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Child toy unboxers unintentionally and intentionally participate in paradoxical practices. The child influencer industry, shaped by ideological conflicts, is a foreign topic in the marketing domain despite its popularity. Drawing upon paradox theory, this conceptual article investigates three main paradoxes of child toy unboxers by addressing the following research questions: What are the paradoxical tensions that manifest in child toy unboxing industry? What research directions will prove fruitful for advancing our understanding of these paradoxical tensions and its implications for child toy unboxing marketing? Departing from the traditional perspective that positions opposite elements as separate and exclusive worlds, the disposition of these paradoxes provides new insights into the complex world of child influencers. This paper presents new research prospects and implications that promote socially responsible child influencer marketing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper exploits exogenous variation in the transition date from an analogue to digital television signal in the UK across more than 32,000 geographical units to examine the causal impact of television on academic performance and potential mechanisms. Using a large administrative dataset on the universe of students in public education in England, I show that the switchover increased pupil test scores and that the effect is driven by economically disadvantaged students. Using TV market data and a child survey dataset, I investigate possible mechanisms. I show that the digital transition considerably increased TV viewing time and displaced forms of socialisation associated with risky behaviour for disadvantaged children. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigates the seasonal variations in the elemental composition of five economically valuable Sparidae fish species from Bozcaada, North Aegean: red seabream (Pagrus major), gilthead seabream (Sparus aurata), saddled seabream (Oblada melanura), white seabream (Diplodus sargus), and common dentex (Dentex dentex), with a focus on both essential minerals and toxic metals. Fish samples (n = 10 per species per season) were collected across four seasons, and their weights and lengths were recorded. The concentrations of elements such as calcium, potassium, magnesium, phosphorus, copper, iron, manganese, zinc, chromium, nickel, selenium, cadmium, and mercury were analyzed using Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS). The elemental concentrations varied as follows: Ca (11,388.46–55,470.76), K (17,230.83–27,594.86), Mg (1436.02–2326.73), Na (1962.30–7847.41), P (13,112.11–15,516.57), Fe (107.61–282.00), Cu (36.44–59.13), Mn (6.19–19.87), Zn (98.67–256.26), Cr (4.54–11.96), Ni (6.33–13.89), Se (0.82–7.33), Cd (0.08–0.32), and Hg (0.08–1.50) mg/kg. Health risk assessments, including Estimated Weekly Intake (EWI), Target Hazard Quotient (THQ), and Cancer Risk (CR), were calculated for both adult and child consumers. The results showed that while the essential minerals remained within safe limits, seasonal variations in the concentrations of toxic metals could pose potential health risks, particularly with frequent consumption. This research provides valuable insights into balancing the nutritional benefits and safety of fish from Bozcaada, offering recommendations for informed consumption and public health policies aimed at optimizing benefits while minimizing risks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The contamination of tea as one most widely consumed beverage in Iran with the potentially toxic elements (PTEs) leads to adverse health effects. In the current study, a meta-analysis and probabilistic risk assessment regarding PTEs concentration in tea samples from Iran were performed using international databases (PubMed and Scopus) and national databases (SID, Irandoc, and Magiran) from 2005 to 1 June 2022. Data were analysed using the random-effects model based on Iranian and imported tea subgroups, and a probabilistic health risk assessment was conducted using the Monte Carlo simulation (MCS). The highest THQ in adults and children due to consumption of Iranian tea was related to As (0.0635) and As (0.2964), respectively, and the highest THQ in adults and children due to consumption of imported tea was related to Cu (0.0266) and Cu (0.1242), respectively. TTHQ in adults and children's consumers due to PTEs ingestion via consumption of Iranian tea was 0.21 and 1.01, respectively, and TTHQ due to PTEs ingestion via consumption of imported tea was 0.22 and 0.94, respectively. Therefore, non-carcinogenic risk in children due to consumption of Iranian tea was higher than 1 value. The mean CR for content of inorganic As in adults and children via consumption of Iranian tea was 2.89E-5 and 1.35E-4, respectively, and the mean CR for inorganic As in adults and children via consumption of imported tea was 9.44E-6 and 4.42E-5 respectively. Hence adults and children, due to both Iranian and imported tea consumption, are at considerable carcinogenic risk. It is recommended to carry out continuous monitoring plans at country customs and reduce sources of tea contamination to PTEs in agricultural fields. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Excessive dietary metal intake from crops grown on contaminated urban dumpsites poses a global health risk to consumers. We evaluated the health risk to adult and child consumers from dietary exposure to metals and metalloids in crops cultivated at the Mbale (Uganda) dumpsite centre. Thirteen crop types grown on the dumpsite soil were sampled and analyzed for concentrations of 11 metals: Fe, Al, Zn, Mn, Cu, Pb, Cr, Hg, Co, Ni, Cd, and two metalloids: Se and As. Different proportions of the crops were combined into 12 meal classes to simulate the diets of residents and estimate noncancer and cancer risks. The findings indicated that most individual crop types and simulated diets lacked sufficient selenium for bodily functions. Furthermore, their metal accumulations exceeded the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the World Health Organization (WHO) permissible limits (mg/kg) for Al (20), Fe (100), Ni (10), Cu (20), Mn (10), Pb (0.3), Se (0.05), and Zn (99.4). The four most abundant metals in the various crop types and diets were Al, Fe, Mn, and Zn. A positive correlation between the metals in the crops indicated a common origin, which could possibly be the dumpsite soil. The chronic dietary intake (CDI) of metals was higher in children, and thus children faced higher noncancer and cancer risks compared with adults. The overall CDI values for each metal ranged from 0.000718 to 2.171 in adults, and 0.00125 to 3.781662 in children, which is approximately 1.74 times higher in children than in adult consumers. The noncancer and cancer risks ranged from moderate to high with Co, Cr, Fe, Mn, and Zn being mostly responsible for the high noncancer risks, and Al being the predominant contributor to cancer risks. The total noncancer risk levels equally ranged from moderate (1.4–3.3) for adults, and moderate to high (2.4–5.7) for children; the cancer risks were moderate to high in adults, with Al contributing to between 68% and 92% of the total risks across the 12 meal classes. Overall, CDI values and noncancer and cancer risks were all higher in children than in adults. The vegetables Amaranthus hybridus, Vigna unguiculate, Amaranthus dubius, and Cucurbita maxima significantly contributed to the high noncancer risk to both adults and children, particularly when they constituted 40% or more of the meal. Four additional vegetables (Cocorhrous olitorous, Brassica oleracea, Amaranthus cruentus, and Gynandropsis gynandra) also posed a high risk to children when consumed in large quantities. Our results highlight the urgent need to develop regulatory frameworks and/or rigorously enforce existing land and food governance policies to protect consumers' health from unsafe metal concentrations in crops grown on dumpsites. Environ Toxicol Chem 2024;43:2628–2644. © 2024 The Author(s). Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of SETAC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The list of standard abbreviations for JDS is available at adsa.org/jds-abbreviations-24. Nonstandard abbreviations are available in the Notes. Innovation around cheese is constant in attempts to meet ever-increasing consumer demands. Retail packaging provides a canvas to communicate to consumers added value from innovations or inherent properties of cheese. Packaging itself may also be the subject of cheese-related innovation. This systematic review of literature organizes research over the past 10 years related to cheese packaging innovation that consumers experience in the marketplace and during consumption of cheese products. The review discusses shipping, displaying cheese at grocery stores, the value of branding, purchasing preferences by demographics, health and nutrition claims, opportunities to highlight protein in cheese, marketing to children, issues of obesity and cheese, diet cheeses, allergens and nondairy or vegan cheese, opening cheese packaging, cutting of cheese, cooking with cheese, eating cheese, the growing trend of snacking and convenience, and flavor preferences. This review provides helpful insights to cheese producers applying findings from research of various styles of cheeses, cheese marketers communicating effectively to consumers, cheese developers designing new products relevant to recent consumer demands, smaller or specialized companies seeking to differentiate their cheese product through available technology and strategy, and cheese lovers or those with hobbies surrounding food wanting to know recent advancements in cheese packaging. This review is a tool for discovering relevant articles related to cheese packaging in a marketplace and consumption setting to guide cheese and cheese packaging and labeling innovation in the United States. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article explores the cultural and feminist implications of the Barbie doll, tracing its history and impact on popular culture. It delves into the production and reception of a live-action Barbie film directed by Greta Gerwig, examining its feminist credentials and the public discourse surrounding it. The text also discusses the global reception of the film, intertextual entanglements, and the film's engagement with feminist themes, highlighting the diverse interpretations and critiques it has generated. Ultimately, the article reflects on the film's complex relationship with feminism, popular culture, and capitalist agendas. [Extracted from the article]

Seafood is considered a healthy and nutritious food, but the presence of toxic substances in such foods is a serious problem. The present study aimed to analyze the concentration of some toxic metals in seafood and evaluate their noncarcinogenic risks to consumers. Samples were digested according to the Association of Official Agricultural Chemists (AOAC) standard. The heavy metals concentration of Cd, Ni, Hg, Pb, and Sn in 30 canned tuna samples were determined using an inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectroscopy (ICP-OES). The mean concentrations of Cd, Ni, Sn, Pb, and Hg were 0.7, 0.49, 1.03, 0.31, and 0.12 µg g− 1, respectively. Based on these results, the concentrations of Cd, Sn, and Hg in samples met the required standards. However, the concentrations of Ni and Pb in some samples were higher than the permissible limits. The mean values of Sn, Ni, Pb, Hg, and Cd in samples followed a decreasing order. Since the values of the health risk index for these samples were lower than the HI and HRI risk threshold (<1), they can be consumed without any problems arising. Highlights: The metal concentration was measured in the four most popular brands of canned fish sold in Neyshabur City, Iran. Some samples exceeded the maximum permissible level of nickel (Ni) and lead (Pb). A significant correlation was observed between Ni concentration with Pb and Hg concentrations and Pb concentration with Cd concentration. The values of the health risk index (HRI) for noncarcinogenic health risks were lower than 1. The calculated Hazard index (HI) for adult and child consumers was less than 1. The HI values were greater for children than for adults. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Consumption of sugary drinks (SD) among children and adolescents is a prevalent public health issue both within Canada and worldwide. This problem is exacerbated by the powerful marketing of such beverages to youth, which is known to influence a wide range of dietary behaviours. Methods: A cross-sectional, secondary analysis of the International Food Policy Survey Youth Wave 2019 was conducted to assess the relationship between self-reported exposure to SD marketing within the past 30 days or SD brand advertisements and brand preference and brand recall among youth aged 10–17 from Australia, Canada, Chile, Mexico, the United Kingdom, and the United States. Ordinal, multinomial, and binary logistic regression were used as appropriate to examine these associations. Results: Youth brand preference and recall was positively associated with self-reported exposure to general and brand-specific SD marketing across all countries. No statistical interaction was observed between youth age and SD marketing overall or within countries. Soft drinks, sports drinks, and fruit juice brands were most commonly recalled by all youth. Conclusion: Similar results were observed among children and adolescents within all countries. Global marketing policies should consider older children and adolescents to adequately protect and support child health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study addresses a gap in literature by exploring how dynamic cultural forces between parents and children lead to paradoxical identity conflicts and related tensions. The study explores two distinct consumer categories. The results reveal that traditionally rooted parents consider dependent children as extensions of their identity and experience intense tensions due to the conflict between consumerist aspirations and traditional obligations toward children. They experience tensions due to discrepancies between an ideal self-guide or ought self-guide (both representing traditional values), an ideal self-guide (representing consumerist values at a level considered ideal) and a feared self (embracing too many consumerist values beyond what is considered ideal). The child, in turn, feels obliged to comply with parents' traditional expectations despite their consumerist identity. They feel similar tensions just as their parents do, between conflicting value systems. In contrast, non-traditional parents do not use children as identity extensions; hence, they find no need to transfer personally rooted values to children and do not experience tensions. The findings contribute to literature on how children as contemporary consumers have implications with regard to identity and tensions of parents and vice versa. Accordingly, practitioners should cater products differently to target groups, based on specific value internalizations—the traditionally rooted parent and child are influenced by each other's values during the buying decision process. However, marketers have the liberty of considering non-traditional parents and children as separate consumer categories as there are no interplay of values during the buying decision process. By such considerations marketers can successfully exploit consumer expectations and desires that would help address prevailing anxieties and cultural contradictions in society. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Children's finances are increasingly digitised through the emergence and development of a range of finance applications, or apps, for managing chores, saving and spending. This paper aims to offer a preliminary scoping study of these child finance apps in the nascent consumer research area of children's FinTech. Design/methodology/approach: This paper undertakes a qualitative analysis of the design features and marketing taglines of child finance apps to explore their role in the digitisation of children's financial literacy, consumer socialisation and economic agency. Findings: The present analysis reveals five key design functions of child finance apps: chore management; child savings; payment and spending systems; parental control features; and banking and finance features. Furthermore, three key child consumer themes emerge from the analysis of these child finance apps: gamification of child household labour; surveillance of children's consumer participation; and datafication of children's financial lives. Originality/value: To date, there is little research into the increasingly popular use of child chore, consumption and financial management apps, and thus a research gap or problem is that we do not yet have sufficient understanding of how finance apps operate through their design and marketing to influence the financial conditions of contemporary childhoods. This study is significant in bringing theories of surveillance, gamification and datafication from digital platform studies to the fields of childhood studies, children's consumer research and child FinTech studies. The findings suggest that child finance apps use gamification features to encourage children's financial learning, surveillance features to enable parenting care in children's financial development and datafication to exploit children's financial data within the finance industry. This study is clearly limited to the app environment, and so future work should investigate the use and perceptions of these apps in more detail using more situated social research methods with families and children. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Food marketing restrictions often apply nutrient profile models (NPM) to distinguish unhealthy products that should not be advertised, however brand-only marketing remains largely unaddressed. We sought to test a threshold method for classifying packaged food, beverage, or fast-food brands as (non)permitted for marketing, based on the nutrient profile of their product-lines. Methods: We retrieved nutrient information from the Nutritrack databases for all products sold by the top 51 packaged food, beverage and fast-food brands in New Zealand, selected by market share. All products under each brand were classified as permitted (or not) to be marketed to children, using the NPM for WHO Western Pacific. The 25%, 50%, 75% and 90% threshold of brands' products permitted to market were compared. The 50% and 75% thresholds were compared to the WHO CLICK method, which is based on assessment of the brand's leading product. Results: The 90% threshold permitted 13% of the brands to be marketed to children. The 25% threshold permitted the marketing of 62% of brands. The 50% and 75% thresholds remained highly sensitive in identifying brands that should not be marketed to children. Comparison to the WHO CLICK method identified that a threshold method is more comprehensive and less arbitrary. Conclusions: A threshold model based on product-line nutrient profiling provides a robust and option for brand classification. The 50% and 75% thresholds may be the most politically preferred options for use in regulation, while remaining highly effective. Practitioner points: Brand marketing (e.g. sponsorship) remains largely unaddressed in existing restrictions on unhealthy food and beverage marketing to children. An established Nutrient Profile Model can be applied to a brand's entire product line, allowing calculation of the proportion of products that would not be permitted to be advertised to children. Restricting brand marketing for food and beverage brands with less than 50% or 75% of their products classified as 'permitted to be marketed to children' is a robust and evidence-based method that can be applied in regulation, with potential to mitigate industry challenges. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Thousands of new children's titles are published in the UK and the US each year, yet only between two and three per cent of those books are translations from other languages. However, it is vital for children in today's multicultural societies to see cultural and linguistic diversity represented in books. Any translation of a foreign text is advantageous in this respect, but there is a segment of texts that may offer an even more unadulterated representation of non-UK and non-US cultures. These are texts by authors who write in English although that is not their primary language. These authors often introduce 'foreign' cultural concepts in their works published in the UK and the US. With the help of content analysis, I examine the text, illustrations, and peritext of 30 books by translingual writers to assess their contribution to children's literature in terms of its diversity and inclusivity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pesticide residues in human diets pose significant health hazards, particularly for vulnerable populations such as infants and children. This study aimed to determine pesticide residues in apples and to assess the cumulatively chronic risk posed to adult and child consumers from simultaneous exposure to multiple residues. During the 2022–2023 harvest seasons, 100 apple samples from Turkey were analyzed for the presence of 225 different pesticide residues. Pesticide extraction was performed using the QuEChERS method, followed by detection through liquid chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry. Fifteen distinct pesticides (ten insecticides and five fungicides) were detected in 64 out of the 100 apple samples analyzed. Eleven samples contained pesticide residues that exceeded the maximum residue limit (MRL) set by the Turkish Food Codex and the European Union. Thiophanate-methyl was the most frequently detected pesticide (34%) in apples, with concentrations ranging from 0.012 to 0.108 mg kg−1, all of which were well below the MRL of 0.5 mg kg−1. Other commonly detected residues included chlorantraniliprole (28%), acetamiprid (24%), sulfoxaflor (22%), bifenazate (18%), indoxacarb (13%), diflubenzuron (12%), and carbendazim (10%). Under a worst-case scenario, the hazard index (HI) values for adults and children were 0.85% and 2.60%, respectively, indicating that these values remain significantly below the risk threshold of 100%, suggesting no associated health risks from apple consumption. However, regular monitoring of pesticide residues in fresh fruits and vegetables remains critically important. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

South Korea's gender wage and employment gaps are among the largest in the OECD. Using labour force survey data over 2010–19, we estimate gender wage and employment gaps, and child earnings penalties, for women aged 25–54. We show (i) that the large gender gaps in South Korea's labour market are mostly not a function of differential sorting by gender along education, occupation, or industry lines, (ii) that caring for children (and, perhaps increasingly, for the elderly) is the major factor inhibiting women's labour force participation, and (iii) that large gender wage gaps exist even for women without care responsibilities. These findings suggest that improving opportunities for work–family balance is crucial to helping increase women's labour force participation, but may do little to close gender wage gaps: other major obstacles also appear to stand in the way of Korean women's full inclusion in the labour force. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Past research has focused on the analysis of the association between sugar-sweetened beverages consumption and screen time, respectively, and an indicator of physical fitness in adolescents. However, no studies have analyzed the interaction between sugar-sweetened beverage consumption and screen time on physical fitness index. Methods: Demographic information, lifestyle, sugar-sweetened beverage consumption and screen time were investigated and physical fitness indicators were tested in 8136 adolescents aged 13–18 years from six geographic regions of China using stage-stratified whole population sampling. The chi-square test and one-way ANOVA were used to compare the covariates. The Kruskal-Wallis test was used to compare physical fitness index between different sugar-sweetened beverage consumption and screen time groups. Generalized linear model ordered logistic regression analysis was used to analyze the interaction between sugar-sweetened beverage consumption and ST on physical fitness index. Results: The differences in physical fitness index among different sugar-sweetened beverage consumers in child adolescents were all statistically significant in boys, girls, and in total (H-value of 72.415, 16.859, and 78.544, P < 0.001). The differences were also statistically significant when comparing the physical fitness index of Chinese adolescents of different screen time in boys, girls, and total (H-Value of 46.307, 21.552, and 65.287, P < 0.001). Overall, using sugar-sweetened beverage consumption ≤ 1time/week and screen time < 60 min/d as the reference group, after adjusting for relevant covariates, adolescents in the group with an sugar-sweetened beverage consumption of ≥ 5 time/week and screen time > 120 min/d (OR = 2.27, 95% CI:1.78, 2.89) had the the highest risk of reduced physical fitness index (P < 0.001). Conclusion: Associations of sugar-sweetened beverage consumption and screen time with physical fitness indices among Chinese adolescents. Both increased sugar-sweetened beverage consumption and prolonged ST further increased the risk of lower physical fitness index in adolescents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The use of corporate power to undermine public health policy processes is increasingly well understood; however, relatively little scholarship examines how advocates can leverage power to promote the successful adoption of public health policies. The objective of this paper is to explore how advocates leveraged three forms of power – structural, instrumental and discursive – to promote the passage of the Promotion of Healthy Eating Law (Ley 27,642) in Argentina, one of the most comprehensive policies to introduce mandatory front-of-package (FOP) warning labels and regulate the marketing and sales of ultra-processed foods (UPFs) adopted to date. Methods: We conducted seventeen semi-structured interviews with advocates from different sectors, including civil society, international agencies, and government. Both data collection and analysis were guided by Milsom's conceptual framework for analyzing power in public health policymaking, and the data was analyzed using hybrid deductive and inductive thematic analysis. Results: Advocates harnessed structural power through the leveraging of revolving doors, informal alliances, and formal coalitions, enabling them to convene discussion spaces with decision-makers, make strategic use of limited resources, and cultivate the diverse expertise (e.g., research, nutrition science, advocacy, law, political science, activism and communications) needed to support the law through different phases of the policy process. Advocates wielded instrumental power by amassing an armada of localized evidence to promote robust policy design, building technical literacy amongst themselves and decision-makers, and exposing conflicts of interest to harness public pressure. Advocates exercised discursive power by adopting a rights-based discourse, including of children and adolescents and of consumers to transparent information, which enabled advocates to foster a favorable perception of the law amongst both decision-makers and the public. Key contextual enablers include a political window of opportunity, the COVID-19 pandemic, and the ability to learn from the regional precedent of similar policies. Conclusions: Public health policymaking, particularly when encroaching upon corporate interests, is characterized by stark imbalances of power that hinder policy decisions. The strategies identified in the case of Argentina provide important insights as to how advocates might harness and exercise structural, instrumental, and discursive power to counter corporate influence and promote the successful adoption of comprehensive UPF regulation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Most children who receive pocket money have no idea how to manage it as they have never been taught financial literacy. However, the existing literature does not focus on the level of financial education and guidance children receive or the degree to which parents supervise their children in making decisions about pocket money. This research aims to fill the gap. This study focuses on the financial decisions of children aged 12–16, comparing 105 parent–child dyads in which the child gets pocket money to 101 parent–child dyads in which the child does not get pocket money. The study's results demonstrate that, unlike previous studies, getting pocket money has no impact on children's excessive consumption of fast food and sweets, whereas society's impact on children's consumer decisions increases when they are given pocket money. In contrast, if children believe their parents make good financial decisions and if parents share the household financial decisions with them, children will make better financial decisions themselves. In addition, consistent with previous research, girls – more than boys – see themselves as influenced by their friends in the context of consumer decisions and perceive of themselves as excessive consumers. Implications for parents as well as government policy are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The research aimed to study some economic variables, which it sees as the main reasons that pushed children towards the labor market, by answering the research questions related to the reasons for child labor that pushed children towards the labor market and the circumstances of their families. Therefore, child labor is a phenomenon closely linked to the economic aspect, because the economic level represents one of the basic variables that push the individual towards work in any society, as economic reasons top the list among the reasons leading to children's involvement in work. The low standard of living of the family plays a role in children's orientation towards the labor market instead of continuing in school or combining the two, and this is what studies and research that paid attention to child labor indicated, as families with low and even medium incomes are sometimes forced to throw some of their children into the labor market in order to obtain part of their material requirements. The sample size was based on the economic activity represented by the activity (commercial, industrial and agricultural) in the district. The sample size studied was (700) boys and girls distributed between both sexes, as the number of males was (434) children and the number of females was (66) girls in the study area from children aged between (6-14) years. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A total of 265 Salmonella Enteritidis isolates collected from retail markets and children's hospitals in Shanghai were used to investigate the prevalence and molecular epidemiology of plasmid-mediated fosfomycin resistance genes. Nine of the isolates—7 from the 146 (4.79%) retail chicken-related samples and 2 from the 119 (1.68%) samples from clinical children—were fosfomycin-resistant (FosR). The fosA3 gene was detected in all of the nine FosR isolates, which were located on Inc F-type (8/9, 88.9%) and unknown-type (1/9, 11.1%) transferable plasmids. In total, five plasmid types, namely Inc HI2 (1/9, 11.1%), Inc I1 (3/9, 33.3%), Inc X (8/9, 88.9%), Inc FIIs (9/9, 100%), and Inc FIB (9/9, 100%), were detected in these FosR isolates, which possessed five S1 nuclease pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (S1-PFGE) profiles. The extended-spectrum β-lactamase determinant blaCTX-M-14 subtype was identified in one FosR S. Enteritidis isolate, which was located in a transferable unknown-type plasmid co-carrying fosA3 and tetR genes. Sequence homology analysis showed that this plasmid possessed high sequence similarity to previously reported blaCTX-M-14- and fosA3-positive plasmids from E. coli strains, implying that plasmids carrying the fosA3 gene might be disseminated among Enterobacterales. These findings highlight further challenges in the prevention and treatment of Enterobacteriaceae infections caused by plasmids containing fosA3. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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In light of the safety and stability issues widely present in children's consumer products on the market, the current mature human dummy technology is applied to safety and stability analysis. Utilizing LS-Dyna and HyperMesh finite element software, the P-series dummies are selected for crash test, and virtual scenes between the dummies and consumer products are built to conduct process simulation and stability analysis. The simulation animation and data show that the simulation results are consistent with the test data, demonstrating the reliability of the crash test dummy applied to the stability analysis of consumer products. Additionally, formula derivation and static balance analysis of the physical model of children's climbing cabinet furniture were conducted to obtain the center of gravity and overturning moment, and the simulation analysis was compared to verify the reliability of collision test dummies applied to consumer product safety and stability analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The authors use data from the Children of the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth (C-NLSY79) to examine gender differences in the associations between child behavioral problems and early adult earnings. They find large and significant earnings penalties for women who exhibited more headstrong behavior and for men who exhibited more dependent behavior as children. By contrast, the authors observe no penalties for men who were headstrong or for women who were dependent. Although other child behavioral problems are also associated with labor market earnings, their associations did not differ significantly by gender. The gender differences in headstrong and dependent behavior are not explained by education, marriage, depression, self-esteem, health, or adult personality traits. One potential explanation is that these gender differences are a consequence of deviations from gender norms and stereotypes in the workplace. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We analyse a model in which families may either be 'traditional' single-earner that care for the child at home or be ' modern' double-earner households that use market child care. Family policies may favour one or the other group, like market care subsidies vs. cash-for-care. Policies are determined by probabilistic voting, where distributional impacts matter, both within and across groups. A higher share of modern households—which can be induced by changes in social norms or by changes in gender wage inequality—may have non-monotone effects, with lower net subsidies to traditional households when their share is very low or very high, and higher subsidies in some intermediate stage. This may explain the implementation of cash-for-care policies and their subsequent tightening in late stages of development, when most voters come from modern households, observed in Norway and Sweden. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: A transformation of food systems is urgently needed, given their contribution to three ongoing and interlinked global health pandemics: (1) undernutrition and food insecurity, (2) obesity and non-communicable diseases (NCDs), and (3) climate change and biodiversity loss. As policymakers make decisions that shape food systems, this study aimed to identify and prioritise policies with double- or triple-duty potential to achieve healthier and more environmentally sustainable food systems. Methods: This study undertook a 4-step methodological approach, including (i) a compilation of international policy recommendations, (ii) an online survey, (iii) four regional workshops with international experts and (iv) a ranking for prioritisation. Policies were identified and prioritised based on their double- or triple-duty potential, synergies and trade-offs. Using participatory and transdisciplinary approaches, policies were identified to have double- or triple-duty potential if they were deemed effective in tackling two or three of the primary outcomes of interest: (1) undernutrition, (2) obesity/NCDs and (3) environmental degradation. Results: The desk review identified 291 recommendations for governments, which were merged and classified into 46 initially proposed policies. Based on the results from the online survey, 61% of those policies were perceived to have double- or triple-duty potential. During the workshops, 4 potential synergies and 31 trade-offs of these policies were identified. The final list of 44 proposed policies for healthier and more environmentally sustainable food systems created was divided into two main policy domains: 'food supply chains' and 'food environments'. The outcome with the most trade-offs identified was 'undernutrition', followed by 'environmental sustainability', and 'obesity/NCDs'. Of the top five expert-ranked food supply chain policies, two were perceived to have triple-duty potential: (a) incentives for crop diversification; (b) support for start-ups, and small- and medium-sized enterprises. For food environments, three of the top five ranked policies had perceived triple-duty potential: (a) affordability of healthier and more sustainable diets; (b) subsidies for healthier and more sustainable foods; (c) restrictions on children's exposure to marketing through all media. Conclusion: This study identified and prioritised a comprehensive list of double- and triple-duty government policies for creating healthier and more environmentally sustainable food systems. As some proposed policies may have trade-offs across outcomes, they should be carefully contextualised, designed, implemented and monitored. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents an interview with Irene Vasco, a Colombian writer recognized for her work in promoting reading. Her ability to tell funny and unpretentious stories that take us into the territory of domestic life and intimacy is highlighted. Her experience in the United States, her background as a reader and television viewer, and her career in the publishing world are mentioned. The growth of the international market for children's literature in Colombia and the difficulties that authors faced in terms of contracts and royalties are also discussed. The work of Enlace, a couple who created their own publishing fund, and the collaboration of Juventud, a Spanish publisher, in the publication of Irene's books in Europe and the United States, are highlighted. [Extracted from the article]

While cultural products such as clothes are usually not designed with an educational goal in mind, they may still raise biodiversity awareness. This study explored the portrayal of animal biodiversity on children's clothing marketed by three major clothing retailers in the Netherlands. Findings showed that although nonhuman animals were a common theme, diversity was quite low. The portrayal was centered on mammals, in particular exotic and domestic species, and a gender binary was uncovered, restricting animals such as dinosaurs to boys' clothes and butterflies to girls' clothes. Moreover, portrayals were often highly simplified and anthropomorphic, which reduced recognizability. The results show that children's clothes currently do not offer the balanced and iconic depiction of animal biodiversity needed for broadening people's perceptions. To achieve a more extensive representation that can help connect people with biodiversity, a shift in ideas will be required of what animals are suitable to portray. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study analyzes the adjustment in time allocation to school support activities by mothers and fathers during the pandemic across 22 Latin American and Caribbean countries, exploring the repercussions on labor market outcomes and children's learning losses. Our analysis reveals that mothers experienced a disproportionate increase in time dedicated to children's educational support compared to fathers, particularly when mothers could work from home. The results suggest that these effects were more pronounced in countries with stringent school closure measures and limited access to in-person instruction. Even as mobility restrictions eased and schools reopened, the additional responsibilities taken on by mothers remained above pre-pandemic levels. Mothers also significantly increased the time spent on non-educational childcare, though to a lesser extent than educational support. We also show evidence indicating a decline in maternal labor force participation and a rise in flexible labor arrangements as mothers allocated more hours to child-related duties. Our study also provides descriptive evidence that children's learning losses were less severe in countries where the gender disparity in pandemicrelated school support was greater. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Researchers have long been interested in understanding young consumers, but they have had inadequate methods for studying their consumption‐related thoughts and actions at early stages of life and how these develop and change during formative years. Recent theoretical and methodological advances in behavioral and social science have contributed to the development of a research approach, known as "life course paradigm." This approach has helped replace and integrate previously used theories and methods by offering researchers an over‐arching multi‐theoretical framework for studying a wide variety of phenomena; and it has rapidly diffused across disciplines, and is increasingly used internationally. This article shows how consumer researchers could benefit from applying this conceptual research framework to improve existing models and study youths' consumer behavior in an innovative way. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Unaffordable medical treatment and inflated drug prices have become a challenging issue for lawmakers worldwide. To reduce the financial burden and standardize the pharmaceutical market, the Chinese government has issued several detailed regulations, including the measures of drug recruitment and procurement in one and volume purchasing to not only ensure the high quality of approved drugs but also lower the cost of the production and sell procedure. In this work, to have a thorough overview of the enforcement of these regulations, we attempted to critically analyze the data of our hospital's centralized procurement of drugs from 2019 to 2022. We identified some concerns, such as the difficulty in determining the "quantity" of drug procurement, out-of-stock of collectively procured drugs, difficulty in managing the preallocation of associated funds, incomplete centralized procurement systems, etc. Therefore, it is essential to promote a multidimensional strategy, including the combination of the medical insurance reform and drug centralized procurement policies, strict controlling of the forecast quantity of drugs to ensure stable drug supply, improvement of the relevant policies for retaining the surplus of centralized procurement drug medical insurance funds, secureness of the drug procurement system platform, and available reference and guidance for subsequent centralized quantity procurement of drugs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The gender pay gap is a well-documented phenomenon in labor economics. Based on the 2018 Structure of Earnings Survey (SES), the authors estimate the impact of observable characteristics on the gender pay gap in Visegrad Group countries and provide policy recommendations on reducing the gender pay gap. Design/methodology/approach: The Oaxaca-Blinder decomposition is applied to estimate the values of explained and unexplained parts of the gender pay gap. Gender pay gap in unadjusted as well as adjusted form is estimated using data on the individual level. Findings: The results show that unadjusted gender pay gap proved to be stable at more than 20%. The authors found evidence that education widens gender pay gap implying that men have higher returns on education than women. Tertiary education proved to be the highest contributor to widening of gender pay gap. Results also show that there is strong sectoral and occupational segregation. Decomposition proved that only 21% of gender pay gap could be explained by observed characteristics. The unexplained part showed negative values, meaning women would have higher wages, if they had characteristics like men. Research limitations/implications: Structure of Earnings Survey data are published every four years; therefore the authors' dataset from year 2018 might not completely reflect today's reality. Unfortunately, newer data are note available yet. Second, Structure of Earning Survey data do not contain variables representing social factors of respondents like marital status, number of children or labour market absence due to birth or childcare. Third, data used for this study do not contain firms that have less than 10 employees; therefore, considerable portion of the labour market is omitted. Originality/value: Results of this study will help policymakers understand the roots and causes of the gender pay gap in Visegrad Group countries but addressing this issue requires further research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article discusses the global expansion of the children's television series Sesame Street. The series was created in the United States in 1969 with the goal of preparing preschool-aged children for formal education, particularly those who were disadvantaged by racial and class inequities. The organization behind Sesame Street, Children's Television Workshop (CTW), sought to sell the series internationally while avoiding the perception of cultural imperialism. However, CTW faced challenges in Western Europe, where broadcasters had different ideas about appropriate children's programming. The article explores CTW's efforts to negotiate international markets and the impact of Sesame Street's global success. [Extracted from the article]

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Functional textiles and clothing designed for children should provide a safe and supportive environment, encompassing comfort, safety, health, wellbeing, and cognitive development, as well as fostering interaction and exploration. This study explores the multifaceted nature of functional textiles and clothing for children. It emphasises the importance of comprehensive knowledge about the user and an interdisciplinary approach in the design process. The integration of expertise from diverse fields contributes to a holistic understanding of the challenges and opportunities inherent in creating clothing that satisfies aesthetic demands and promotes the wellbeing of children. Through a study of existing research in functional textiles and a market analysis of children's clothing, this research underscores the importance of practical application of studied materials and technologies in children's fashion, creating innovative and purposeful solutions. This collaborative effort involves working with multidisciplinary teams and applying designers' updated knowledge of functional materials throughout all stages of the design process. The study emphasises the designer's responsibility in articulating the essential knowledge needed to integrate functionality from the beginning of the design process, ensuring that practical considerations are integral to the core attributes of the clothing. The study also proposes a framework that represents the design process for functional children's clothing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the health hazards associated with plant-based and dairy-free drinks marketed as 'growing up' or 'toddler' milks for young children. These products, high in free sugars, are advised against due to their potential contribution to dental decay, overweight, and obesity. The lack of regulations on marketing these products raises concerns, especially with the increasing popularity of plant-based alternatives. The authors recommend clear information dissemination and product reformulation to limit free sugars content to align with public health recommendations. [Extracted from the article]

Children are inherently different from adults. Yet, our understanding of their sociocultural contexts across countries is limited. This study uses survey data from 95,576 children from 35 societies and proposes a three-faceted cultural framework that covers the cultural dimensions of collectivism, power equivalence, and aggressiveness with respect to gender and contextual interactions. The study challenges the idea of a general transfer of parents' values to children during the socialization process. The proposed framework has social and business relevance for diverse areas such as improving school experiences, speech-language intervention programs, and marketing to children. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sustainable consumption behavior, namely making decisions that ensure the environment will not be damaged by SDG's goal 12. This research explores the relationship between respondent characteristics and sustainable consumption behavior and the influence of teacher socialization, parental socialization, and social media on consumption and sustainability values. This research was conducted cross-sectionally on 218 elementary school students using cluster random sampling. The data was processed using SPSS 25 and Smart-PLS 3. The results showed that sustainable consumption behavior among male students tended to be better and also tended to be better among children who had working mothers. The results of the SEM analysis showed a significant influence of parental socialization on sustainable consumption behavior. In addition, a significant positive indirect effect was found between teacher socialization, parental socialization, and social media exposure on sustainable consumption behavior through consumption values. Therefore, parents need to provide positive socialization to children regarding consumption values to encourage sustainable consumption behavior in children. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article aims to reflect on the images of childhood in videos featuring child YouTubers playing, analyzing the nature of play portrayed in them and its relationship with the child's right to play and be protected against any form of exploitation. Method: A documentary study of 100 videos shared on YouTube was conducted, subjected to categorical content analysis with an emphasis on the modes of participation of adults and children in dialogues with the platform's languages present in the videos. Results and Discussion: The boundaries between children's artistic expression and child labor exploitation are becoming increasingly challenging, with legal discussions presenting difficulties in regulation due to the home environment and predominant parental control. The analysis reveals how the videos are perceived as standardized commodities, hiding the concrete work behind an image of apparent spontaneity. Conclusion: The research highlights contractual digital risks for children, focusing on those related to commercialization. The analyzed videos reflect an instrumentalization of the child's basic right to play, associated with market interests, an aspect that takes on the contours of child labor exploitation, compromising the freedom to play spontaneously. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to understand the impact of digital marketing on children's consumer behavior, their interaction with digital marketing content, and identify factors influencing their purchasing behavior. Additionally, it sought to provide recommendations for parents and the community to protect children from the risks of digital marketing. A descriptive analytical approach was employed on a sample of 100 parents and children. The findings revealed that digital marketing significantly influences children's consumer behavior, leading to increased demand for advertised products online and putting pressure on parents to purchase unnecessary items. Digital marketing also impacts children's health by promoting unhealthy products and fostering negative consumption habits. A positive, moderate correlation was found between repeated exposure to digital advertising and children's consumer behavior. No significant differences were observed in the impact of digital marketing on children's consumer behavior based on age and type of study, while gender and income level showed significant differences, favoring females and the income range of 8001 to 12000. The study recommends increasing awareness among parents about the negative effects of digital marketing on children and urging them to monitor and restrict their children's exposure to online content. It also calls for stricter regulation of digital marketing targeting children, including restrictions on the types of advertisements that can be shown to them. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There are growing concerns about the commercialisation of childhood and the consequences of marketing to children, including marketing's negative effects and increasingly sophisticated and potentially deceptive online tactics that permeate the contemporary media environment. Children and young people are prolific users of video-sharing platforms (VSP) such as TikTok and YouTube, yet little is known about children's advertising literacy within these contexts. Therefore, this paper answers recent calls for a deeper understanding of children's advertising literacy in light of their increasingly digital lifestyles. A combination of qualitative, participatory creative methods were used with children aged 9–11 from the UK. Findings show that despite their negative perceptions of online advertising, children place a level of trust in video-sharing platforms, based on a misconception that the commercialisation of content is always disclosed. This is concerning because children may prefer and pay more attention to content that they believe to be genuine. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Child impeding packs are difficult for children to open so protect them from unintended access to hazardous contents inside the pack. However, if packs are difficult for adults to open, in normal usage scenarios, this may result in a higher occurrence of packs being left open. This research explores differences in ease of usage and closure compliance between two types of child impeding packs of liquid laundry detergent capsules. The two packs, "Pinch & Lift" and "Press & Lift", had different opening and closing mechanisms. "Press & Lift" also included an audible "click" signal to confirm complete closure to the user. The research was performed across two studies. In both studies, the packs were used in participants' homes according to their usual storage and usage practices as replacements to their current liquid laundry detergent capsule pack. All participants had small children living with them in their household. In Study 1, self-reported closure and ease of use data was collected from 99 adult participants in Germany. They used each package in their home for 10 days. Study 2 extended Study 1 by measuring closure rates with an objective assessment using in pack sensors for a 10-day period for each pack. Self-reported closure and ease of use data were also collected. Study 2 was conducted with 87 participants in the United Kingdom. Results across both studies showed "Press & Lift" with the audible "Click" close signal to be rated by participants to be significantly easier to open and close and have a higher self-reported closure rate than "Pinch & Lift". In addition, Study 2 results demonstrated higher closure rates using "Press & Lift" based on the sensor-measured closure compliance. Together, the results suggest transition to a pack with a mechanism that is child impeding and easier for an adult to use with an audible closure signal, like the "Press & Lift" system, has potential to reduce child access to a capsule from a pack by reducing the likelihood of the pack being left open by the adult user. Ultimately, such packs could protect children from potential poisoning injury across a range of consumer products. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This study aims to systematically review the health risk assessment of the concentration of heavy metals in Pistacia species globally. Design/methodology/approach: The authors systematically searched PubMed, Science Direct, Scopus and Google Scholar to identify all articles published between 1 January 2002 and 20 August 2022. A total of 33 studies met the authors' inclusion criteria, and their data were extracted. Additionally, the potential risk to human health was assessed by calculating the target hazard quotient and hazard index for both child and adult consumers. Findings: The estimated daily intake for heavy metals in the included studies ranged from 9.72 × 10–9 to 7.35 (mg/day) in the following order: zinc (Zn) > mercury (Hg) > iron (Fe) > lead (Pb) > copper (Cu) > aluminum (Al) > nickel (Ni) > chromium (Cr) > manganese (Mn) > cadmium (Cd) > arsenic (As) > selenium (Se) > cobalt (Co). Among the studies that investigated heavy metals in Pistacia species around the world, the non-carcinogenic risk for all species of Pistacia was determined to be less than 1, except for Pb and Hg in Pistacia lentiscus. Originality/value: The soil near the industrial area contained excessive amounts of heavy metals, which led to the transfer of heavy metals to plants. Owing to the insufficiency of the number of studies that examined heavy metals in Pistacia species, further monitoring and investigations were recommended. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Children's study tables are an integral part of a child's learning life. Consumers are often attracted to their styling when deciding on the use and purchase of a children's study desk. This study focused on consumption preference for the styling of children's study desks and delved into the factors that influence these preferences. An important aspect of this research is to understand how different shapes of children's desks influence consumer preferences through morphological analysis. The study breaks down these desks into six different parts based on morphological analysis: backplane, bookshelves, desktop, cabinet, drawer, and table legs. Through a hierarchical analysis (AHP) and pairwise comparisons, the study created a hierarchy of preferred morphological elements. The hierarchy ranked the importance of each element in influencing consumption preference, revealing the order of preference from backsplash to table legs. In addition, by integrating personal interviews and employing Qualitative Comparative Analysis (QCA), this study provides insights into the most preferred components -- backplane and bookshelves. This integrated approach revealed a preference for desks with curved backsplashes and multi-tiered functional shelves, which was ultimately validated by successfully combining weighted rankings of specific component styles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]