Food Location Research Articles

Investigating the Critical Factors Effecting Customers Loyalty: An Empirical Assessment

Globally, the fast-food restaurant industry is a complex and ever-expanding business sector. Many people in Pakistan visit fast food restaurants on a regular basis. Establishing a relationship with the client and providing outstanding services are vital in the restaurant industry. This research intends to examine the factors influencing customer loyalty in fast food restaurants in Pakistan. This research used a descriptive quantitative survey approach. The sample population for this research comprised of fast-food restaurant customers. This research examined consumers of global fast-food chains (such as McDonald's and KFC), as well as local and regional fast-food chains (such as Fry Chicks and Pizza Online, etc.). The researcher collected data from 190 customers chosen in line with the item-to-rate theory. The questionnaire for this research consists of seven parts and 19 questions. The data revealed that food quality, service quality, price, and location, as well as the physical environment, had a significant direct effect on consumer satisfaction. In addition, the research revealed that customer satisfaction significantly affects customer loyalty. This study is limited to fast food customers residing in Lahore.

Ventral hippocampus-lateral septum circuitry promotes foraging-related memory.

SUMMARYRemembering the location of a food or water source is essential for survival. Here, we reveal that spatial memory for food location is reflected in ventral hippocampus (HPCv) neuron activity and is impaired by HPCv lesion. HPCv mediation of foraging-related memory involves communication to the lateral septum (LS), as either reversible or chronic disconnection of HPCv-to-LS signaling impairs spatial memory retention for food or water location. This neural pathway selectively encodes appetitive spatial memory, as HPCv-LS disconnection does not affect spatial memory for escape location in a negative reinforcement procedure, food intake, or social and olfactory-based appetitive learning. Neural pathway tracing and functional mapping analyses reveal that LS neurons recruited during the appetitive spatial memory procedure are primarily GABAergic neurons that project to the lateral hypothalamus. Collective results emphasize that the neural substrates controlling spatial memory are outcome specific based on reinforcer modality.

The “avoid the empty cup” hypothesis does not explain great apes’ (Gorilla gorilla, Pan paniscus, Pan troglodytes, Pongo abelii) responses in two three-cup one-item inference by exclusion tasks.

In the two-cup one-item task, subjects are shown a food item, which is then hidden inside one of two cups. Several species spontaneously select the baited cup above chance levels if shown that the other cup is empty. Although this response may indicate inference by exclusion (if not A, then B), another possibility is that subjects simply avoid choosing the empty cup, not because they expect the food to be in the other cup but because they have seen that cup to be empty. I tested whether this hypothesis explains great apes' responses in a three-cup one-item task. Subjects saw three opaque cups on a platform, with two of them located behind a barrier during baiting. After baiting one of the cups behind the barrier, I revealed the identity of the empty cup that had been located behind the barrier (Experiment 1) or revealed the contents of the center cup (baited in half of the trials), but always removed it before the subjects' choice (Experiment 2). In Experiment 1, subjects preferentially selected the baited cup even though one of the other two cups had not been shown to be empty. In Experiment 2, subjects' preference for the cup that had been located behind the barrier during baiting was modulated by the contents of the removed cup. These results suggest that expectations about the food's location, not just the sight of the empty cup, as postulated by the "avoid the empty cup" hypothesis, determine apes' responses in the three-cup one-item task. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved).

Choosing memory retrieval strategies: A critical role for inhibition in the dentate gyrus

Remembering the location of food is essential for survival. Rodents and humans employ mainly hippocampus-dependent spatial strategies, but when being stressed they shift to striatum-mediated stimulus-based strategies. To investigate underlying brain circuits, we tested mice with a heightened stress susceptibility due to a lack of the GABA-synthetizing enzyme GAD65 (GAD65−/− mice) in a dual solution task. Here, GAD65−/− mice preferred to locate a food reward in an open field via a proximal cue, while their wildtype littermates preferred a spatial strategy. The analysis of cFos co-activation across brain regions and of stress-induced mRNA expression changes of GAD65 pointed towards the hippocampal dorsal dentate gyrus (dDG) as a central structure for mediating stress effects on strategy choices via GAD65. Reducing the GAD65 expression locally in the dDG by a shRNA mediated knock down was sufficient to replicate the phenotype of the global GAD65 knock out and to increase dDG excitability. Using DREADD vectors to specifically interfere with dDG circuit activity during dual solution retrieval but not learning confirmed that the dDG modulates strategy choices and that a balanced excitability of this structure is necessary to establish spatial strategy preference. These data highlight the dDG as a critical hub for choosing between spatial and non-spatial foraging strategies.

Does a high social status confer greater levels of trust from groupmates? An experimental study of leadership in domestic horses

In collective movements, specific individuals may emerge as leaders. In this study on the domestic horse (Equus ferus caballus), we conducted experiments to establish if an individual is successfully followed due to its social status (including hierarchical rank and centrality). We first informed one horse about a hidden food location and recorded by how many it was followed when going back to this location. In this context, all horses lead their groupmates successfully. In a second step, we tested whether group members would trust some leaders more than others by removing the food before the informed individual led the group back to the food location. In addition, two control initiators with intermediate social status for which the food was not removed were tested. The results, confirmed by simulations, demonstrated that the proportions of followers for the unreliable initiator with highest social status are greater than the ones of the unreliable initiator with lowest social status. Our results suggest an existing relationship between having a high social status and a leadership role. Indeed, the status of a leader sometimes prevail at the detriment of the accuracy of the information, because an elevated social status apparently confers a high level of trust.

Asesmen Produktivitas Ternak dan Kesesuaian Potensi Tanaman Pertanian Sebagai Hijauan Pakan: Sebuah Potret Kawasan Agro-Ekologi Dataran Rendah Selatan Merauke, Papua

The study aimed to descriptively capture livestock production and food waste and the suitability of border farms in the lowland Merauke region. Data were analyzed on livestock population structure (individual/ST), food crop waste production (dry weight, DW), capacity, and location quotient (LQ), and SWOT. Food crop waste production is 350 thousand tons of DW and so far only provided for ruminant cattle about 11%. Food crop straw waste is still dominated by rice straw (97%), followed by corn waste (2%), sweet potatoes, and peanuts. The capacity to increase the cattle population is close to 315 thousand ST. The LQ value of both livestock and food crops in Merauke is still in the range of 0 -<1 and is still a prospective sector to be optimized. The results of SWOT analysis conclude that the S-O strategy is the intensification and expansion of livestock commodities. Keywords: livestock population structure, location quotient, KPPTR, crop residues, Merauke

Biodiversity of intestinal parasites carried by the external body of cockroaches at different food locations : case of Ain Témouchent city

Cockroaches are vectors and harborages of several microorganisms such as bacteria, viruses, protozoa and helminths which most of them are known to be causative agents of gastro-intestinal intoxications. Due to the lack of information’s in Algeria about the intestinal parasites intoxication and their transmission by cockroaches, this work aims to examine the intestinal parasites present on the bodies of twenty-eight cockroaches collected from different sites (Fast-Food, bakery, Super market, kitchen) at Ain Témouchent city (Algeria). However, no cockroach was found in the university restaurants of the girls and boy’s residences to be collected. The cockroaches identified belong to the four genus namely American, German, Striped and Nymph, with prevailing of the male sex. I Identification results of intestinal parasites and their different stages showed that the quality of the parasite does not depend on the species of cockroaches and/or the collection site. In fact, all cockroaches load a helminth eggs followed by Giardia spp. and Entamoeba spp. (each one at 60%), Ascaris eggs (50%), hookworm (40%), nematodes (20%), Endolimax spp. (5%) and others that they were not be able to be identified. Therefore, these results are of great interest in food risk communication and management.

KEPUTUSAN PEMBELIAN MELALUI KUALITAS MAKANAN, KUALITAS PELAYANAN, DAN LOKASI PADA NK CAFÉ MALANG

The purpose of the study was to determine the effect of food quality, service quality, and location variables on consumer decisions at NK Café Malang. The data used is the result of distributing questionnaires to consumers. The sample selection technique is Accidental Sampling with a total of 50 consumers. Data processing uses multiple linear regression and is free from the classical assumption test. Consumer decisions are explained by 47.6% of the independent variables. The results show that the variables of food quality, service quality, and place have a significant effect on consumer purchasing decisions. Based on the results of the study, it shows that NK Café must maintain the values ​​of the three variables even if it needs to be increased.

More opportunities to peck for identical food availability increases foraging efficiency in pigeons

Abstract The opportunity and the information available to secure food resources drives foraging behaviour. We tested how inconsistent hole-food pairings and coverings could alter foraging performance, even when food availability is held constant. In our first experiment, we exposed pigeons (Columba livia) to a board in which each of the 60 covered holes contained one food item and to another board in which only one third of the 180 covered holes randomly contained one food item. In a second experiment, only the 60-hole board was used and the holes were not covered. The pigeons increased their body weight, gave fewer pecks per hole, revisited holes less often, and inspected fewer adjacent holes with 180 rather than 60 covered holes while eating similar amounts. However, their pecks were disproportionately higher near the edges of the board with 60 covered holes. This behaviour was not evident in the second experiment, when the food items were visible and individuals could know where food was available. Thus, the information about food location may drive foraging behaviour more directly than the information about food availability.

Adults’ Exposure to Unhealthy Food and Beverage Marketing: A Multi-Country Study in Australia, Canada, Mexico, the United Kingdom, and the United States

BackgroundFood marketing increases product appeal, purchasing, and consumption, using diverse strategies and locations to reach consumers. ObjectivesThe aim of this study was to examine differences in adults’ self-reported exposure to various marketing strategies (brand and licensed characters, celebrities, and sponsorship of sports and cultural events) and locations (television, radio, and digital media) across 5 countries: Australia, Canada, Mexico, the United Kingdom, and the United States. MethodsWe analyzed cross-sectional survey data on self-reported exposure to food marketing strategies and locations collected in 2018 by the International Food Policy Study. Participants (n = 21,678) aged ≥18 years completed an online survey. Exposures to unhealthy food marketing strategies and locations in the prior 30 days were self-reported. Regression models examined differences in marketing exposure and locations across countries. ResultsThe average number of unhealthy food marketing strategies to which participants reported being exposed ranged from 0.5 in the United Kingdom to 2.3 in Mexico. Self-reported exposure to strategies across all countries was highest for brand characters (32%), followed by licensed characters (22%). In total, the reported mean exposure of marketing locations was 1.6 in the prior month. Television was the most prevalent location (44%), followed by digital marketing (32%). Adjusted models indicated that the odds of reporting exposure to marketing strategies and marketing locations were higher for Mexico compared to the rest of the countries. ConclusionsAdults report a variety of exposures to unhealthy food marketing in all countries, but exposure was highest in Mexico. Special attention should be paid to regulating marketing strategies, such as brand characters and licensed characters, and locations, such as television and digital marketing.

Qualitative Assessment of Fire Station Food Environment Using Photovoice

ObjectivesCardiovascular events are the leading cause of death for on-duty firefighters. Studies evaluating modifiable risk factors to mitigate this outcome are nascent. Limited qualitative data suggest fire station food environments are “toxic” and demand attention. Further defining objective evaluations of the food environment and associated perceptions among firefighters are essential for development of interventions. The objective of this study was to define the fire station food environment using a novel approach. MethodsThis cross-sectional study employed Photovoice to document food environment healthfulness of four fire stations within a rural Midwest career fire department. Photos of the fire station food environment were taken in the ‘voice’ of firefighters and researchers. Details surrounding timing, fire station, shift, food location, and voice were captured for each photo. Photos were then coded deductively based on criteria selected a priori, including presence of Healthy Eating Index 2015 (HEI) components for dietary quality (DQ) and behavioral economics techniques (BET) supporting foods in photos. NVivo qualitative analysis software was used for analysis. Descriptive statistics summarized frequency of codes and photo details. Chi-square was used to compare frequency of codes across photo details. ResultsAnalysis included 40 images. Based on preliminary results, there were 273 total coded references. Moderation HEI components and BET promoting them were the most frequent codes: low DQ food is normal (10.3% of coded references), added sugar (9.9%), low DQ food is convenient (9.2%), low DQ foods are attractive (8.8%), saturated fat (8.4%), and sodium (8.4%). Adequacy HEI components and BET promoting them were less frequently coded: total fruit (1.5%), whole fruit (1.5%), whole grains (1.8%), and dark greens and legumes (2.2%). ConclusionsResults confirm existing data that fire station food environments support low DQ food choices. The most common coded references were low DQ food is normal, attractive, and convenient, as well as presence of added sugar, saturated fat, and sodium. The least common coded references included presence of fruits, whole grains, and dark greens and legumes and their promotion. This indicates an unhealthy, obesogenic food environment. Funding SourcesOSU Vice President for Research Jumpstart Accelerator Grant.

Differential behavioral responses of benthic and nektonic tadpoles to predation at varying water depths

Predators influence microhabitat selection and activity level of tadpoles, but it is still unclear how such responses to predators differ among species and how water column's depth influences this predator–prey interaction. Here, we experimentally tested whether the presence of Odonata water nymphs influenced the spatial use and activity of benthic and nektonic tadpoles in different food availability contexts. Benthic tadpoles occupied and consumed more food at the bottom level, irrespective of predator's presence. However, when predators were at the bottom, benthic tadpoles remained close to the cages, suggesting a typical “stay-still” defensive behavior known for Physalaemus nattereri (Steindachner, 1863). Nektonic tadpoles occupied shallower depths on predator presence, and they also consumed less food and avoided the predator by selecting food sources far from it. When the predator was at the bottom level and food was available, the distance of tadpoles to the cage tended to be smaller. Scinax fuscovarius (Lutz, 1925) tadpoles were more active when food was absent regardless of predator's presence. When food was available, these tadpoles generally occupied and consumed more food at the bottom level. Tadpole responses depended not only on predator presence but also on a complex net of factors, which included tadpole habit, antipredatory behavior, and availability and location of food.

Chemotaxis is important for fine scale habitat selection of early juvenile Panulirus cygnus

The western rock lobster (Panulirus cygnus [George 1962]) is the basis for Australia's most valuable single species wild caught fishery. The ability of early juvenile western rock lobster to select and settle onto suitable habitats is critical for the recruitment of this commercially important species. Many marine organisms, including the western rock lobster, have highly complex olfactory systems that allow for various behaviours including habitat selection and the location of food. We tested the active habitat selection of early juvenile western rock lobsters using only chemotaxis in scent based trials. We used a Y-maze bio-assay with which we were able to present individuals with several different natural scent stimuli. This study used three commonly observed broad habitat complexes followed by three fine scale seagrass assemblages to provide different scent stimuli. Seagrass habitats were chosen significantly more often by the juvenile lobsters in the broad habitat scale trials over bare sand and turf habitats. At a finer scale, lobsters showed a mixed response but tended to choose the canopy forming seagrass species, Amphibolis antarctica [(Labillardière) Sonder & Ascherson ex Ascherson, 1868] and Posidonia australis [Hooker, 1858] significantly more often than the other scents provided. This study developed a Y-maze chemotaxis assay for P. cygnus and confirmed that they respond to habitat related scent cues. These findings suggest the importance of seagrass habitats to early juvenile western rock lobsters and the potential impacts that habitat change may have on the successful recruitment of this commercially important species.

Collective foraging: Experimentally increased competition decreases group performance exploiting a permanent resource

Abstract Foraging collectively offers advantages, such as access to social information on food locations, but it may also intensify competition for local resources. Social information may be most advantageous during ecologically challenging conditions, when food sources are scarce or unpredictable, which predicts more collective foraging during such conditions. Alternatively, higher within‐group competition when resources are scarce might destabilize social groups and reduce collective foraging. To evaluate these effects, we experimentally decreased the number and predictability of food sources (feeders with ad libitum seeds) available to wild‐caught common waxbills Estrilda astrild living in a large open‐air mesocosm. Compared to control periods, in the treatment with few food sources competitive aggressiveness at feeders increased, the social network became more fragmented, with on average weaker associations between individuals, and foraging groups became smaller. Foraging groups also spent less time per visit to the feeding area, individuals spent less time at the feeders per group visit and had to make more visits to the feeding area per day, all of which indicate less efficient exploitation of the food sources. These effects were also observed when the number of feeders changed unpredictably across days. Even though the collective behaviour of waxbills appeared to exacerbate, rather than mitigate, the ecological challenges of reduced or unpredictable food sources, we suggest that, in nature, this increased aggressiveness and fragmentation of the social network may function adaptively as an early trigger to explore alternative foraging locations before local food sources are severely depleted. Read the free Plain Language Summary for this article on the Journal blog.

Location Based Recommendation System with machine learning.

Machine learning allows us to give vast volumes of data to computer algorithms and have them assess and make data-driven judgments and recommendations entirely based on the incoming data. This project will employ machine learning to analyze geolocation data and user preferences in order to provide the user with intelligent recommendations. In today's fast-paced and hectic world, it's common to be too exhausted to prepare a home-cooked supper. Even if you eat home-cooked meals every day, it's not uncommon to desire to treat yourself to a decent dinner now and then for social or recreational reasons. Consider the instance of someone who has recently relocated to a new location. They already have particular tastes and interests. . If a person lives near his favorite outlet, it will save him and his food providers a lot of time and effort. This project involves categorizing popular snack destinations for incoming students based on their mood and preferences for amenities, affordability, and proximity to the place using K-Means Clustering to find the easiest food location for students in Greater Noida (or any other city of your choice) by using K-Means Clustering to find the easiest food location for students in Greater Noida (or any other city of your choice) by using K-Means Clustering to find the easiest food location for students in Greater Noida.

Dietary patterns among Saudis with type 2 diabetes mellitus in Riyadh: A cross-sectional study.

We investigated dietary patterns and their associations with sociodemographic and lifestyle factors in Saudi adults with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). A total of 297 participants (154 men and 143 women) with a mean age (standard deviation) of 54.0 (7.0) years were enrolled in the current study. Self-reported information on sociodemographic and lifestyle characteristics, eating behavior, and frequency of consumption was collected from all participants. Principal component analysis was used to determine dietary patterns. Multiple linear regressions were used to examine the associations between dietary patterns and sociodemographic and lifestyle factors. We identified five dietary patterns: “Vegetables and olive oil,” “Refined grains and sweets,” “Dairy products and legumes,” “Dates and beverages,” and “Fruit.” Age was inversely associated with the pattern “Refined grains and sweets” (β = -0.036, p <0.001). Females were more likely to have higher scores with the “Fruit” pattern (β = 0.410, p = 0.011). Smoking was associated with “Vegetables and olive oil” (β = 0.919, p = 0.001) and “Dates and beverages” (β = -0.947, p = 0.001) patterns. The level of physical activity was associated with “Dates and beverages” (β = 0.104, p = 0.048) and “Vegetables and olive oil” (β = -0.102, p = 0.048) patterns. The number of snacks consumed was associated with “Dates and beverages” pattern (β = -0.241, p = 0.005), and the frequency of meals eaten in fast food locations and restaurants per month was associated with “Vegetables and olive oil” pattern (β = -0.043, p = 0.034). Each dietary pattern was associated with different sociodemographic and lifestyle factors and eating behaviors. This study provides insights into the underlying nutritional habits of Saudi Arabian patients with T2DM. Future studies are necessary to assess these associations in representative samples.

The role of nutrient‐responsive hippocampal neurons in feeding

Feeding behavior is controlled by hippocampal‐dependent learning and memory that influence decisions about where, when and what to eat. However, the neuronal subtypes and stimuli that recruit these neurons remain poorly understood.Here we leverage the unique strength of the recently‐developed Targeted Recombination in Activated Populations (TRAP2) mouse model, which provides cell type‐unbiased genetic access to neuronal populations based on their activation by defined and time‐constrained stimuli. Surprisingly, after comparing neuronal activity to separate post‐ingestive stimuli within the same animal, we identified distinct hippocampal subpopulations that respond to either fat or sugar. We validated a protocol for selective ablation of the sugar‐activated hippocampal neurons using viral mediated caspase in the TRAP2 mice. Using an automated feeding system, we found that these sugar‐ablated mice significantly reduced their chow and high‐fat diet intake compared to control littermates, and exhibited impaired food location memory in a sugar‐driven food cup task. No group differences were observed in the ability to learn a flavor‐nutrient conditioning paradigm.Overall, these results demonstrate that the hippocampus is attuned to specific macronutrients rather than the feeding state, allowing highly‐refined appetitive learning and memory in response to context‐specific feeding cues.

The Cost of Imagined Actions in a Reward-Valuation Task.

Growing evidence suggests that humans and other animals assign value to a stimulus based not only on its inherent rewarding properties, but also on the costs of the action required to obtain it, such as the cost of time. Here, we examined whether such cost also occurs for mentally simulated actions. Healthy volunteers indicated their subjective value for snack foods while the time to imagine performing the action to obtain the different stimuli was manipulated. In each trial, the picture of one food item and a home position connected through a path were displayed on a computer screen. The path could be either large or thin. Participants first rated the stimulus, and then imagined moving the mouse cursor along the path from the starting position to the food location. They reported the onset and offset of the imagined movements with a button press. Two main results emerged. First, imagery times were significantly longer for the thin than the large path. Second, participants liked significantly less the snack foods associated with the thin path (i.e., with longer imagery time), possibly because the passage of time strictly associated with action imagery discounts the value of the reward. Importantly, such effects were absent in a control group of participants who performed an identical valuation task, except that no action imagery was required. Our findings hint at the idea that imagined actions, like real actions, carry a cost that affects deeply how people assign value to the stimuli in their environment.

Household Food Waste Quantification and Cross-Examining the Official Figures: A Study on Household Wheat Bread Waste in Shiraz, Iran.

The global consumer food waste (FW) estimates are mainly based on modeling data obtained from governments. However, a major data gap exists in FW at the household level, especially in developing countries. Meanwhile, the reliability of the existing data is questionable. This study aimed to quantify wheat bread waste (HBW) in Shiraz, Iran, and cross-examine the governmental HBW data. Face-to-face waste recall questionnaire interviews were conducted in 419 households from December 2018 to August 2019. A multistage sampling strategy consisting of stratification, clustering, and systematic sampling was employed. Moreover, we carried out a comprehensive document review to extract and analyze the official HBW data. The results revealed that the HBW in Shiraz is 1.80%—the waste amounts for traditional bread and non-traditional bread were 1.70% and 2.50%, respectively. The survey results were compared with the previous official data, revealing a substantial contradiction with the 30% HBW reported between 1991 and 2015. Possible reasons for this disparity are explored in this paper. Although our results cannot be generalized to other food commodities and locations, our findings suggest that considering the substantial likelihood of bias in the official data, policymakers should conduct more FW measurements and re-evaluate the accuracy of the existing data.

Foods and Beverages Available to Nurses in Hospital Cafeterias, Vending Machines, and Gift Shops.

Hospitals are important workplaces for nurses with many perceived barriers to healthy eating, but objective assessments are lacking. This study evaluated the healthfulness of hospital consumer food environments. Cross-sectional observational; Setting: South Carolina; Subjects: Cafeterias, vending machines (VM), and gift shops (GS) in hospitals of varying size, urbanization, and region. Using the Hospital Nutrition Environment Scan (HNES), primary outcomes of interest included availability, access, prices, and location of healthy foods in relation to nursing units. Descriptive and inferential statistics by independent samples t-test, ANOVA, Mann-Whitney U, χ2, or Fisher's exact test as appropriate. Thirty-one hospitals were observed from December 2019 to February 2020. Average composite HNES score (n = 28) was 46.3 ± 14.9 (-45 to 173 range), indicating sub-optimal food environments. Cafeterias (n = 31) scored an average of 30.9 ± 10.5 (-33 to 86 range). Average VM (n = 31) and GS (n = 28) scores were 11.6 ± 6.0 (-6 to 55 range) and 2.9 ± 4.0 (-6 to 32 range), respectively. Small hospitals (≤100 beds) had lower average cafeteria score (22.4 ± 10.3) than extra-large hospitals (≥500 beds; 42 ± 5.2, P < .01). Small hospitals also had lower composite HNES scores (34.4 ± 17.1) compared to extra-large hospitals (61.0 ± 14.4, P = .02). Data regarding availability, access, prices, and location were also reported. Due to abundant availability of unhealthy foods and beverages, hospital consumer food environments scored low on observations using the HNES, highlighting the opportunity to improve the healthfulness of facility offerings.