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Our paper presents the first optimal analytical solution for an investor maximizing both consumption and terminal wealth within expected utility theory in the realm of GARCH models. Working in a general family of affine GARCH models, we derive an affine GARCH optimal wealth process, providing analytical representations for optimal allocation, consumption and value functions. In particular, the optimal consumption ratio avoids the undesirable scenario of investors consuming all wealth prior to maturity. Our numerical study highlights the importance of formally accounting for consumption as it disrupts the level of optimal risky allocations. It also shows a larger impact of stochastic conditional variance (heteroscedasticity) on risky allocations in comparison to the impact of non-Gaussianity. We find, in a numerical study based on S&P 500 index data over a 5-years horizon, that an investor following a Gaussian GARCH strategy can achieve 10% more total consumption and at the same time 8% more terminal wealth than another investor following a constant variance (homoscedastic) strategy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Social media live streaming, in the form of live video and user stories, is widely used by influencers, organisations and individuals to connect with their audiences. Its popularity is well-established in a range of theoretical and managerial contexts. However, there is a lack of scholarship on the role of this phenomenon on consumer decision-making. Filling this gap in the research is essential due to the importance of consumer decision-making in marketing and brand strategy development in organisations. Therefore, the purpose of this paper is to explore and outline the nature of the influence of live stream on the consumer decision-making. The study was part of a 12-month Netnography consisting of participant observation and social media monitoring of brand pages and branded hashtags on social media platforms, Facebook, YouTube, Twitter and Instagram. A thematic analysis revealed five main themes and a conceptual model is proposed which outlines the social media live stream's influence on consumer decision-making at each stage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Functional foods and drinks benefit human health beyond adequate nutritional effects. The rising popularity of functional beverages (FBs) is associated, among others, with their convenience and capacity to meet consumer needs. This research study aimed to explore the predictors of consumers' intentions toward functional beverages FBs and develop guidelines for how producers and retailers could develop adequate strategies regarding the products. The online questionnaire survey examined consumers' willingness to purchase (WTP) FBs in three categories: (i) yogurts, kefirs; (ii) isotonic, hypertonic, and hypotonic drinks; (iii) smoothie drinks, and fruit/vegetable cocktails. The questionnaire considered consumers' values, attitudes, and intentions toward FBs. A four-stage hierarchical multiple regression was undertaken. Predictors of WTP products from the selected groups differed. Women were more willing to buy fruit and vegetable-based FBs than men. Reward from using functional foods was the strongest predictor of consumers' WTP dairy FBs and sports drinks. We suggest conducting an experimental study in the future, which should allow us to best determine cause-and-effect relationships between values and attitudes and WTP FBs. Food habits are essential determinants of consumer intentions toward FBs; hence, we suggest promoting healthy nutrition habits within public–private partnerships. Retailers that offer health foods and employ societal retailing may disclose this information in sustainability reporting. The originality of this study resides in designing a model for assessing consumers' attitudes and intentions toward FBs belonging to three selected categories. Previous studies were usually focused on the functional food market in Asian countries. We examined consumers' WTP FBs in a European country. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper studies the effect of transfer programs on the allocation of resources among household members. Based on a collective household model and data from Ecuador, I find important intra-household inequalities, but the transfer produces resource redistribution among household members. Unlike existing approaches, I also employ a framework that accounts for other household structures, finding that transfers impact resource allocation in extended households with children. I validate the main findings using experimental data and document that in-kind transfers are comparable to cash transfers in improving the within-household redistribution of resources. I further examine the potential implications of this reallocation of resources in several domains and find that transfers increase women's control of resources and reduce women's poverty. I also show that changes in women's control of resources driven by the transfer affect the household's consumption patterns and how households react to unexpected shocks. These results contribute to understanding better the redistributive and behavioral effects of income support programs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

When steel is smelted in electric arc furnaces, and during its subsequent treatment in ladle-furnace units, a significant amount of power is required. This power is supplied through the use of graphitized electrodes, which are pivotal for achieving the required temperatures. However, these electrodes are costly, significantly affecting the overall production costs. Therefore, efforts to reduce the cost of steel by minimizing the consumption of graphitized electrodes are crucial for metallurgists. The primary factor influencing the consumption rate of these electrodes is their surface oxidation by oxygen present in the furnace atmosphere. Recent studies have shown that a magnesium hydroxide-based coating can significantly mitigate this issue. When applied to the surface of graphitized electrodes, this coating was shown to reduce their weight loss by 30–40% at the test temperature in an oxidizing atmosphere. Notably, as the temperature increases, so does the benefit of this weight loss reduction. The efficacy of the tested can be attributed to its unique properties. Upon application to a graphitized electrode's surface, the coating material penetrates deeply into the pores, effectively sealing them and forming a protecting layer over the surface. As the temperature rises, water within the coating evaporates, leaving behind a highly adhesive residue. At 350 °C, the Mg(OH)2 in the coating decomposes to form MgO, which has a melting point of 2850 °C. This results in a high-density coating that acts as a barrier against atmospheric oxygen, thereby significantly slowing down the rate of graphite oxidation in the electrodes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Urban water-energy demand is an important basic data for urban engineering planning, design and management. Making full use of multi-source data and prior knowledge to quickly and economically obtain high-precision urban water-energy demand are of great significance to the optimal allocation of sustainable urban water-energy supply. In order to accurately forecast the future urban water-energy demand, this study took Addis Ababa City as a research area to forecast the water-energy demand of the city from 2020 to 2050. Aiming at the oscillating characteristics of the urban water-energy demand sequence and the over-fitting problem of prediction models, this study proposed the linear mathematical regression algorithm model. Urbanization drivers such as population (POP), gross domestic product (GDP) and per capita income (PCI) were explored to determine the water-energy consumption, or demand. Technologies based water-energy delivery efficiency, which is one of urbanization driver, was also considered to forecast the electric energy and water demand. This study adopted a linear model using data-mining approach, which is used to associate the historical water-energy consumption with the POP, GDP and PCI growth scenarios in order to address the water-energy consumptions. Overall, the total water-energy demand is projected to increase by 65% for water supply and 120% energy in 2030 and by 365% for water supply and 700% energy in 2050 from the baseline period of 2020 because the increase in the water-energy urbanization drivers mainly the POP, GDP, and PCI. For the water-energy demand forecast, the model's performance was assessed in order to correctly pinpoint the most significant urbanization drivers. This has been done to help planners and policymakers think about sustainable water-energy supply with a better understanding and more thorough insights. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Antibiotic residues are widely recognized as major pollutants in the aquatic environment on a global scale. As a significant class of pharmaceutically active compounds (PhACs), antibiotics are extensively consumed worldwide. The primary sources of these residues include hospitals, municipal sewage, household disposal, and manures from animal husbandry. These residues are frequently detected in surface and drinking waters, sewage effluents, soils, sediments, and various plant species in countries such as China, Japan, South Korea, Europe, the USA, Canada, and India. Antibiotics are used medicinally in both humans and animals, with a substantial portion excreted into the environment as metabolites in feces and urine. With the advancement of sensitive and quantitative analytical techniques, antibiotics are consistently reported in environmental matrices at concentrations ranging from nanograms per liter (ng/L) to milligrams per liter (mg/L). Agricultural soils, in particular, serve as a significant reservoir for antibiotic residues due to their strong particle adsorption capacities. Plants grown in soils irrigated with PhAC-contaminated water can uptake and accumulate these pharmaceuticals in various tissues, such as roots, leaves, and fruits, raising serious concerns regarding their consumption by humans and animals. There is an increasing need for research to understand the potential human health risks associated with the accumulation of antibiotics in the food chain. The present reviews aims to shed light on the rising environmental pharmaceutical contamination concerns, their sources in the environment, and the potential health risks as well as remediation effort. To discuss the main knowledge gaps and the future research that should be prioritized to achieve the risk assessment. We examined and summarized the available data and information on the antibiotic resistance associated with antibiotic residues in the environment. As studies have indicated that vegetables can absorb, transport, and accumulate antibiotics in edible parts when irrigated with wastewater that is either inadequately treated or untreated. These residues and their metabolites can enter the food chain, with their persistence, bioaccumulation, and toxicity contributing to drug resistance and adverse health effects in living organisms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Argentina is among the 20 largest seafood producing countries in the world, with an annual fish capture of about 800,000 tons. However, national annual fish consumption is low, about 5 kg per capita, and the domestic seafood market is little known. The objective of this study was to contribute to the characterization of seafood in the Argentine market. Monthly landings, presence at points of sale and prices of seafood were analyzed. The seafood data were gathered from official statistics of the Undersecretariat of Fisheries and Aquaculture, statistics from the Central Market of Buenos Aires and surveys conducted in fish shops in the city of Mar del Plata. Based on the monthly seasonal index (SI), price variations throughout the year were studied. Likewise, relative fish prices were determined by using as unit the price of Argentine hake (Merluccius hubbsi), which is the most consumed fish in the country. This study identified the marine species most present in the domestic market and their prices. The presence of the different fish species at the points of sale could not be directly associated with their landing seasons. There was also no direct link between fish prices and quantities landed. No significant seasonal fluctuations in prices were found on seafood products (SI = 90–110), with the exception of hake fillet (SI = 80–113). Many finfishes had a price peak during Easter week. Overall, price patterns suggest that seafood prices in Argentina are mainly determined by demand rather than supply. Further research on seafood traceability and fish consumption is needed to advance the understanding of the seafood market in Argentina. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

After nearly two hundred years of continuous occupation, the Spanish port town of St. Augustine, Florida, came under British control in 1763. With the arrival of the new regime, noticeable changes occurred in the colony, including the mass exodus of Spanish residents and a new emphasis on plantation agriculture as in other areas of British America. Yet, Florida's "British Period" lasted only until 1784, and this article examines the evidence for it in St. Augustine collections at the Florida Museum of Natural History. Vessel form analysis of ceramics from four different sites in the city are compared to both Spanish St. Augustine and the nearby British urban center of Charleston to understand the material signatures of these two different colonial societies. By building an analytical focus on ceramics through the lens of consumption, the meaning of the archaeological trends is considered through questions of identity and colonialism in a more marginal locale in the British Atlantic world. Given that the British St. Augustine assemblages shared similarities, and all had distinctly "British" ceramics, their use in facilitating shared dining practices that formed social identities in the newly formed colony is further examined in local documents. Examining how material culture functioned in the social performances of dining practices in British St. Augustine can distinguish how mass-produced goods were made meaningful in different colonial societies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is adaptive to restrict eating under uncertainty, such as during habituation to novel foods and unfamiliar environments. However, sustained restrictive eating can become maladaptive. Currently, the neural substrates of restrictive eating are poorly understood. Using a model of feeding avoidance under novelty, our recent study identified forebrain activation patterns and found evidence that the central nucleus of the amygdala (CEA) is a core integrating node. The current study analyzed the activity of CEA inputs in male and female rats to determine if specific pathways are recruited during feeding under novelty. Recruitment of direct inputs from the paraventricular nucleus of the thalamus (PVT), the infralimbic cortex (ILA), the agranular insular cortex (AI), the hippocampal ventral field CA1, and the bed nucleus of the stria terminals (BST) was assessed with combined retrograde tract tracing and Fos induction analysis. The study found that during consumption of a novel food in a novel environment, larger number of neurons within the PVTp and the CA1 that send monosynaptic inputs to the CEA were recruited compared to controls that consumed familiar food in a familiar environment. The ILA, AI, and BST inputs to the CEA were similarly recruited across conditions. There were no sex differences in activation of any of the pathways analyzed. These results suggest that the PVTp-CEA and CA1-CEA pathways underlie feeding inhibition during novelty and could be potential sites of malfunction in excessive food avoidance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although lethal interactions between wolves and other apex carnivores have been reported for a handful of species, the killing or consumption of wolves by free-ranging golden eagles has rarely been reported. Here, we present four opportunistic field observations documenting the consumption of a wolf pup by free-ranging golden eagles and predatory behavior of eagles towards wolf pups. Although we could not confirm the killing and consumption of wolves by eagles in a single predatory event, actual predation seems plausible based on our observations. We hypothesize that these intraguild apex predators' interactions, consisting on a smaller raptor predator attacking or consuming a lager mammal and social predator, are rare events, but provide valuable information on potential relationships across keystone apex predators. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

From 1982–1990 to 2006–2010 in the western part of the Bering Sea biomass of the walleye pollock Gadus chalcogrammus decreased by almost an order of magnitude, from 7.2 to 0.7 million tons. However, in the last decade (2011–2020) its biomass increased to the long-term average value (4.0 million tons). In the eastern part of the sea, the pollock biomass dynamics was of the wave-like nature with the highest value in 1982–1990 and the lowest, in 2006–2010. The food spectrum of the walleye pollock is wide and includes 16 taxonomic groups of aquatic organisms. The main part of average annual food mass consumed by pollock in the Bering Sea in 1982–2020 consisted of zooplankton (74.1%). During different study periods, annual feed consumption varied from 91.1 to 373.0 (average 239.3) million tons per year. Significant fluctuations in the volume of food consumed are mainly associated with the dynamics of the species' biomass. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper analyses the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on household disposable income and household demand in the European Union (EU) during 2020, making use of the EU microsimulation model EUROMOD and nowcasting techniques. We show evidence of heterogeneity in the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the labour markets in EU Member States, with some countries hit substantially harder than others. Most EU Member States experience a large drop in market incomes, with poorer households bearing the brunt. Tax-benefit systems cushioned significantly the transmission of the shock to the disposable income and the household demand, with monetary compensation schemes playing a major role. Additionally, we show that monetary compensation schemes prevent a significant share of households from becoming liquidity constrained during the pandemic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Macrolophus caliginosus Wagner is one of the most important polyphagous predatory mirid bug that attack many agriculture insect pests. Methods: The present study was carried out to show the effect of different prey stages as Tuta absoluta (eggs and fourth larval stage), Bemisia tabaci (eggs and three nymph stages) and Aphids gossypii (1st nymph stage) on the life cycle and consumption rate of male and females of M. caliginosus as predator under laboratory condition. The experiments were started by collecting the first stage of M. caliginosus nymph and placed separately on acalypha plants situated on saturated cotton pads inside Petri dishes with an excess of each prey. Results: The results showed that the developmental period of the total immature stages of M. caliginosus female are affected by type and stage of tested prey. So, the duration of larval stages of female was significantly recorded the longest in case of feeding on eggs of T. absoluta compare to 1st nymph of A. gossypii. In addition to extension the adult longevity of female M. caliginosus, which fed on the 1st nymphal instar of B. tabaci more than the other pests. The consumption rate of total immature stages and adult M. caliginosus female were fed on eggs of B. tabaci was more than the other test pests. While the consumption rate of total immature stages and adult of male M. caliginosus were fed on eggs of B. tabaci was higher than that of the other pests. Conclusions: The search was given the highlight focus on ability of mirid bugs to consume different insect species "stages" that might be facilitate rear predatory bugs under laboratory condition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Building energy consumption in China accounts for 45% of the total national energy consumption, with air conditioning energy consumption representing approximately two-thirds of that. Therefore, energy efficiency in buildings is of utmost importance. This study focuses on a chemical industrial park located along the Fujiang River and compares three heating and cooling supply schemes: the river water source heat pump system, which utilizes river water as the heat source and heat sink; the water cooling unit and boiler system, which uses water-cooled electric compression chillers for cooling and an oil-fired boiler system for heating; and the split air conditioning and gas water heater scheme, which relies on refrigerants such as fluorine-containing compounds for cooling and a gas water heater for heating. By calculating the energy consumption of the above three schemes and conducting a comparative analysis, it is found that the river water source heat pump system exhibits significantly higher energy efficiency throughout the year compared to the water cooling unit and boiler system and the split air conditioning and gas water heater scheme. This highlights the notable energy efficiency advantage of the river water source heat pump system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The use of plant-based products in healthcare systems has experienced a tremendous rise leading to a substantial increase in global demand. However, the quality and effectiveness of such plant-based treatments are often affected due to contamination of various pollutants including polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). Like other plants, medicinal plants also uptake and accumulate PAHs when exposed to a contaminated environment. The consumption of such medicinal plants and/or plant-based products causes negative effects on health rather than providing any therapeutic advantages. Unfortunately, research focusing on PAH accumulation in medicinal plants has received very limited attention. This review discusses a sizable number of literature regarding the concentration of sixteen priority PAH pollutants as recognised by the US Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) in different medicinal plants. The review also highlights the risk assessment of cancer associated with some medicinal plants in terms of benzo[a]pyrene (BaP) equivalent concentrations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Focusing on EU countries, we analyze the influence of immigration flows on the demand for different aggregate categories of final consumption goods. Using the cross-country heterogeneity in immigration flows and preference structures, we find that when people move from a country to another, the sectoral preferences characterizing the origin country affect the preference structure of the host country. Furthermore, we find evidence that the transmission mechanism is reinforced by both the intensity of the immigration flows and the share of immigrants already living in the host country, suggesting a higher propensity to assimilate different consumption standards in more pluralistic countries. Our contribution is twofold. First, differently from most of the literature that analyzes the supply-side consequences of immigration, this study focuses on the impact of immigration on the demand side at the aggregate level. Second, we show that sectoral consumer preferences, even if elicited only residually, represent aggregate variables that can be transferred across countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wastewater-based epidemiology (WBE) has become an objective and updated surveillance strategy for monitoring and estimating consumption trends of psychoactive substances (PSs) in the population. Firstly, magnetic shrimp shell biochar-based adsorbent (DZMBC) was synthesized and employed for extraction trace PSs from municipal wastewater. Proper pyrolysis temperature and increased KOH activator content favored the pore structure and surface area, thus facilitating extraction. DZMBC delivered exceptional extraction performance such as pH stability, anti-interference property, fast magnetic separation ability, reusability, and reproducibility. Then, a method based on magnetic solid-phase extraction (MSPE) followed by ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC–MS/MS) was developed, validated, and utilized for the quantitative determination of five PSs in real wastewater samples. Methodological validation results indicated a favorable linearity, low method limits of detection (1.00–4.75 ng/L), and good precisions (intra-day and inter-day relative standard deviations < 4.8%). Finally, an objective snapshot of Chongqing drug use and consumption pattern was obtained. Methamphetamine (MAMP) and 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) were the prevalent illegal drugs in local. Both concentrations and per capita consumption of MDMA displayed a change (P < 0.05) between July and September, while no statistical differences were observed for each week. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the present work we investigate an optimal control problem related to the following chemotaxis-consumption model in a bounded domain Ω ⊂ R 3 : ∂ t u - Δ u = - ∇ · (u ∇ v) , ∂ t v - Δ v = - u s v + f v 1 Ω c , with s ≥ 1 , endowed with isolated boundary conditions and initial conditions for (u, v), being u the cell density, v the chemical concentration and f the control acting in the v-equation through the bilinear term f v 1 Ω c , in a subdomain Ω c ⊂ Ω . We address the existence of optimal control restricted to a weak solution setting, where, in particular, uniqueness of state (u, v) given a control f is not clear. Then by considering weak solutions satisfying an adequate energy inequality, we prove the existence of optimal control subject to uniformly bounded controls. Finally, we discuss the relation between the considered control problem and two other related ones, where the existence of optimal solution can not be proved. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper compares the effects of two different health taxes on soda consumption and the body mass index (BMI) of school children in Europe. Hungary imposed a comprehensive tax on several unhealthy products in 2011. In contrast, France introduced a tax on sodas with sugar or artificial sweeteners, in 2012. To evaluate these taxation designs, I use a flexible semi-parametric difference-in-differences (DID) approach. The results suggest a counter-intuitive increase in soda consumption caused by the tax in Hungary. The effect of the soda tax on soda consumption in France is insignificant. The BMI is not affected by any tax. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Across various markets, consumers rely on brokers to help them select goods. How do brokers shape consumers' valuation? We address this question by drawing from two independent but analogous ethnographies of brokerage and purchasing in the New York housing market and the New York art market. Building upon the relational turn in economic sociology, we identify the interlocking mechanisms by which brokers influence valuation in face-to-face interaction: Brokers (1) build trust by establishing rapport and displaying expertise, (2) prepare consumers to purchase by priming the consumption setting so that consumers compare a specified set of goods and experience urgency, and (3) posit matches between consumers and products, relying on demographic and cultural characteristics of consumers to complete transactions. Our novel theorization of brokerage has broader implications for understanding valuation and consumption. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The need to expand the functionality of systems for monitoring the parameters of the flow of liquid media is substantiated. This article presents the advantages of using meters based on nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) to control the parameters of the flow of liquid media. This paper also aims to solve the problems that arise during the operation of NMR flowmeters-relaxometers in two measurement modes (i.e., pulse mode and mode with periodic modulation of the magnetic field in the NMR signal recording system). Notably, the main problem in the operation of these devices is associated with an increase in the error in measuring liquid flow or the termination of its measurement process with rapid changes in liquid flow. The use of a magnetic mark mode, which helps solve the aforementioned problem, significantly limits the possibilities of using NMR flowmeters-relaxometers when used to monitor the parameters of liquid media or with a large increase in the flowing medium temperature. A method for creating a magnetic mark at the noise level for measuring liquid flow is proposed. In this method, changing the composition of the flowing medium or replacing the liquid does not have a significant effect on the formation of a magnetic mark at the noise level in a strong inhomogeneous magnetic field (i.e., the noise amplitude is several times higher than the signal amplitude). The results of experimental studies of the nutation line from changes in the magnetic field gradient are presented. A mathematical model based on the modified Bloch equations is developed, and the relationships between the magnetic field parameters are established to implement the magnetic mark mode in the NMR signal with magnetization inversion at the noise level. The proposed method ensures that the influence of rapid changes in the value of liquid flow (by a factor of 10 or more) on the flow measurement error is insignificant. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research brings together insights from philosophy, political theory, and consumer research in conceptualizing and empirically examining the social dimension of negative and positive freedom in consumption. Drawing from ethnographic observations and interviews with Moroccan women regarding their shopping at the supermarket, the findings detail the roles of husbands, store employees, extended family members and friends as constrainer, protector, enabler, facilitator, indulger, and witness. The discussion explains a 'domino effect' in such innovative marketplaces, as these market and social actors together enact positive and negative forms of freedom in consumption in ways that co-disrupt social traditions. Implications for business ethics emphasize the need for greater theoretical understanding and practical transparency and accountability regarding the shared, yet disparate responsibilities among businesses and consumers for the changes to social traditions that result in the joint enactment of women's freedom in consumption. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tropical forests are rapidly disappearing due to the expansion of cash crops to meet demands from distant markets. Pressing concerns on deforestation impacts resulting from the global trade of tropical commodities have led some high-income countries' governments to consider diverse regulatory and trade levers to tackle the problem. These include proposals for new supply chain due diligence legislation concerning imports of forest-risk products and the inclusion of environmental measures in trade deals. To contribute to this debate, we conducted a comprehensive analysis of existing data on global trade and consumption patterns of tropical commodities, attribution of commodity production to deforestation, trade agreements, and progress in the implementation of crop sustainability standards. We used global data on key tropical commodities of oil palm, cocoa, and coffee. Our study shows that high-income countries have the highest per capita consumption for the three commodities evaluated and that consumption rates have dramatically increased in the last two decades. We discuss a range of measures that can potentially be required to tackle deforestation in global supply chains, which are currently being considered by policymakers, before discussing the kinds of post-growth, convivial approaches that are often excluded by the framing. Given the inherent expansionary nature of global market dynamics, we show that market-based initiatives are inadequate to tackle continuing deforestation and socio-ecological degradation. More transformative solutions amplify commoning and post-growth approaches are required to lead to some uncoupling of trade and territorialising of economic activity to fit within planetary boundaries and allow for plural values. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We analyze, using the micro data of the Household Financial Survey (HFS) of the Bank of Spain, the consumption consequences of the household balance sheets and debt accumulation during the real estate bubble of 2002–2005, the Great Recession (2008–2011) and the subsequent economic recovery phase (2014–2017). Using quantile regression models, we find heterogeneity in household consumption behavior with respect to income and net worth levels, and in response to changes in household net worth in the last two periods. During the considered real estate bubble period, this heterogeneity in behavior is diminished, and only occurs in relation to the level of net wealth, in line with Hyman Minsky's Paradox of Tranquility. These findings favor the post-Keynesian theory on consumption. The greater inequality leads to a higher propensity of certain households to consume in response to changes in housing and financial net worth. This is compatible with the relative income hypothesis extended in expenditure cascades models. Otherwise, households will be willing to take on more risk during economic boom periods associated with a real estate bubble, which translates into debt-financed consumption that virtually makes such heterogeneity practically disappear. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Previous studies mainly focused on linear models to examine the relationship between price changes, income changes, and consumption expenditures. However, the recent literature supports the nonlinear relationship between economic and financial variables. This study contributes to the existing literature using a novel approach called the nonlinear ARDL model. This model helps to examine the effect of positive and negative shocks in income and price changes on consumption expenditures. Based on the nonlinear ARDL model, the findings indicate that an increase in income significantly and positively affects household consumption expenditures in the short and long run. In contrast, a decrease in income does not significantly affect consumption. Likewise, price changes are unimportant in explaining the changes in consumption expenditures in the selected countries. Therefore, our findings support the use of this novel technique to examine the nonlinear nature of the relationship among the given variables. These findings provide important policy implications concerning the positive and negative shocks of the exogenous variables on the dependent variables implying that devising the same policies during increasing and decreasing income and prices may lead to unfavorable consequences that hamper economic growth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aquatic animals are very precious to humans because they provide food sources. In order to satisfy the growing demand for food over the past few decades, there has been a significant rise in the widespread application of pesticides. Surface runoff transports pesticide residues into the aquatic environment, where they pose a threat to the plants and animals that live there. The rise in the human population is accompanied by an accompanying rise in the toxicity of pesticides. The toxicity of pesticides causes damage to the aquatic food chain by decreasing the amount of oxygen that is dissolved in water bodies and contaminating the water. The contaminated water causes harm to the algal component, plankton, and benthos, which in turn causes harm to the water quality and fish diversity. Additionally, the polluted water reduces the abundance of aquatic species. This assessment places particular emphasis on the influence that pesticides have on the quality of water and the biodiversity of aquatic environments. All aquatic organisms, and fish species in particular, are extremely vulnerable to the toxicity of pesticides. Organs such as the liver, kidneys, and gills, as well as the nervous system, are the primary targets of the toxic effects that pesticides have on fish. Because humans use fish species for food, exposure to pesticides can cause a variety of health problems. The primary objective of this study is to draw conclusions regarding the effect that the application of pesticides had on the aquatic ecosystem as well as biodiversity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The features and trends of coal mining in the east of Russia are examined. The current and planned managerial decisions connected with coal production and supplies to competitive markets are analyzed. The coal products are ROM fuel, concentrate and middlings. The authors discuss approaches to effective mining and processing management within the chains of supplies, and to provision of the required quality of solid fuel produced and delivered to customers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The idea that not all types of consumption benefit well-being is not new. However, its recent formalization within the framework of the behavioral and social sciences has led to a rapid expansion of knowledge about the goods that are most effective in increasing happiness. Most evidence has been obtained from the developed world and with a focus on broad categories that ignore meaningful heterogeneities. This paper contributes to this domain by conducting a detailed analysis of the relationship that happiness has with a variety of market goods and with aggregate measures of purchasing power. We do this using the data of Ecuador, a country characterized by a relational-oriented culture, high collectivist values, structural inequalities, and weak political institutions. Throughout the paper, we tested various hypotheses related to this particular context. The results show that consumption is superior to income as a predictor of happiness. Higher levels of happiness can also be seen among people who spend more on relational and time-saving goods; less on health and alcohol; and own a good quality of dwelling. As for basic goods, some seem beneficial in the whole sample analysis, but they exhibit a stronger relationship with happiness among the poor. Additionally, we find that, in most cases, public goods as well as paying taxes correlate negatively with happiness. Moreover, we identify some heterogeneities that shed light on the behavior of the poor and that reflect unequal distribution of household tasks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The sharing economy is established as a new economy in the digital era. Many reviews on the sharing economy avail, but none, to date, has shed enough light to illuminate understanding pertaining to the similar and dissimilar characteristics of consumers and producers in the sharing economy. To address this gap, this paper aims to provide a one-stop, state-of-the-art overview of existing research on the sharing economy through the lens of consumers and producers. To do so, this paper conducts a systematic review of 148 articles on the sharing economy identified through the snowballing technique and organized using the antecedents, decisions, and outcomes (ADO) and theories, contexts, and methods (TCM) frameworks. In doing so, this paper unpacks the trust, personal, economic, social, entrepreneurial, environmental, legal, and technological factors that impact on behavioural performance, loyalty, and impact factors among consumers and producers in the sharing economy. Finally, this paper also reveals the theories, contexts, and methods that avail for sharing economy research, as well as the potentially fruitful directions for future research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We study the effect of within-household mortality on the evolution of household per capita consumption. Relying on a panel survey of Mexican households, we find that these households were capable of perfectly smoothing the shock into their consumption caused by the death of a household member. Our findings indicate that a household's ability to smooth consumption depends neither on the characteristics of the deceased household member nor on the income of a particular household. We find no clear temporal pattern in the evolution of the shock caused by within-household mortality. Our results provide strong support for the hypothesis that the evolution of household consumption is not affected by within-household mortality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The broad mite, Polyphagotarsonemus latus (Banks) (Acari: Tarsonemidae), is a cosmopolitan pest that infests many greenhouse crops. Biological control is an important way to control P. latus, with predatory mites being the most widely used natural enemies of this pest. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the capabilities of three native phytoseiids in China (Neoseiulus californicus, Neoseiulus barkeri and Amblyseius orientalis) in controlling P. latus, using Amblyseius swirskii as a control, a commercial biocontrol agent of this pest widely used in Europe. Consumption, development, and reproduction of the four species when fed with P. latus were assessed, and their life table parameters were estimated and compared. Among the three native species, A. orientalis has the highest consumption rate of P. latus (29.0 per day), the shortest developmental duration (5.3 days), and the highest cumulative fecundity (13.5 eggs/female). Overall, its intrinsic rate of increase (rm) is 0.12, comparable to that of A. swirskii. Among the three candidates, A. orientalis is the only one whose population increase might be expected when fed with P. latus. Therefore, we propose A. orientalis to be a potential biocontrol agent for this pest in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An experiment was set up to estimate the rate of zooplankton consumption by the three-spined stickleback Gasterosteus aculeatus (Linnaeus, 1758) at different predatordensities. A differential equation describes the dynamics of zooplankton abundance depending on duration of predator feeding. The derived function accurately characterizes the rate of zooplankton consumption by stickleback in the experiment, demonstrating a good agreement between the theoretical prerequisites and the experimental results. The relationship between changing a number of victims during predation, its mortality and consumption rate was revealed. The hypothesis ofconsumption rate proportionalto the number of predators was tested. A comparative analysis of ingestion rate as a function of time and a function of prey density was performed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Glyphosate has become the most widely used herbicide in recent decades in Japan and worldwide. As a result, glyphosate was found in abundance in surface waters and concerns have been made on its environmental and health effects. The temporal use of glyphosate-based herbicides in Japan between 1989 and 2019 was examined. Furthermore, glyphosate concentrations in river water around Japan were obtained from the National Institute of Environmental Studies database, and risk evaluations for glyphosate were made using risk quotients and hazard quotients. Annual use of glyphosate-based herbicides in Japan has gradually increased over the last four decades, from 1989 to 2019. During this time span, the largest yearly consumption of glyphosate-based herbicides (6161.09 tons/year) was in 2018 and the lowest was (45.95 ton/year) in 1989. Among the prefectures, Hokkaido had the largest total amount of glyphosate-based herbicides used from 1989 to 2019, while Nara had the lowest. According to the ecotoxicological and health risk assessments, glyphosate posed modest threats to the Japanese aquatic environment and human health. However, the lack of frequent monitoring of glyphosate-based herbicides in surface water and the continued use of glyphosphate in Japan in high concentrations may pose significant dangers to aquatic organisms and human health, implying that these concerns should be reviewed on a regular basis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We investigate the impact of the universal stimulus payments (100–350 thousand KRW per person) distributed by the largest Korean province of Gyeonggi during the COVID-19 pandemic on household consumption using large-scale credit and debit card data from Korea Credit Bureau. As the neighboring Incheon metropolitan city did not distribute stimulus payments, we employ a difference-in-difference approach and find that the stimulus payments increased monthly consumption per person by approximately 30 thousand KRW within the first 20 days. The overall marginal propensity to consume (MPC) of the payments was approximately 0.40 for single families. The MPC decreased from 0.58 to 0.36 as the transfer size increased from 100–150 to 300–350 thousand KRW. We also found that the effects of universal payments were very heterogeneous across different groups of people. The MPC for liquidity-constrained households, which account for 8% of all households, was close to one, but the MPCs of the other household groups were not significantly different from zero. The unconditional quantile treatment effect estimates reveal that there was a positive and significant increase in monthly consumption only in the lower part of the distribution below the median. Our results show that a more targeted approach may more efficiently achieve the policy goal of boosting aggregate demand. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We estimate the relationship between household mortgage debt and consumption for the period 2006 to 2015. Using Dutch administrative data, we find that the average consumption of households with high mortgage debt prior to the financial crisis has decreased much more during the crisis than that of other households. We also find that the willingness or ability among households to use new mortgage debt to finance one-off high consumption decreased during the crisis. On the macro-level, the drop in Dutch consumption during the financial crisis is predominantly driven by households who were already in high debt. They are responsible for a 7 percentage points drop in macro-consumption at the worst point of the financial crisis. Within this group, the drop in consumption of households with negative home equity explains 6 percentage point of the total drop in macro-consumption. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The history of retailing has become an area of growing scholarly interest over the last few decades, with publications mainly concerning the national historiography of retail and wholesaling. On the other hand, although the retail sector is considered to be one of the most historically significant sectors of the Greek economy, the economic history of the Greek retail industry remains a notoriously underdeveloped area of inquiry and, as such, is on the margins of economic and social studies in Greek historiography. In this paper, we, attempt to provide a first concise (and certainly not exhaustive) analysis of the historical development of the Greek retail sector from the nineteenth century to the present (in circa) day. Specifically, we aim to analyse the evolution of the Greek retail trade to assess the spatial and social impacts associated with establishing and operating "new forms" of commerce. The focus is on the sectoral and organisational restructuring of the retail trade with the changes in the standards of the spatial location, which relate to the establishment and operation of retail businesses. Students and scholars of the history of retailing would benefit from this worthwhile exercise which for the first time provides a first overview of the historical development of the Greek retail sector. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study evaluated the effect of polyphenol reduction in a feed formulated with Eisenia arborea and its effect on the feeding preference of the abalone Haliotis fulgens through multiple selection tests. Two feeds were formulated: one without polyphenol reduction (EA01) and one with polyphenol reduction (EA02). Rehydrated E. arborea (ER03) was used as the control feed. The polyphenol content was quantified in EA01 and EA02, and the stability and hardness of all three feeds were measured at 24 h after immersion. Feed preference was evaluated through attraction and consumption tests on day 1, 6, and 12. The polyphenol concentration was reduced by 41% in EA02 (13.9 mg GAE g−1) compared to that of EA01 (33.3 mg GAE g−1). Both formulated feeds showed 88% stability and hardness values > 680 g cm−2, which were greater than those of the control (ER03, 66% and 285 g cm−2, respectively). Abalone were more attracted to EA02 and ER03 on day 1, 6, and 12 than to EA01 on the same days. A similar trend was observed with consumption. EA02 and ER03 were the most consumed feeds (> 6 g day−1) throughout the experiment, and no significant differences in consumption were observed between these feeds. On the other hand, juvenile H. fulgens showed a greater attraction to and consumption of EA02 (reduced polyphenol content) than EA01 (no reduction in polyphenol content). This allows us to conclude that EA02 can replace rehydrated algae as a suitable feed source for juvenile H. fulgens. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Opioids are the cornerstone of therapy for cancer patients with moderate to severe pain. The objective was to characterize opioid purchases by cancer patients in Clalit Health Services (CHS), the largest Health Maintenance Organization in Israel, over the years 2007–2018. Methods: Data for all CHS cancer patients aged 18 years old and above who purchased an opioid at least once during the 12-year study period were obtained from computerized databases. The amount of opioids was converted into oral morphine equivalents (OME). Results: 108,543 cancer patients who purchased opioids at least once were enrolled. They comprised 30.5% of the CHS purchasers of opioids in the study period. The total number of cancer patients who purchased an opioid at least once increased gradually from 13,057 in 2007 to 20,675 (58% increase) in 2018, while the annual number of CHS cancer patients increased by only 39%. The annual OME per capita increased from 753 mg in 2007 to 1,432 mg in 2018 (91% increase). In 2007 8.1% of the cancer patients purchased opioids and 9.2% in 2018. Two thirds of all cancer patients purchased opioids for three months or less, 11.9% continued for more than one year, and 5.8% for more than two years. Conclusions: There is a clinically non-significant increase in the rate of cancer patients purchasing opioids. About two thirds of the cancer patients purchased opioids for only three months, and 94% for up to two years. Under-treatment of cancer pain should still be of concern. While patients are prescribed higher doses, under-prescription may still be a problem.. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the necessity for policymakers to design interventions that allow to promptly resume economic activities while taking control of the healthcare emergency. We analyze the response of differentiated policy measures by exploiting a meta-population SEIR model based on transaction data that map human mobility through daily physical transactions performed by cardholders of a major Italian bank. We calibrate multiple counterfactual scenarios and study the impact of alternative combinations of tailored mobility restrictions with different intensity across sectors. Although the Retail sector accounts for the largest portion of mobility and drive results in terms of infections and consumption dynamics, other economic activities, such as those related to Restaurants, have a relevant role in the design of the optimal policy. Finally, we show how the proposed approach can be used by policymakers to evaluate the trade-off between economic and healthcare impacts by identifying the alternative policy restrictions that minimize either the economic impact given a certain level of infections or the spread of contagion for a target value of economic impact. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper investigates a multivariate, dynamic, continuous-time optimal consumption and portfolio allocation problem when the investor faces recursive utilities. The economy we are considering is described through both diffusion and discontinuities in the dynamics. We derive an approximated closed-form solution to optimal rules by exploiting standard dynamic programming techniques. Our findings are manifold. First, we obtain dynamic optimal weights, inversely proportional to volatility. Second, we show that both co-jumps frequency and intensity play a crucial role, as they considerably limit potential losses in the investors' wealth. Third, we prove that jumps in precision reinforce the effect of jumps in price, further reducing optimal allocation. Finally, we highlight how co-jumps may influence investors' choices regarding intertemporal consumption. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) are a group of thousands of manmade chemicals widely used in consumer products and industrial processes. Toxicological studies have suggested that exposure to PFASs may lead to several adverse effects, including infertility and cancer development. In light of their widespread use, the contamination of food products has created health concerns in sites directly influenced by industrial and anthropogenic activity. In the present contribution, the current knowledge of PFAS contamination was systematically reviewed in order to provide with the knowledge gaps and main sources of contamination, as well as critically evaluate estimated dietary intake and relative risk values of the consulted studies. Legacy PFASs remain the most abundant despite their production restrictions. Edible species from freshwater bodies exhibit higher PFAS concentrations than marine species, probably due to low hydrodynamics and dilution in lentic ecosystems. Studies in food products from multiple sources, including aquatic, livestock, and agricultural, agree that the proximity to factories and fluorochemical industries rendered significantly higher and potentially hazardous PFAS contamination. Short-chain PFAS are suggested as chemicals of emerging concern to food security. However, the environmental and toxicological implications of short-chain congeners are not fully understood and, thus, much research is needed in this sense. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Plant secondary metabolites that defend leaves from herbivores also occur in floral nectar. While specialist herbivores often have adaptations providing resistance to these compounds in leaves, many social insect pollinators are generalists, and therefore are not expected to be as resistant to such compounds. The milkweeds, Asclepias spp., contain toxic cardenolides in all tissues including floral nectar. We compared the concentrations and identities of cardenolides between tissues of the North American common milkweed Asclepias syriaca, and then studied the effect of the predominant cardenolide in nectar, glycosylated aspecioside, on an abundant pollinator. We show that a generalist bumblebee, Bombus impatiens, a common pollinator in eastern North America, consumes less nectar with experimental addition of ouabain (a standard cardenolide derived from Apocynacid plants native to east Africa) but not with addition of glycosylated aspecioside from milkweeds. At a concentration matching that of the maximum in the natural range, both cardenolides reduced activity levels of bees after four days of consumption, demonstrating toxicity despite variation in behavioral deterrence (i.e., consumption). In vitro enzymatic assays of Na+/K+-ATPase, the target site of cardenolides, showed lower toxicity of the milkweed cardenolide than ouabain for B. impatiens, indicating that the lower deterrence may be due to greater tolerance to glycosylated aspecioside. In contrast, there was no difference between the two cardenolides in toxicity to the Na+/K+-ATPase from a control insect, the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster. Accordingly, this work reveals that even generalist pollinators such as B. impatiens may have adaptations to reduce the toxicity of specific plant secondary metabolites that occur in nectar, despite visiting flowers from a wide variety of plants over the colony's lifespan. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Animal source foods (ASFs) can play a critical role in the nutritional well-being of women and children. Although livestock ownership may translate to high availability of ASFs, community food prescriptions and proscriptions may determine consumption patterns and subsequent human nutritional status. This study sought to understand the existing dietary practices and underlying prescriptions and proscriptions of ASFs among women and children in Siaya County in western Kenya. The study was carried out among the Luo ethnic group in Siaya, western Kenya, within a livestock-keeping community where more than 90% of households kept at least one livestock species. Qualitative data collection was completed through 35 key informant interviews and 6 focus group discussions conducted between October and December 2018. Thematic analysis was used to establish and interpret patterns and relationships from emerging themes. We found male favoritism in food allocation and prohibition of eggs and (parts of) chicken, fish and meat for women and children, potentially contributing to low consumption of ASFs. Customary rites and ceremonies like funeral provided opportunities for the less fortunate to consume otherwise unaffordable and highly valued ASFs like meat. Religious beliefs and practices, unlike other cultural food beliefs and practices, remain rigid to change and thus contribute to low consumption of own-produced or locally available ASFs. To address protein malnutrition among these groups, our findings suggest improvement of animal production should be accompanied by interventions that address customary food prescriptions and proscriptions that may perpetuate low intake of ASFs especially among women of child-bearing age, mothers, pregnant women and children. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper is framed in a series of studies on attraction–repulsion chemotaxis models combining different effects: nonlinear diffusion and sensitivities and logistic sources, for the dynamics of the cell density, and consumption and/or production impacts, for those of the chemicals. In particular, herein we focus on the situation where the signal responsible of gathering tendencies for the particles' distribution is produced, while the opposite counterpart is consumed. In such a sense, this research complements the results in Frassu et al. (Math Methods Appl Sci 45:11067–11078, 2022) and Chiyo et al. (Commun Pure Appl Anal, 2023, doi: 10.3934/cpaa.2023047), where the chemicals evolve according to different laws. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examines the influence of conspicuous and experiential consumption on the discrepancy between economic and subjective poverty as well as the potential mechanisms for any such discrepancy. Conspicuous consumption describes the purchase of goods to display social status and economic power, while experiential consumption describes purchases made primarily to acquire a life experience. Cross-sectional data were drawn from the first wave (2015) of the Hong Kong Panel Survey for Poverty Alleviation (n = 1752). Ten consumption categories (food, utilities, necessities, rent, mortgage, communication, transportation, education, health, and leisure) were classified as either conspicuous (experiential) or non-conspicuous (non-experiential) consumption. Logistic regression showed that expenditure on leisure, which falls into both conspicuous and experiential consumption, increased the probability of feeling non-poor among the economically poor and, conversely, reduced the probability of feeling poor among the economically non-poor. Multiple mediation analysis further revealed that these relationships were mediated by self-perceived social status (conspicuous consumption pathway) but not by social connectedness (experiential consumption pathway). The findings confirm that the way people spend their money shapes their perceptions of poverty, which may deviate from their poverty status as measured by economic criteria. By enhancing self-perceived social status, conspicuous consumption reduces subjective poverty for both the economically poor and the non-poor. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The unsustainable hunting and consumption of primates destabilizes both wildlife populations and the humans who depend upon them. This is especially pertinent in Madagascar—one of the world's poorest, least food secure, and most biodiverse countries. The people of Kirindy Mitea National Park have faced numerous famines during the prior decade. Although the park is one of Madagascar's highest conservation priorities, researchers have yet to study the interactions between food insecurity, dietary diversity, and lemur hunting at this location. To address this gap and provide foundational data for primate conservation as well as public health policy, we surveyed forest resource exploitation, nutrition, and food security in a village adjacent to the park (N = 89 households) over 6 months (September 2018 to March 2019). We observed high levels of food insecurity and malnutrition. Of the study participants, one third had eaten a forest animal during the prior year. Of all taxa, lemurs, tenrecs, and bushpigs were hunted in the greatest numbers. Less food-secure households were more likely to hunt nonthreatened animals, such as tenrecs. Lemurs comprised one third of all wildlife consumed; households ate a mean of five (± SD 11) lemurs during the prior year. Food insecurity significantly increased within-household lemur consumption, especially the Critically Endangered red-tailed sportive lemur (Lepilemur ruficaudatus) and Vulnerable red-fronted brown lemur (Eulemur rufifrons). Our results indicate that Kirindy Mitea is among the most heavily hunted national parks in Madagascar. Given the region's fragile environment and challenging living conditions for both its primate and human communities, the effects of hunting may be especially severe. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Goats are a common ruminant in livestock husbandry systems in communal areas of southern Africa, but less so in peri-urban areas. While dynamics of goat farming in the former are relatively well-understood, little is known about it in peri-urban environments. We investigated the contribution of small-scale farming of goats to household livelihoods in rural and peri-urban areas in KwaZulu-Natal Province of South Africa. We used a semi-structured questionnaire survey to elicit views of 115 respondents on the contribution of goats to household income at two rural (Kokstad, Msinga) and two peri-urban (Howick, Pietermaritzburg) locations. Goats contributed to household income as a source of cash and meat in various sociocultural contexts such as at weddings, funerals and festive period gatherings (e.g. Easter and Christmas), including payment for household needs and expenses including food, school fees and medico-cultural consultations. These findings were more pronounced in rural areas, where more goats were kept than in peri-urban areas, which also had smaller herds per household. Goats were a source of cash in numerous ways including sales of their skins after slaughter and use of skins through value addition to make household craft items such as stools that could be sold for cash. None of the farmers milked their goats. Goat famers also kept cattle (52%), sheep (23%) and chickens (67%). Goat ownership appeared to be more profitable in rural areas and contributed to a lesser extent as a source of income in peri-urban areas where goats were largely kept for sale. There is potential for increased value addition of goat products to increase returns from small-scale goat farming in rural and peri-urban settings. Artefacts and cultural symbols derived from goat products are pervasive amongst Zulu people, and represent an additional avenue of research into ‘hidden’ valuation of goats. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective was to evaluate the effect of using prebiotics (Saccharomyces cerevisiae boulardii) or Monensin in the confinement initial phase and replacing monensin with probiotics (Bacillus toyonensis) in the final phase. Forty-eight Nellore steers were used, with an initial mean body weight of 356.2 ± 17.98 kg, distributed in a completely randomized design. Two animals per pen were confined in 80 m2 pens. The experiment was divided into two stages. The first phase lasted from day 1 to the 30th day, during which the animals were divided into two groups of 24 animals each. The treatments were the nutritional additives added to the diet: monensin or prebiotics (Saccharomyces cerevisiae boulardii). In the second phase, each group was subdivided into 12 animals by treatment, which received monensin or probiotics (Bacillus toyonensis). Dry matter intake (DMI), animal performance, and economic evaluation of the use of additives were evaluated. There was no additive effect on DMI, average daily gain, and total weight gain of the animals in the first experimental stage (0–30th day). Likewise, in the second stage (31st–100th day), there was no treatment effect for the variables of intake and performance. There was no effect of the use of different nutritional additives on carcass characteristics. The use of prebiotics sequentially to probiotics promoted gross and net yield that was superior to that of the animals that consumed monensin. Yeasts and bacteria respectively in the first and second phases of confinement can replace monensin in confinement diets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]