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Developing ideas suggested by James Meade, Harry Johnson and Neil Laing, we argue that when one compares alternative long‐period positions, as in the work‐horse two commodity, two primary input model, the household's expenditure and the prices of the commodities purchased cannot be treated as independent variables. We call such a full adaptation of households to consistent price configurations 'full household equilibrium'. It is found that, at both the household and the aggregate levels, the purchased quantity of a 'normal' commodity can increase when its relative price rises. This basic result is readily applied both to aspects of welfare theory and to international trade theory. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction Methods Results Discussion and Conclusions A minimum unit price (MUP) for alcohol of £0.50 per unit (1 UK unit = 10 mL/8 g alcohol) was introduced in Scotland in May 2018. Few previous studies have examined the impact of alcohol pricing policies on people who are alcohol dependent. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of MUP on people who are alcohol dependent including changes in alcohol consumption and health status, as well as potential unintended consequences.Three waves of cross‐sectional data were collected in Scotland (intervention) and Northern England (control) at 0–6 months pre‐implementation then 3–9 months and 18–22 months post‐implementation. The sample was N = 706 people receiving treatment related to their alcohol use. We collected structured interview data including recent drinking information via a 7‐day timeline‐follow‐back drinking diary. Difference‐in‐difference analyses estimated change in indicators in Scotland compared to England at both post‐implementation timepoints.The proportion of participants consuming alcohol costing on average <£0.50 per unit in Scotland decreased from 60.6% at 0–6 months prior to MUP implementation to 6.3% at 3–9 months post‐implementation (p < 0.0004). There was no significant change in the indicators for alcohol consumption, severity of dependence, health status, other substance use, deprivation level or parenting.The introduction of MUP in Scotland was associated with increases in the prices paid for alcohol by people with dependence and presenting to treatment services. There was no evidence of changes in their alcohol consumption or health status. There was also no evidence of harmful unintended consequences for this population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

From soil to freshwater ecosystems, decomposition can be conceived as the result of interactions between organic matter and a diversity of organisms. This function is driven in part by detritivores, invertebrates that feed on detritus or graze on its associated microbes and that have a significant but extremely variable contribution to decomposition.In order to better understand and predict detritivore–detritus pairwise interactions, we propose a conceptual framework, called Detri2match, to study the consumption of detritus by detritivores, using a trait‐matching approach at the individual detritivore level. Here, we focus on the interaction between saprophagous detritivores that fragment plant detritus.We propose a novel definition of a saprophagous detritivore as an animal that consumes plant detritus when its traits match sufficiently the traits of its resource, passing through five interaction facets of consumption. These include (1) a spatial match rule regarding the encounter, (2) a biomechanical match rule regarding ingestion, (3) a digestive match rule regarding assimilation, (4) an energetic match rule regarding the fulfilment of metabolic needs and (5) a nutritional match rule regarding the fulfilment of chemical element needs in adapted proportions.The main goal of this framework is to guide future research to establish generic rules of misunderstood detritus–detritivore pairwise interactions by identifying relevant interaction facets and their key associated traits for both detritivores and detritus. This investigation should be conducted over the temporal variability of trait‐matching constraints throughout the whole decomposition process. Coupled with adequate accumulation of trait information, the Detri2match framework could also facilitate predictions by inference of non‐tested pairwise detritivore–litter interactions.We also outline conceptual, methodological and analytical challenges of this framework. The main challenge would be to scale up these pairwise rules at the detrital network level and to test their genericity, which would contribute to a better understanding of the functioning of the detrital network and its contribution to decomposition. Read the free Plain Language Summary for this article on the Journal blog. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and aims: Alcohol consumption has decreased in England in recent decades, while alcohol‐specific death rates have remained relatively stable. Age–period–cohort (APC) models offer the potential for understanding these paradoxical trends. This study aimed to use an APC model approach to measure long‐term trends in alcohol abstention and consumption in England from 2001 to 2019. Design, setting and participants: The study used grouped and proxy‐variable APC models of repeat cross‐sectional survey data, set in England (2001–19). Participants were residents in England aged 13 years or over who took part in the Health Survey for England. Measurements: Outcome variables were alcohol abstention and consumption in units. We created nine age groups (13–15, 16–17, 18–24, 25–34, until 65–74 and 75+, reference 45–54 years), four periods (2001–04, 2005–09, 2010–14 to 2015–19, reference 2005–09) and 18 5‐year birth cohorts (1915–19 to 2000–04, reference 1960–64). We proxied age effects (systolic and diastolic blood pressure), period effects (alcohol affordability, internet usage and household alcohol expenditure) and birth cohort effects (prevalence of smoking and prevalence of overweight). Findings The odds of abstaining were considerably larger at young ages, 13–15 years [odds ratio (OR) = 5.38; 95% confidence interval (CI) = 4.50–6.43], were lowest during the first period, 2001–04 (OR = 0.83; 95% CI = 0.79–0.86) and had a U‐shaped pattern by birth cohort. For units of alcohol, the incidence rate ratio (IRR) increased until age 18–24 years (IRR = 1.41, 95% CI = 1.34–1.48) and decreased afterwards, were highest during the first period, 2001–04 (IRR = 1.07; 95% CI = 1.05–1.08) and showed an inverted J‐shape by birth cohort. Our proxy variable approach revealed that using blood pressure measures, alcohol affordability and prevalence of overweight as proxies resulted in APC effects that differed from our base‐case model. However, internet usage, household expenditure on alcohol and smoking prevalence resulted in APC effects similar to our base‐case model. Conclusions: The discrepancy between decreasing alcohol consumption and increasing alcohol‐related deaths observed in England from 2001 to 2019 may, in part, be explained by the halt in abstention trends since 2010 and a slight consumption decline since 2001. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We consider whether government bonds, through the term structure, or corporate bonds, through the default yield, provide predictive power for output, consumption and investment growth in the United States. Such predictive power will allow policy‐makers to use the information as a leading indicator for macroeconomic performance and will improve our understanding of the links between real and financial markets. Full sample results suggest that both interest rate series exhibit predictive power for each of the macroeconomic growth series. Time‐variation in the predictive coefficient reveals the waning influence of the term structure and the rising influence of the default yield. Forecast results, which are obtained from a rolling window approach, likewise suggest both series have information content for macroeconomic conditions, but there is a change in their relative strengths. These results may arise as interest rates have declined since the highs of the early to mid‐1980s thus reducing the information content of government yields, whereas corporate bonds respond more to investor views of macroeconomic risk, which affects a firm's ability to repay its debt. Furthermore, short‐term rates are largely held unprecedently low since the dotcom crash. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Birth weight is an indicator of neonatal survival and development; however, poor nutrient intake during pregnancy is a primary contributor to low birth weight. Moringa is a multipurpose tree high in macro‐ and micronutrients. There is insufficient evidence on the relationship between fresh moringa leaf consumption during pregnancy and birth weight. The purpose of this study was to determine the association between maternal fresh moringa leaf consumption on birth weight in southern Ethiopia. A community‐based, prospective cohort study design was used with 230 pregnant women who consumed fresh moringa leaves and 230 who did not consume moringa leaves. The mothers were enrolled in their second trimester and monitored until delivery. The structural equation model was used to analyze β coefficients with p‐values <.05. The mean birth weight of newborns born to mothers who took fresh moringa leaves during pregnancy was 3334.42 g, which was considerably higher than the non‐consumer 3196.73 g (p = .008). Consuming it during pregnancy significantly increased birth weight by 115.77 g compared to non‐consumers (β = 115.77; SE = 43.03: p = .007). The study found that eating fresh moringa leaves during pregnancy increased the birth weight of the newborn. As a result, policymakers and managers of mother and child health programs should strive to promote the use of fresh moringa leaves throughout pregnancy. However, more clinical trials are required to discover the ideal/optimal amount per day and duration of fresh moringa leaves for best outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While phytoplasma infections in plants are known to affect their interactions with aboveground herbivores, the impact of different genotypes on these infections and their effects on belowground herbivores remains largely unexplored. In cranberry (Vaccinium macrocarpon), infection by the phytoplasma Candidatus Phytoplasma sp. subgroup 16SrIII‐Y leads to false blossom disease. This study investigates whether cranberry infection by this phytoplasma affects the performance and feeding behavior of a foliar feeder (spongy moth, Lymantria dispar) and a root feeder (oriental beetle, Anomala orientalis). Using phytoplasma‐infected and uninfected cranberries of two genotypes (“Ben Lear” and “Crimson Queen”), the survival, growth and consumption of L. dispar and A. orientalis larvae were measured. To assess the effects on plant morphological and chemical traits, we also examined the impact of phytoplasma infection on shoot and root growth, carbon and nitrogen content, and the levels of defensive compounds such as proanthocyanidins (PACs). Results indicate that larvae of L. dispar and A. orientalis generally showed larger size and more efficient tissue consumption on infected plants, with these effects varying by cranberry genotype, possibly due to differences in phytoplasma titer. Phytoplasma infection was associated with stunted growth, elevated nitrogen content, and lower PAC levels in both shoots and roots of infected cranberry plants compared to uninfected ones. These findings indicate that phytoplasma infection potentially manipulates plant chemical composition by increasing nutrient levels and decreasing defensive compounds, enhancing herbivore performance both above and belowground. This study sheds light on the intricate interplay among plants, phytoplasma infection, and insect herbivore communities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Aims Design, setting, participants, measurements Findings Conclusions Between 2018 and 2020, Australia implemented major policy changes to improve the quality and safety of opioid prescribing, with a specific focus on oxycodone. This study used wastewater‐based epidemiology to assess the efficacy of Australia's regulatory reforms by measuring change in consumption of oxycodone via exploratory analysis.Wastewater analysis data on oxycodone consumption was from the National Wastewater Drug Monitoring Program. The program captures data from more than 50 wastewater treatment plant catchments across Australia, equivalent to more than 50% of the national population. Geographic trend analyses were conducted for both major cities and regional areas within all states and territories of Australia over a 6‐year period between 2017 and 2023.Oxycodone consumption showed a statistically significant increase nationally from 78 mg/day/1000 people (95% confidence interval [CI] = 71, 84) in 2017 to 120 mg/day/1000 people in August 2019 (95% CI = 110, 120), an increase of 52% (95% CI = 42, 62, P < 0.0001). From August 2019 to December 2020, there was a statistically significant decrease from 120 to 65 mg/day/1000 people (95% CI = 60, 71), a decrease of 45% (95% CI = 40, 51), followed by a modest 2.4% increase to the end of the study period in April 2023 (95% CI [2.0,2.7]).A 45% reduction in oxycodone consumption in Australia from 2019 to 2020 coincided with national policy changes that aimed to reduce consumption of prescription opioids. The overall declining trend in consumption was suggestive of the effectiveness of national interventions in reducing pharmaceutical opioid use. Wastewater‐based epidemiology provides an effective approach for assessing the effectiveness of controlled substances policy changes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Alcohol‐free drinks are suggested as healthy alternatives for alcohol consumption. To achieve benefits, alcohol‐free beverages must be consumed as a substitute for alcoholic beverages, not in addition. This study examined in a student sample (i) the frequency/quantity of alcohol(‐free) consumption; (ii) the relationship between alcohol‐free and alcohol consumption; (iii) alcohol‐free drinks as substitution or in addition to alcoholic drinks; and (iv) possible gender differences. Methods: Survey data regarding alcohol(‐free) consumption (May–June 2022) of Dutch university students (N = 4.318, females 70.2%; males 28.5%, average age 22.6 years [SD = 2.4]). Results: (i) A total of 42.8% of the students indicated they had never consumed alcohol‐free versus 10.1% who never consumed alcoholic beverages; (ii) the group who recently consumed alcohol‐free also most often recently consumed alcoholic beverages (42.7%). The group that had never consumed alcohol‐free drank on average more alcoholic beverages (M = 3.98 on a drinking day) compared to past and recent alcohol‐free drinkers (respectively, M = 3.44 and M = 3.59). (iii) Most students (54.9%) reported drinking alcohol‐free beverages in addition to alcohol, 17.4% indicated using it as a substitution. Students who consumed alcohol‐free as 'substitution' were older, more often living alone or with a partner, less often living with parents and more often involved in a steady relationship compared to students who consumed in 'addition'. (iv) No prominent gender differences were found. Discussion and Conclusions: The majority of students remained consuming the same number of alcoholic beverages since they started consuming alcohol‐free beverages, pointing to an addition effect. A small group did use alcohol‐free beverages as a substitute for their alcohol consumption. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and aims: On 1 May 2018, Scotland introduced minimum unit pricing (MUP), a strength‐based floor price below which alcohol cannot be sold, throughout all alcoholic beverages. The legislation necessitates an evaluation of its impact across a range of outcomes that will inform whether MUP will continue beyond its sixth year. We measured the impact of MUP on per‐adult alcohol sales (as a proxy for consumption) after 3 years of implementation. Design, setting and participants: Controlled interrupted time‐series regression was used to assess the impact of MUP on alcohol sales in Scotland after 3 years of implementation, with England and Wales (EW) being the control group. In adjusted analyses, we included household disposable income, on‐trade alcohol sales (in off‐trade analyses) and substitution between drink categories (in drink category analyses) as covariates. Measurements: Weekly data were assessed on the volume of pure alcohol sold in Scotland and EW between January 2013 and May 2021, expressed as litres of pure alcohol per adult. The impact of MUP on total (on‐ and off‐trade combined), off‐trade and on‐trade alcohol sales was assessed separately. Results: The introduction of MUP in Scotland was associated with a 3.0% (95% confidence interval = 1.8−4.2%) net reduction in total alcohol sales per adult after adjustment for the best available geographical control, disposable income and substitution. This reflects a 1.1% fall in Scotland in contrast to a 2.4% increase in EW. The reduction in total alcohol sales in Scotland was driven by reduced sales of beer, spirits, cider and perry. The reduction in total sales was due to reductions in sales of alcohol through the off‐trade. There was no evidence of any change in on‐trade alcohol sales. Conclusion: Minimum unit pricing has been effective in reducing population‐level alcohol sales in Scotland in the 3 years since implementation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Whether the 'democratization' of consumption during the early modern period was specifically a characteristic of the European economic shift or observable in other parts of the world remains a central question in understanding the early roots of consumerism, as well as explaining pre‐industrial growth and divergence. However, the scarcity of quantitative evidence from the non‐Western world limits our ability to make comparisons and grasp the nature of changes that occurred in the material environment. Based on a sample of 380 probate inventories from the Ottoman town of Üsküdar, this paper examines the change in possession of domestic goods from 1700 to 1850. It reveals that, from the 1760s onwards, ordinary Ottomans in the town, who were neither wealthier nor better positioned in the social hierarchy compared with their ancestors in 1700, owned a greater quantity and variety of domestic goods. As a result, they enjoyed richer and more elaborate domestic interiors. The findings strongly suggest that democratization of consumer goods, a hallmark of the early modern consumer revolutions in Europe, was experienced in the Ottoman town of Üsküdar during the second half of the eighteenth century. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Phenolics, like tannins, are plant‐specialized metabolites that play a protective role against herbivory. Tannins can reduce palatability and bind with proteins to reduce digestibility, acting as deterrents to feeding and impacting nutrient extraction by herbivores. Some assays measure tannin and total phenolics content in plants but lack determination of their biological effects, hindering the interpretation of tannin function in herbivory and its impacts on animal behavior and ecology. In this study, we successfully applied the radial diffusion assay to assess tannin protein precipitation (PP) capacity and evaluate the anti‐nutritional effects of tannins in food plants (n = 24) consumed by free‐ranging black howler monkeys (Alouatta pigra) in Tabasco, Mexico. We found PP rings in five plant species consumed by the monkeys. The mature fruit of Inga edulis was the most consumed food plant, despite having a high tannin PP capacity (56.66 mg tannic acid equivalent/g dry matter). These findings highlight the presence of tannins in the black howler diet and provide insight into the primates' resilience and potential strategies for coping with anti‐nutritional aspects of the diet. Highlights: This study highlights the complex dynamics of tannins in the diet of black howlers, revealing a nuanced relationship between tannins, feeding patterns, and potential physiological benefits. The research employs a multifaceted approach, including tannin precipitation assays, to unravel the intricate interplay of these compounds in primate ecology and nutrition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Walleye Sander vitreus are important sport fish that are commonly stocked to supplement populations. Increases in Smallmouth Bass Micropterus dolomieu abundance have prompted concerns regarding potential predation by these and other piscivores on stocked Walleye. Our objectives were to assess the timing and duration of predation on stocked Walleye, the frequency of occurrence and percent composition of Walleye in predator diets, and the percentage of stocked Walleye consumed. Methods: We collected Smallmouth Bass, adult Walleye, Largemouth Bass M. nigricans, and Northern Pike Esox lucius diets in May (prestocking) and June–September (poststocking) 2019 and 2021 from three bays in Lake Oahe, South Dakota. We stocked two bays with Walleye (30–32 mm; 255–1649 Walleye/ha), whereas one bay was unstocked and served as a reference. We estimated Smallmouth Bass population abundance using Schnabel capture–recapture models, and we used bioenergetics to estimate the percentage of stocked age‐0 Walleye consumed. Result: We found age‐0 Walleye in up to 11.4% of Smallmouth Bass diets and 14.6% of adult Walleye diets during the poststocking period. A single Largemouth Bass consumed one Walleye at 3 days poststocking (DPS), whereas we did not identify Walleye in Northern Pike diets. Daily mean percent composition by weight (±95% confidence interval) of age‐0 Walleye in diets peaked at 43.2 ± 35.1% at 3 DPS for Smallmouth Bass and 49.8 ± 97.7% at 14 DPS for adult Walleye. Following the peaks, age‐0 Walleye percent composition by weight rapidly declined and was generally 0% after 25 DPS. Smallmouth Bass abundance was 0.4–5.6 fish/ha, whereas recaptures of other predator species were insufficient for reliable population estimates. We estimated that Smallmouth Bass consumed 29,930 age‐0 Walleye in 2019 and 12,535 age‐0 Walleye in 2021 (up to 14.7 ± 4.7% of stocked fish), potentially representing an important source of stocking mortality. Conclusion: Our research provides insights into the effects of poststocking predation on age‐0 Walleye by Smallmouth Bass and, to a lesser extent, Walleye, Largemouth Bass, and Northern Pike. Managers should consider predation on stocked fingerling Walleye from resident predators and should contemplate alternative stocking locations or timing to reduce potential predation. Impact statementPredation may influence poststocking survival. We found that Smallmouth Bass were the most common predators of stocked age‐0 Walleye, predation generally occurred within 14 days poststocking, and up to 14.7% of stocked fish were consumed. Our results can guide management decisions for improving Walleye stocking success. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A strategic roadmap for noncarbonized fuels is a global priority, and the reduction of carbon dioxide emissions is a key focus of the Paris Agreement to mitigate the effects of rising temperatures. In this context, hydrogen is a promising noncarbonized fuel, but the pace of its implementation will depend on the engineering advancements made at each step of its value chain. To accelerate its adoption, various applications of hydrogen across industries, transport, power, and building sectors have been identified, where it can be used as a feedstock, fuel, or energy carrier and storage. However, widespread usage of hydrogen will depend on its political, industrial, and social acceptance. It is essential to carefully assess the hydrogen value chain and compare it with existing solar technologies. The major challenge to widespread adoption of hydrogen is its cost as outlined in the roadmap for hydrogen. It needs to be produced at the levelized cost of hydrogen of less than $2 kg−1 to be competitive with the established process of steam methane reforming. Therefore, this review provides a comprehensive analysis of each step of the hydrogen value chain, outlining both the current challenges and recent advances. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The changing climate, rapid increases in global consumption, and shock events are increasing stress on water resources globally. For policy makers and water sector stakeholders tasked with reducing demand, and for academic researchers interested in understanding how these complex issues intertwine to create current and future water demand profiles, the shortcomings of individualized behavior change approaches driven by psycho‐econometric understandings of resource consumption is increasingly evident. Since the early 2000s, social practice theory has been increasingly recognized as deepening understandings of the complex ways water is consumed and the dynamic factors that influence household demands. This review examines evidence of how social practice ideas are deployed in academic research in scope (theory; geographical; practices entities/performances; sites, locations, and temporality of practices; infrastructural configurations); methods (historical; talk—interviews, focus groups; diaries; ethnography and home tours; surveys; living labs, experiments, design methods; mixed methods); and implications (co‐production; materiality; diversity; disruption and insecurity; inequalities) including for policy and practice. Emerging from the review is a set of ideas that demonstrate how to apply insights from social practice more effectively in water studies and in water management, aiding the exploration of new areas of enquiry, policies and mechanisms to enable less intensive patterns of water use. This review points to a need for increased collaboration across the water sector and wider stakeholders to enact deep and meaningful change to how water is supplied and consumed in society. This article is categorized under:Human Water > Water GovernanceHuman Water > MethodsHuman Water > Value of Water [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines the evolution of consumption practices in Venice in the long eighteenth century through the combined use of post‐mortem inventories and household budgets. Although Italy experienced a period of relative decline between the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, our findings suggest that Venetian households enjoyed a rich and vibrant material culture that was fully comparable with those of the most advanced European urban economies. However, although new products, practices, and fashions were adopted by Venetian society, the architecture of consumption did not undergo sudden and extreme changes; rather, consumption was gradually refined, following the path that it had begun during the Renaissance. We therefore argue that the Venetian economy did not experience a consumer revolution but, instead, consumer evolution. Moreover, this study shows that sophisticated consumption practices were not exclusive to the more dynamic economies of the continent but were widespread even in those regions that were victims of the Little Divergence. We thus suggest that the relationship between consumption development and economic development was not necessarily causal and that the diffusion of new consumption practices throughout society was a necessary, but insufficient, prerequisite for economic take‐off. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An important social development goal is to broaden access, especially equality of access, to arts, culture and heritage. This paper used large, national‐level data sets to investigate the equality of access to cultural and creative goods and services in South Africa by calculating an expenditure Gini coefficient for cultural and creative industries. Results showed that the Gini coefficient of expenditure for the cultural and creative industries was higher than for spending overall and rose during the 2009 financial crisis. From 2011 to 2021, cultural expenditure inequality trended upwards, but during the pandemic, it declined, perhaps as a result of an expansion of online access. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Consumers and companies frequently integrate products with lifelike photographs of people, animals, and other entities. However, consumer responses to such products are relatively unknown. Drawing on magical thinking and moral psychology, we propose that, due to a photograph's lifelike resemblance to its referent, consumers believe that photo‐integrated products embody the depicted entity's underlying essence. As such, in cases where consumption compromises the product's integrity (e.g., food, disposable goods), people are less likely to consume photo‐integrated products because doing so is perceived as destroying the depicted entity's essence, which elicits moral discomfort. In contrast, when the photographic image remains intact through consumption, as is the case with durable goods (e.g., magnets), people increase consumption of photo‐integrated products relative to products without photo integration, consistent with their popularity in the marketplace. We highlight two strategies to promote more positive outcomes for managers and consumers alike: (1) choose images of entities whose essence destruction is perceived as less immoral, and (2) increase the durability of the product so the depicted entity's essence is preserved through consumption. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Metabolic ecology predicts that ectotherm metabolic rates, and thus consumption rates, will increase with body size and temperature. Predicted climatic increases in temperature are likely to increase the consumption rates of ectothermic predators; however, the ecological impact of these increases will partly depend on whether prey productivity changes with temperature at a similar rate. Furthermore, total predator consumption and prey productivity will depend on species abundances that vary across habitat types. Here we combine energetics and biotelemetry to measure consumption rates in a critically endangered coral reef predator, the Nassau grouper (Epinephelus striatus), in The Bahamas. We estimate that, at present, the Nassau grouper needs to consume 2.2% ± 1.0% body weight day−1, but this could increase up to 24% with a predicted 3.1°C increase in ocean temperature by the end of the century. We then used surveys of prey communities in two major reef habitat types (Orbicella reef and Gorgonian plain), to predict the proportion of prey productivity consumed by grouper and how this varied by habitat with changing climates. We found that at present, the predicted proportion of prey productivity consumed by Nassau grouper decreased with increasing prey productivity and averaged 1.2% across all habitats, with a greater proportion of prey productivity consumed (maximum of 5%) in Gorgonian plain habitats. However, because temperature increases consumption rates faster than prey productivity, the proportion of prey productivity consumed in a Gorgonian plain habitat could increase up to 24% under future climate change scenarios. Our results suggest that increasing ocean temperatures will lead to significant energetic challenges for the Nassau grouper because of differential impacts within reef food webs, but the magnitude of these impacts will probably vary across prey productivity gradients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Encrypted messaging apps like Telegram have become an increasingly attractive tool for drug dealing. The combination of easy opening and closing of user communities, powerful anonymity features, and operability on smartphones is changing the way drugs are delivered at the end of the chain. However, much of the recent research on Internet‐based drug markets has focused on cryptomarkets, but also on social media and the clear web. Drawing on economic sociology literature on marketplaces and partial organizations, this article fills this gap by analyzing the social organization of drug economies based on messaging apps. We argue that this form of drug trade enhances the experience of both selling and consuming drugs. Based on a unique set of in‐depth interviews with drug sellers and users belonging to four different Telegram groups in Argentina, this article shows that Telegram communities offer a wider variety of substances, speed up drug delivery, create the perception that police detection is unlikely, and promote drug specialization among sellers. This research expands our understanding of how technology and specific organizational forms transform both drug provision and consumption. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article analyzes the social and spatial dynamics of the mobile trade in low‐cost goods by rural people from a mountainous region of China's Zhejiang province and how these interact with the mobility and social reproductive patterns of the rural–urban migrant workers they cater to. Also formally categorized as peasants, the traders not only supply the goods necessary for the maintenance of the workers but also of their spatially divided household, thus contributing to the reproduction of migrant labor power more generally. In doing so, they assume mobility trajectories that align with those of factory production and experience familial trade‐offs commonly experienced by migrant workers. Meanwhile, the provision of low‐cost goods to migrant workers has enabled a thriving economy employing peasant families for whom agricultural livelihoods slowly disappear. These dynamics indicate the mutual connection between waged and self‐employed labor that works in the interest of capital accumulation at the same time with the differentiation of migrant labor. As in other comparable Asian contexts, their connection lies at the heart of the state‐sponsored production regime premised on the low‐cost reproduction of flexible migrant labor. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Concerns have been raised that consumption of no‐ and low‐alcohol drinks by those who are in recovery could lead to a relapse to past drinking behaviours. However, little is known regarding how individuals use these products to substitute alcohol and support their sobriety. Methods: This article draws on an ethnographic study of women's experiences of recovery within online sobriety communities in which semi‐structured interviews were conducted with 25 UK‐based women. The dataset was analysed and coded from a pragmatist feminist standpoint using a grounded theoretical approach to specifically address the research question: 'How do women in recovery navigate the protective and risk factors associated with no‐ and low‐alcohol drinks through practices of consumption?' Results: Women in recovery navigate no‐ and low‐alcohol drinks as potential harm‐reduction tools and relapse triggers by engaging in nuanced practices of substitution. Contrasting examples include direct substitution and temporary avoidance in early recovery. Discussion and Conclusions: Substitution practices are informed by the temporality of participants' recovery journeys, the social situation, and the products. Participants selectively replicate and resist their former drinking practices to balance their perceived harm‐reduction benefits and relapse triggers of no‐ and low‐alcohol drinks. Important considerations are raised for those in recovery who may want to use no‐ and low‐alcohol drinks as a harm reduction tool, and for recovery modalities that promote them. It concludes with calls for more clarity regarding the definition and labelling of no‐ and low‐alcohol drinks, and for a greater understanding of their use across different recovery cultures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We examine the effect of COVID‐19 policies on consumer spending using bankcard transactions from Norway. Exploiting variation in COVID‐19 policies over time and across space in the four largest municipalities, we investigate the heterogeneity of policy effects in their number and type. First, we document that the number of restrictions is negatively correlated with spending and exhibits decreasing marginal effects. Second, restrictions do not affect all types of spending equally: restrictions tend to have larger impacts on the sector in which they are targeted. Finally, we find suggestive evidence from a difference‐in‐differences estimation that supports a causal interpretation of our results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Researchers have demonstrated the effectiveness of extinction‐based treatments to reduce challenging behavior. Although bursts and temporary increases in emotional responding may occur in some basic and applied studies, recent studies on their prevalence have shown that side effects are far from ubiquitous. Woods and Borrero (2019) determined that bursts of inappropriate mealtime behavior and increases in emotional responding occurred in 30% of data sets during extinction‐based treatment of pediatric feeding difficulties. In the current study, we conducted a retrospective consecutive‐controlled case series by evaluating treatment graphs of inappropriate mealtime behavior, negative vocalizations, active acceptance, and mouth clean for 60 children admitted to an intensive day‐treatment feeding disorders program. We discuss the implications of these findings and provide general recommendations for the use of extinction‐based treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The house fly, Musca domestica, is a cosmopolitan filth fly pest common in agricultural and urban areas where decaying organic matter is available for larval development. Adult M. domestica are nuisances and vectors of disease. When sanitation, screens, and sticky fly strips fail to control house fly populations, insecticide baits are often used. The use of baits can lead to the evolution of resistance, including not only physiological resistance to the toxicant but also behavioural resistance to the phagostimulant and to the toxicant. Here, the non‐nutritive sweeteners neotame and allulose were examined for their suitability as replacement phagostimulants in insecticidal baits for house flies. Suitability was assessed using proboscis extension response (PER) and consumption experiments. Allulose was further examined for insecticidal activity. Dry neotame elicited no PER, and it would not easily go into solution, so it was not examined in solution. Both in dry form and in solution, allulose elicited some PER and consumption, but only half or less of what sucrose or fructose elicited. Flies fed allulose alone had lower survival rates than flies fed sucrose alone. When given both allulose and sucrose, flies survived at similar rates to flies only fed sucrose. Neotame is not recommended as a replacement phagostimulant in bait formulations. Allulose alone is not recommended as a replacement phagostimulant. It remains to be seen whether combining allulose with sucrose as the phagostimulant in baits would result in as much bait consumption as just sucrose. If so, it might be worth testing whether the combination could serve as a rotational phagostimulant to prevent behavioural resistance to sucrose from evolving. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to systematically review and categorize studies on consumer behavior based on theory of planned behavior (TPB), its core constructs, or extensions, and to provide directions for future research agenda. Scopus and the Web of Science were consulted for studies based on TPB, its parts, or extensions. The inclusion criteria were studies published in peer‐reviewed journals, in English, and within the past decade (i.e., between 2012 and 2021). Graphical methods were used to visually display research findings. For the purpose of literature clustering, MAXQDA 2020 software was employed. In total, 118 scientific, peer‐reviewed sources were included in the review. Two categories, five clusters, and seven subclusters emerged from the literature set. The results revealed a significant research tendency toward exploring consumer green behavior and consumer purchase intention of food products. The least‐explored research themes were focused on consumer intention toward and purchase behavior of clothing, green vehicles, and green personal care products. The review confirmed the growing prevalence of TPB in consumer behavior research aimed at exploring factors preceding behavior. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Existing long‐run consumer price indices for England rely on a fixed consumption basket. Here we construct a methodologically improved, chained‐Laspeyres price index for ordinary households based on their changing expenditure patterns between 1260 and 1869. Rather than offering a revisionist perspective on long‐run costs, it confirms the broad accuracy of existing indices for the pre‐industrial period. The dominant dependence of the key items of expenditure on agricultural, particularly arable, prices explains this finding. The industrial period introduced a new dynamic. The shift in household expenditure towards imported groceries and manufactured goods allowed for more substitution in response to relative price and income changes. Adding the current series to those chained‐Laspeyres indices available for later periods provides a CPI for ordinary households in England over nearly eight centuries; from 1260 to the present day. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, we intend to present a reading of current society as the extinction society. Extinction society here means the characterization, both social and individual, of a highly developed reality, especially in terms of personal freedom, unable to face global collective threats, first of all the climate disaster. This involves the risk, within a few generations, of the extinction of both the type of society that at least in the West we have been accustomed to for a few hundred years, and in the apocalyptic perspective of the species. The attempt to represent this question is addressed here by referring to some recent authors of cultural studies and sociology, to try and understand the principles of this extinction process. Following the analysis of what is in fact a process of individual liberation, that is, of increasingly advanced individualization, we proceed by looking at the macro‐themes of consumption, politics and psyche. This is in order to understand the possible outcomes of this process and the overall sense of an extinction of the current society if not of the species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

SUMMARY: In RNA interference (RNAi), small interfering RNAs (siRNAs) produced from double‐stranded RNA guide ARGONAUTE (AGO) proteins to silence sequence‐complementary RNA/DNA. RNAi can propagate locally and systemically in plants, but despite recent advances in our understanding of the underlying mechanisms, basic questions remain unaddressed. For instance, RNAi is inferred to diffuse through plasmodesmata (PDs), yet how its dynamics in planta compares with that of established symplastic diffusion markers remains unknown. Also is why select siRNA species, or size classes thereof, are apparently recovered in RNAi recipient tissues, yet only under some experimental settings. Shootward movement of endogenous RNAi in micro‐grafted Arabidopsis is also yet to be achieved, while potential endogenous functions of mobile RNAi remain scarcely documented. Here, we show (i) that temporal, localized PD occlusion in source leaves' companion cells (CCs) suffices to abrogate all systemic manifestations of CC‐activated mobile transgene silencing, including in sink leaves; (ii) that the presence or absence of specific AGOs in incipient/traversed/recipient tissues likely explains the apparent siRNA length selectivity observed upon vascular movement; (iii) that stress enhancement allows endo‐siRNAs of a single inverted repeat (IR) locus to translocate against the shoot‐to‐root phloem flow; and (iv) that mobile endo‐siRNAs generated from this locus have the potential to regulate hundreds of transcripts. Our results close important knowledge gaps, rationalize previously noted inconsistencies between mobile RNAi settings, and provide a framework for mobile endo‐siRNA research. Significance Statement: Despite some major advances, many questions remain regarding how siRNA‐mediated RNAi moves in plants. Here, we show (i) that temporal plasmodesmata closure within companion cells (CCs) suffices to abrogate CC‐triggered systemic RNAi in whole transgenic Arabidopsis, (ii) that ARGONAUTE‐mediated siRNA consumption underlies size selectivity in long‐distance RNAi vascular movement, and (iii) that stress application can overcome biases and previously noted inconsistencies between experimental settings, thereby enabling discovery of mobile endo‐siRNA functions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper provides a critical overview of research in geography that has explored the economic lives of Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ+) individuals. I begin by considering how the consumption and production of mainstream commercial gaybourhoods is the primary approach through which geographies of sexuality, and queer geographies have engaged with economy. I then examine the ways in which digital spaces have blurred the boundaries of consumption and production, arguing that digital spaces are indicative of the much broader range of economic actions in which LGBTQ+ people take part. Finally, I turn to Gibson‐Graham's 'diverse economies', suggesting that this concept can attend to the existence of numerous multi‐scalar and overlapping queer economies. Developing a queer economies research agenda is crucial to turn attention beyond consumption and production in a narrow range of gaybourhoods, and to better portray the lives of those frequently excluded from mainstream commercial LGBTQ+ economies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article examines policy feedback via economic behavior in the mass public, with a focus on consumption behavior. Do public policies affect the consumption behavior of mass publics and subsequent policymaking processes and outcomes? If so, how? I introduce a policy feedback model of consumption behavior in the mass public. Within this model, I advance a theoretical argument on the consequences of targeted cash assistance policies (TCAPs) for consumer spending behavior and government provision of basic utilities in developing countries. Using a randomized field experiment in Mexico and pre–post analysis, I find that TCAPs boost consumer spending on private access to basic utilities in the short term and reduce government provision of basic utilities in the medium term. The study pushes policy feedback theorists to think beyond the arena of mass politics, and the findings have important implications for social policy and human development in developing countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Food managers face the dilemma of having to increase their product sales products without increasing risk for obesity. Here we posit that a strategy based on repeating front‐of‐package images of a flavor ingredient can help solve this dilemma. Prior literature reports positive benefits in terms of purchase from displaying one or more front‐of‐package flavor‐giving ingredient images but offers limited insights into the effect of repeating the same flavor‐giving ingredient image. Based on four experiments, we found a differential effect of flavor‐giving ingredient images repetition on consumption and purchase intention only when cognitive resources were available. The more flavor‐giving ingredient images, the lower product consumption (Study 1), but the easier mental flavor imagery, and the stronger purchase intention (Study 2). Specifically, the increase in flavor mental imagery produced by image repetition induces sensory‐specific satiety that drives more intention to purchase (Study 3). These findings are of interest for both reducing obesity due to overeating and designing front‐of‐package imagery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The neurotensin system spans across the central nervous system, to the enteric nervous system (gut), and the periphery to govern behaviors and physiological responses that tune energy balance to maintain homeostasis. Neurotensin transmission is not only modulated by metabolic signals, neurotensin transmission itself can also impact metabolic state by exerting control over consumption, physical activity, and satiety signals. Many responses to sensory experiences and sleep processes are dictated by neurotensinergic activity via mechanisms that allow the organism to balance energy seeking and utilization to thrive in its environment. Given the broad reach neurotensin signaling has across the homeostatic landscape, understanding this system as a whole and examining new ways to target this system for therapeutic efficacy across many different conditions is necessary. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Anthropomorphism is a widely used communication strategy—especially popular to promote food products. The current research examines the novel idea that food anthropomorphism negatively affects consumption—reducing consumption amount and deteriorating consumption experience. I argue and show that this negative effect occurs because anthropomorphizing grants the food product the perceived capacity to feel pain, which negatively affects consumption because it increases perceived immorality of consumption. In support of this process, I demonstrate that this negative effect manifests only among warm‐hearted (vs. cold‐hearted) consumers and in consumption (vs. purchase) decisions. Doing so not only extends anthropomorphism theory by providing a more nuanced understanding of how consumers respond to food anthropomorphism, but also allows to formulate managerial guidelines for the implementation of this strategy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Energy drinks (EDs) have become widely popular among adolescents and young adults. Excessive consumption of EDs can lead to ED abuse and alcohol abuse. Therefore, this study has aimed to analyse the consumption of EDs in a group of patients suffering from alcohol dependence and among young adults, considering such issues as the amounts consumed, underlying reasons and threats arising from excessive consumption of ED and their mixing with alcohol (AmED). The study included 201 men (101 patients treated due to alcohol dependence and 100 young adults/students). Each research participant responded to questions in a survey designed by the researchers (socio‐demographic data, clinical data, including consumption of ED, AmED and alcohol), the MAST and SADD. The participants also had their arterial blood pressure measured. EDs were consumed by 92% of the patients and 52% of young adults. A statistically significant dependence was confirmed between consumption of ED and tobacco smoking (p < 0.001), as well as the place of residence (p = 0.044). For 22% of the patients, ED consumption had an effect on alcohol consumption, where 7% admitted to feeling an increased urge to drink alcohol, and 15% said ED consumption decreased it. A statistically significant relationship (p < 0.001) was also shown between ED consumption and the consumption of EDs mixed with alcohol (AmED). This study may implicate that widespread consumption of EDs predisposes to the consumption of alcohol mixed with ED or separate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Perfumers have long been associated with the manufacture and sale of cosmetic products for women in the eighteenth century. This article argues, however, that the place of perfumers as retailers of goods for men has been overlooked and that they were, in fact, key enablers in the construction of polite masculinity. In so doing, it also raises broader questions about the gendering both of particular types of retail and of shop spaces. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Australia has an important role to play in protecting biodiversity, yet has a poor track record in preventing species extinctions. While invasive species and fire regimes are significant contributors to extinction risk in Australia, many species are threatened by habitat loss and other activities that support demand for products and services. Here, we connect the direct impact on in‐scope species to the final consumption ultimately supported by those activities, quantifying a territorial and consumption extinction‐risk footprint for each economic sector, state, territory, and local government area. We identify consumption of goods and services provided by the construction sector as the most significant consumption driver of extinction risk and show that 30% of Australia's extinction‐risk footprint is exported. Our findings highlight the importance of local government as the last line of defense against species extinctions and suggest that programs that influence consumption behavior may be required to reduce extinction risk in Australia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The expansion of mediated accommodation on peer to peer (P2P) platforms, such as Airbnb, has generated extensive economic impact and structural changes in all the destinations involved. This study proposes an innovative analysis which estimates the economic impact associated with the expenditure of tourists staying in traditional hotel establishments in comparison to the impact of those staying in tourist housing mediated through P2P platforms. This research analyses fieldwork based on 1343 surveys carried out in the city of Granada, one of the main tourist destinations in Spain. Through the application of the input–output methodology we found that tourists staying in tourist housing mediated through P2P platforms generate a greater impact as a consequence of longer average stays and more heterogeneously distributed consumption. Their average expenditure is similar to that of tourists in hotels, but the indirect impact generated is greater. Consequently, we can better comprehend the economic impact associated with these platforms and their real effect. Public planners have to consider this information as part of the regulation and restriction of this activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Existing scholarship on the early modern consumer revolution postulates a dichotomy between the classic pioneering countries of England and the Netherlands and the remaining parts of Europe, which were more stagnant. We contribute to this literature by analysing probate inventories in a rural area in north‐western Germany. We show that a closer look at these spaces, which had an intermediate level of development and integration into global markets, reveals a more gradual development and a discernible market evolution. Sumptuary laws may have somewhat slowed down the change in material culture in German regions, but the presence of towns and the proximity to the Netherlands had noticeably positive effects on consumer behaviour. The proto‐industrial orientation of local economies proved to be particularly important, as it led to the granting of access to global markets, in addition to greater availability of cash. We observe a delayed diffusion of the new consumer culture in intermediate European regions and argue for a more gradual view of the European consumer revolution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: Evaluate the intensive care acquired infections incidence and the change over time in infection practices in one intensive care unit. Design: We used an action research approach with cyclical activities. Methods: Our study included two cycles with hand hygiene observation based on the WHO's five‐moments observation tool, observing hand hygiene practices, analysing the observations, and giving feedback on observations, intensive care acquired infection rates, and alcohol‐based hand rub consumption. The Revised Standards for Quality Improvement Reporting Excellence is the basis for this research report describing research aimed at improving patient safety and quality of care. Results: During the study, annual alcohol‐based hand rub consumption increased by 6.7 litres per 1000 patient days and observed hand hygiene compliance improved. In the first cycle of the study, there was a decrease in critical care acquired infection rates, but the improvement was not sustainable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article uses two complementary analyses to document consumption of beef and plant‐based proteins along with perceptions held by US consumers. Beef is chosen three times more often than plant‐based proteins and consumers hold a positive image of beef overall. Key differences are outlined between regular meat consumers and those declaring alternative diets. Combined these findings extend understanding in the dynamic situation presented by plant‐based proteins in the US market. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The COVID-19 pandemic calls into question the hosting of students as an urban growth formula after the spread of online education. Therefore, we look at Lodz, Poland, to understand how student cities operate during the pandemic and gain insights into their futures. We unfold the prepandemic and intrapandemic rhythms of students' presence and activities in Lodz's time-space and their attitudes toward the postpandemic future. We show that the pandemic spurred many students to escape from Lodz and changed the activities of those staying in the city by limiting their frequencies and locations. However, we expect students to repopulate Lodz, although its postpandemic existence might evolve through further rhythm changes. Moreover, it will depend not only on the students' demand for higher education per se but also for collective consumption opportunities. Therefore, the pandemic itself does not seem to render the idea of a 'student city' obsolete in the long term. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The author comments on an article by J. Holmes which summarizes studies that explored whether the introduction of the minimum unit pricing (MUP) policy in 2018 has led to the theorized reduction in consumption in Scotland overall and among population groups most likely to experience alcohol-related harm. Topics include association of MUP with reduced deaths and hospital admissions caused by alcohol in Scotland and concern that MUP would unfairly affect those who drink at low moderate levels.

Background: One of the DSM‐5 criteria for Alcohol Use Disorder is continued alcohol consumption despite negative consequences. This has been modeled in mice using adulteration of alcohol solution with the bitter tastant quinine. Mice that continue to consume alcohol despite this adulteration are considered aversion resistant. The limited number of studies dissecting the underlying neuronal mechanisms of aversion‐resistant drinking behaviors used only male subjects. We have previously shown that female mice are more resistant to quinine adulteration of alcohol than males. Our aim here is to identify potential sex differences in neuronal activation that may underlie this behavior. Methods: Male and female C57BL/6J mice were allowed continuous access to 20% alcohol in a two‐bottle choice procedure. To test aversion‐resistance, the alcohol was adulterated with increasing concentrations (0.03, 0.1, and 0.2 mM) of quinine hydrochloride. After consumption rates were calculated, brains were extracted to examine neuronal activation using Fos immunohistochemistry. Results: We found that female mice suppressed their intake to a lesser extent than males when the alcohol solution was adulterated with quinine. Our Fos staining revealed three regions of interest that exhibit a sex difference during quinine‐adulterated alcohol drinking: the ventromedial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC), the posterior insular cortex (PIC), and the ventral tegmental area (VTA). Both the vmPFC and the PIC exhibited higher neuronal activation in males during quinine‐adulterated alcohol consumption. However, females showed higher Fos activation in the VTA during quinine‐adulterated alcohol consumption. Conclusions: Females more readily exhibit aversion‐resistant alcohol intake than their male counterparts and exhibit some differences in neuronal activation patterns. We conclude that there are sex differences in neurocircuitry that may underlie compulsive drinking behaviors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Financial transactions are increasingly used by consumer apps and financial service providers to estimate consumption-based carbon emissions. This approach promises a low-resource, ultra-fast, and highly scalable approach to measuring emissions at different levels of potential policy intervention--spanning the national, subnational, local, and individual level. Despite this potential, there is a lack of research exploring the validity of this approach to carbon profiling. Here we address this oversight in three ways. First, we provide a step-by-step description of our approach toward estimating carbon footprints from micro-level transaction data generated by more than 100,000 customers of a large retail bank in theUnitedKingdom. Second, we quantitatively compare emission estimates obtained from transaction data with those calculated from a more standard data source used in carbon profiling, the largest household expenditure survey in the United Kingdom. Third, we offer a detailed qualitative comparison of the advantages and disadvantages of transactions versus alternative data sources (such as survey data), across key dimensions including data availability, data quality, and data detail. We find that financial transactions offer a credible alternative to survey-based sources and, if made more widely accessible, could provide important advantages for profiling emissions. These include objective, micro-level data on consumption behaviors, larger sample sizes, and longitudinal, frequent data capture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The ability to cope with social identity threats is a crucial consumer capacity. But are all coping methods equally beneficial? Our work examines two dominant coping strategies—where individuals either highlight positive dimensions of the self (self‐focus strategy), or where they emphasize other out‐groups' worse performance (others‐focus strategy). We demonstrate that while the two strategies are equally effective at repairing the threatened identity, the others‐focus strategy leads to greater indulgent consumption for those who hold the threatened identity strongly. We also provide evidence of the underlying mechanism, showing that accessibility drives the differences in the indulgent consumption consequences of these coping strategies, which makes it possible for marketers to externally alter such effects. Specifically, we show that if marketers externally raise the accessibility of outgroups‐related concepts, for example, via an advertising message or environmental design, the impact of the others‐focus strategy on indulgence is diminished. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Predation shapes marine benthic communities and affects prey species population dynamics in tropic and temperate coastal systems. However, information on its magnitude in systematically understudied Arctic coastal habitats is scarce. To test predation effects on the diversity and structure of Arctic benthic communities, we conducted caging experiments in which consumers were excluded from plots at two intertidal sedimentary sites in Svalbard (Longyearbyen and Thiisbukta) for 2.5 months. Unmanipulated areas served as controls and partial (open) cages were used to estimate potential cage effects. At the end of the experiment, we took one sediment core from each plot and quantified total biomass and the number of each encountered taxon. At both sites, the experimental exclusion of predators slightly changed the species composition of communities and had negligible effects on biomass, total abundance, species richness, evenness, and Shannon Index. In addition, we found evidence for cage effects, and spatial variability in the intensity of the predation effects was identified. Our study suggests that predators have limited effects on the structure of the studied intertidal macrobenthic Arctic communities, which is different from coastal soft‐bottom ecosystems at lower latitudes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since the beginning of the twenty‐first century, expansion of the formal credit supply in Brazil has promoted the 'financial inclusion' of the low‐income population, especially through instalment plans offered by large retail chains. This article aims to analyse the impacts of formal credit availability on the consumption of electrical and electronic goods by residents of Jardim Helena, a neighbourhood in São Paulo's periphery. Through the collection and analysis of qualitative and quantitative data, this study reveals how the instalment plan can stimulate consumption among the low‐income population, with a significant impact on household budgets, raising the risk of indebtedness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Motivation: Latin America has witnessed massive increases in production and consumption of chicken meat over the last 60 years and well beyond its share of the developing world's population. Chicken is now a major source of livestock protein in regional diets; leads livestock production in 25 out of the region's 33 countries; production, slaughtering, and sales provide millions of jobs. Purpose: To analyse growth rates for chicken meat in Latin America, why they have differed, how the role of innovation and development policies contributed to bringing about this growth, in turn leading to the patterns of governance of these activities today. Methods and approach: This study used a modified value chain framework along with FAO statistics, national data, published and unpublished studies to analyse macro‐level developments and their linkages to shifts in the organization of activities in the value chain for chicken from pre‐production through to consumption and trade from past to present. Findings Different natural resource endowments, demographics, and dietary preferences combined with frequent innovations and an array of policy measures led to a spectacular surge in output and productivity, lower costs, and facilitated a steady rise in consumption. As part of that growth, these activities became increasingly concentrated in Brazil, Mexico, and Peru and within those countries in a few very large firms. Their operations expanded in the value chain beyond the farm gate, across the region, and in some cases around the world. Policy implications: This paper has implications for greater transparency in grower contracts, better working conditions for slaughterhouse workers and bird catchers, more environmentally and bird‐friendly chicken production, accelerated adoption of practices as per Principles for Responsible Investment in Agriculture and Food Systems in the value chain for broilers in Latin America and the Caribbean, and improved enforcement of laws and regulations governing the technical and financial operations of value chains for chicken, along with renewed collaboration among government authorities to that effect. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]