Social determinants of fruit and vegetable intake and validation of Pro-Children Eating Habits Questionnaire for 3rd and 5th grade children

BACKGROUND: The Pro Children Eating Habits Questionnaire has been evaluated as a valid and reliable tool in Europe to measure determinants of fruit and vegetable intake for children; however, it has not been validation for United States populations. The purpose of this study was to (1) assess the reliability and discrimination validity of fruit and vegetable correlates for the Pro Children Eating Habits Questionnaire; (2) investigate the predictive validity of determinants of fruit and vegetable consumption for multi-ethnic elementary school children; and, (3) to assess the association of social determinants with fruit and vegetable consumption. METHODS: One hundred and thirty elementary school students from the 3rd and 5th grades completed this cross-sectional study. RESULTS: Fruit and vegetable determinants, had satisfactory internal consistencies. No differences were found between the test and the retest for the individual questions with the exception of the question for mean perceived vegetable intake. The discriminatory validity indicated the questionnaire could show differences across grade and gender levels for barriers of fruit and vegetables but not for other factors. Grade together with gender explained barriers to eating fruit and vegetables. Greater availability of fruit in the home and school was associated with higher frequency of consumption. CONCLUSIONS: The results of this study indicate the Pro-Children Eating Habits Questionnaire may be a reliable and valid tool for assessing fruit and vegetable consumption of children in the United States.

Essays on Intergenerational and Regional Aspects of Water Management

This dissertation consists of three essays on different aspects of water management. The first essay focuses on the sustainability of freshwater use by introducing the notion that altruistic parents do bequeath economic assets for their offspring. Constructing a two-period, over-lapping generational model, an optimal ratio of consumption and pollution for old and young generations in each period is determined. Optimal levels of water consumption and pollution change according to different parameters, such as, altruistic degree, natural recharge rate, and population growth. The second essay concerns water sharing between countries in the case of trans-boundary river basins. The paper recognizes that side payments fail to forge water-sharing agreement among the international community and that downstream countries have weak bargaining power. An interconnected game approach is developed by linking the water allocation issue with other non-water issues such as trade or border security problems, creating symmetry between countries in bargaining power. An interconnected game forces two countries to at least partially cooperate under some circumstances. The third essay introduces the concept of virtual water (VW) into a traditional international trade model in order to estimate water savings for a water scarce country. A two country, two products and two factors trade model is developed, which includes not only consumers and producer’s surplus, but also environmental externality of water use. The model shows that VW trade saves water and increases global and local welfare. This study should help policy makers to design appropriate subsidy or tax policy to promote water savings especially in water scarce countries.

Micro-Foundations of Financialization. Status Anxiety and the Market for Consumer Credit in Chile

This project investigates why people in Chile acquired so much consumer debt in contexts of material prosperity, and asks what the role of inequality and commodification is in this process. The case raises an important challenge to the literature. Insofar as existing accounts assume that the financialization of consumption occurs in contexts marked by wage stagnation and a general deterioration of the middle classes, they engender two contradictory explanations: while political economists argue that people use credit in order to smooth their consumption in the face of market volatility, economists maintain that concentration of wealth at the top pushes middle income consumers to emulate the expenditures of the rich and consume beyond their means. These explanations do not necessarily fit the reality of developing countries. Triangulating in-depth interviews with middle class families, multivariate statistical analysis and secondary literature, the project shows that consumers in Chile use credit to finance “ordinary” forms of consumption that do not aim either at coping with market instability or emulating and signaling status to others. Rather, Chileans use department store credit cards in order to acquire a standard package of “inconspicuous” goods that they feel entitled to have. From this point of view, the systematic indebtedness of consumers originates in a major concern with “rank”, “achievement” and "security" that – following De Botton -- I call “status anxiety”. Status anxiety does not stem from the desire to emulate rich consumers, but from the impossibility of complying with normative expectations about what a middle class family should be (and have) that outweigh wage improvements. The project thus investigates the way in which “status anxiety” is systematically reproduced by means of two broad mechanisms that prompt people to acquire consumer debt. The first mechanism generating debt stems from an increase of real wages and high levels of inequality. It is explained by a general sociological principle known as relative deprivation, which points to the fact that general satisfaction with one´s income, possessions or status, is assessed not in absolute terms such as total income, but in relation with reference groups. In this sense, I explore the mechanisms that operate as catalyzers of relative deprivation, by making explicit social inequalities and distorting the perception of others´ wealth. Despite upward mobility and economic improvement, Chileans share the perception of “falling behind,” which materializes in an “imaginary middle class” against which people compare their status, possessions and economic independence. Finally, I show that the commodification of education, health and pension funds does not directly prompt people to acquire consumer debt, but operate as “income draining” mechanisms that demand higher shares of middle class families’ “discretionary income.” In combination with “relative deprivation,” these “income draining” mechanisms leave families with few options to perform their desired class identities, other than learning how to bring resources from the future into the present with the help of department store credit cards.

THE PRICE SENSITIVITY OF DEMAND FOR HIGHER EDUCATION AMONG NON-TRADITIONAL STUDENTS

This dissertation examines the price sensitivity of demand for higher education among non-traditional students in the United States. Chapter 1 discusses the issues related to the demand for higher education. It presents the recent trends and reviews the literature addressing these issues. A major conclusion that emerges from this chapter is that the price sensitivity of demand for higher education appears to depend on the source of the variation in price and the characteristics of the students who face the price change. The baseline estimate for the price sensitivity of demand is that a $1,000 (in year 2000 dollars) decrease in tuition costs should result in a 4 percentage-point increase in enrollment for the traditional 18- to 24-year-old student. Chapter 2 examines the price sensitivity of demand for higher education for military spouses resulting from variation in tuition due to military-mandated moves across states. The data suggest that a $1,000 (in year 2000 dollars) decrease in the cost of 2-year schools is associated with a 1--1.5 percentage-point increase in the probability of attending college. This estimate is less than half the previous estimates due to in-state tuition price differences faced by the civilian 18- to 24-year-old population on a percentage-point basis. However, this represents a 7--10 percent increase for this population, and the magnitude of this metric is in line with previous estimates. This suggests tuition assistance can be an effective means of increasing enrollment for military spouses, but other barriers to education for this population may also need to be addressed. Chapter 3 examines the impact of a change in the tax treatment of savings set aside for higher education by those who decide to suspend their education and enter the workforce. The taxation of these funds appears to have increased the rate at which these funds are included in an employee's initial contract and the quantity of funds allocated. These results are counterintuitive if the tax preference was the primary reason for the savings plan. However, these results suggest the rationale for the savings plan was to offer targeted additional compensation to recruits with greater negotiating power. Taxation of funds previously set aside did not appear to have a statistically significant impact on their utilization. Point estimates of the price sensitivity of demand from changes in the out-of-pocket costs for higher education induced by the taxation of these funds were small and often not statistically significant. The results from this dissertation show responses to changes in the net cost of college that differ by the source of price variation and the population experiencing them. This is consistent with the previous literature. This dissertation contributes to the literature by providing estimates for the price sensitivity of demand for higher education to previously understudied non-traditional students.

Interaction between mercury (Hg), arsenic (As) and selenium (Se) affects the activity of glutathione S-transferase in breast milk: possible relationship with fish and shellfish intake

Breast milk is regarded as an ideal source of nutrients for the growth and development of neonates, but it can also be a potential source of pollutants. Mothers can be exposed to different contaminants as a result of their lifestyle and environmental pollution. Mercury (Hg) and arsenic (As) could adversely affect the development of fetal and neonatal nervous system. Some fish and shellfish are rich in selenium (Se), an essential trace element that forms part of several enzymes related to the detoxification process, including glutathione S-transferase (GST). The goal of this study was to determine the interaction between Hg, As and Se and analyze its effect on the activity of GST in breast milk. Milk samples were collected from women between day 7 and 10 postpartum. The GST activity was determined spectrophotometrically; total Hg, As and Se concentrations were measured by atomic absorption spectrometry. To explain the possible association of Hg, As and Se concentrations with GST activity in breast milk, generalized linear models were constructed. The model explained 44% of the GST activity measured in breast milk. The GLM suggests that GST activity was positively correlated with Hg, As and Se concentrations. The activity of the enzyme was also explained by the frequency of consumption of marine fish and shellfish in the diet of the breastfeeding women.

Evaluation and comparison of durability of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon compounds (PAHs) and its relation to the lipid content in smoked fishes, Silver carp (Hypophthalmichthys molitrix), Rutilus frisii kutum and Herring (Alosa caspia)

Cold smoking method is one of the commonest ways for fish smoking. It is done by the smoke that is the result of burning hard and soft woods is smoking rooms. Smoke includes a number of chemical constructs and its main part is poly aromatic hydrocarbons. More than one hundred kinds of these constructs are recognized in smoke that is produced from saturated hydrocarbons resulted from the solution of the woods Ligno cellulose in high temperature and lack of oxygen conditions. The high poisoning potentials and carcinogenic features sixteen constructs among them are proved and observed on humans. In this research, the PAH compounds were identified and observed in a three month period after smoking and during storing among three types of smoked fishes Silver carp and Caspian sea Sefid and herring. They are the most produced and consumed smoked fish in Iran. To find the relationship between the concentrations of PAH constructs and the amount of lipid in fish, first, the amount of lipid were determined separately in the skin and flesh of 30 samples of each type. The method used was Bligh and Dyer (1959). PAH compounds derivation were made for all skin and flesh samples smoked fish using organic solvents with Soxeleh and the derived samples were injected to gas chromatography (GC) by Hamilton injectors for determining their components quality and their quantity. The height of the used column was 25 meters and its diameter was 0.32 mm with the silica filler, nitrogen gas as carrier and flame ionization detector (FID) that are special for these constructs. For data analysis, Statistical tests were used by computer soft ware identified that the difference in the amount of lipid within the flesh and skin of each species and also among each other is significant. The largest amount was in Herrings flesh and skin, 18.74% in skin and 14.47% in flesh. The least amount in the skin 4.19% and the flesh 3.10% of Sefid. The amount in Silver carp was 13.28%in skin and 8.16% in flesh. The examination of the PAH compounds in smoked fish showed that is carcinogenic compounds; exist in these in these fish with different quantities in each. It seems that its amount is directly related to the amount of their lipid. The amount is different in flesh and skin. One of the most important reasons is the direct content of smoke and the concentration of lipid in tissues of all three types. The maintenance of the smoked fish for three months showed that most of PAH compounds were solved and their density decreased. The changes in density within time in different in each type and in flesh and skin. The amount of their receiving in human through the consumption of the smoked fish depends on the resulted density, the way and the amount of consumption and now we can determine and execute standards for the maximum dosage per day and per month regarding effective factors.

Faunal remains from an Almohad (Ad XII/XIII) silo at the Castle of Aljezur (Portugal)

The analysis of a faunal collection from a storage silo found in the castle of Aljezur, dating from the Almohad period (XII/XIIIth centuries AD), is presented. It appears that the community occupying the castle concentrated on hunting species such as the rabbit, wild boar, red deer and Iberian lynx, while evidences of stockbreeding were scarce and centered upon caprines with horses and chicken playing minor role. The presence of a large dog has been assumed to be an aid for hunting but possibly also in herd keeping. With the exception of the lynx, all large mammals evidenced traces of consumption. The domestic cat is taken to represent a pet whereas the lynx had probably a role as a fur provider. It should be noted that equids and the pond turtle were probably food items. Rodents are taken to represent commensals whereas the toad of the Genus Bufo probably represented an intrusive element.

Integrated pest management and the (un)sustainable use of pesticides

Doutoramento em Engenharia Agronómica - Instituto Superior de Agronomia - UL

Reading keys in the communication of wine in China. Wine marketing strategies

Mestrado Vinifera Euromaster - Instituto Superior de Agronomia - UL

Alcohol consumption among university students in Ireland and the United Kingdom from 2002 to 2014: a systematic review

Background: Alcohol is a leading cause of global suffering. Europe reports the uppermost volume of alcohol consumption in the world, with Ireland and the United Kingdom reporting the highest levels of binge drinking and drunkenness. Levels of consumption are elevated among university students. Thus, this literature review aims to summarise the current research on alcohol consumption among university students in the Republic of Ireland and the United Kingdom. Methods: MEDLINE, CINAHL, EMBASE and PsychInfo were systematically searched for literature from January 2002 until December 2014. Each database was searched using the following search pillars: alcohol, university student, Ireland or the United Kingdom and prevalence studies. Results: Two thousand one hundred twenty eight articles were retrieved from electronic database searching. These were title searched for relevance. 113 full texts were retrieved and assessed for eligibility. Of these, 29 articles were deemed to meet inclusion criteria for the review. Almost two thirds of students reported a hazardous alcohol consumption score on the AUDIT scale. Over 20 % reported alcohol problems over their lifetime using CAGE while over 20 % exceed sensible limits each week. Noteworthy is the narrowing of the gender gap throughout the past decade. Conclusion: This is the first review to investigate consumption patterns of university students in Ireland and the United Kingdom. A range of sampling strategies and screening tools are employed in alcohol research which preclude comparability. The current review provides an overview of consumption patterns to guide policy development.

Mobile phone consumption and implications for SMS marketing

This paper reports on a Q-methodology study on the consumption of mobile phones and opinions on SMS-marketing, extracted from interpretive interviews and focus groups. The Metaphors Q-sort, developed within a framework of Holt's (1995) four metaphors of consumption, identifies three experiential value clusters in the consumption of mobile phones: the Mobile Pragmatists, the Mobile Connectors and the Mobile Revelers. The SMS-marketing Q-sort identifies two key clusters of subjective opinions on various aspects of SMS-based mobile-marketing. By integrating the findings from these two Q-sorts, we demonstrate that while all three value clusters express positive opinions towards ‘location specific’ and ‘customer initiated contact’ SMS-marketing, there are noticeable differences in how marketers should develop their strategies to maximize the consumers’ perceived experiential value derived from the consumption of their mobile phones. Keywords: mobile phones; experiential consumption: SMS-marketing; Q-methodology

Relative income, happiness, and utility : an explanation for the Easterlin paradox and other puzzles

The well-known Easterlin paradox points out that average happiness has remained constant over time despite sharp rises in GNP per head. At the same time, a micro literature has typically found positive correlations between individual income and individual measures of subjective well-being. This paper suggests that these two findings are consistent with the presence of relative income terms in the utility function. Income may be evaluated relative to others (social comparison) or to oneself in the past (habituation). We review the evidence on relative income from the subjective well-being literature. We also discuss the relation (or not) between happiness and utility, and discuss some nonhappiness research (behavioral, experimental, neurological) related to income comparisons. We last consider how relative income in the utility function can affect economic models of behavior in the domains of consumption, investment, economic growth, savings, taxation, labor supply, wages, and migration.

Unitary taxation : The case for global formulary apportionment

Unitary taxation is the taxation of the worldwide income of a multinational enterprise (MNE) and is normally based on a formulary apportionment method, which allocates income to the relevant jurisdictions based on a percentage of the MNE's world-wide profits. The unitary taxation model has several advantages over the existing arm's length model: 1. Where MNEs are highly integrated, unitary taxation has greater consistency with economic reality. 2. Greater certainty is provided to taxpayers. 3. Unitary taxation conforms to the aim of efficient operations within the MNE. 4. The aim of unitary taxation, to find an equitable split of profits between the jurisdictions, should ultimately be the overall aim of any tax regime. The advantages and disadvantages associated with the adoption of a unitary taxation model through the implementation of a formulary apportionment approach to the taxation of MNEs are examined.

Nonprofit organisations and value added (GST) taxation

The subject of this paper is the changes in the taxation of non-profit organisations which seem to be more or less inherent in the value added taxes. The Australian federal Coalition's proposed goods and services tax will be part of the discussion.

Converse consumption : the converse blank canvas project

Research background For almost 80 years the Chuck Taylor (or Chuck T's) All Star basketball shoe has been an iconic item of fashion apparel. The Chuck T's were first designed in 1921 by Converse, an American shoe company and over the decades they became a popular item not purely for sports and athletic purposes but rather evolved into the shoe of choice for many subcultural groups as a fashion item. In some circles the Chuck Taylor is still seen as the "coolest" sneaker of all time - one which will never go out of fashion regardless of changing trends. With over 600 millions pairs sold all over the world since its release, the Converse shoe is representative of not only a fashion culture - but also of a consumption culture - that evolved as the driving force behind the massive growth of the Western economic system during the 20th Century. Artisan Gallery (Brisbane), in conjunction with the exhibition Reboot: Function, Fashion and the Sneaker, a history of the sneaker, selected 20 designers to customise and re-design the classic Converse Chuck Taylor All Stars shoe and in doing so highlighted the diversity of forms possible for creative outcomes. As Artisan Gallery Curator Kirsten Fitzpatrick states “We were expecting people to draw and paint on them. Instead, we had shoes... mounted as trophies.." referring to the presentation of "Converse Consumption". The exhibition ran from 21 June – 16 August 2012: Research question The Chuck T’s is one of many overwhelmingly commercially successful designs of the last century. Nowadays we are faced with the significant problems of overconsumption and the stress this causes on the natural ecosystem; and on people as a result. As an active member of the industrial design fraternity – a discipline that sits at the core of this problem - how can I use this opportunity to comment on the significant issue of consumption? An effective way to do this was to associate consumption of goods with consumption of sugar. There are significant similarities between our ceaseless desires to consume products and our fervent need to consume indulgent sweet foods. Artisan Statement Delicious, scrumptious, delectable... your pupils dilate, your blood pressure spikes, your liver goes into overdrive. Immediately, your brain cuts off the adenosine receptors, preventing drowsiness. Your body increases dopamine production, in-turn stimulating the pleasure receptors in your brain. Your body absorbs all the sweetness and turns it into fat – while all the nutrients that you actually require are starting to be destroyed, about to be expelled. And this is only after one bite! After some time though, your body comes crashing back to earth. You become irritable and begin to feel sluggish. Your eyelids seem heavy while your breathing pattern changes. Your body has consumed all the energy and destroyed all available nutrients. You literally begin to shut down. These are the physiological effects of sugar consumption. A perfect analogy for our modern day consumer driven world. Enjoy your dessert! Research contribution “Converse Consumption” contributes to the conversation regarding over-consumption by compelling people to reflect on their consumption behaviour through the reconceptualising of the deconstructed Chuck T’s in an attractive edible form. By doing so the viewer has to deal with the desire to consume the indulgent looking dessert with the contradictory fact that it is comprised of a pair of shoes. The fact that the shoes are Chuck T’s make the effect even more powerful due to their iconic status. These clashing motivations are what make “Converse Consumption” a bizarre yet memorable experience. Significance The exhibition was viewed by an excess of 1000 people and generated exceptional media coverage and public exposure/impact. As Artisan Gallery Curator Kirsten Fitzpatrick states “20 of Brisbane's best designers were given the opportunity to customise their own Converse Sneakers, with The Converse Blank Canvas Project.” And to be selected in this category demonstrates the calibre of importance for design prominence.