mother-to-offspring transfer of LPECs during pregnancy and lactation and facilitates internal dosimetry calculations for offspring. We parameterized the model for mice, rats, and humans using time-varying functions for body mass and milk consumption rates. The only required substance-specific parameter is the elimination half-life of the LPEC in the animal species of interest. We used the model to estimate whole-body concentrations in mothers and offspring following maternal exposures to hexachlorobenzene (HCB) and 2,2',4,4',5,5'-hexachlorobiphenyl (PCB 153) and compared these with measured concentrations from animal studies. We also compared estimated concentrations for humans to those generated using a previously published human LPEC PK model. Finally, we compared human equivalent doses (HEDs) calculated using our model and an allometric scaling method. Estimated and observed whole-body concentrations of HCB and PCB 153 in offspring followed similar trends and differed by less than 60%. Simulations of human exposure yielded concentration estimates comparable to those generated using the previously published model, with concentrations in offspring differing by less than 12%. HEDs calculated using our PK model were about 2 orders of magnitude lower than those generated using allometric scaling. Our PK model can be used to calculate internal dose metrics for offspring and corresponding HEDs and thus informs assessment of developmental toxicity risks associated with LPECs.

Investigation of Engine Combustion and Auto-ignition of a Multicomponent Surrogate Fuel with NTC Behavior Under Knocking Conditions

The occurrence of knocking combustion is limiting the efficiency of modern spark ignition engine operation. Thus, an understanding of the processes at the knock limit is required for further optimization of the combustion process. In this work, the combustion of a multicomponent Toluene Reference Fuel (TRF) in a single-cylinder research engine is investigated under knocking conditions. The fuel exhibits a negative temperature coefficient (NTC) regime for thermodynamic conditions relevant to the engine operation. A precursor model is used to capture the auto-ignition process. Under homogeneous conditions, a two-stage auto-ignition is observed. Inside the NTC regime, the temperature affects both first-stage and second-stage auto-ignition delay times. With a subsequently conducted multi-cycle engine LES, the effects of temperature stratification and turbulent flame propagation on the local auto-ignition process are investigated. It is observed, that the NTC behavior leads to a widespread two-stage auto-ignition. The knock intensity observed in the experiments is directly related to the mass consumed by auto-ignition. This is due to the fast consumption of the auto-ignited mass by the flame front. With that, the NTC behavior affects the local auto-ignition process in the unburned mixture while the flame propagation determines the knock intensity for the operating conditions at the knock limit.

Effective degradation of amoxicillin by multi-stage flow-through electrochemical system using porous electrodes

In this work, an electrooxidation (EO) of amoxicillin (AMX) wastewater treatment was performed based on a three-stage electrochemical flow-through mode to address the emerging issue of antibiotic contaminants in water matrices. The removal of 96.1 % for AMX was obtained and followed pseudo-first-order reaction kinetics (kobs) with a value of 0.1197 min−1 and electric energy per order (EE/O) of 20.47 kWh/m3 at a current density of 8.49 mA/cm2. Compared with single-stage EFTM, the three-stage EFTM had an outstanding performance with a slight difference for AMX degradation and a significantly reduced EE/O. However, a marked difference was achieved in mineralization efficiency. It obtained TOC removal of 81.3 %, which was improved about 1.52 times that of the single-stage EFTM (53.5 %) when an analogous current was applied (500 mA) and reduced 1.77 times concerning the specific energy consumption (EC) of TOC mass removed (3.337 kWh/g TOC). It was moreover astonished that the EC per unit TOC mass removed decreased by increasing an initial quantity of TOC mass. More interestingly, the electrocatalytic of porous Ti–ENTA/SnO2–Sb benefited the production of OH in a three-stage EFTM at high current, which contributes a vital role in removing organic pollutants. Furthermore, scavenging experiments revealed that SO4− radical plays a dominant role as the main radical species compared to OH radical in indirect electrooxidation of AMX. As such, the results of this study indicate that both hydroxyl and sulfate radicals-mediated oxidation. Furthermore, the feasibility and stability of the porous Ti-ENTA/SnO2-Sb anode were evidenced by the practical application potential of a multi-stage flow-through system through its significant and stable AMX removal efficiency of at least 94.2 % during the long-term EO test of 12 h. Hence, the three-stage flow-through system furnishes the superiority with insight and application into the effective treatment of antibiotic wastewater.

The Battle Rages On

The Battle Rages On

Design of magnetorheological brake for forearm rotation of a wrist prosthesis.

A wrist joint in upper limb prostheses significantly increases its handling capacity. However, current prostheses cannot reproduce the ability of torque combined with the volume and weight of the human wrist. Consequently, they do not provide high efficiency in handling and generate user dissatisfaction. In this context, this study aims to optimal design a wrist supination and pronation brake to improve the handling capacity of an upper limb prosthesis. The wrist actuator consists of an EC motor and harmonic drive parallel with a magnetorheological brake. The brake guarantees a fast response time, low energy consumption, controllability, and small dimensions. A particle swarm algorithm is applied to optimize design variables to minimize mass and energy consumption. As a result, the brake provided resistive torque of 7.4 N.m with dimensions close to a healthy member and weighing 0.1972 kg. Finally, a finite element analysis confirmed a satisfactory magnetic flux for the magnetorheological brake operating conditions. The designed brake addressed all the desired characteristics and is suitable to integrate the forearm prosthesis with wrist rotation.

The more it changes the more it stays the same: The French social space of material consumption between 1985 and 2017.

The alleged homogenization of material consumption patterns in Western societies in the end of the twentieth century has been a central argument of scholars who predicted a general flattening of class inequalities. However, divisions in material consumption practices and their evolution have largely been neglected in studies of the social stratification of lifestyles. Drawing on six waves of the French Households Budget Surveys from 1985 to 2017 and Geometric Data Analysis, this article shows that the two main structuring oppositions in the French space of material consumption remained unchanged over 32 years. Those two divides are strongly but not exclusively associated with social class. The first persistently opposes integration with and exclusion from mass consumption. The second opposes connected and autonomous consumption styles. However, between 1989 and 2011, the practices associated with these divides have changed and households have experienced a major shift in their position toward the most integrated and connected poles. This study paves the way for comparisons to assess the permanence of those two polarities in material consumption—not only across periods, but also in different countries.

The value of food products from mixed crop-livestock systems: environmental benefits and regional environmental carrying capacity

ABSTRACT Food products from mixed crop-livestock systems is a market-based solution to reduce environmental impacts of livestock worldwide. However, widespread promotion of mixed systems of recycling agriculture depends on consumers’ acceptance of its food products. In this paper, we examine consumers’ preferences and willingness to pay (WTP) for several attributes of pork products, and develop consumer classes based on preferences. Using a choice experiment among 893 Chinese consumers, our results show that consumers are willing to pay a premium for pork with mixed crop-livestock systems claim. In addition, a positive WTP is also detected for different environmental carrying capacity, environmental benefits and quality certifications. We use latent class analysis to identify heterogeneous consumers into five classes: namely balanced thinking, price sensitive, quality preferred, environmental benefits conscious and ecology conscious consumers. Further policies and interventions aimed at promoting the market-oriented operation of mixed crop-livestock systems of recycling agriculture, based on regional environmental carrying capacity, different dimensions of environmental benefits and quality improvement of food products, will be effective.

Icy Moon Penetrator Organic Analyzer Post-Impact Component Analysis

Europa is an established high-priority astrobiology target where identifying chemical signatures of life is one of NASA’s highest-priority goals. Remote sensing techniques are powerful tools for extraterrestrial exploration, but in situ data through analyses of subsurface materials is necessary for ground-truthing these habitability investigations. Instrument designs fitting small volume, mass, and power consumption envelopes have a high potential for enabling efficient, low-cost missions. The Ice Shell Impact Penetrator (IceShIP) is a state-of-the-art miniaturized payload design dedicated to lower-cost extraterrestrial impact-penetrator missions. It houses the Icy Moon Penetrator Organic Analyzer (IMPOA), a first-of-its-kind payload housing miniaturized analytical instrumentation employing laser-induced fluorescence for the detection of low concentration organic species pervasive in the solar system. IMPOA is capable of sustaining high g-loads, avoiding the need for soft landing platforms, and facilitating crustal penetration for subsurface sample analyses. Three IMPOA test articles with varying material choices, construction designs, and internal components were modeled using COMSOL Multiphysics and then tested at 12 k-g, 25 k-g, and 50 k-g accelerations in an air gun assembly. The internal components consisted of linear piezoelectric micro-actuators, microcontroller board, mock microfluidic glass wafers, collimating lens, optical filters, and laser diodes. This work focuses on an extensive analysis of the impact-tested components. All components physically survived the impact tests except the mock microfluidic disk. Functionality tests of the individual components confirm their survival post-impact. All components used in this design are commercially available or easily machinable, which will simplify technology transfer for further technology elevation. Impact-resistance, miniaturization, energy efficiency, and cost-effectiveness are pivotal for impact-penetrator space-flight missions. This work satisfies these key aspects and demonstrates technology of a novel design for astrobiological in situ instrumentation.

Hybrid Electrostatic–Atomic Accelerometer for Future Space Gravity Missions

Long-term observation of Earth’s temporal gravity field with enhanced temporal and spatial resolution is a major objective for future satellite gravity missions. Improving the performance of the accelerometers present in such missions is one of the main paths to explore. In this context, we propose to study an original concept of a hybrid accelerometer associating a state-of-the-art electrostatic accelerometer (EA) and a promising quantum sensor based on cold atom interferometry. To assess the performance potential of such an instrument, numerical simulations were performed to determine its impact in terms of gravity field retrieval. Taking advantage of the long-term stability of the cold atom interferometer (CAI), it is shown that the reduced drift of the hybrid sensor could lead to improved gravity field retrieval. Nevertheless, this gain vanishes once temporal variations of the gravity field and related aliasing effects are taken into account. Improved de-aliasing models or some specific satellite constellations are then required to maximize the impact of the accelerometer performance gain. To evaluate the achievable acceleration performance in-orbit, a numerical simulator of the hybrid accelerometer was developed and preliminary results are given. The instrument simulator was in part validated by reproducing the performance achieved with a hybrid lab prototype operating on the ground. The problem of satellite rotation impact on the CAI was also investigated both with instrument performance simulations and experimental demonstrations. It is shown that the proposed configuration, where the EA’s proof-mass acts as the reference mirror for the CAI, seems a promising approach to allow the mitigation of satellite rotation. To evaluate the feasibility of such an instrument for space applications, a preliminary design is elaborated along with a preliminary error, mass, volume, and electrical power consumption budget.

Effects of High-Intensity Circuit Training vs. Interval Training on Body Composition and Oxygen Consumption in College Students

Objective: to identify the effects of High-Intensity Circuit Training versus Interval Training on body composition and oxygen consumption in overweight and obese young adults. Materials and Methods: quasi-experimental study. The population was made up of 106 university students, with a BMI Body Mass Index greater than 25 kg / m2. The members of the sample were randomly assigned to two groups of 15 students each: a control group (continuous training) and an experimental group (high-intensity functional training). Variables such as weight, height, body mass index, percentage of fat mass, muscle mass, bone mass, and oxygen consumption were measured. Results: the control group showed a significant decrease in body weight and BMI after the 20 training sessions; the experimental group did not show significant modifications in this variable. In relation to the percentage of body fat tissue, a statistically significant decrease in the post-test measurements was evident in the individuals of both groups. The median and interquartile ranges show better results in VO2 of the experimental group and less variability with respect to the control group in the pretest and posttest. Conclusions: High-Intensity Intermittent Training significantly reduces the percentage of body fat and oxygen consumption in people with obesity, after 20 training sessions.

ESG Reporting for Business Sustainability: Role of CMAs in Internal Audit

Business sustainability is fast becoming a global concern due to the unintentional environmental and socio-economic impacts of rapid population growth and vast economic activities that necessitate mass consumption of the scarce natural resources. As experts in the field of optimal resource allocation, CMAs have a key role in ESG reporting and ensuring sustainability and competitiveness.

“How Does Nature Deify Us”

“How Does Nature Deify Us”

Optimization of the number of paddy field blades by modeling the mass and power consumption of dynamic splashes

The paddy field blade is a key component in the machinery of transplanting rice cultivation. The mud splashing efficiency and power consumption are closely related to the number of blades. Therefore, optimizing the number of paddy field blades is helpful to improve the efficiency of this transplanter and reduce its power consumption. However, this research faces great challenges due to the specific geometry of the blade, unfamiliar mud properties, and few references. In this paper, a method was proposed to calculate the dynamic splashed mud quantity based on kinematics and the motion path of the blade. Mechanics analysis, the Bingham fluid property, and the law of conservation of energy were applied to resolve the power consumption of the rice sprout transplanter machinery related to the splashed mud. With the proposed method, the number of paddy field blades, the efficiency, and the power consumption were all researched during the mud throwing period. An experiment investigating the efficiency and power consumption of mud splashing with the control variables method was designed to verify and modify the theoretical model. Then, the proposed method, CFD simulation, and experimental methods were applied to calculate the volume of splashed mud and power consumption. The results of the research show that the modified theoretical model is accurate and reveals the law between the number of paddy field blades, the efficiency of mud splashing, and power consumption for the transplanting machinery.

HISTORICAL AND CULTURAL ASPECTS IN THE DESIGN OF THE INDUSTRIAL AND POST-INDUSTRIAL ERA

The purpose of the article is to analyse the historical and cultural aspects of the ideological and conceptual essence of the foundations of the art project design. The research methodology includes a comprehensive approach that combines historical and cultural analysis methods to identify the process of formation of design as a cultural phenomenon. The scientific novelty of the research is determined by the fact that design is considered through cultural and historical issues, and the authors have identified the main features of industrial and post-industrial era design and characterised the designing tools. Conclusions. It is established that arising from the pragmatic needs of the development of the market of mass consumer goods, design becomes a general cultural factor and changes the world of things and the very way of socio-cultural existence of a person. Design is transformed into a henomenon that combines mass consumption, functional perfection, economic feasibility, convenience, utility, aesthetic expressiveness of things and the human environment. The article analyses what tools and tools are used to create images in designing. The role of design in visual culture is clarified. For a holistic understanding of the design features, the authors have analysed the transformations in the society of the 20th and early 21st centuries. With the help of design, new values, norms and meanings are formed in the cultural space, issues of individual freedom and individuality are raised, and spatial orientations, actions and forms of existence of each person and society are expanded. The emergence and development of new trends in design, and the high importance of design thinking in modern culture require scientific theoretical understanding, which determines the relevance of research. The authors provide a direction of scientific, educational and cultural vectors of Ukraine to pan-European standards and solutions to problems of improving the quality and safety of goods and the human environment, the implementation of innovative design technology, the preservation of national cultural traditions in the conditions of unification of production, taking into account environmental requirements in the designing of the objects, as the main factors of design development in Ukraine.