Individual Consumption Research Articles

Modeling the health impact of wastewater contamination events in drinking water networks

Pathogen intrusion in drinking water systems can pose severe health risks. To better prepare in planning and responding to such events, computational models that capture the intrusion and health impact dynamics are needed. This study presents a novel benchmark testbed that integrates current knowledge on pathogen transport and fate in chlorinated systems and can assess infection risk from contamination events. The model considers organic matter degradation, chlorine decay mechanisms, pathogen inactivation kinetics, as well as stochastic water demands.We studied modeling of wastewater intrusion events that can occur anywhere within a chlorinated and non-chlorinated network. We applied the Quantitative Microbial Risk Assessment framework focusing on three pathogens: enterovirus, Campylobacter, and Cryptosporidium, and their respective dose-response models. Synthetic household-level water demand time series were used to model the individual water consumption timing and calculate the infection risk (exposure via ingestion).Model outcomes indicate that while chlorination aids mitigation, larger contaminations can still lead to infections due to chlorine resistance (for Cryptosporidium) and chlorine depletion at the contamination point. In our example scenarios, chlorine-susceptible pathogens infected of the downstream population, while chlorine-resistant ones infected the entire downstream population. Enterovirus infection risk is higher, despite the concentrations in the contamination source being lower, due to the lower susceptibility to chlorine than Campylobacter. In non-chlorinated networks, the modeled wastewater contamination events led to infection risk in the total population, depending on the contamination location. Hydraulic uncertainty had a limited influence on infection risk. Furthermore, Campylobacter’s infection risk is more sensitive to the initial concentration in the contamination source whereas enterovirus infection risk to the inactivation rate. The model further indicates that the time window for effective mitigation of the magnitude of a waterborne outbreak is short (within hours).

Is harmonizing to social drinking norms associated with alcohol use in Danish high school students?

Abstract Background Alcohol use is positively linked with perceived drinking norms within the peer group and the social plasticity hypothesis proposes that youth are very good at harmonizing to social norms (social attunement). Youth with high social attunement may adjust their drinking habits to the perceived drinking norms of the peer group to a higher extent potentially leading to a larger impact on personal alcohol use. This study examined if frequency of personal alcohol use was associated with perceived peer approval of drinking and the role of social attunement in Danish high school students aged 15-19 years. Methods An online survey was administered to 2977 first-year students from 16 public high schools in Denmark. Students reported past month alcohol use (drinking days, using TLFB) and perceived approval of alcohol use among peers of their grade. Social attunement was calculated as a sum score of the 11-item Dutch Social Attunement Questionnaire (SAQ) (range: 11-77; α = 0.81). Number of drinking days was analysed as dependent variable, with age, gender, perceived peer approval and SAQ-score as independent variables. Results Older students were more likely to perceive peers to approve drinking (β = 0.25; p = 0.004) and getting drunk (β = 0.22; p = 0.003). More females (83.2%) than males (81.8%; p = 0.003) perceived peers to approve youth getting drunk. Multilevel regressions showed increased drinking days for students perceiving peers to approve of drinking (β = 1.68; p < 0.001) and getting drunk (β = 1.80; p < 0.001). We found interaction between SAQ-score and perceived drinking norms (β=-0.10; p < 0.001) indicating that perceived peer approval had less effect on drinking days for students with high SAQ-score. Conclusions Social attunement explained additional variance in the association between personal alcohol use and perceived drinking norms. Our findings stress the importance of addressing the influence of behavioural adaptation in e.g. school-based health promotion programs. Key messages • Students perceiving peers to approve of youth alcohol use drink more frequent, but the link is weakened when the need to harmonize to perceived drinking norms are high. • Social attunement needs to be considered when examining the link between individual alcohol consumption and perceived drinking norms and should be addressed in e.g. school health programs.

Distrust and reflexive impotence in the net zero transition: findings from a longitudinal deliberative mini-public

Responding to climate change requires that people engage in different forms of climate citizenship. These span from individual consumption choices, to taking part in forms of collective action to steer the behaviour of governments and in the private sector. Here we analyse data from the Net Zero Diaries project to explore how attitudes to different forms of climate citizenship develop as people become more aware about the scale of societal change required to reach net zero carbon emissions by 2050. The Net Zero Diaries project was a deliberative mini-public, composed of 41 citizens broadly representative of the UK adult population, which convened over five months between 2021 and 2022 to debate the UK policies for reaching net zero emissions by 2050. We show that people identify government as the prime actor needed to drive the transition, but doubt that they will act due to a range of constraints vis-à-vis the public and private sector. This tension provides a novel explanation for why some people prioritise forms of individual and consumption focused climate citizenship, whilst also doubting the efficacy of such actions. We conclude by suggesting that efforts to drive more engaged forms of climate citizenship need to attend to underlying feelings about state efficacy, rather than focus on just how the issue of climate change is framed.

Introducing innovative policy instrument to reduce antibiotics use. Relevant evidence from Bulgaria

Abstract Background of the public health challenge Excessive individual consumption of antibiotics (ABs) increases global antimicrobial resistance (AMR). Therefore, shaping consumers’ behaviors towards responsible ABs use is an essential strategy in the battle with the silent pandemic of AMR. The EU One Health (OH) Action Plan against AMR targets making Europe a best-practice region. Overall consumption of ABs in the EU decreased significantly, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. Bulgaria is the only EU country that has reported an annual increase in ABs use during this period (ECDC data). A growing part of Bulgarians, believe that ‘ABs kill viruses’ and is unaware that ‘unnecessary use of ABs makes them ineffective’ (Eurobarometer 2022). This limited understanding of adequate ABs use resulted in counterproductive behaviors that demand change. Introducing innovative policy instrument as a tool for behavioral change: Undeniably, drug prescription monitoring has the potential to change consumers’ behaviors. In October 2023 mandatory electronic prescribing (e-Rx) for ABs was introduced in Bulgaria at a primary healthcare level. Consequently, there was an observed decline exceeding 30% in ABs sales (IQVIA Bulgaria data), evidencing a reduction in ABs consumption. However, there were negative reactions by the stakeholders, due to time-consuming procedures, nonoptimal IT infrastructure, etc., and that led to e-Rx-moratorium. Finally, in April 2024, the e-Rx is sustainably introduced. Conclusions Legislative measures, like e-Rx, can hinder the chaotic use of ABs. Moreover, Bulgarians need to reflect on their behaviors and values of solidarity which OH offers. Herewith, a multidisciplinary team of academic educators unite their OH efforts in raising awareness related to AMR and the rational use of ABs. Years of national endeavors toward healthcare digitalisation led to the introduction of e-Rx for ABs in Bulgaria. Research will prove its relevance for the rest of Europe. Key messages • To the European community: The introduction of the innovative policy tool (e-Rx for antibiotics) in Bulgaria is a significant national effort in making Europe a best-practice region regarding AMR. • To the Bulgarian society: Antibiotics are not bonbons! Responsible ABs use of every one of us can contribute to the EU efforts to manage AMR. In the context of AMR, every person is a stakeholder.

The Impact of Digital Finance on the Efficiency of Urban Green Economy

Digital finance is a new financing model for small and medium-sized enterprises and individuals. In recent years, with the rapid development of big data, cloud service technology, and artificial intelligence (AI) technology, it has to some extent promoted the efficient development of urban green economy. From the perspective of applying digital finance to urban enterprises and individual consumers, this study explores the important role of digital finance in enterprise investment and financing services, industrial structure upgrading, technological innovation, and the promotion of personal credit, consumption patterns, job employment, and environmental participation activities. Based on this, the impact of digital finance on the operation and efficiency improvement of urban green economy is obtained, and the problems of inadequate digital transformation and low coordination level in different industries of the city's economy are solved.

Changes in Alcohol Intake by Educational Level among Older Men and Women in Spain during the 21st Century

Abstract Background and objectives Despite alcohol use being very common in older adults, studies are scarce and suggest alcohol use may be increasing. Furthermore, despite the known relationship between education and alcohol consumption, there is limited evidence of educational differences in older adults. Our objective was to describe trends in alcohol consumption in individuals aged ≥65 by sex and educational level in Spain. Research design and methods 43,157 participants aged ≥65 years were drawn from Spain’s national health surveys between 2001-2020, representing the non-institutionalized population. The outcomes were various measures of self-reported past-year alcohol intake. Age-standardized rates and negative binomial regression models were used to examine trends and differences in alcohol intake by educational level, sex, and period (2001-2009 vs. 2011-2020). Results The average daily alcohol intake and prevalence of heavy average drinking (>20/10 g/day) decreased over time, especially among men, while moderate average drinking remained unchanged or even increased. Alcohol intake increased with increasing educational levels. All drinking measures showed educational inequalities, and these were greater in women than men. The mean amount of drinking showed the greatest inequality, with and adjusted prevalence ratio of 2.6 in women and 1.1 in men between university relative to primary education level. Discussion and implications Alcohol intake in older adults decreased over time in Spain for heavy average drinking and average drinking amount, although not for moderate average drinking. Consumption remains highest among the highest educational levels, which may negatively affect health. Programs addressing alcohol consumption among older adults are needed to minimize alcohol-related harm.

Tackle power outage effects for Egypt's energy crisis via localized optimum load shedding

This paper presents an approach for selecting optimal load-shedding values for individual subscribers or consumers. Implementing this method can bring positive outcomes for consumers by minimizing risks and economic losses caused by power outages. It enables network operators to address power supply deficits and overcome network issues, especially those affecting weaker areas. The optimal load-shedding values are determined by employing IGWA (Improved grey wolf algorithm) through a Graded Objective Function Strategy. The proposed method essentially centered on categorizing loads into two levels based on their importance. The first level includes essential loads, the disruption of which results in risks or significant economic losses. The second level comprises less critical loads, and they do not have more risks or economic losses when power outages. This approach applies specifically to residential loads. The control scheme diagram of disconnecting and reconnecting the current is established by estimating the critical load limit during power outage periods. The necessary arrangements can be made, leading to a proactive measure against risks and losses. The proposal has been implemented in Egypt's electricity network. this proposed method provides a simple and effective solution to the ongoing crisis and provides permanent resolution of problems arising from power outages.

The Effects of Macroeconomic Shocks: Household Financial Distress Matters

Abstract When a macroeconomic shock arrives, variation in household balance sheet health (captured by the presence of financial distress, or “FD”) leads to differential access to credit and hence a distribution in consumption responses. As we document, though, over the past two recessions, households in prior FD also experienced macroeconomic shocks more intensely than others, leading to a distribution of shock severity. Quantifying the importance of each dimension of heterogeneity (FD or shock severity) for consumption requires a structural model. We find that heterogeneity in FD matters more for shaping the responses of individual and aggregate consumption to shocks. (JEL D31, E21, E44, G11, G12, G21)

Association of fish intake with all-cause mortality according to CRP levels or inflammation in older adults: a prospective cohort study

BackgroundThe relationship between inflammatory response, fish consumption, and mortality risk in older individuals is unclear. We investigated whether C-reactive protein (CRP) levels ≥ 0.1 mg/dL, fish intake, and inflammatory responses are associated with all-cause mortality risk in older adults.MethodsThis prospective cohort study included older adults aged 85–89 years from the Kawasaki Aging and Wellbeing Project, who did not require daily care. Cohort was recruited from March 2017 to December 2018 (follow-up ended on December 31, 2021). Dietary assessment was conducted using the Brief Self-Administered Diet History Questionnaire. Multivariate Cox proportional hazards regression was used to estimate the hazard ratio (HR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) for all-cause mortality in the CRP ≥ 0.1 mg/dL group; the CRP < 0.1 mg/dL group was used for reference. Within CRP ≥ 0.1 and < 0.1 mg/dL groups, participants were categorized into tertiles of fish intake. HRs and 95% CIs for all-cause mortality in the other groups were estimated using the lower tertile group as a reference.ResultsThe study included 996 participants (mean [standard deviation] age, 86.5 [1.37] years; 497 [49.9%] women) with a median CRP level of 0.08 (interquartile range [IQR] = 0.04–0.16). There were 162 deaths during 4,161 person-years of observation; the multivariable-adjusted HR for all-cause mortality in the CRP ≥ 0.1 mg/dL group was 1.86 (95% CI, 1.32–2.62); P < 0.001. In 577 individuals with median (IQR) fish intake of 39.3 g/1000 kcal (23.6–57.6) and CRP level of < 0.1 mg/dL, the multivariable-adjusted HR for all-cause mortality in the higher tertile group of fish intake was 1.15 (0.67–1.97); P = 0.59, non-linear P = 0.84. In 419 individuals with median (IQR) fish intake of 40.7 g/1000 kcal (25.0–60.1) and CRP level of ≥ 0.1 mg/dL, the multivariate-adjusted HR for all-cause mortality in the higher tertile group of fish intake was 0.49 (0.26–0.92); P = 0.026, non-linear P = 0.38, P-value for interaction = 0.040.ConclusionsA negative association between fish intake and all-cause mortality was seen in older adults with elevated CRP levels, which is a mortality risk factor. While the results may be limited owing to stringent methods ensuring impartiality, they offer valuable insights for future research.Trial registrationUMIN000026053. Registered February 24, 2017.

Historic and current achievements of the temperance movement in the control of alcohol and its adverse health consequences

SettingThe study aims to assess firstly, the historical (pre-2000) achievements in the control of alcohol and its adverse health consequences in the nine developed countries with mass temperance movements. Currently (post-2000), it looks at achievements in developed countries more generally, including these nine countries. MethodsThe study is a policy analysis conducted within an historical timeframe. This principally involves the historical impacts on government schemes regulating alcohol as well as individual alcohol consumption and its consequences. Trends since 2000 in alcohol consumption in young people in high-income temperance cultures are also examined. Results and conclusionSubstantial alcohol-related public health impacts have occurred in almost all of the nine countries, either on relevant government schemes and/or individual alcohol consumption. Regarding government schemes, five of the nine temperance countries, and in part a sixth (the US), retain government store monopoly systems, offering heavily-taxed spirits with limits on their accessibility. Impacts on individual consumption in these countries, where studied, were positive. Consumption in young people since 2000 in high income countries is lower in temperance than non-temperance countries.It is concluded that temperance culture has had substantial and enduring governmental and individual public health impacts relating to alcohol consumption.

Circular Consumption in Everyday Life: Drawing Insights into the Creation of a Circular City

AbstractAlthough individual consumption is the biggest contributor to cities’ carbon footprints, the link between personal actions and building a circular city remains narrowly researched. Similarly, the implications of the circular economy in individuals’’ everyday lives are not yet well known. This study bridges these research gaps by examining the impacts of circular consumption on urban neighborhood inhabitants’ everyday lives and by considering the relationship between individual consumption and the creation of a circular city. This qualitative research relies on interviews conducted with inhabitants, companies and a school of Tammela neighborhood. Results derived from a directed content analysis suggest that circular consumption is an advisable instrument for living in accordance with environmental values and promotes economic inclusion for individuals. However, circular consumption requires more consumption work from consumers compared to linear consumption. In conclusion, at the city level mainstreaming circular consumption might be achieved with policies aiming at (a) increasing environmental awareness and teaching circular skills and (b) enhancing convenient circular systems of provision to attract people with various values to engage in circular consumption, while considering the amount of consumption work required by the consumer.

UBEM calibration method by energy consumption disaggregation using a change-point model

Urban Building Energy Modeling (UBEM) is valuable for analyzing urban energy demand, but uncertainties can create gaps between predictions and actual usage. Calibration often uses utility bill data due to its urban-scale accessibility. However, comparing this data with simulation results for specific energy uses like cooling and heating is challenging. This study introduces a UBEM calibration method using a change-point model to disaggregate energy into heating, cooling, and base load. Applied to 222 office buildings in Seoul, this method provided more appropriate calibration results by considering individual energy consumption characteristics rather than just total consumption. The CVRMSE for base load, heating, and cooling energy decreased compared to uncalibrated simulations. This research highlights the importance of energy disaggregation when calibrating UBEM with utility bill data, offering a more nuanced approach to urban energy modeling.

Flour Treatments Affect Gluten Protein Extractability, Secondary Structure, and Antibody Reactivity

Commercial Brazilian wheat flour was subjected to extrusion, oven, and microwave treatments. The solubility, monomeric and polymeric proteins, and the glutenin and gliadin profiles of the gluten were analyzed. In addition, in vitro digestibility and response against potential celiac disease immune-stimulatory epitopes were investigated. All treatments resulted in low solubility of the polymeric and monomeric proteins. The amounts of insoluble proteins increased from 5.6% in control flour to approximately 10% for all (treatments), whereas soluble proteins decreased from 6.5% to less than 0.5% post treatment. In addition, the treatments affected glutenin and gliadin profiles. The amount of α/β-gliadin extracted decreased after all treatments, while that of γ-gliadin was unaffected. Finally, the potential celiac disease immune stimulatory epitopes decreased in oven and microwave treatment using the G12 ELISA, but no change was observed using the R5 antibody. However, the alteration of the gluten structure and complexity was not sufficient to render a product safe for consumption for individuals with celiac disease; the number of potential celiac disease immune-stimulatory epitopes remained high.

Smoking-Related Increases in Alcohol Outcomes and Preliminary Evidence for the Protective Effect of a Functional Nicotine Receptor Gene (CHRNA5) Variant on Alcohol Consumption in Individuals Without Alcohol Use Disorder.

Alcohol and nicotine interact with the nicotinic acetylcholine receptor system to alter reward-related responses, thereby contributing to the co-use and misuse of these drugs. A missense polymorphism rs16969968 (G>A) in the CHRNA5 gene has shown a strong association with nicotine-related phenotypes. However, less is known about the impact of this variant on alcohol-related phenotypes. We assessed the main and interactive effect of smoking and rs16969968 polymorphism on alcohol consumption using the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT), Timeline Follow Back (TLFB), and Lifetime Drinking History (LDH) in 980 healthy adults without alcohol use disorder. We further examined the effect of the rs16969968 polymorphism on acute alcohol consumption using a free-access i.v. alcohol self-administration (IV-ASA) human laboratory paradigm in a subset of 153 nonsmoking participants. Subjective alcohol responses, alcohol sensitivity, and expectancy measures were compared between genotype groups (GG; AA/AG). We observed a significant association of smoking with AUDIT, TLFB, and LDH measures across genotype groups, with smokers showing higher scores compared with nonsmokers. Additionally, we found an association between genotype and TLFB-total drinks in the IV-ASA subset, with the GG group showing higher scores than AA/AG group. Relatedly, the alcohol negative expectancy score was significantly lower in the GG group than the AA/AG group. Our findings underscore the association of smoking with alcohol measures. We found preliminary evidence for the protective effect of the functional CHRNA5 polymorphism on alcohol consumption and its association with increased negative alcohol expectancies, which highlights the substantial heterogeneity in alcohol responses.

Prevalence of problem drinking in the Swedish workforce: differences between labour market industries based on gender composition and main job activity

BackgroundIdentifying problem drinking patterns across industries is essential for addressing drinking problems in the workforce. Still, it is not well understood how problem drinking differs across industries and whether it is associated with industry gender composition. This study aimed to measure the prevalence of problem drinking (PPD) across Swedish industries and investigate possible associations between gender-typed industries and problem drinking.Methods9,155 current workers were selected from the Swedish Longitudinal Occupational Survey of Health (SLOSH) data collected in 2020. Participants’ work industries were identified through the Swedish Standard Industrial Classification (SNI) codes. Seven gender-typed industry categories were created based on gender composition and main job activity in each industry. Self-reported problem drinking was measured using a slightly modified Cut-down, Annoyed, Guilt, Eye-opener (CAGE) questionnaire and a cut-off score 2 was used to determine problem drinking. Poisson regression with robust standard errors was used to investigate the association between gender-typed industries and problem drinking.ResultsPPD in the workforce was 6.6%. Men (8.5%) had a higher prevalence than women (5.3%). Across industries, PPD varied from 2.3% in Water supply and waste management to 15.4% in Mining and quarrying. The highest prevalence for men was in Mining and quarrying (18.2%), whereas for women it was in Construction (11.1%). Within gender-typed industries, the highest PPD was in male-dominated Goods and Energy Production (7.7%), and the lowest was in female-dominated Health and Social Care (4.7%). In the regression analysis, both Education (aPR: 1.39, p = 0.03) and Labour-intensive Services (aPR: 1.39, p = 0.02) had higher adjusted prevalence ratios (aPR) compared with Health and Social Care. However, there was no significant difference in aPR among gender-typed industries when considering the gender composition of industries only.ConclusionsPPD in the Swedish workforce varied significantly across industries, with differences observed between men and women. Problem drinking differed between industries when categorized by gender composition and main job activity, but not when categorized by gender composition only. Future research should investigate how industry-specific psychosocial factors influence individual alcohol consumption.

Idiosyncratic Income Risk and Aggregate Fluctuations

We study how the presence of idiosyncratic income risk affects aggregate fluctuations in the absence of binding borrowing constraints and/or cyclical income risk. Its impact is shown to be captured by the response of a consumption-weighted average of individual consumption risk to aggregate shocks. We analyze two example economies—an endowment economy and a New Keynesian economy—and show that, under plausible calibrations, the impact of idiosyncratic income risk on aggregate fluctuations is quantitatively small since most of the changes in consumption risk are concentrated among poorer (low-consumption) households. (JEL E12, E21, E24, E32)

Effect of aberrant fructose metabolism following SARS-CoV-2 infection on colorectal cancer patients' poor prognosis.

Most COVID-19 patients have a positive prognosis, but patients with additional underlying diseases are more likely to have severe illness and increased fatality rates. Numerous studies indicate that cancer patients are more prone to contract SARS-CoV-2 and develop severe COVID-19 or even dying. In the recent transcriptome investigations, it is demonstrated that the fructose metabolism is altered in patients with SARS-CoV-2 infection. However, cancer cells can use fructose as an extra source of energy for growth and metastasis. Furthermore, enhanced living conditions have resulted in a notable rise in fructose consumption in individuals' daily dietary habits. We therefore hypothesize that the poor prognosis of cancer patients caused by SARS-CoV-2 may therefore be mediated through fructose metabolism. Using CRC cases from four distinct cohorts, we built and validated a predictive model based on SARS-CoV-2 producing fructose metabolic anomalies by coupling Cox univariate regression and lasso regression feature selection algorithms to identify hallmark genes in colorectal cancer. We also developed a composite prognostic nomogram to improve clinical practice by integrating the characteristics of aberrant fructose metabolism produced by this novel coronavirus with age and tumor stage. To obtain the genes with the greatest potential prognostic values, LASSO regression analysis was performed, In the TCGA training cohort, patients were randomly separated into training and validation sets in the ratio of 4: 1, and the best risk score value for each sample was acquired by lasso regression analysis for further analysis, and the fifteen genes CLEC4A, FDFT1, CTNNB1, GPI, PMM2, PTPRD, IL7, ALDH3B1, AASS, AOC3, SEPINE1, PFKFB1, FTCD, TIMP1 and GATM were finally selected. In order to validate the model's accuracy, ROC curve analysis was performed on an external dataset, and the results indicated that the model had a high predictive power for the prognosis prediction of patients. Our study provides a theoretical foundation for the future targeted regulation of fructose metabolism in colorectal cancer patients, while simultaneously optimizing dietary guidance and therapeutic care for colorectal cancer patients in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Model of the non-stationary thermal processes in the ground heat pump system

One of the main directions for improving heat supply systems is the tendency to switch to low-temperature heating systems by using heat pump units is the tendency of implementation the low-temperature heating systems based on the use of heat pump units. In the work, the main attention is focused on the improvement of thermal parameters and circuit design features of elements of the heat pump system of heat supply using soil energy. For this purpose, the toolkit of mathematical modelling of processes in ground heat pumps is applied, taking into account the climatic conditions of Ukraine. The paper proves the technical possibility of creating an autonomous system of alternative heat supply for energy-saving technologies with the possibility of using ground energy, taking into account environmental requirements. It is substantiated that the use of the proposed systems is a promising direction for Ukraine, which is experiencing a shortage of its own energy resources, because it provides an opportunity to increase the share of organic fuel substitution and reduce the volume of heat emissions into the environment. A mathematical model of heat processes in the elements of the heat exchange equipment of the heat pump system based on renewable energy (soil energy) and secondary energy (wastewater) was developed, taking into account environmental requirements (preventing hypothermia of the soil during the operation of soil pipes and damage to vegetation, respectively), which allows choosing a rational mode of operation of the system under seasonal climatic changes and technological conditions. Numerical modelling of heat processes in elements of the heat exchange equipment of the heat pump system using groundwater and waste water was performed, and the energy and environmental efficiency of the system under variable climatic and technological factors was determined. Analysis and generalization of the calculation results of the heat pump heat supply systems using alternative energy based on the proposed mathematical model, taking into account environmental requirements (preventing thermal relaxation of the soil) allows to take into account the change in the temperature gradient around the soil heat exchanger and more accurately determine the heat flow from each section of the heat exchanger. It has been established that for heat pumps with soil heat exchangers, the maximum substitution ratio of the traditional fuel is 75 %, and the economically feasible quantity of soil heat exchangers is 9 units. Heat pumps using waste water can completely replace traditional heat supply systems. For individual consumers, it is possible to recommend heat pump units with soil heat exchangers, at the same time, it is necessary to provide a backup source of energy to increase the reliability of heat supply.

The changing food allergen landscape in Europe calls for harmonised food allergen monitoring: Position paper

With the changing food allergen landscape in Europe, there is an increasing need for the monitoring of (non-)prepacked food products to improve the protection of consumers with food allergies. Although food allergy is a condition affecting up to 10 % of the consumers worldwide, a European harmonised approach for the management of precautionary allergen labelling, allergen reference doses, analytical methods or food product monitoring is not in place. This leads to limited food choices for consumers with food allergies but can also result in the occurrence of serious allergic incidents. The current state of non-harmonised and unregulated food allergen monitoring in Europe means risks and considerable costs for the individual consumer, but also for society in general. In this position paper, we argue for the introduction of harmonised guidelines for food allergen monitoring on the European level based on a discussion of the wide-ranging implications their lacking entails. We believe that there is a pressing need to update the European legislation on food allergens, including the introduction of harmonised monitoring programmes, which will lead to improved overall food safety, and better protection and options for consumers with food allergies.

White Tea Consumption Alleviates Anthropometric and Metabolic Parameters in Obese Patients

Background and Objectives: Obesity and related disorders are an increasing global health problem. Achieving and maintaining long-term weight loss through lifestyle changes and/or pharmacological interventions have not met expectations. Dietary supplements and alternative treatments have also shown limited effectiveness in this regard. The consumption of green tea in general has been shown to benefit obese patients, with effects attributed to caffeine, catechins, polyphenols and other components. However, the potential of white tea to prevent and treat the negative effects of obesity has not been addressed so far. In this study, the effect of white tea (WT) consumption in obese individuals was anthropometrically and biochemically investigated. Materials and Methods: Based on anthropometric and biochemical assessments, the patients were assigned to the control, orlistat, metformin and WT groups. Patients were given a diet and exercise program and one of either orlistat, metformin or WT for 12 weeks. At the end of the 12th week, the anthropometric and biochemical measurements were reassessed. Results: Body weight, waist circumference and BMI parameters decreased significantly in all groups. TNF-α, IL-6, IL-1β and MMP-9 levels decreased significantly in the WT group. In addition, contrary to a significant elevation in HDL-C, the serum cholesterol, LDL-C and TG levels decreased significantly. Furthermore, leptin, ghrelin and asprosin levels decreased significantly. Serum glucose levels decreased significantly in all groups except for the control. In the WT group, while there was a significant decrease in the levels of serum PL MDA and 8-OHdG, the opposite was true for GSH. Conclusions: The oral consumption of WT, its availability and its potency in obesity treatment and prevention pave the way for further delineation of the mechanisms of actions of its bioactive compounds at the cellular and endocrinological levels.