Search

The production and consumption of paper leads to emissions of greenhouse gases (GHGs). Therefore, reducing the paper demand will lead to GHG emission reduction. Paper use for communication is responsible for GHG emissions of 121 Mton CO2-equivalents in Western Europe (1995). In this paper a baseline scenario is developed for Western Europe that forecasts a rise in communication paper consumption from 31 Mtons/year in 1995 to 53 Mtons in 2015. We show that several measures are available to reduce the demand for publication papers, e.g. thinner paper, efficient printing technologies, duplexing, and printing on demand (POD). The impact of these measures are determined by using a life cycle inventory approach whereby we focus on GHGs only. We estimate that it is technically possible to reduce paper demand in 2015 by 37% compared with the baseline scenario. This would correspond to a GHG emission reduction of 70 Mton CO2-equivalents We calculate that the intensity of use of publication papers may drop from 5.2 kg per $1000 GDP in 1995 to 3.4 kg per $1000 GDP in 20l5 (all in 1995$). The measures with the largest emission reduction potential are, lowering the basic weight of paper as well as POD. Assumptions on the market potential of POD are uncertain and have a large influence on the results. Further research should focus on determining the influence of increasing access to (digital) information on paper demand. In the analysis only material management improvements are taken into account, no improvements in energy efficiency or improved waste management practices are taken into account. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Using a monthly data between 2008 and 2019, this study investigated how the development of the Internet technologies has shaped the consumer consumption pattern of different types of paper products in China during this period. In detail, this study covers four major types of paper products in the Chinese market: newsprint, printing paper, household paper, and packaging paper. The developments of Internet technologies were decomposed into two aspects: the communication technology (CT) and the software platform technology (PT). Granger causality analysis was employed to determine whether the consumption pattern of paper products was affected by the development of the Internet. Furthermore, impulse-response analyses were utilized to measure how the consumption pattern of each paper product was shaped by the development of each aspect of Internet technologies, i.e., CT or PT. The empirical results suggested that the Internet developments are causing the consumption patterns shifts of all four paper products. Specifically, the consumptions of newsprint and printing paper were driven by both CT and PT. However, the consumptions of packaging paper and household paper were driven by the PT only. Compared to the development of CT, we found that the quick evolution of PT plays a more significant role in shifting people's consumption of paper products in China. The empirical results revealed by this study could provide valuable economics and policy implications to both academia and relevant industries. • Internet development has shifted the paper products consumption pattern in China. • Development of internet boosted the demand for printing paper and household paper. • Development of internet suppressed the demand for newsprint. • The effects of internet technological development are separated into two aspects. • Emerging Internet platforms shifted the consumption of paper products efficiently. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article offers the author's insight on the philosophy of international crisis and its economic outcomes. He states that philosopher Martin Rhonheimer noted that free market is essential for human prosperity. He adds that Rhonheimer's conceptualization understand prosperity as consumption which means the satisfaction of human needs inhabiting a specific territory. He mentions that human achievements do not mean a lot with free markets or a country's gross domestic product (GDP).

Optimizing domestic energy use and increasing the efficiency of residential power supply chains depend much on home energy management (HEM) systems. This paper examines the utilization of advanced meta-heuristics, namely the Siberian Tiger Optimization (STO) and Sand Cat Swarm Optimization (SCSO) algorithms, for developing HEM systems. The paper presents an integrated STSC algorithm, enhanced by artificial intelligence, that monitors and optimizes household energy usage. To optimize electricity distribution, this algorithm seeks a compromise between reducing costs and lowering the peak-to-average proportion of power. After extensive simulations, the STSC algorithm outperforms previous meta-heuristics in Peak Average Ratio. It demonstrates the possibility of substantial cost reductions in residential settings, reaching up to 8.5%. This improves the overall efficiency of households' power supply chains. In addition to reducing costs, the STSC algorithm contributes to sustainability objectives by utilizing AI to minimize carbon emissions, including renewable energy sources, and facilitate adaptable demand solutions. This highlights its role in promoting sustainable supply chain practices in energy efficiency. The combined use of STO and SCSO algorithms in the STSC method is a new and innovative development in HEM systems. This study highlights the capacity of AI-driven technologies to effectively and environmentally optimize household energy consumption. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This study aims to investigate the impact of local windfall gains from the Spanish Christmas lottery on household consumption behavior. Design/methodology/approach: The study applies differences-in-differences to assess permanent income hypothesis (PIH) validity, examining pre- and postlottery consumption effects. Additionally, it also uses an instrumental variable regression, using the lottery shock as an instrument for total expenditures, to estimate the Engel curves. Findings: The paper finds a PIH violation; households in winning region notably increase consumption on durable and nondurable goods compared to nonwinning ones. Moreover, durable goods consumption is responsive to lottery winnings, while nondurable goods consumption are unit-elastic to expenditure shocks. Originality/value: To the best of the author's knowledge, this is the first paper analyzing the effects of winning regions of the Spanish Christmas lottery in all types of consumption goods, testing its consequences in the PIH and estimating its effects in the Engel curves. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

By 1970, European and Japanese dependence on Middle Eastern oil had increased tremendously both in absolute terms and as a percentage of their total energy consumption. In 1950, eighty-five percent of the energy needs of Western Europe and Japan were satisfied by indigenous coal deposits, but by 1970, ninety percent of their demands were met by crude oil imports, most of which came from the Middle East and North Africa. Even the U.S. was becoming increasingly reliant upon foreign imports. While it would remain far more energy self-sufficient then either Europe or Japan, in 1970, U.S. domestic oil production began to decline at a rate of two percent per year. This meant that the U.S. would not only become increasingly dependent upon foreign oil, but also that it would be increasingly difficult for it to supply its allies in an emergency. Finally, it is important to note that in the early 1970's, worldwide consumption of oil was increasing at a rate of seven to eight percent annually. The competitive threat posed by the industry newcomers and the increased importance of Middle Eastern oil combined to make it increasingly difficult for the oil companies to resist demands of the oil producing nations.

This paper is a synthesis of zooarchaeological evidence from 27 medieval and post-medieval sites from Finland. These faunal samples derive from rural, town, manor, castle and ecclesiastic sites, and their production and consumption patterns were examined by studying the role of the major domesticates (cattle, sheep, goats and pigs). As taxonomic abundance in faunal material may be altered by taphonomic processes, such as burning, these factors were assessed before comparison. The animal husbandry system in Finland was shaped by environmental constraints that limited the number of animals that could be kept over winter. However, some specialisations were observed within the frame of the basic pattern. This paper demonstrates the usefulness of zooarchaeological data in the study of animal husbandry and consumption and production patterns. These findings support data integration as a useful tool for understanding general large-scale processes, such as urbanisation, development, environmental adaptation and the specialisation of animal production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since the movie The Bucket List was released in 2007, the practice of compiling a list of things that people wish to achieve during their lifetime – a bucket list – has become increasingly popular amongst not only those who have received a terminal diagnosis (as in the movie) but also the wider population. Moreover, predominant in such lists are tourism-related goals. Surprisingly, however, little academic attention has been paid to the role and significance of the bucket list. The purpose of this paper is to address this gap in the literature. Drawing on the outcomes of an exploratory survey framed within terror management theory (TMT), it considers the relationship between the bucket list and existential anxieties and, in particular, the extent to which a fear of death motivates the compilation of such a list. The research reveals that the compiling a bucket list has become a contemporary cultural practice which, though evidently a means of managing existential anxieties, is also an explicit manifestation of consumption directed towards the creation of identity and self-esteem. The paper concludes by identifying future areas of research in the context of the bucket list. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Energy consumption forecasting plays a pivotal role in modern resource management and sustainable development. This paper presents a concise overview of state-of-the-art techniques and methodologies employed in the field of energy consumption forecasting, with a particular emphasis on the application of Machine Learning (ML) models. The paper surveys recent advancements, addresses key challenges, and identifies promising directions for future research in this critical domain. By examining the current landscape of energy consumption forecasting through the lens of machine learning, this review aims to offer researchers and practitioners valuable insights and guidance for enhancing the accuracy and efficiency of energy consumption pattern prediction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Studies in Conservation is the property of Taylor & Francis Ltd 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.)

A consumption-driven economy refers to an economic growth model primarily driven by domestic consumption and is a common goal for the economic growth of various countries. To explore the impact of industrial digitalization on a consumption-driven economy, this paper conducts an empirical study based on data from 31 provinces in China from 2013 to 2021. The empirical test results indicate: first, industrial digitalization significantly promotes the development of a consumption-driven economy, mainly reflected in the improvement of economic foundation and consumption levels, but shows no significant effect on improving the consumption structure. Second, mechanism analysis results show that industrial digitalization can promote the development of a consumption-driven economy by fostering innovation and advancing the industrial structure. Third, heterogeneity analysis results reveal that the promotion effect of industrial digitalization on the consumption-driven economy exists only in eastern and central China but not in western China, indicating that industrial digitalization in underdeveloped areas cannot exert a positive effect on the consumption-driven economy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The rapid development of cross-border e-commerce (CBEC) has enabled more suppliers to expand into overseas markets, meeting increasingly diverse consumer demands. Selecting an effective logistics mode is a crucial issue for suppliers, yet uncertainty in demand and exchange rate fluctuations make this problem challenging. This paper considers a supply chain consisting of a supplier and a CBEC platform. Using a distributionally robust optimization approach, we provide optimal overseas warehousing strategies and logistics mode selection for suppliers, given partial distribution information of market demand and exchange rate, such as means, variances, and covariances. It is found that when demand and exchange rate fluctuations are small, the supplier chooses the bonded warehouse logistics mode to reduce costs. Conversely, when demand and exchange rate fluctuations increase, the supplier opts for the direct mail mode to respond flexibly to market risk. The correlation between exchange rate and demand also affects the choice of logistics mode. Specifically, with low correlation, the preference is for the bonded warehouse mode, whereas high correlation leads suppliers to choose the direct mail mode. In addition, the impact of demand and exchange rate fluctuations on suppliers' overseas warehousing volumes depends on the product's profit margin. These findings provide guidance for the selection of CBEC logistics under exchange rate risk. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines the impact of digital financial inclusion (DFI) on household energy poverty. We develop a simple theoretical model to explain the energy poverty alleviation effect of DFI. Using multidimensional household energy consumption survey data, we find that DFI reduces the incidence of household energy poverty by about 33.5 % and the intensity of energy poverty by 24.6 %, driven mainly by improvements in energy efficiency and an increase in household off-farm work, resulting in a stronger role in rural and low-income groups. However, the threshold model demonstrates that the Internet and digital tools are a prerequisite for this pro-poor energy effect to be realized. Notably, DFI, while exhibiting spatial spillover effects, exacerbate energy poverty in neighboring areas due to the siphoning effect. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper focuses on the Victorian Father Christmas/Santa Claus, charting his transformation during the era from a non-gift-giving character synonymous with festive cheer and social cohesion into the consumer deity that is more familiar today. Using Karl Marx's theory of commodity fetishism, this transformation is read in the context of the development of a consumer society and a consumer Christmas in the Victorian period. It is argued that the Santa Claus legend in its revised state enabled the origins of industrial commodities to be displaced, allowing the Victorian middle class to indulge in hedonistic festive consumption without being burdened by anxieties surrounding the true origins of the products they bought. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Today, there is worldwide awareness of the necessity of transition from the traditional, linear model of production and consumption to a circular economy model. This is a complex process that involves various stakeholders. Considering the universities as one of the key stakeholders in accelerating the transformation process of the economy and society towards a circular economy through teaching, research and social activities, in this study we focused on the assessment of the awareness of the circular economy concept among first cycle university students in North Macedonia. This was done through a survey. The questionnaire used as a research instrument followed the knowledge, attitude, behaviour (KAB) structure, as an important instrument used in policy-making decisions in the environmental area. In light of this, in the paper, two questions are answered. Firstly, how is the awareness of the first-cycle university students in North Macedonia regarding the concept of circular economy? Second, how do the knowledge, attitude and behaviour of students in North Macedonia correlate with each other? [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Reports on the release of the trend information regarding the paper recovery and its consumption by the Paper Recycling Promotion Center Japan.

The study delves into how regulated derivatives trading influences economic growth across 21 countries, spanning from 1995 to 2022, encompassing major economies like the USA, UK, India, Brazil, Canada, and Australia. While derivatives markets are often linked with the 2008 financial crisis, our research explores their potential to positively impact the economy through various pathways detailed in the paper. Employing a dynamic panel data model (GMM) mitigates potential endogeneity concerns. Our findings reveal notable insights: we identify a positive association between the expansion of regulated derivatives trading and economic growth, evident in both percentage change and per capita GDP. Additionally, inflation shows a negative correlation with economic growth, while trade openness and fertility rates exhibit positive correlations. Notably, our study uncovers unexpected outcomes, diverging from existing literature, particularly concerning the relationships involving foreign direct investments, gross domestic savings, government consumption expenditure, and economic growth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Galician Journal of Economics / Revista Galega de Economía is the property of Universidad de Santiago de Compostela, Servicio de Publicaciones 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 external business environment exhibits many uncertainties with the continuing changes in technological progress, political environment, and consumption behavior. This has made companies recognize the significance of addressing environmental issues to remain competitive in the modern global market. Thus, much attention is given to the supply chain to ensure environmental factors are considered during supplier selection. However, the process of selecting the right suppliers to enable green supply chain management is proving difficult. This paper presents a novel approach using fuzzy influence diagrams to identify key green supplier selection criteria, combined with multi-criteria decision making to evaluate alternatives. The fuzzy influence diagram derives priority supplier capabilities by modeling interrelationships and uncertainties. The multi-criteria technique then ranks suppliers based on prospect values. A case study of furniture manufacturer supplier selection validates the proposed method. Compared to existing models, this integrated approach reduces subjective weight bias and improves handling of complex criteria dependencies and uncertainties. The results demonstrate state-of-the-art performance in identifying ideal green suppliers. This technique can enhance sustainability efforts across supply chains. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Thorough understanding of user demands and formulation of product development strategies are crucial in product design, and can effectively stimulate consumer behavior. Scientific categorization and classification of demands contribute to accurate design development, design efficiency, and success rates. In recent years, e-commerce has become important consumption platforms for smart wearable products. However, there are few studies on product design and development among those related to promoting platform product services and sales. Meanwhile, design strategies focusing on real consumer needs are scarce among smart wearable product design studies. Therefore, an empirical consumer demand analysis method is proposed and design development strategies are formulated based on a categorized interpretation of demands. Using representative smart bracelets from wearable smart products as a case, this paper classifies consumer demands with three methods: big data semantic analysis, KANO model analysis, and satisfaction analysis. The results reveal that analysis methods proposed herein can effectively classify consumer demands and confirm that differences in consumer demand categories have varying impacts on consumer behavior. On this basis, corresponding design strategies are proposed based on four categories of consumer demands, aiming to make product design the leading factor and promote consumer behavior on e-commerce platforms. This research further enriches demand research on smart wearable products on e-commerce platforms, and optimizes products from a design perspective, thereby promoting consumption. In future research, different data analysis methods will be tried to compare and analyze changes in consumer demands and influencing factors, thus improving research on impact factors of product design in e-commerce. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Letras Verdes is the property of FLACSO - Ecuador (Facultad Latinoamericana de Ciencias Sociales) 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.)

Renewable sources and Distributed Generation (DG) have been generating a growing economic interest given the increase in electricity consumption. For the end consumer, the lower environmental impact, easy-to-install and quick payback are great alternatives to traditional connections. DG growth drives new studies to predict different results in the electrical grid. The IEEE 1547 technical guidelines bring the possibility that in case of any failure that causes a shutdown, the operation is possible through intentional islanding provided by the electrical utility, continuing service, and maintaining customer satisfaction. For a more in-depth analysis of the impacts of this scenario, this paper contributes with a proposal to modify the strategy for identifying possible intentional islanding. A hybrid relay was modeled using passive techniques along with a suggestion for the operation of the newly formed Microgrid (MG), presenting a control philosophy of the regulators connected to the grid or being islanded, the latter defining the functions of the DGs as master–slave. The results obtained by the experiments proved to be excellent when inserting loads while the intentional islanding event occurs, confirming that the model is within the technical guidelines of IEEE 1547. This paper brings exciting conclusions about this operation, and the power quality of the electrical generator in the MG, according to the criteria established by ANEEL's Distribution Procedures Guidelines (PRODIST). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this paper is to explore the short-term economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on the insurance market with particular emphasis on the Western Balkan countries. Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) is an infectious disease caused by a newly discovered coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus). This is a rare event, one we have not seen in 100 years, with major consequences for public health, economics and politics. The decline in purchasing power, the economic downturn, the decline in consumption, the rise in inflation will have a major impact on the development of the insurance market. Demand for insurance products worldwide has declined: whether health, life or non-life. The paper will trace the ability of insurance companies to manage the risks posed by the Covid-19 pandemic. Consumer protection, protection of insurance contracts, investment risk management, solvency risk management and inflationary risk. The complete sample of the work will have the insurance market in the Western Balkans. The paper will be drafted based on statistical, analytical and comparative methods. The insurance market in these countries is small, but enables a study on the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on insurance activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents an assessment of publicly funded health insurance (PFHI) schemes as a measure of social health protection (SHP) in the country. The study uses secondary data from the nationally representative large-scale survey data on household social consumption related to health from three National Sample Survey (NSS) rounds—60 (2004), 71 (2014), and 75 (2017–18). The analysis of PFHI schemes is done on three metrics—population coverage, service coverage, and financial coverage. The analytical framework of the paper is based on the conceptual framework of the universal health coverage (UHC) cube of the World Health Organization (WHO) ("UHC cube" exhibits three dimensions of coverage: i.e., breadth of the cube—the population [who is covered?], depth of the cube—services [which are covered], and height of the cube—cost sharing [what proportion of costs are covered?]). To achieve the long-standing goal of UHC, improvements need to be made across each dimension in order to help fill the cube (Van Leberghe 2008). From the available data on population coverage, the national estimates of PFHI coverage in the country show a limited proportion of rural and urban population being covered in 2017–18. PFHI schemes provide coverage for only selective secondary and tertiary care, and not comprehensive care as per the design of the schemes. Outpatient care including diagnostics, and medicines are not covered under these schemes. High out-of-pocket expenditures (OOPEs) despite PFHI schemes are observed with disproportionately higher expenditures in private hospitals. This raises serious concerns with the direction of public policy that prioritises the national PFHI, PMJAY (Pradhan Mantri Jan Aarogya Yojana) to solve the social health protection (SHP) problem for the workforce of the country. The existing social health insurance ESIS (Employees' State Insurance Scheme) which only covers a small section of the labour force is, however, relatively better in terms of its benefits cover (second arm of the UHC cube) and financial protection (third arm of the UHC cube) as seen in the OOPE per hospitalisation case as compared to PFHI schemes and might offer useful lessons for expanding social security to the country's workforce. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In developing economies, residential energy consumption patterns have rapidly transformed with better energy access and service quality. Unlike other building types, residential buildings are more complex due to wide variations in their consumption patterns influenced by various factors. Researchers have characterised residential building stock based on distinct building archetypes. This paper presents a comprehensive review of relevant published research focusing on the classification of residential buildings based on their energy consumption. This review also focuses on residential archetype studies in the context of building science. The methodologies adopted by different researchers to characterise the energy use of residential building stock using an archetypal approach at different spatial scales (building to city scale and local to national scale) have been critically reviewed in this study. The paper will provide the researchers with a holistic understanding of the current directions and magnitude of ongoing research in this domain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of the paper is to examine the factor that influence the productivity in the EU Member States. In the paper a multi-level analysis was applied. The research showed that the systematic transformation of the economy towards modern branches in favor of the traditional ones caused an increase in productivity. On the other hand, it is impossible to completely replace the former. Hence, the most appropriate direction seems to be a gradual increase in efficiency in underdeveloped sectors of the economy without abandoning them entirely. What is especially interesting, it was found that positive changes in final consumption expenditure of general government negatively affect productivity. Thus, there is a dilemma related to the scope of the impact of fiscal policy and regulations in the economy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Steel demand forecasting is crucial for steel industries, enabling effective production planning, inventory management, resource optimization, and strategic decision-making. This also holds true for steel plant manufacturers, who require insights into future demand trends to assess market potential, evaluate project feasibility, and identify growth regions. This paper addresses the predictability of steel demand across countries and regions worldwide, employing a comparative analysis of linear and non-linear modeling approaches to forecast steel demand per capita. A global model is trained in order to integrate information from diverse countries at varying stages of development, allowing the model to learn from comparable conditions and historical patterns. For each modeling approach hyperparameter tuning and selection of lagged input variables was performed. The performance of different model configurations was evaluated and compared for individual countries. This evaluation reveals that the predictability varies across countries and regions and shows for which countries a simple regression model based on past data is sufficient and for which countries more sophisticated models are needed. The developed models are useful in providing insights into consumption patterns, comparative risk assessment, and development of steel consumption. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Improving energy efficiency in public passenger transport is key to achieving sustainability goals. In many developing countries, public passenger transport relies heavily on fossil fuels, which necessitates a strong focus on reducing emissions from energy consumption. Surprisingly, few studies have addressed this issue in the context of daily operations, with most research focusing on operational and infrastructural changes. This paper aims to fill this gap by introducing detailed energy consumption variables into a public transport simulation model using SUMO, a tool known for its seamless integration with Python. The development of two Python scripts underpins this endeavour. The first script facilitates the automatic generation of scenarios, allowing the manipulation of parameters such as station spacing, line length, passenger capacity and waiting times, among others. The second script is dedicated to estimating energy consumption for each scenario. Together, these tools allow us to calculate average energy consumption for different scenarios and modes of public transport. As a result, they provide valuable insights for the formulation of public policies aimed at saving energy in different public transport environments and lay the foundation for the integration and development of intelligent transport systems and simulation-based digital twins. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, I describe how to conduct a classroom simulation based upon a Participatory Economy. A Participatory Economy is a potential third option for organizing economic activity, one that is neither market based nor centrally planned. Students will take part in an iterative planning procedure as they make production and consumption decisions collectively, inside a one-person-one-vote paradigm. The process is time consuming, but with the direction of this article can be completed in a 50-minute class period. I include student handouts and discussion questions in the appendices. This exercise is valuable not only because it helps students imagine other alternatives to economic organization, but also because it makes explicit the great deal of coordination achieved automatically in a market that is fully cleared. Students usually come away with a deeper understanding of both a participatory economy and a market economy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Nova Economia is the property of Nova Economia 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 cosmetics industry faces significant challenges, particularly in meeting consumer demands for sustainable and eco-friendly products. This article examines how the industry adapts to these demands by focusing on sustainability throughout the product lifecycle, including selecting raw materials, packaging, and marketing strategies. The shift towards sustainability in the cosmetics industry is not merely a response to regulatory pressures but also a strategic move to align with a consumer market that increasingly values authenticity and environmental responsibility. For this purpose, semi-structured in-depth interviews were conducted. The research aimed to identify consumer knowledge regarding sustainability, influence on buying behavior, preference for sustainable packaging, and reaction to marketing efforts, thereby providing insights into consumer engagement with sustainability in the cosmetics industry. This paper provides a detailed analysis of sustainability dynamics in the cosmetics industry, offering valuable insights for individuals and organizations seeking to understand and engage with this evolving domain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In 1984, due to a US Department of Justice antitrust lawsuit, AT&T, the U.S. telecommunications monopoly, split into eight entities, including long-distance and local service providers known as Regional Bell Operating Companies (RBOCs). Vertical integration of suppliers typically benefits consumers by avoiding the issues associated with successive monopolies, where prices may be excessively high. The separation of long-distance and local services by the Department of Justice may seem counterintuitive, potentially driven by concerns over AT&T's size rather than economic rationale. This paper suggests that integrated monopolies have more willingness to build demand rigidity due to an absence of the free-riding problem, leading to higher prices. The implications extend to regulated firms and social media, highlighting the complexity of antitrust actions and their economic consequences on market dynamics and consumer welfare. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In most OECD countries inflation sharply increased since the end of 2021, mostly driven by energy and food prices. Certain categories of households are particularly vulnerable, as they spend large portions of their consumption on energy and food. Drawing on national micro-based household budget survey data, this paper quantifies the impact of rising prices on households' welfare. Declines in household purchasing power between August 2021 and August 2022 are estimated to range from 3% in Japan to 18% in Czechia. This decline is driven by energy prices in most countries, especially Denmark, Italy, and the United Kingdom. In general, inflation weighs relatively more on lower income households. The effects are stronger for rural households, due to energy price inflation. These findings call for a careful targeting of income and price support measures, notwithstanding their administrative and logistical complexity, taking into account their effects on economic activity, inflation, and environmental goals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The main contradictions in Chinese society have changed as China enters a new era, and the people's pursuit of the better life has become more intense. This study explores how energy poverty can be addressed from a digital perspective in the context of the booming digital economy. This study analyzed the impact of mobile phone use on energy poverty by constructing an OLS model using micro data from Tibetan farming and pastoral areas. We also conduct tests for endogeneity, robustness, heterogeneity, and influence mechanisms. The results indicate that mobile phone use has a significant negative impact on energy poverty, and the results remain robust after instrumental-variable regression. In terms of economic utility, mobile phone use reduces energy poverty by increasing household consumption or off-farm income. In terms of social utility, mobile phone use can also alleviate energy poverty by raising social capital. Heterogeneity analysis shows that mobile phone use contributes to energy poverty alleviation in a way that benefits the poor and the less educated. The authors investigate the impact of mobile phone use on Energy Poverty, a topic that has previously been little addressed in academia. The findings of this paper enrich the literature on the digital technology and energy poverty and provide a new perspective for alleviating energy poverty in rural areas and improving farmers' well-being. Finally, this paper offers some policy recommendations. • The use of mobile phones by farmers and herdsmen can alleviate energy poverty. • mobile phone use contributes to energy poverty alleviation in ways that benefit the poor and the less educated. • The social and economic utility brought by the use of mobile phones can help farmers and herdsmen alleviate energy poverty. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For sustainable manufacturing activities, industries that use 6-DOF industrial robots (IR) should consider the energy efficiency of their IR. For example, it has been estimated that on average 8% of the total energy consumption in the vehicles' lifecycle production is consumed by the robots (electrical energy). Nevertheless, IR are used for different tasks such as material handling, assembly, painting, welding, etc., and plays a fundamental role in industries nowadays. In this paper, an energy consumption model is implemented to optimize the energy consumption of a 6-DOF IR. In this paper, the UR5e has been used. For energy optimization, an iterative approach has been proposed, whereby the programmer optimizes the trajectory by rechecking the energy consumption produced by certain joint configurations. The results show different power consumptions for different configurations from which the programmer can use an adequate configuration that allows the execution of the task. The iterative approach is applicable to a serial kinematic robot arm with n-DOF. (free space) (14 pt). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper addresses the conundrum of optimizing electricity consumption patterns in response to fluctuations in demand and price, a task managed by both load aggregators and the distribution system operator (DSO). The conventional approaches in the literature to integrate demand response (DR) into optimal power flow (OPF) problems typically overlook the price responsiveness of consumers or simplify power flow equations to account for price-elastic demand. In this paper, we strive to close this gap by introducing a bi-level primal-dual optimization framework that incorporates aggregators' objectives into the market-clearing process while preserving the precision of the OPF equations. At the upper level, the model seeks to minimize both the total payment and peak load. The lower level, structured as a second-order conic (SOC) problem, aims to reduce overall generation costs subject to constraints of the second-order conic (SOC) branch flow model (BFM). The two levels interact through the optimal demand response and distribution locational marginal prices (DLMPs). The principles of convex duality principles together with the strong duality constraint are leveraged to transform the market-clearing problem into a single primal-dual problem. We also circumvent the non-linearity that stems from the DR payment term by incorporating discretizing loads and the big- M method, thus converting the problem into a mixed-integer SOC (MI-SOC) formulation. The merits of the proposed MI-SOC framework are validated through case studies conducted on the IEEE 33-bus test system, showcasing its potential to enforce price-elasticity demand response in distribution system's electricity markets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explores the intersection of the new media of webcomics and the Webtoon webcomic, 'Lore Olympus' (2018-) which is Rachel Smythe's adaptation of classical Greek mythology, and its effect on the consumption of public knowledge about antiquity. 'Lore Olympus' is a modern re-telling of the Abduction of Persephone myth, where the gods, goddesses, and mythical creatures reside in a modern era setting and the human world is still set in the ancient Greek past. The webcomic currently has over three million subscribers. This paper argues that 'Lore Olympus'' popularity can be attributed to at least three key factors: the accessibility within the medium of webcomics and its open-access platforms, Smythe's artistic style that makes it memorable and visually eye-catching, and the webcomic's relatability to its modern readers by including conversations of contemporary social issues including mental health and rape culture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]