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Cannabis consumption among aging adults in Canada is increasing. The aims of the study were to examine cannabis consumption patterns before and after non-medical cannabis legalization and assess whether these patterns differ between men and women. Data were analyzed from Canadian respondents in a repeat cross-sectional survey conducted in 2018–2021. Analyses were conducted among adults aged 55–65 (n = 18,177) who had consumed cannabis in the past 12-month (n = 4119). Past 12-month cannabis consumption significantly increased among 55–65-year-olds from 2018 (19.3%) to the first-year post-legalization in 2019 (24.5%; p <.001), but remained stable thereafter (24.3%, and 25.6% in 2020 and 2021). More men reported past 12-month consumption than women (28.4% vs. 21.4%; p <.001). A substantial number of cannabis consumers consumed to manage a physical or mental health condition. Targeted messaging might be beneficial for this age group, including possible interactions with other medications. This research may be helpful for informing age-adapted cannabis education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Statistics indicate that after the COVID-19 pandemic, many individuals have opted to work remotely for at least a few days each week. This study investigates the impact of teleworking on energy consumption and carbon emissions in Canadian homes. Four residential building models, aligned with the 2020 requirements of the National Building Code of Canada (NBC), were investigated across six Canadian climate zones. The findings of this study reveal that the increase in energy consumption and CO2 emissions due to teleworking varies according to the type of building and the number of thermal zones. For the selected single-zone house models, the maximum increase in energy consumption and CO2 emissions were 11% and 10%, respectively occurring in a row house two-story building. For the three-zone house models, the increase was 5%. Also, results indicated that full-time teleworking in a four-storey multi-family building with 12.5%, 50% and 100% teleworking ratios increased the total energy of the building by 1%, 4%, and 10%, respectively. The second phase of this study investigated possible enhancements to building energy codes, focusing on the National Building Code of Canada, to address increasing daytime occupancy resulting from teleworkers, retirees, and other occupants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Cannabis legalisation was enacted on 17 October 2018 in Canada. Accordingly, the effects of cannabis legalisation on patterns of cannabis consumption were examined among adolescents, including on cannabis initiation, any cannabis use, daily cannabis use and cannabis dependence. Methods: Data from a biennial population‐based, cross‐sectional survey of students in Ontario were pooled in a pre‐post design (2001‐2019; N = 89,238). Participants provided self‐reports of cannabis initiation, any cannabis use, daily cannabis use and cannabis dependence. Long‐term trends in these patterns of cannabis consumption over two decades of observation were characterised to provide a broader context of usage. The effects of cannabis legalisation on patterns of cannabis consumption were quantified using logistic regression analyses. Results: Long‐term trends over the two decades of observation indicated that cannabis initiation decreased and then increased (p = 0.0220), any cannabis use decreased and daily cannabis use decreased (p < 0.0001 and p = 0.0001, respectively) and cannabis dependence remained unchanged (p = 0.1187). However, in comparisons between the pre‐cannabis legalisation period (2001–2017) and the post‐cannabis legalisation period (2019), cannabis legalisation was not associated with cannabis initiation (odds ratio; 95% confidence interval 1.00; 0.79–1.27), but it was associated with an increased likelihood of any cannabis use (1.31; 1.12–1.53), daily cannabis use (1.40; 1.09–1.80) and cannabis dependence (1.98; 1.29–3.04). Discussion and Conclusions: Cannabis legalisation was not associated with cannabis initiation, but it was associated with an increased likelihood of any cannabis use, daily cannabis use and cannabis dependence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Emerging adults have the highest cannabis consumption rates in Canada and are among the most vulnerable to cannabis-related harms. Since certain cannabis consumption behaviours carry greater risks of harm, the Lower-Risk Cannabis Use Guidelines (LRCUG) provide harm reduction strategies. To address a critical gap in the literature, the current study examined emerging adults' awareness of the guidelines and perceptions of higher-risk cannabis consumption behaviours identified within the LRCUG. Methods: Emerging adults (N = 653) between the ages of 18–25 years were recruited from across Canada. Participants were presented with five vignettes depicting a character's cannabis consumption behaviours. Each vignette focused on a unique aspect of the character's consumption (frequency, polysubstance use, family history of mental illness, method of consumption, and potency). Participants were randomly assigned to one of three conditions within each of the five vignettes that were altered to capture varying levels of risk (e.g. weekly, almost daily, or daily consumption). Following each vignette, participants were asked to respond to four items relating to overall risk of harm, cognitive health, physical health, and mental health. Results: Participants perceived: (1) frequent consumption to be associated with greater risks than less frequent consumption; (2) simultaneous consumption of cannabis and tobacco as being associated with higher risk of harm, yet no difference between simultaneous consumption of cannabis and alcohol or cannabis consumption alone; (3) consuming cannabis with a family history of psychosis or substance use disorder as being associated with greater overall risk than consumption with no family history; (4) smoking and vaping cannabis as associated with more risk than ingesting edibles; and (5) higher-potency THC-dominant strains as being associated with more risk than lower-potency CBD-dominant strains, yet no difference between the two higher-potency THC-dominant strains. Conclusions: While emerging adults seemed to appreciate the risks associated with some cannabis consumption behaviours, they had difficulty identifying appropriate levels of harm of other higher-risk behaviours. Through an improved understanding of emerging adult perceptions, effective education campaigns should be designed to improve the awareness of cannabis risks and encourage the uptake of harm reduction awareness and strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The current study examined the self-reported impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on cannabis consumption and behaviors among past 12-month cannabis consumers in Canada and the U.S. across different cannabis laws. Cross-sectional survey data were collected in 2020 from respondents recruited through online commercial panels, aged 16–65, who consumed cannabis in the past 12 months (n = 13,689). Weighted multinomial logistic regression models examined differences between jurisdictions for five outcomes: 1) cannabis consumption; 2) use of product types; 3) use of sources to obtain cannabis; 4) legality of source used; and 5) access to cannabis. Approximately one third of cannabis consumers reported changes to their consumption during the pandemic. Edibles (23% – 31%) and dried flower (21% – 30%) were the two most common products that respondents reported they were "more likely" to use during the pandemic. Most consumers reported "no difference" to changes in sourcing cannabis. Compared to consumers in U.S. recreational states, consumers in U.S. medical (AOR = 1.27, 95% CI: 1.07, 1.50) and illegal states (AOR = 1.22, CI: 1.00,1.48) had higher odds of reporting it was "harder" to access cannabis, and consumers in Canada had lower odds (AOR = 0.73, CI: 0.63,0.84). Future research should examine whether these changes remain after public health restrictions due to the pandemic are removed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Adicciones is the property of Sociedad Cientifica Espanola de Estudios sobre el Alcohol and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The National Hockey League is aligned in such a way that it must present its product to large audiences in two countries. Given the difficulty of such a marketing effort, this study sought to determine the impact that violence, as measured by fighting, has on consumption. Separate demand models were estimated for attendance and viewership in the USA and Canada via Tobit and OLS regression models. Results from the various models indicated that the promotion of violence should not be considered a viable strategy for increasing consumption. More specifically, while fighting was found to be a positive predictor of attendance in all models, its impact was minimal. From a viewership perspective, fighting was not found to be a significant predictor in either market. Given the evolving nature of consumer preferences, these results are particularly salient to marketers seeking to develop strategies that are relevant to the current marketplace. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A familiar experience to users of internet-connected devices, online behavioral advertising (OBA) delivers targeted digital advertisements based on complex monitoring of a user's demonstrated interests and activities. An increasingly thorough analysis of online behavioral data takes place across a user's devices across email, social media, and website platforms. Despite the significant biopolitical implications of ubiquitous OBA on a global scale, consistent and enforceable regulations on targeted marketing are lacking. As consumers spend more time online, a common and enforceable legal framework for OBA is urgently needed. After a brief technical overview of OBA and its risks, this article examines current legal frameworks in the EU, Canada, and the United States; discusses some of the hurdles to OBA regulation; then suggests potential, preliminary proposals to moderate the effects of OBA on global society. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Persons with disability (PWD) in Canada experience disproportionately high poverty rates. Poverty measures are often used to benchmark income assistance levels and social policies across Canada. The Market Basket Measure (MBM) is the official poverty measure in Canada that accounts for differences in family composition and geography. It does not, however, account for cost-incurring factors like disabilities, despite the evidence of differences in daily living costs. PWD experiencing poverty have additional needs to reduce barriers to full participation in society that can translate to higher basic costs for daily living. Given that poverty measures like the MBM may assess eligibility for income support or eligibility for public housing, these measures need to reflect how the cost of living differs for PWD. To critically analyze disability-specific considerations for the Canadian poverty line, we assess the MBM within the context of persons with disabilities. To identify differences in consumption patterns and family composition for PWD, a population based cross-sectional analysis was conducted using data from the 2017 Canadian Survey on Disability. Analysis assessed for bias within the MBM based on the basket contents, family composition and disability severity. PWD experience two times higher poverty rates, worse housing outcomes and incur higher and additional expenses for basic needs of daily living than persons without disability. The MBM underestimates the true poverty rate for persons with disabilities as it does not account for all their additional costs and does not represent their average family composition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Canadian Journal of Economics is the property of Wiley-Blackwell and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Due to the alarming rate of climate change, fuel consumption and emission estimates are critical in determining the effects of materials and stringent emission control strategies. In this research, an analytical and predictive study has been conducted using the Government of Canada dataset, containing 4973 light-duty vehicles observed from 2017 to 2021, delivering a comparative view of different brands and vehicle models by their fuel consumption and carbon dioxide emissions. Based on the findings of the statistical data analysis, this study makes evidence-based recommendations to both vehicle users and producers to reduce their environmental impacts. Additionally, Convolutional Neural Networks (CNN) and various regression models have been built to estimate fuel consumption and carbon dioxide emissions for future vehicle designs. This study reveals that the Univariate Polynomial Regression model is the best model for predictions from one vehicle feature input, with up to 98.6% accuracy. Multiple Linear Regression and Multivariate Polynomial Regression are good models for predictions from multiple vehicle feature inputs, with approximately 75% accuracy. Convolutional Neural Network is also a promising method for prediction because of its stable and high accuracy of around 70%. The results contribute to the quantifying process of energy cost and air pollution caused by transportation, followed by proposing relevant recommendations for both vehicle users and producers. Future research should aim towards developing higher performance models and larger datasets for building APIs and applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The association between pricing and cigarette consumption is long-established. However, the effects of taxation alone can be diminished if relative income increases. Therefore, affordability is seen as a key determinant of demand for cigarettes, as it combines the impact of changing prices with economic growth or wage increases. This brief analysis employs methods used by the World Health Organization in examining cigarette affordability, and explores the trend in affordability across Canadian provinces over a 10-year period, from 2009 to 2019. The discussion illustrates how monitoring affordability over time can help policy makers in Canadian provinces design tobacco taxation for maximum impact. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many governments provide goods and services that are deemed too sensitive for the private sector to deliver. This places public administrators in the difficult situation of having to sell products while also shaping consumer demand. Government agencies in Canada found themselves in this situation when the country legalized cannabis in 2018. Our findings suggest they responded with a demarketing approach, attempting to limit and shape, rather than increase, consumer demand. We conclude this demarketing strategy hinders public agencies' ability to displace competitors in the illicit market, a key public policy objective. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Local officials in North America frequently face opposition to new or expanded bicycle or pedestrian facilities. The most vocal opponents are usually motorists and local business owners who fear that the removal of or reductions in vehicular parking or travel lanes will reduce patronage from motorists and that any increased patronage from pedestrians or cyclists will not offset the lost revenues. A lack of direct evidence on the economic impacts of facilities on local businesses has made it difficult to support or debunk such fears. A lack of quantitative evidence in particular has prevented the incorporation of such impacts into cost–benefit analyses. The issue has received enough attention from researchers in recent years that a review of the evidence is now warranted. We reviewed the relevant literature and identified 23 studies, focusing on the US and Canada, that either (1) quantified and compared consumer spending between active travellers and automobile users (n = 8), or (2) quantified an economic impact to local businesses following the installation of bicycle or pedestrian facilities (n = 15). Taken together, the studies indicate that creating or improving active travel facilities generally has positive or non-significant economic impacts on retail and food service businesses abutting or within a short distance of the facilities, though bicycle facilities might have negative economic effects on auto-centric businesses. The results are similar regardless of whether vehicular parking or travel lanes are removed or reduced to make room for the active travel facilities. The studies also highlight best practices for designing future research. Ten of the 15 studies that quantified an economic impact to local businesses used both before-and-after data and comparison sites or other statistical controls for variables unrelated to the active travel facility "treatment;" six of those used statistical testing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Consumption of local and imported bottled water in Canada has greatly increased during the past three decades. While the presence of natural radioactivity is often overlooked when dealing with the water quality of these bottled products, it could contribute substantially to the uptake of radionuclides especially when sourced from regions with higher radioactivity levels compared to where it is consumed. In this study, the activity of several naturally occurring radionuclides (i.e., 210Po, 226,228Ra, 230,232Th, 234,235,238U) were measured in bottled water available in Québec, Canada after sample pretreatment and analysis by either radiometric or mass spectrometry approaches. 230,232Th and 228Ra concentrations were below minimum detectable activity levels in all samples tested. Analytical results for 234U, 235U, 238U, and 226Ra showed concentrations that ranged from 0.38 to 115 mBq/L, (2.2–313) x 10−2 mBq/L, 0.48–58.4 mBq/L, and 1.1–550 mBq/L, respectively. 210Po was detected in only 5 samples and its activity ranged from 2 to 26 mBq/L. To determine variability in activity within brands, the same brands of bottled water were purchased during two consecutive years and analyzed. The possible radiological impact of the consumption of these types of water was assessed based on different drinking habit scenarios. Some of the imported water brands showed higher activity concentrations than local sources or tap water, suggesting that individuals drinking predominantly imported bottled water would receive a higher radiation dose than those who drink mainly local water. • Naturally occurring radionuclides (210Po, 226Ra, 228Ra 230Th, 232Th, 234U, 235U and 238U) were measured in 15 bottled water brands available in Québec City, as well as in municipal tap water. • Temporal analyses were done by sampling the bottled water in two separate periods in two consecutive years. • The analyses revealed variations in U and Ra activities, demonstrating the need to routinely monitor each radionuclide. • In most samples, 226Ra was the major contributor to dose and calculated committed doses were systematically higher for younger individuals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The categorization of inventories using various techniques optimizes the efficiency of warehouse operations. The ABC (always, better, and control); VED (vital, essential, and desirable); and FNS (fast-, normal-, and slow-moving) analyses provide items according to cost significance, criticality value, and consumption rate respectively. Thus, this study aimed to identify the categories of items requiring focused managerial control, priority, and replenishment intervals, as well as to evaluate whether the ABC–VED–FNS matrix is fit for effective and efficient inventory control of the Ethiopian Pharmaceutical Supply Agency (EPSA). Methods: An institution-based cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted on 393 pharmaceuticals distributed by the EPSA-Jimma hub. The annual sales list with respective total quantity and unit price was collated from the logistics data records to perform the ABC analysis. The VED data were generated from the agency's pharmaceutical procurement list. To perform FNS analysis, we take into account the number of issue transactions as well as the average monthly consumption pattern for each item. Microsoft office Excel 2013 statistical functions were used to analyse the collated data. Results: The ABC-VED analysis revealed that 187 (47.58%) of category I items account for 90% annual sales value; of which the highest proportion (63%) was AV items (36, 9%). Remarkably, there was no desirable (D) commodity that belongs to Class A. From the ABC–VED–FNS matrix analysis, category I consisted of 12 combinations with 187 (47.6%) items. Moreover, 28 (7.13%) items (CDN = 4 and CDS = 24) constituted category-III. Conclusion and Recommendation: The ABC–VED–FNS matrix analysis can help organization implement inventory control policies and techniques, narrow down a group of items that require more managerial monitoring and control, prioritize a storage location (pick-face) plan, minimize the time and labor cost of put-away, picking, and packing, and dictate when products should be reordered or replenished. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Graphic Health Warnings (GHWs) on cigarette packages were first introduced in Canada in 2001 and will become mandatory in the US as of January 2022. While previous studies have evaluated the impacts of GHWs, the data used in these studies have several shortcomings. The objective of this paper was to investigate the likely impact of such warnings in the US based upon the experience of Canada using hitherto unexplored monthly cigarette sales data, and to explore if alternative approaches involving risk-reduced products might be more successful in reducing smoking. Methods: We used quasi-experimental segmented regression and difference-in-differences analyses. Data on monthly sales (i.e., shipments) of cigarettes from Canadian manufacturers to Canadian retailers during 1995–2005 were obtained from Statistics Canada. Results: We found that GHWs did not have a significant impact on the sales of cigarettes in Canada. We propose an alternative type of graphical health messaging that actively combines information on how to quit with the legally required messaging. The novelty of the proposal is that it is incentive compatible for the supply side of the market and if adopted in several states, the measure could be tested by using a suitable treatment–control design. Conclusions: Our findings imply that we should not expect any notable decline in sales or consumption as a result of implementation of GHWs in the US. The main impact of GHWs will be to add to the anti-smoking culture that has grown steadily over several decades, and this may impact smoking in the longer term. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using regional level panel data of three developed countries, comprising Australia, Canada, and New Zealand, the study investigates the response of consumption smoothing to housing capital gains. The consumption smoothing model first revisits the theory of perfect risk sharing. After rejecting a full consumption smoothing hypothesis, the results strongly indicate that the appreciation of house values smooths consumption further. For the sake of comparison, analysing three developed economies reveals the diversification in the response of consumption to long-run output shocks. Canadian residents appear to be more sensitive to permanent domestic output shocks while Australian's consumption pattern remains unchanged. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We construct a new consumer price index for Canada covering the period from 1870 to 1900. Unlike previous indexes, it includes prices of clothing and household furnishings. This is important because these previously neglected components accounted for roughly 20% of consumers' expenditures. Moreover, the price of cotton goods, the most important textile product used for clothing and household furnishings, fell by half between 1870 and 1900 (much faster than other components of the price level). This has ramifications for both the level and trend of Canadian GDP. Because the largest changes in estimation concern the 1870s, we show that the country grew substantially faster than generally believed. It outpaced the United States so much that it entered the twentieth century with an improved economic standing relative to its southern neighbor. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study described and analyzed the managerial work in Canadian intercollegiate athletics. The directors of 37 Canadian intercollegiate athletic departments responded to a questionnaire eliciting perceived importance of, time devoted to, and percentage responsibility for 19 managerial activities carried out by athletic departments. These managerial activities were largely patterned after Mintzberg's (1975) description of managerial work and were verified by a group of experts. Results showed that financial management, leadership, policy making, disturbance handling, revenue generation, and athlete affairs were perceived to be the most important and most time consuming activities. Information seeking, maintenance activities, and league responsibilities were rated the least important. The athletic directors reported that they were largely responsible for the more important tasks with avenge percent responsibility of 55%. The avenge responsibility assigned to assistant directors was 29.5%. and this limited responsibility was significantly but inversely related to the importance of the tasks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In 1981, the United States and Canada began a series of international field experiments to test the effectiveness of feedback as a way to encourage energy conservation. Current government studies show energy consumption is again on the rise after several years of decline. The research objective was to extend current feedback research by providing information formats and presentation modes that had not been previously tested but did represent realistic public policy and/or marketplace options. Results of the experiment replicated in two U.S. and two Canadian cities provide partial support for feedback as a viable information technology for consumer learning and motivation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Consumption differences were examined between French-speaking, bilingual, and English-speaking Canadian families from the greater Ottawa/Hull metropolitan area. Significant differences wore found for a wide variety of consumption behaviors, media usage, and durable goods ownership. These differences existed even after social class and income were removed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the discrepancies arising out of communicative consumer questionnaires. To illustrate the point of how such bias can affect the results of a survey, the author presents a survey done by the Economics Division of the Canadian Department of Agriculture in 1951. The results of the survey differed from a wholesale audit by a large margin. The author performed two surveys of his own, based on the original, in an attempt to lower the discrepancy between the results of the survey and the figures found in the wholesale audit. His conclusions were that it is difficult to escape an upward bias in purchase data obtained by a consumer interview. Questions asking how often a product is used with no time-frame is more likely to produce erroneous results.

The article compares the gasoline rationing program in Canada with that of the United States. In Canada, gasoline rationing is the responsibility of the Oil Controller of the War-time Industries Control Board within the Department of Munitions and Supply. Motorists receive rationing books and gasoline licenses which are automatically charged toward all drivers. In the United States the program is administered by the Office of Price Administration and involves rationing coupons. The author looks at exactly how the coupons are divided according to the amount of driving done, and mentions several requirements, such as car pooling.

The article focuses on the demand for money and the choice of a permanent income estimate. The test results of a permanent income hypothesis of the demand for money have been used to evaluate the appropriateness of alternative short and long run demand formulations. In this article the results show that in Canada the choice of a permanent income estimate effects the properties of the money demand function of the permanent income hypothesis.

Highlights • Consumers' demand behavior for renting electric vehicles (EVs) is understudied. • A nationwide Stated Preference survey is conducted to assess consumers' preferences towards renting EVs. • A latent class model identified four distinct population segments in the collected data. • Vehicle driving range and battery recharging time are key to the adoption of EVs in the rental sector. Abstract In recent years, numerous studies have been conducted to evaluate the demand for acquiring electric vehicles (EVs) by household with little attention given to the commercial fleet sector. Within the latter, rental vehicles account for the majority of fleets in Canada. Eventually, the acquisition of rental vehicles by their respective companies is driven by consumers' demand for these vehicles in the market. This research provides a pioneering effort to evaluate Canadian consumers' preferences towards renting EVs. A nationwide stated preference (SP) survey was conducted to collect information from over 1000 respondents. Each respondent was presented with six choice scenarios, and each scenario featured the following vehicle powertrains: internal combustion engine vehicle (ICEV), hybrid electric vehicle (HEV), plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) and battery electric vehicle (BEV). The collected SP responses, along with socio-demographic and attitudinal characteristics of the respondents, were analyzed using a latent class discrete choice model to identify the potential segments with unique features present in the sample population. The model identified the following four distinct latent classes: ICEV-oriented (22%), EV-curious (34%), Cost-sensitive (24%), and EV-oriented (20%). Based on the empirical analysis, the potential for renting electric vehicles among the EV-curious and the EV-oriented classes could increase with improvements in vehicle driving range and battery recharging time. Further, provision of monetary incentives (e.g., free vehicle upgrades, rental discounts and no rental taxes) could also increase the probability of renting HEVs by the Cost-sensitive consumers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As the importance of eco-friendly transportation increases, providing an efficient approach for marine vessel operation is essential. Methods for status monitoring with consideration to the weather condition and forecasting with the use of in-service data from ships requires accurate and complete models for predicting the energy efficiency of a ship. The models need to effectively process all the operational data in real-time. This paper presents models that can predict fuel consumption using in-service data collected from a passenger ship. Statistical and domain-knowledge methods were used to select the proper input variables for the models. These methods prevent over-fitting, missing data, and multicollinearity while providing practical applicability. Prediction models that were investigated include multiple linear regression (MLR), decision tree approach (DT), an artificial neural network (ANN), and ensemble methods. The best predictive performance was from a model developed using the XGboost technique which is a boosting ensemble approach. Our code is available on GitHub at https://github.com/pagand/model%5foptimze%5fvessel/tree/OE for future research. • Comparison of fuel consumption models for west coast Canada vessel • Feature engineering utilized domain knowledge to identify key variables • Parametric and non-parametric models used for prediction model development • Evaluation included running time, mean error, and future step prediction error. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Alcoholic beverages represent both an important source of revenue and a driver of expenditure for provincial governments in Canada. As a result, the pricing of alcoholic beverages has substantial public policy implications. In this context, we re-examine existing work estimating the demand for three classes of alcoholic beverage (beer, wine, and spirits) by controlling for common correlated effects. The results reveal that any conclusions regarding the government’s ability to influence alcohol consumption is sensitive to the assumption that the relationship between the demand for alcoholic beverages and economic variables is identical across provinces. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

A sub-culture of "locavore" chefs is playing a critical but under-examined role in addressing concerns about the conventional, industrialized food system by re-localizing the sourcing, processing, and preparation of food. The values that underlie why certain chefs decide to work in this niche market, their strategies to overcome the situational challenges of sourcing locally produced food, and the ways they develop the knowledge and skills needed to prepare and incorporate these ingredients into appealing menus all point to the unique position that these chefs occupy in the local food movement. This paper presents insights from a study that utilized in-depth interviews to investigate the culinary practices of twenty-three local food-promoting chefs in Alberta, Canada. Using a social practice theory framework, these chefs' culinary practices were examined based on what material conditions they encountered, how they employed particular skills and competencies and why they decided to become "locavores." This study reveals that although issues of product accessibility, distribution, cost, and consistency of quality and volume are constraining factors, chefs' ability to innovate and reskill, to foster supportive relationships with farmers and consumers, and their commitment to alternative values are keys to their success in niche "local" markets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]