Agribusiness Group Paper

DTIC Science & Technology

2002-11-21

services, markets, and consumers. A Consumer-Driven Market Increasingly, consumers define the food market. Changes in consumer preferences have resulted...ownership and production becomes more concentrated to better meet consumer preferences and the demand for food. 8 CHALLENGES While the United States is...vie for market share. In order to obtain competitive advantage, agribusinesses must focus on price and value- added products that meet consumer

75 FR 73048 - Notice of Meeting of Chronic Hazard Advisory Panel on Phthalates and Phthalate Substitutes

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-11-29

..., pursuant to section 108 of the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act of 2008 (CPSIA) (Pub. L. 110- 314... CONSUMER PRODUCT SAFETY COMMISSION Notice of Meeting of Chronic Hazard Advisory Panel on Phthalates and Phthalate Substitutes AGENCY: Consumer Product Safety Commission. ACTION: Notice of meeting...

Health Care Transformation: A Strategy Rooted in Data and Analytics.

PubMed

Koster, John; Stewart, Elizabeth; Kolker, Eugene

2016-02-01

Today's consumers purchasing any product or service are armed with information and have high expectations. They expect service providers and payers to know about their unique needs. Data-driven decisions can help organizations meet those expectations and fulfill those needs.Health care, however, is not strictly a retail relationship-the sacred trust between patient and doctor, the clinician-patient relationship, must be preserved. The opportunities and challenges created by the digitization of health care are at the crux of the most crucial strategic decisions for academic medicine. A transformational vision grounded in data and analytics must guide health care decisions and actions.In this Commentary, the authors describe three examples of the transformational force of data and analytics to improve health care in order to focus attention on academic medicine's vital role in guiding the needed changes.

European beef consumers' interest in a beef eating-quality guarantee Insights from a qualitative study in four EU countries.

PubMed

Verbeke, Wim; Van Wezemael, Lynn; de Barcellos, Marcia D; Kügler, Jens O; Hocquette, Jean-François; Ueland, Øydis; Grunert, Klaus G

2010-04-01

Consumer demand in relation to food is shifting towards products that are safe, nutritious, and of good eating quality. Beef consumers are demanding for experience quality that matches their expectations, particularly with respect to beef tenderness. The development of a beef quality grading and guarantee system obtained through muscle profiling research, can allow the beef industry to meet these demands. A qualitative consumer study has been carried out with beef consumers in France, Spain, United Kingdom and Germany to assess their opinions about beef muscle profiling and their interest in a beef eating-quality guarantee. Findings indicate that both concepts are well accepted by European beef consumers, although not unconditional. Participants express some reserve related to the possible upgrading of lower value cuts, too much standardisation, and the fact that tenderness is to some extent subjective. They further require the system to be simple, sufficiently documented and independent-party controlled. This study indicates good opportunities for the development of a beef eating-quality guarantee system in Europe. As an increase in consumers' satisfaction could lead to higher consumption rates and industry profitability, the introduction of an eating-quality guarantee system can contribute to market development and improved competitiveness of the European beef industry. Copyright 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Are hospital quality improvement and public accountability compatible?

PubMed

Panzer, R J

1994-07-01

The goals of public accountability and quality improvement are compatible in theory but not necessarily in practice. Both concepts emphasize the customer. However, those working toward these two goals design systems with quite different roles and relationships between the providers and consumers of health care. Superficial interactions obstruct meaningful dialogue about how to build a better system meeting both sets of goals. Current practices of public accountability and quality improvement have fundamentally different paradigms concerning the roles and responsibilities of those who provide and those who consume health care. There are at least three ways to improve the current relationship between public accountability and quality improvement. First, optimizing the design and performance of each effort would be an improvement since the goals are highly compatible. Neither ideal currently meets its own expectations, creating distrust among the proponents of each when reality falls short. Second, the two efforts could be coordinated through joint community-level planning and sharing. Finally and optimally, the two concepts could be made part of the same community-level cooperative system, an approach that offers the greatest opportunity for achieving shared goals.

Wine consumers' subjective responses to wine mouthfeel and understanding of wine body.

PubMed

Niimi, Jun; Danner, Lukas; Li, Luxing; Bossan, Hélène; Bastian, Susan E P

2017-09-01

Wine mouthfeel is considered important for wine quality by experts, while consumers understanding of mouthfeel and the role of wine body in their wine choice is unknown. One experiment determined the influence of intrinsic wine mouthfeel on consumers' wine liking and emotions, and the other, how consumers understand the term wine body. The first experiment used a 2 astringency level×2 body level experimental design. The samples were base wine with; nothing added (control), added xanthan gum (for increased body), added grape seed extract (GSE, for increased astringency), and with both added xanthan gum and GSE. The consumer taste trial (n=112) indicated that wine with increased body did not influence wine liking and emotions; while increased astringency decreased liking and elicited more intense negative emotions. The second experiment examined consumers' knowledge of wine body through an online survey (n=136). Consumers described wine body most frequently using words such as flavour, fullness, and strength. Wine body was therefore understood by consumers predominantly as a holistic multi-sensory perception of flavour. Wine flavour was indicated by consumers to be the most important factor driving purchase decisions followed by balance of flavours and wine body. It is crucial that wine professionals carefully communicate wine characteristics to consumers to prevent possible misunderstandings such as the meaning of wine body and as a result better meet consumer expectations. In future, the term body may benefit from a clearer definition for academic research as well as industry. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

78 FR 3883 - Sunshine Act Meetings

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-01-17

... CONSUMER PRODUCT SAFETY COMMISSION Sunshine Act Meetings AGENCY: U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission. FEDERAL REGISTER CITATION OF PREVIOUS ANNOUNCEMENT: Vol. 78, No. 7, Thursday, January 10, 2013, page 2257. ANNOUNCED TIME AND DATE OF MEETING: Wednesday, January 16, 2013, 10 a.m.-11 a.m. MEETING...

75 FR 63183 - Notice of Meeting of the Consumer Advisory Council

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-10-14

... in Lending Act, to enhance consumer protection and improve disclosures for reverse mortgage... FEDERAL RESERVE SYSTEM Notice of Meeting of the Consumer Advisory Council The Consumer Advisory..., will take place at the Federal Reserve Board's offices in Washington, DC, in Dining Room E on the...

A marketing model: applications for dietetic professionals.

PubMed

Parks, S C; Moody, D L

1986-01-01

Traditionally, dietitians have communicated the availability of their services to the "public at large." The expectation was that the public would respond favorably to nutrition programs simply because there was a consumer need for them. Recently, however, both societal and consumer needs have changed dramatically, making old communication strategies ineffective and obsolete. The marketing discipline has provided a new model and new decision-making tools for many health professionals to use to more effectively make their services known to multiple consumer groups. This article provides one such model as applied to the dietetic profession. The model explores a definition of the business of dietetics, how to conduct an analysis of the environment, and, finally, the use of both in the choice of new target markets. Further, the model discusses the major components of developing a marketing strategy that will help the practitioner to be competitive in the marketplace. Presented are strategies for defining and re-evaluating the mission of the profession, for using future trends to identify new markets and roles for the profession, and for developing services that make the profession more competitive by better meeting the needs of the consumer.

78 FR 35260 - Multistakeholder Meeting To Develop Consumer Data Privacy Code of Conduct Concerning Mobile...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-06-12

... Meeting To Develop Consumer Data Privacy Code of Conduct Concerning Mobile Application Transparency AGENCY... convene a meeting of a privacy multistakeholder process concerning mobile application transparency. This..., 2013 meeting is part of a series of NTIA-convened multistakeholder discussions concerning mobile...

77 FR 55833 - Announcement of Public Meeting on the Consumer Confidence Report (CCR) Rule Retrospective Review...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-09-11

... on the Consumer Confidence Report (CCR) Rule Retrospective Review and Request for Public Comment on... potential approaches for providing Consumer Confidence Reports (CCR) via electronic delivery. EPA plans to... meeting to give EPA time to process your request. Background Consumer Confidence Reports are a key part of...

Emerging trends in Chinese healthcare: the impact of a rising middle class.

PubMed

Chang, Joyce; Wood, David; Xiaofeng, Jia; Gifford, Blair

2008-01-01

In this report, the authors examine a major phenomenon in the Chinese healthcare marketplace: the explosion of a vigorous and demanding middle class and its impact on the future directions the industry should pursue. Little is known about the expectations of the middle class regarding their healthcare needs other than through anecdotal or informal sources. The views of the middle class are shaped by a variety of influences which include exposure through direct personal contact with international healthcare facilities when traveling abroad or indirectly through increased exposure to the entertainment industry with its abundance of hospital and medical dramas. In addition to a general increased international awareness arising from more advanced education, the perspective of the middle class consumer is also shaped by the reality of what is currently available in China and what is realistic to expect. This report addresses this lack of factual data through an extensive survey of middle class consumers in three major cities in China: Beijing, Shanghai and Chengdu. The survey took a practical and pragmatic approach to exploring this issue. No attempt was made in this study to explain why the consumer feels the way they do about their healthcare expectations. The purpose was simply to outline what expectations the middle class have for the healthcare marketplace in China. In some respects the results are not surprising. They are the expectations that people have in any country, any where. They expect greater privacy and dignity in the care-giving process. They want to be more involved in the decisions that are made regarding their care. They would prefer a personal, private physician as opposed to a revolving door of faces they will never see a second time. They rely strongly on family and friends to advise them on their choice of provider. They expect clean, well-maintained facilities, efficient systems and courteous personnel. In other respects, the conclusions are not necessarily expected. They feel strongly that their hospital or provider of care should be located in a residential area. They are willing in some circumstances to pay more for their care in order to meet their expectations but not significantly more. Despite acknowledging that many of the facets of care they seek such as greater respect for privacy and a generally perceived more positive attitude in the care-giving process are found in foreign physicians, middle class consumers do not express a strong preference for foreign physicians but opt instead for Chinese physicians. In conclusion, the results provide an insight into the expectations held by middle class Chinese of their healthcare providers and outlines a direction for future healthcare development.

78 FR 55327 - Advisory Committee for Aviation Consumer Protection

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-09-10

... Committee for Aviation Consumer Protection AGENCY: Office of the Secretary (OST), Department of... fifth meeting of the Advisory Committee for Aviation Consumer Protection. DATES: The fifth meeting of... Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) headquarters at 800 Independence Avenue SW., Washington, DC...

76 FR 38116 - Notice of Meeting of Chronic Hazard Advisory Panel on Phthalates and Phthalate Substitutes

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-06-29

... Product Safety Improvement Act of 2008 (CPSIA) (Pub. L. 110- 314). DATES: The meeting will be held on... CONSUMER PRODUCT SAFETY COMMISSION Notice of Meeting of Chronic Hazard Advisory Panel on Phthalates and Phthalate Substitutes AGENCY: Consumer Product Safety Commission. ACTION: Notice of meeting...

76 FR 63610 - Notice of Meeting of Chronic Hazard Advisory Panel on Phthalates and Phthalate Substitutes

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-10-13

... Product Safety Improvement Act of 2008 (CPSIA) (Pub. L. 110- 314). DATES: The meeting will be held on... CONSUMER PRODUCT SAFETY COMMISSION Notice of Meeting of Chronic Hazard Advisory Panel on Phthalates and Phthalate Substitutes AGENCY: Consumer Product Safety Commission. ACTION: Notice of meeting...

76 FR 13988 - Notice of Meeting of Chronic Hazard Advisory Panel on Phthalates and Phthalate Substitutes

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-03-15

... Product Safety Improvement Act of 2008 (CPSIA) (Pub. L. 110- 314). DATES: The meeting will be held on... CONSUMER PRODUCT SAFETY COMMISSION Notice of Meeting of Chronic Hazard Advisory Panel on Phthalates and Phthalate Substitutes AGENCY: Consumer Product Safety Commission. ACTION: Notice of meeting...

77 FR 5471 - Announcement of Public Meeting on the Consumer Confidence Report (CCR) Rule Retrospective Review

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-02-03

... Announcement of Public Meeting on the Consumer Confidence Report (CCR) Rule Retrospective Review AGENCY... stakeholder input on the Consumer Confidence Report (CCR) Rule as part of the agency's Retrospective Review of... Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA, section 1414(c)). The Consumer Confidence Report, or CCR, is an annual...

Application of a Consumer Health Information Needs Taxonomy to Questions in Maternal-Fetal Care

PubMed Central

Shenson, Jared A.; Ingram, Ebone; Colon, Nadja; Jackson, Gretchen Purcell

2015-01-01

Pregnancy is a time when expectant mothers may have numerous questions about their unborn children, especially when congenital anomalies are diagnosed prenatally. We sought to characterize information needs of pregnant women seen in the Vanderbilt Children’s Hospital Fetal Center. Participants recorded questions from diagnosis through delivery. Questions were categorized by two researchers using a hierarchical taxonomy describing consumer health information needs. Consensus category assignments were made, and inter-rater reliability was measured with Cohen’s Kappa. Sixteen participants reported 398 questions in 39 subcategories, of which the most common topics were prognosis (53 questions; 13.3%) and indications for intervention (31 questions; 7.8%). Inter-rater reliability of assignments showed moderate (κ=0.57) to substantial (κ=0.75) agreement for subcategories and primary categories, respectively. Pregnant women with prenatal diagnoses have diverse unmet information needs; a taxonomy of consumer health information needs may improve the ability to meet such needs through content and system design. PMID:26958254

Application of a Consumer Health Information Needs Taxonomy to Questions in Maternal-Fetal Care.

PubMed

Shenson, Jared A; Ingram, Ebone; Colon, Nadja; Jackson, Gretchen Purcell

2015-01-01

Pregnancy is a time when expectant mothers may have numerous questions about their unborn children, especially when congenital anomalies are diagnosed prenatally. We sought to characterize information needs of pregnant women seen in the Vanderbilt Children's Hospital Fetal Center. Participants recorded questions from diagnosis through delivery. Questions were categorized by two researchers using a hierarchical taxonomy describing consumer health information needs. Consensus category assignments were made, and inter-rater reliability was measured with Cohen's Kappa. Sixteen participants reported 398 questions in 39 subcategories, of which the most common topics were prognosis (53 questions; 13.3%) and indications for intervention (31 questions; 7.8%). Inter-rater reliability of assignments showed moderate (κ=0.57) to substantial (κ=0.75) agreement for subcategories and primary categories, respectively. Pregnant women with prenatal diagnoses have diverse unmet information needs; a taxonomy of consumer health information needs may improve the ability to meet such needs through content and system design.

78 FR 71706 - Advisory Committee for Aviation Consumer Protection

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-11-29

... Committee for Aviation Consumer Protection AGENCY: Office of the Secretary (OST), Department of... fifth meeting of the Advisory Committee for Aviation Consumer Protection. DATES: The fifth meeting of..., Office of Aviation Enforcement and Proceedings, [email protected] ; U.S. Department of...

Measuring and Investigating Pretrial Multi-Expectations of Service Quality within the Higher Education Context

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Prugsamatz, Sunita; Heaney, Joo-Gim; Alpert, Frank

2007-01-01

Understanding what consumers expect from a service provider prior to consumption is necessary for marketers because expectations provide a standard of comparison against which consumers judge the performance of that service provider. This study is an in-depth investigation into consumers' pretrial multi-expectations of service quality within a…

Examining the potential for nutritional stress in young Steller sea lions: physiological effects of prey composition.

PubMed

Rosen, David A S; Trites, Andrew W

2005-05-01

The effects of high- and low-lipid prey on the body mass, body condition, and metabolic rates of young captive Steller sea lions (Eumetopias jubatus) were examined to better understand how changes in prey composition might impact the physiology and health of wild sea lions and contribute to their population decline. Results of three feeding experiments suggest that prey lipid content did not significantly affect body mass or relative body condition (lipid mass as a percent of total mass) when sea lions could consume sufficient prey to meet their energy needs. However, when energy intake was insufficient to meet daily requirements, sea lions lost more lipid mass (9.16+/-1.80 kg+/-SE) consuming low-lipid prey compared with eating high-lipid prey (6.52+/-1.65 kg). Similarly, the sea lions lost 2.7+/-0.9 kg of lipid mass while consuming oil-supplemented pollock at maintenance energy levels but gained 5.2+/-2.7 kg lipid mass while consuming identical energetic levels of herring. Contrary to expectations, there was a 9.7+/-1.8% increase in metabolism during mass loss on submaintenance diets. Relative body condition decreased only 3.7+/-3.8% during periods of imposed nutritional stress, despite a 10.4+/-4.8% decrease in body mass. These findings raise questions regarding the efficacy of measures of relative body condition to detect such changes in nutritional status among wild animals. The results of these three experiments suggest that prey composition can have additional effects on sea lion energy stores beyond the direct effects of insufficient energy intake.

77 FR 35465 - Advisory Committee for Aviation Consumer Protection

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-06-13

... Committee for Aviation Consumer Protection AGENCY: Office of the Secretary (OST), Department of... first meeting of the Advisory Committee for Aviation Consumer Protection. DATES: The first meeting of... Assistant General Counsel for Aviation Enforcement and Proceedings, [email protected] , or Blane A. Workie...

77 FR 53961 - Advisory Committee for Aviation Consumer Protection

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-09-04

... Committee for Aviation Consumer Protection AGENCY: Office of the Secretary (OST), Department of... third meeting of the Advisory Committee for Aviation Consumer Protection. DATES: The third meeting of... Attorney, Office of the Assistant General Counsel for Aviation Enforcement and Proceedings, [email protected

77 FR 43135 - Advisory Committee for Aviation Consumer Protection

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-07-23

... Committee for Aviation Consumer Protection AGENCY: Office of the Secretary (OST), Department of... second meeting of the Advisory Committee for Aviation Consumer Protection. DATES: The second meeting of... Assistant General Counsel for Aviation Enforcement and Proceedings, [email protected] ; U.S. Department of...

Agribusiness Group Paper

DTIC Science & Technology

2002-01-01

obtain competitive advantage, agribusinesses must focus on price and value- added products that meet consumer preferences and desires. In today’s global...Driven Market Increasingly, consumers define the food market. Changes in consumer preferences have resulted in declining markets for certain...concentrated to better meet consumer preferences and the demand for food. 8 CHALLENGES While the United States is the world leader in agribusiness, it

77 FR 46067 - Multistakeholder Meetings To Develop Consumer Data Privacy Code of Conduct Concerning Mobile...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-08-02

... Meetings To Develop Consumer Data Privacy Code of Conduct Concerning Mobile Application Transparency AGENCY... convene meetings of a privacy multistakeholder process concerning mobile application transparency. DATES... of NTIA- convened multistakeholder discussions concerning mobile application transparency. The first...

78 FR 19461 - Multistakeholder Meetings To Develop Consumer Data Privacy Code of Conduct Concerning Mobile...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-04-01

... Meetings To Develop Consumer Data Privacy Code of Conduct Concerning Mobile Application Transparency AGENCY... convene meetings of a privacy multistakeholder process concerning mobile application transparency. This... of a series of NTIA-convened multistakeholder discussions concerning mobile application transparency...

Need for uniqueness as a mediator of the relationship between face consciousness and status consumption in China.

PubMed

Sun, Gong; Chen, Jun; Li, Jie

2017-10-01

Strong economic development in China has led to a surge in status consumption as a means of gaining face. In Eastern culture, people interpret uniqueness as status distinction rather than separateness or deviance. This type of uniqueness can be used to meet others' expectations and gain social approval. Thus its relationship with face consciousness and status consumption is to be expected. This study investigates 2 hypotheses: (a) Face consciousness has a positive effect on status consumption and (b) Consumer need for uniqueness mediates the relationship between face consciousness and status consumption. Two-hundred and forty-six working respondents in eastern China completed a survey. Regression analysis of the results supported both hypotheses. © 2015 International Union of Psychological Science.

Managing uncertainty about food risks - Consumer use of food labelling.

PubMed

Tonkin, Emma; Coveney, John; Meyer, Samantha B; Wilson, Annabelle M; Webb, Trevor

2016-12-01

General consumer knowledge of and engagement with the production of food has declined resulting in increasing consumer uncertainty about, and sensitivity to, food risks. Emphasis is therefore placed on providing information for consumers to reduce information asymmetry regarding food risks, particularly through food labelling. This study examines the role of food labelling in influencing consumer perceptions of food risks. In-depth, 1-h interviews were conducted with 24 Australian consumers. Participants were recruited based on an a priori defined food safety risk scale, and to achieve a diversity of demographic characteristics. The methodological approach used, adaptive theory, was chosen to enable a constant interweaving of theoretical understandings and empirical data throughout the study. Participants discussed perceiving both traditional (food spoilage/microbial contamination) and modern (social issues, pesticide and 'chemical' contamination) risks as present in the food system. Food labelling was a symbol of the food system having managed traditional risks, and a tool for consumers to personally manage perceived modern risks. However, labelling also raised awareness of modern risks not previously considered. The consumer framing of risk presented demonstrates the need for more meaningful consumer engagement in policy decision making to ensure risk communication and management meet public expectations. This research innovatively identifies food labelling as both a symbol of, and a tool for, the management of perceived risks for consumers. Therefore it is imperative that food system actors ensure the authenticity and trustworthiness of all aspects of food labelling, not only those related to food safety. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

77 FR 75409 - Multistakeholder Meetings To Develop Consumer Data Privacy Code of Conduct Concerning Mobile...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-12-20

... Meetings To Develop Consumer Data Privacy Code of Conduct Concerning Mobile Application Transparency AGENCY... convene meetings of a privacy multistakeholder process concerning mobile application transparency. DATES... are part of a series of NTIA-convened multistakeholder discussions concerning mobile application...

Turning the Question Around: Do Colleges Fail to Meet Students' Expectations?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rosenbaum, James E.; Becker, Kelly Iwanaga; Cepa, Kennan A.; Zapata-Gietl, Claudia E.

2016-01-01

Research often focuses on how students fail to meet college expectations, but it rarely asks how colleges fail to meet students' expectations. This study examines students' expectations of college and their institutional confidence--their level of certainty that college will meet their expectations. Drawing on 65 pilot interviews and a survey of…

Ecologically sound management: aspects of modern sustainable deer farming systems.

PubMed

Pearse, A J; Drew, K R

1998-01-01

Modern deer farming systems have become increasingly intensive allowing strategic feeding for production and genetic improvement programmes. Meeting feeding standards that account for changing nutritional demands related to seasonality and reproductive state is critical. As the industry matures there is a growing awareness of the balance between retaining natural behaviour in producing breeding stock on larger extensive holdings and intensification systems for performance in young stock. Stocking rates are critical determinants of success as land use and capability needs are matched with an increasing stratification of stock type and purpose. Food product safety and welfare considerations of farmed deer are being driven by consumer demands. Farm quality assurance and codes of practice are developing to ensure that deer farming meets and exceeds international expectations of land use and deer welfare in modern deer farming systems.

Building brand equity and customer loyalty

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Pokorny, G.

Customer satisfaction and customer loyalty are two different concepts, not merely two different phrases measuring a single consumer attitude. Utilities having identical customer satisfaction ratings based on performance in areas like power reliability, pricing, and quality of service differ dramatically in their levels of customer loyalty. As competitive markets establish themselves, discrepancies in customer loyalty will have profound impacts on each utility`s prospects for market retention, profitability, and ultimately, shareholder value. Meeting pre-existing consumer needs, wants and preferences is the foundation of any utility strategy for building customer loyalty and market retention. Utilities meet their underlying customer expectations by performingmore » well in three discrete areas: product, customer service programs, and customer service transactions. Brand equity is an intervening variable standing between performance and the loyalty a utility desires. It is the totality of customer perceptions about the unique extra value the utility provides above and beyond its basic product, customer service programs and customer service transactions; it is the tangible, palpable reality of a branded utility that exists in the minds of consumers. By learning to manage their brand equity as well as they manage their brand performance, utilities gain control over all the major elements in the value-creation process that creates customer loyalty. By integrating brand performance and brand equity, electric utility companies can truly become in their customers` eyes a brand - a unique, very special, value-added energy services provider that can ask for and deserve a premium price in the marketplace.« less

Consumer-pharmacist interactions around complementary medicines: agreement between pharmacist and consumer expectations, satisfaction and pharmacist influence.

PubMed

Tran, Sophia; Calabretto, Jean-Pierre; Sorich, Michael

2013-12-01

To explore pharmacist-consumer interactions around the use of complementary medicines (CMs), with specific focus on consumer expectations, perceptions and satisfaction. Twenty pharmacists and 20 healthcare consumers were recruited across 16 metropolitan community pharmacies in Adelaide, Australia, from June to August 2011. Semi-structured interviews containing comparable questions for both study groups were used. Data was transcribed and analysed with the aid of AutoMap®. There was high consumer satisfaction with pharmacists as CM providers, which was in agreement with pharmacist's perceptions of consumer satisfaction. However, this was against a background of low consumer expectations and pharmacists' dissatisfaction with their own role in the interaction. Consumers often perceived pharmacy-stocked CMs to be more effective and safer compared to those in supermarkets or health food shops, but this perception was not shared by pharmacists. Pharmacists believed they had significant influence around recommendation and use of CMs, whereas consumers perceived a more limited influence. Both pharmacists and consumers shared similar perceptions of CM safety and similar expectations regarding business influence and professional pressures on information provision. Behind a perception of high satisfaction, consumers have low expectations of pharmacists around provision of CM-related information. Further work is required to improve pharmacists' knowledge and confidence around CM use and to address barriers such as the tension between potentially competing business pressures and professional responsibilities. © 2013 The Authors. IJPP © 2013 Royal Pharmaceutical Society.

76 FR 17653 - Public Meeting of the Consumer Operated and Oriented Plan (CO-OP) Advisory Board, April 15, 2011

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-03-30

...] Public Meeting of the Consumer Operated and Oriented Plan (CO-OP) Advisory Board, April 15, 2011 AGENCY... of the Department of Health and Human Services' through CCIIO strategy to foster the creation of... Oversight (CCIIO) on the Department's strategy to foster the creation of qualified consumer-operated...

75 FR 36639 - Change in Times for Meeting of Chronic Hazard Advisory Panel on Phthalates and Phthalate...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-06-28

... children's toys and child care articles, pursuant to section 108 of the Consumer Product Safety Improvement..., pursuant to section 108 of the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act of 2008 (CPSIA) (Pub. L. 110-314... CONSUMER PRODUCT SAFETY COMMISSION Change in Times for Meeting of Chronic Hazard Advisory Panel on...

Assessing communications effectiveness in meeting corporate goals of public health organizations.

PubMed

Brown, Gordon D; Bopp, Kenneth D; Boren, Suzanne Austin

2005-01-01

Much evaluation of health communications in public health is considered from a program perspective of smoking cessation, weight reduction, education on sexually transmitted diseases, etc. These studies have advanced the knowledge base of communications theory and evaluation and have contributed to program effectiveness. In program-based evaluation the communications process is structured as part of the program itself. This article extends program-based communications evaluation to view communications from the perspective of the consumer and how effectively public health departments respond to consumer expectations. It develops a conceptual model for evaluating elements of communications such as its importance in defining mission and goals within the community, managing strategic constituencies, and enlisting individuals and groups as customers and co-producers of health. It gives a broader perspective on how communications in public heath organizations are managed and a basis for assessing whether they are being managed effectively.

Expectation of having consumed caffeine can improve performance and mood.

PubMed

Dawkins, Lynne; Shahzad, Fatima-Zahra; Ahmed, Suada S; Edmonds, Caroline J

2011-12-01

We explored whether caffeine, and expectation of having consumed caffeine, affects attention, reward responsivity and mood using double-blinded methodology. 88 participants were randomly allocated to 'drink-type' (caffeinated/decaffeinated coffee) and 'expectancy' (told caffeinated/told decaffeinated coffee) manipulations. Both caffeine and expectation of having consumed caffeine improved attention and psychomotor speed. Expectation enhanced self-reported vigour and reward responsivity. Self-reported depression increased at post-drink for all participants, but less in those receiving or expecting caffeine. These results suggest caffeine expectation can affect mood and performance but do not support a synergistic effect. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Dual-use micromechanical inertial sensors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Elwell, John M., Jr.

1995-03-01

A new industry, which will provide low-cost silicon-based inertial sensors to the commercial and military markets. is being created. Inertial measurement units are used extensively in military systems, and new versions are expected to find their way into commercial products, such as automobiles, as production costs fall as technology advances. An automotive inertial measurement unit can be expected to perform a complete range of control, diagnostic, and navigation functions. These functions are expected to provide significant active safety, performance, comfort, convenience, and fuel economy advantages to the automotive consumer. An inertial measurement unit applicable to the automobile industry would meet many of the performance requirements for the military in important areas, such as antenna and image stabilization, autopilot control, and the guidance of smart weapons. Such a new industrial base will significantly reduce the acquisition cost of many future tactical weapons systems. An alliance, consisting of the Charles Stark Draper Laboratory and Rockwell International, has been created to develop inertial products for this new industry.

Child-safety Containers/Devices and Compounding.

PubMed

Allen, Loyd V

2017-01-01

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission has been around since it was created in 1972 through the Consumer Product Safety Act. Its purpose is to protect "against unreasonable risks of injuries associated with consumer products." Manufactured drugs must meet the standards unless specifically exempted. Dispensing and compounding pharmacists must also meet the standards. Due to a smaller market size, compliant products to meet the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission's standards to aid compounding pharmacists have been slow in coming. However, now there are numerous different products, some introduced recently, which make it easier for compounding pharmacists to comply with the standards. The new technologies are innovative and serve a great need. Copyright© by International Journal of Pharmaceutical Compounding, Inc.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Keyser, Matthew A

Present-day thermal management systems for battery electric vehicles are inadequate in limiting the maximum temperature rise of the battery during extreme fast charging. If the battery thermal management system is not designed correctly, the temperature of the cells could reach abuse temperatures and potentially send the cells into thermal runaway. Furthermore, the cell and battery interconnect design needs to be improved to meet the lifetime expectations of the consumer. Each of these aspects is explored and addressed as well as outlining where the heat is generated in a cell, the efficiencies of power and energy cells, and what type ofmore » battery thermal management solutions are available in today's market. Thermal management is not a limiting condition with regard to extreme fast charging, but many factors need to be addressed especially for future high specific energy density cells to meet U.S. Department of Energy cost and volume goals.« less

Enabling fast charging - Battery thermal considerations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Keyser, Matthew; Pesaran, Ahmad; Li, Qibo; Santhanagopalan, Shriram; Smith, Kandler; Wood, Eric; Ahmed, Shabbir; Bloom, Ira; Dufek, Eric; Shirk, Matthew; Meintz, Andrew; Kreuzer, Cory; Michelbacher, Christopher; Burnham, Andrew; Stephens, Thomas; Francfort, James; Carlson, Barney; Zhang, Jiucai; Vijayagopal, Ram; Hardy, Keith; Dias, Fernando; Mohanpurkar, Manish; Scoffield, Don; Jansen, Andrew N.; Tanim, Tanvir; Markel, Anthony

2017-11-01

Battery thermal barriers are reviewed with regards to extreme fast charging. Present-day thermal management systems for battery electric vehicles are inadequate in limiting the maximum temperature rise of the battery during extreme fast charging. If the battery thermal management system is not designed correctly, the temperature of the cells could reach abuse temperatures and potentially send the cells into thermal runaway. Furthermore, the cell and battery interconnect design needs to be improved to meet the lifetime expectations of the consumer. Each of these aspects is explored and addressed as well as outlining where the heat is generated in a cell, the efficiencies of power and energy cells, and what type of battery thermal management solutions are available in today's market. Thermal management is not a limiting condition with regard to extreme fast charging, but many factors need to be addressed especially for future high specific energy density cells to meet U.S. Department of Energy cost and volume goals.

Energy Star program benefits Con Edison

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

NONE

Impressed with savings in energy costs achieved after upgrading the lighting and air conditioning systems at its Manhattan headquarters, Home Box Office (HBO) wanted to do more, James Flock, vice president for computer and office systems, contacted Con Edison Co. of New York in March 1991 to determine what the company could do to save money by reducing energy consumed by personal computers. Arthur Kressner, Con Edison Research and Development manager contacted industry organizations and manufacturers for advice, but was told only to shut off computers at night and on weekends. Kressner arranged a series of meetings with IBM andmore » the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) to discuss the issue, then approached the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), which was designing a program to promote the introduction and use of energy-efficient office equipment. In 1992, the EPA announced the Energy Star program for PCs, enabling manufacturers to display the Energy Star logo on machines meeting program criteria, including the ability to enter a sleep mode in which neither the computer nor monitor consume more than 30 W or electricity. Industry experts estimate national energy consumption by office equipment could double by the year 2000, but Energy Star equipment is expected to improve efficiency and help maintain electric loads.« less

78 FR 5424 - Sunshine Act Meetings, Cancellation

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-01-25

... CONSUMER PRODUCT SAFETY COMMISSION Sunshine Act Meetings, Cancellation Federal Register CITATION OF PREVIOUS ANNOUNCEMENT: Vol. 77, No. 12, Thursday, January 17, 2013, page 3883. ANNOUNCED TIME AND... INFORMATION: Todd A. Stevenson, Office of the Secretary, Consumer Product Safety Commission, 4330 East West...

Electronic waste recovery in Finland: Consumers' perceptions towards recycling and re-use of mobile phones.

PubMed

Ylä-Mella, Jenni; Keiski, Riitta L; Pongrácz, Eva

2015-11-01

This paper examines consumers' awareness and perceptions towards mobile phone recycling and re-use. The results are based on a survey conducted in the city of Oulu, Finland, and analysed in the theoretical framework based on the theories of planned behaviour (TPB) and value-belief-norm (VBN). The findings indicate that consumers' awareness of the importance and existence of waste recovery system is high; however, awareness has not translated to recycling behaviour. The survey reveals that 55% of respondents have two or more unused mobile phones at homes. The more phones stored at homes, the more often reasons 'I don't know where to return' and/or 'have not got to do it yet' were mentioned. This indicates that proximity and the convenience of current waste management system are inadequate in promoting the return of small waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE). To facilitate re-use, and the highest level of recovery, consumers will need to be committed to return end-of-use electronics to WEEE collection centres without delays. Further, the supply and demand of refurbished mobile phones do not meet at this moment in Finland due to consumer's storing habits versus expectations of recent features under guarantee and unrealistic low prizes. The study also points out that, in order to change current storing habits of consumers, there is an explicit need for more information and awareness on mobile phone collection in Finland, especially on regarding retailers' take-back. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Getting by, getting back, and getting on: Matching mental health services to consumers' recovery goals.

PubMed

Yarborough, Bobbi Jo H; Yarborough, Micah T; Janoff, Shannon L; Green, Carla A

2016-06-01

The goal of this study was to better understand mental health recovery from the point of view of mental health consumers to identify opportunities for practice improvements that closely align services with consumer goals and consumer-preferred outcomes. As part of an exploratory study of recovery, semistructured interviews were conducted with 177 integrated health plan members diagnosed with schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder, bipolar disorder, or affective psychosis. Transcripts of in-depth interviews were coded using Atlas.ti, and definitions of recovery were further subcoded. A qualitative analysis using a modified grounded theory approach and constant comparative method identified common themes and less common but potentially important recovery-related experiences and perspectives. Three primary and 2 cross-cutting themes emerged. "Getting by" meant coping and meeting basic needs. "Getting back" meant learning to live with mental illness. "Getting on" meant living a life where mental illness was no longer prominent. Regaining control and recouping losses were cross-cutting themes. Mental health recovery is complex and dynamic; individuals' recovery goals can be expected to change over time. Person-centered care must accommodate changing consumer priorities, services must be flexible and responsive, and outcomes need to match consumers' objectives. Clinicians can assist in (a) identifying recovery goals, (b) monitoring progress toward and recognizing movement away from goals, (c) tailoring support to different phases/stages, and (d) supporting transitions between phases/stages. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved).

Carbon Monoxide in Meat and Fish Packaging: Advantages and Limits

PubMed Central

Roncalés, Pedro

2018-01-01

Due to increased demands for greater expectation in relation to quality, convenience, safety and extended shelf-life, combined with growing demand from retailers for cost-effective extensions of fresh muscle foods’ shelf-life, the food packaging industry quickly developed to meet these expectations. During the last few decades, modified atmosphere packaging (MAP) of foods has been a promising area of research, but much remains to be known regarding the use of unconventional gases such carbon monoxide (CO). The use of CO for meat and seafood packaging is not allowed in most countries due to the potential toxic effect, and its use is controversial in some countries. The commercial application of CO in food packaging was not then considered feasible because of possible environmental hazards for workers. CO has previously been reported to mask muscle foods’ spoilage, and this was the primary concern raised for the prohibition, as this may mislead consumers. This review was undertaken to present the most comprehensive and current overview of the widely-available, scattered information about the use of CO in the preservation of muscle foods. The advantages of CO and its industrial limits are presented and discussed. The most recent literature on the consumer safety issues related to the use of CO and consumer acceptance of CO especially in meat packaging systems were also discussed. Recommendations and future prospects were addressed for food industries, consumers and regulators on what would be a “best practice” in the use of CO in food packaging. All this promotes high ethical standards in commercial communications by means of effective regulation, for the benefit of consumers and businesses in the world, and this implies that industrialized countries and members of their regulatory agencies must develop a coherent and robust systems of regulation and control that can respond effectively to new challenges. PMID:29360803

76 FR 7869 - National Cancer Institute; Notice of Meeting

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-02-11

... DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES National Institutes of Health National Cancer Institute.... App.), notice is hereby given of a meeting of the National Cancer Institute Director's Consumer... Committee: National Cancer Institute Director's Consumer Liaison Group; DCLG. Date: February 22-23, 2011...

Trends in Sugar-Sweetened Beverages: Are Public Health and the Market Aligned or in Conflict?

PubMed Central

Shrapnel, William

2015-01-01

Adverse health consequences of consuming sugar-sweetened beverages are frequently cited as an example of market failure, justifying government intervention in the marketplace, usually in the form of taxation. However, declining sales of sugar-sweetened beverages in Australia and a corresponding increase in sales of drinks containing non-nutritive sweeteners, in the absence of significant government regulation, appear to reflect market forces at work. If so, the public health challenge in relation to sugar-sweetened beverages may have less to do with regulating the market and more to do with harnessing it. Contrary to assertions that consumers fail to appreciate the links between their choice of beverage and its health consequences, the health conscious consumer appears to be driving the changes taking place in the beverage market. With the capacity to meet consumer expectations for convenience and indulgence without unwanted kilojoules, drinks containing non-nutritive sweeteners enable the “small change” in health behaviour that individuals are willing to consider. Despite the low barriers involved in perpetuating the current trend of replacing sugar-sweetened beverages with drinks containing non-nutritive sweeteners, some public health advocates remain cautious about advocating this dietary change. In contrast, the barriers to taxation of sugar-sweetened beverages appear high. PMID:26404369

Trends in Sugar-Sweetened Beverages: Are Public Health and the Market Aligned or in Conflict?

PubMed

Shrapnel, William

2015-09-23

Adverse health consequences of consuming sugar-sweetened beverages are frequently cited as an example of market failure, justifying government intervention in the marketplace, usually in the form of taxation. However, declining sales of sugar-sweetened beverages in Australia and a corresponding increase in sales of drinks containing non-nutritive sweeteners, in the absence of significant government regulation, appear to reflect market forces at work. If so, the public health challenge in relation to sugar-sweetened beverages may have less to do with regulating the market and more to do with harnessing it. Contrary to assertions that consumers fail to appreciate the links between their choice of beverage and its health consequences, the health conscious consumer appears to be driving the changes taking place in the beverage market. With the capacity to meet consumer expectations for convenience and indulgence without unwanted kilojoules, drinks containing non-nutritive sweeteners enable the "small change" in health behaviour that individuals are willing to consider. Despite the low barriers involved in perpetuating the current trend of replacing sugar-sweetened beverages with drinks containing non-nutritive sweeteners, some public health advocates remain cautious about advocating this dietary change. In contrast, the barriers to taxation of sugar-sweetened beverages appear high.

Factors affecting dry-cured ham consumer acceptability.

PubMed

Morales, R; Guerrero, L; Aguiar, A P S; Guàrdia, M D; Gou, P

2013-11-01

The objectives of the present study were (1) to compare the relative importance of price, processing time, texture and intramuscular fat in purchase intention of dry-cured ham through conjoint analysis, (2) to evaluate the effect of dry-cured ham appearance on consumer expectations, and (3) to describe the consumer sensory preferences of dry-cured ham using external preference mapping. Texture and processing time influenced the consumer preferences in conjoint analysis. Red colour intensity, colour uniformity, external fat and white film presence/absence influenced consumer expectations. The consumer disliked hams with bitter and metallic flavour and with excessive saltiness and piquantness. Differences between expected and experienced acceptability were found, which indicates that the visual preference of consumers does not allow them to select a dry-cured ham that satisfies their sensory preferences of flavour and texture. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Consumer familiarity, perspectives and expected value of personalized medicine with a focus on applications in oncology

PubMed Central

Garfeld, Susan; Douglas, Michael P; MacDonald, Karen V; Marshall, Deborah A; Phillips, Kathryn A

2015-01-01

Aims Knowledge of consumer perspectives of personalized medicine (PM) is limited. Our study assessed consumer perspectives of PM, with a focus on oncology care, to inform industry, clinician and payer stakeholders' programs and policy. Materials & Methods A nationally representative survey of 602 US consumers' ≥30 years old explored familiarity, perspectives and expected value of PM. Results Most (73%) respondents have not heard of ‘personalized medicine,’ though after understanding the term most (95%) expect PM to have a positive beneft. Consumer's willingness to pay is associated with products' impact on survival, rather than predicting disease risk. If testing indicates consumers are not candidates for oncology therapies, most (84%) would seek a second opinion or want therapy anyway. Conclusions Understanding heterogeneity in consumer perspectives of PM can inform program and policy development. PMID:25620993

5 CFR 9901.410 - Addressing performance that does not meet expectations.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... expectations. 9901.410 Section 9901.410 Administrative Personnel DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE HUMAN RESOURCES... that does not meet expectations. (a) If at any time during the appraisal period a supervisor determines that an employee's performance is not meeting expectations, the supervisor will— (1) Identify and...

The effect of technology information on consumer expectations and liking of beef.

PubMed

Van Wezemael, Lynn; Ueland, Øydis; Rødbotten, Rune; De Smet, Stefaan; Scholderer, Joachim; Verbeke, Wim

2012-02-01

European consumers increasingly attach value to process characteristics of food. Although beef technologies are hardly communicated to consumers, providing consumer-oriented information about technology application might increase perceived transparency and consumer acceptance. This study investigates how information about beef technologies influences consumer expectations and liking of beef. Beef consumers in Belgium (n = 108) and Norway (n = 110) participated in an information experiment combined with sensory testing in which each consumer tasted three beef muscles treated with different technologies: unprocessed tenderloin M. Psoas major, muscle profiled M. Infraspinatus, and marinated (by injection) M. Semitendinosus. The findings indicate that detailed information about beef technologies can enhance consumers' expectations and liking of beef. However, this effect differs between countries and beef technologies. Information becomes either less relevant when the product is actually tasted, as indicated by the findings in Norway, or more relevant when information is confirmed by own experience during tasting, as indicated by the findings in Belgium. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

75 FR 11894 - National Cancer Institute; Notice of Meeting

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-03-12

... DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES National Institutes of Health National Cancer Institute.... App.), notice is hereby given of a meeting of the National Cancer Institute Director's Consumer... Committee: National Cancer Institute Director's Consumer Liaison Group. Date: March 24-26, 2010. Time: March...

76 FR 55648 - Sunshine Act Meeting Notice

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-09-08

... CONSUMER PRODUCT SAFETY COMMISSION Sunshine Act Meeting Notice TIME AND DATE: Wednesday, September 14, 2011, 10-11 a.m. PLACE: Room 420, Bethesda Towers, 4330 East West Highway, Bethesda, Maryland... INFORMATION: Todd A. Stevenson, Office of the Secretary, U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, 4330 East...

78 FR 51713 - Sunshine Act Meeting

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-08-21

... CONSUMER PRODUCT SAFETY COMMISSION Sunshine Act Meeting TIME AND DATE: Wednesday, August 21, 2013, 10 a.m.-11 a.m. PLACE: Room 420, Bethesda Towers, 4330 East West Highway, Bethesda, Maryland. STATUS.... Stevenson, Office of the Secretary, U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, 4330 East West Highway...

77 FR 56624 - Sunshine Act Meeting Notice

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-09-13

... CONSUMER PRODUCT SAFETY COMMISSION Sunshine Act Meeting Notice TIME AND DATE: Wednesday, September 19, 2012, 10 a.m.-12 p.m. PLACE: Room 420, Bethesda Towers, 4330 East West Highway, Bethesda..., Office of the Secretary, U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, 4330 East West Highway, Bethesda, MD...

77 FR 59389 - Sunshine Act Meeting Notice

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-09-27

... CONSUMER PRODUCT SAFETY COMMISSION Sunshine Act Meeting Notice TIME AND DATE: Wednesday, October 3, 2012, 10 a.m.-12 p.m. PLACE: Hearing Room 420, Bethesda Towers, 4330 East-West Highway, Bethesda...: Todd A. Stevenson, Office of the Secretary, U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, 4330 East-West...

76 FR 55648 - Sunshine Act Meeting Notice

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-09-08

... CONSUMER PRODUCT SAFETY COMMISSION Sunshine Act Meeting Notice TIME AND DATE: Wednesday, September 14, 2011; 11 a.m.-12 p.m. PLACE: Hearing Room 420, Bethesda Towers, 4330 East West Highway, Bethesda.... Stevenson, Office of the Secretary, U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, 4330 East West Highway...

77 FR 22290 - Sunshine Act Meetings Notice

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-04-13

... CONSUMER PRODUCT SAFETY COMMISSION Sunshine Act Meetings Notice TIME AND DATE: Wednesday, April 11, 2012; 10 a.m.-11 a.m. PLACE: Hearing Room 420, Bethesda Towers, 4330 East West Highway, Bethesda.... Stevenson, Office of the Secretary, U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, 4330 East West Highway...

77 FR 7138 - Sunshine Act Meeting Notice

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-02-10

... CONSUMER PRODUCT SAFETY COMMISSION Sunshine Act Meeting Notice TIME AND DATE: Wednesday, February 15, 2012, 10 a.m.-12 p.m. PLACE: Room 410, Bethesda Towers, 4330 East West Highway, Bethesda... of the Secretary, U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, 4330 East West Highway, Bethesda, MD 20814...

76 FR 28001 - Sunshine Act Meeting Notice

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-05-13

... CONSUMER PRODUCT SAFETY COMMISSION Sunshine Act Meeting Notice TIME AND DATE: Wednesday, May 18, 2011; 10 a.m.-11 a.m. PLACE: Hearing Room 420, Bethesda Towers, 4330 East West Highway, Bethesda.... Stevenson, Office of the Secretary, U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, 4330 East West Highway...

77 FR 22290 - Sunshine Act Meeting Notice

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-04-13

... CONSUMER PRODUCT SAFETY COMMISSION Sunshine Act Meeting Notice TIME AND DATE: Wednesday, April 18, 2012, 10 a.m.-11 a.m. PLACE: Room 420, Bethesda Towers, 4330 East West Highway, Bethesda, Maryland.... CONTACT PERSON FOR MORE INFORMATION: Todd A. Stevenson, Office of the Secretary, U.S. Consumer Product...

First tier modeling of consumer dermal exposure to substances in consumer articles under REACH: a quantitative evaluation of the ECETOC TRA for consumers tool.

PubMed

Delmaar, J E; Bokkers, B G H; ter Burg, W; van Engelen, J G M

2013-02-01

The demonstration of safe use of chemicals in consumer products, as required under REACH, is proposed to follow a tiered process. In the first tier, simple conservative methods and assumptions should be made to quickly verify whether risks for a particular use are expected. The ECETOC TRA Consumer Exposure Tool was developed to assist in first tier risk assessments for substances in consumer products. The ECETOC TRA is not a prioritization tool, but is meant as a first screening. Therefore, the exposure assessment needs to cover all products/articles in a specific category. For the assessment of the dermal exposure for substances in articles, ECETOC TRA uses the concept of a 'contact layer', a hypothetical layer that limits the exposure to a substance contained in the product. For each product/article category, ECETOC TRA proposes default values for the thickness of this contact layer. As relevant experimental exposure data is currently lacking, default values are based on expert judgment alone. In this paper it is verified whether this concept meets the requirement of being a conservative exposure evaluation method. This is done by confronting the ECETOC TRA expert judgment based predictions with a mechanistic emission model, based on the well established theory of diffusion of substances in materials. Diffusion models have been applied and tested in many applications of emission modeling. Experimentally determined input data for a number of material and substance combinations are available. The estimated emissions provide information on the range of emissions that could occur in reality. First tier tools such as ECETOC TRA tool are required to cover all products/articles in a category and to provide estimates that are at least as high as is expected on the basis of current scientific knowledge. Since this was not the case, it is concluded that the ECETOC TRA does not provide a proper conservative estimation method for the dermal exposure to articles. An alternative method was proposed. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Factors related to meeting physical activity guidelines in active college students: A social cognitive perspective.

PubMed

Farren, G L; Zhang, T; Martin, S B; Thomas, K T

2017-01-01

To examine the relations of sex, exercise self-efficacy, outcome expectations, and social support with meeting physical activity guidelines (PAGs). Three hundred ninety-six college students participated in this study in the summer 2013. Students completed online questionnaires that assessed physical activity behaviors and psychosocial factors (ie, self-efficacy, outcome expectancies, and social support). Students' physical activity profile was categorized as meeting no PAGs, meeting aerobic PAGs only, meeting muscle-strengthening PAGs only, or meeting both PAGs. A multinomial logistic regression revealed that students' sex and psychosocial factors significantly affected the odds of meeting any and all PAGs. Sex significantly moderated the relationship between outcome expectancy and meeting aerobic PAGs and between outcome expectancy meeting muscle-strengthening PAGs. Results indicate that interventions designed to increase psychosocial factors may increase the likelihood of students meeting any and all PAGs. Social support may be especially beneficial for increasing muscle-strengthening activity.

77 FR 57566 - Announcement of Public Meeting on the Consumer Confidence Report (CCR) Rule Retrospective Review...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-09-18

... ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY [EPA-HQ-OW-2012-0035; FRL-9730-7] Announcement of Public Meeting on the Consumer Confidence Report (CCR) Rule Retrospective Review and Request for Public Comment on Potential Approaches to Electronic Delivery of the CCR; Correction AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency...

78 FR 3883 - Sunshine Act Meeting Notice

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-01-17

... CONSUMER PRODUCT SAFETY COMMISSION Sunshine Act Meeting Notice TIME AND DATE: Wednesday, January 23, 2013, 10:00 a.m.--11:00 a.m. PLACE: Room 420, Bethesda Towers, 4330 East West Highway, Bethesda..., Office of the Secretary, U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, 4330 East West Highway, Bethesda, MD...

Satisfaction with hearing aids: a consumer research perspective.

PubMed

Wong, Lena L N; Hickson, Louise; McPherson, Bradley

2009-01-01

This research aimed at describing satisfaction with hearing aids from the perspective of the client as a consumer. A disconfirmation-expectancy model, derived from consumer research, was evaluated. This model posits that pre-fitting expectations, post-fitting performance, and the experience of how performance compares to expectations (disconfirmation), contribute to satisfaction. Positive disconfirmation occurs when performance is better than original expectations and is associated with higher satisfaction. Negative disconfirmation is when performance is poorer than expectations and is associated with dissatisfaction. New hearing aid users in Hong Kong (N=42) were tested with a newly developed self-report measure (PHACS: profile of hearing aid consumer satisfaction) that included items focused on hearing ability, problems, cost, and service. Pre-fitting expectations and post-fitting performance, disconfirmation, and satisfaction were measured. Results showed that expectations were generally not related to satisfaction, that disconfirmation was correlated with many aspects of satisfaction, and that performance was most strongly related to satisfaction. The implications of the findings are that hearing aid performance is the most important element for determining satisfaction; however disconfirmation should not be overlooked.

Gazing behavior reactions of Vietnamese and Austrian consumers to Austrian wafers and their relations to wanting, expected and tasted liking.

PubMed

Vu, Thi Minh Hang; Tu, Viet Phu; Duerrschmid, Klaus

2018-05-01

Predictability of consumers' food choice based on their gazing behavior using eye-tracking has been shown and discussed in recent research. By applying this observational technique and conventional methods on a specific food product, this study aims at investigating consumers' reactions associated with gazing behavior, wanting, building up expectations, and the experience of tasting. The tested food products were wafers from Austria with hazelnut, whole wheat, lemon and vanilla flavors, which are very well known in Austria and not known in Vietnam. 114 Vietnamese and 128 Austrian participants took part in three sections: The results indicate that: i) the gazing behavior parameters are highly correlated in a positive way with the wanting-to-try choice; ii) wanting to try is in compliance with the expected liking for the Austrian consumer panel only, which is very familiar with the products; iii) the expected and tasted liking of the products are highly country and product dependent. The expected liking is strongly correlated with the tasted liking for the Austrian panel only. Differences between the reactions of the Vietnamese and Austrian consumers are discussed in detail. The results, which reflect the complex process from gazing for "wanting to try" to the expected and tasted liking, are discussed in the context of the cognitive theory and food choice habits of the consumers. Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Understanding consumers' initial expectations of community-based residential mental health rehabilitation in the context of past experiences of care: A mixed-methods pragmatic grounded theory analysis.

PubMed

Parker, Stephen; Meurk, Carla; Newman, Ellie; Fletcher, Clayton; Swinson, Isabella; Dark, Frances

2018-04-16

This study explores how consumers expect community-based residential mental health rehabilitation to compare with previous experiences of care. Understanding what consumers hope to receive from mental health services, and listening to their perspectives about what has and has not worked in previous care settings, may illuminate pathways to improved service engagement and outcomes. A mixed-methods research design taking a pragmatic approach to grounded theory guided the analysis of 24 semi-structured interviews with consumers on commencement at three Community Care Units (CCUs) in Australia. Two of these CCUs were trialling a staffing model integrating peer support work with clinical care. All interviews were conducted by an independent interviewer within the first 6 weeks of the consumer's stay. All participants expected the CCU to offer an improvement on previous experiences of care. Comparisons were made to acute and subacute inpatient settings, supported accommodation, and outpatient care. Consumers expected differences in the people (staff and co-residents), the focus of care, physical environ, and rules and regulations. Participants from the integrated staffing model sites articulated the expected value of a less clinical approach to care. Overall, consumers' expectations aligned with the principles articulated in policy frameworks for recovery-oriented practice. However, their reflections on past care suggest that these services continue to face significant challenges realizing these principles in practice. Paying attention to the kind of working relationship consumers want to have with mental health services, such as the provision of choice and maintaining a practical and therapeutic supportive focus, could improve their engagement and outcomes. © 2018 Australian College of Mental Health Nurses Inc.

Residential End Uses: Historical Efficiency Data and Incremental Installed Costs for Efficiency Upgrades

EIA Publications

2017-01-01

The residential sector comprises equipment consuming various fuels and providing different end-use services. When replacing equipment, consumers may choose to purchase equipment that meets minimum federal equipment efficiency standards, or they may opt for higher-efficiency equipment, such as equipment that meets or exceeds ENERGY STAR® specifications. Consumers may also choose to purchase or retrofit different types of equipment, which may require additional costs (e.g., for ducts, exhaust vents, natural gas lines, or electrical connections) to install. The stock mix of equipment types, efficiency levels, and fuels consumed directly affects total residential sector energy consumption.

77 FR 5801 - Consumer Advisory Committee

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-02-06

... FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION [DA 12-105] Consumer Advisory Committee AGENCY: Federal... agenda of its Consumer Advisory Committee (Committee). The purpose of the Committee is to make... the participation of all consumers in proceedings before the Commission. DATES: The next meeting of...

Beyond consumer-driven health care: purchasers' expectations of all plans.

PubMed

Lee, Peter V; Hoo, Emma

2006-01-01

Skyrocketing health care costs and quality deficits can only be addressed through a broad approach of quality-based benefit design. Consumer-directed health plans that are built around better consumer information tools and support hold the promise of consumer engagement, but purchasers expect these features in all types of health plans. Regardless of plan type, simply shifting costs to consumers is a threat to access and adherence to evidence-based medicine. Comparative and interactive consumer information tools, coupled with provider performance transparency and payment reform, are needed to advance accountability and support consumers in getting the right care at the right time.

Effect of information about animal welfare on consumer willingness to pay for yogurt.

PubMed

Napolitano, F; Pacelli, C; Girolami, A; Braghieri, A

2008-03-01

This study aimed to verify whether consumers confirm their willingness to pay extra costs for higher animal welfare standards in a situation where a potential purchase performed by consumers, such as the Vickrey auction, is used. A 104-member consumer panel was asked to rate its willingness to pay (WTP) for plain and low-fat yogurts in 3 information conditions: tasting without information (blind WTP), information about animal welfare without tasting (expected WTP), tasting with information about animal welfare (actual WTP). Information was provided to the consumers under the form of labels indicating the level of animal cleanliness and freedom of movement (5-point scale, from poor to very good). Consumers were influenced by information about low standards of animal welfare (low cleanliness and low freedom of movement) and moved their willingness to pay in the direction of their expectations. However, the discrepancy between expectancy and actual WTP was not totally assimilated, indicating that WTP was also expressed in relation to other aspects (e.g., the sensory properties of the products). Conversely, the information concerning high standards of animal welfare (high cleanliness and high freedom of movement) was able to affect expectancy but had an effect on actual WTP only when the most acceptable yogurt was offered to the consumers. In the case of discordant information on animal welfare, partly indicating high levels of welfare (freedom of movements) and low levels of welfare (cleanliness), expected WTP was always lower than blind WTP. However, when the least acceptable product was presented, they completely assimilated their actual WTP to the expectations. Conversely, with the most acceptable yogurt, no assimilation occurred and sensory properties prevailed in orienting consumer WTP. Within each product, consumers expressed a higher WTP for products with labels indicating high welfare standards as compared with yogurts with labels reporting intermediate and low welfare standard. These results show that information about animal welfare, if given to the consumers, can be a major determinant of consumer WTP for animal-based food products. However, information about high standards of animal welfare should be paired with products presenting a good eating quality.

"Control-alt-delete": rebooting solutions for the E-waste problem.

PubMed

Li, Jinhui; Zeng, Xianlai; Chen, Mengjun; Ogunseitan, Oladele A; Stevels, Ab

2015-06-16

A number of efforts have been launched to solve the global electronic waste (e-waste) problem. The efficiency of e-waste recycling is subject to variable national legislation, technical capacity, consumer participation, and even detoxification. E-waste management activities result in procedural irregularities and risk disparities across national boundaries. We review these variables to reveal opportunities for research and policy to reduce the risks from accumulating e-waste and ineffective recycling. Full regulation and consumer participation should be controlled and reinforced to improve local e-waste system. Aiming at standardizing best practice, we alter and identify modular recycling process and infrastructure in eco-industrial parks that will be expectantly effective in countries and regions to handle the similar e-waste stream. Toxicity can be deleted through material substitution and detoxification during the life cycle of electronics. Based on the idea of "Control-Alt-Delete", four patterns of the way forward for global e-waste recycling are proposed to meet a variety of local situations.

Meeting Consumers' Information Needs: Putting Research to Work.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Steketee, Drew

The Consumer Information Center is a federal program which encourages federal agencies to develop and release consumer information to the public. It also promotes consumer awareness and access to information through the "Consumer Information Catalog" and a mail order distribution operation. Through research, the Center can learn the…

"Let's Talk": Collaboration between Family and Consumer Sciences Extension Personnel and Teachers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Abdul-Rahman, Fahzy; Bartley, Sharon Jeffcoat; Cummings, Merrilyn; O'Brien, David

2013-01-01

Interactive meetings between New Mexico Family and Consumer Sciences (FCS) teachers and Extension personnel (county Home Economics agents and state FCS specialists) were conducted to promote collaboration between the two parties. Based on pre- and post-meeting surveys, both parties showed similarities in almost all perceptions and expectations…

75 FR 15714 - Voting and Nonvoting Consumer Representative Members on Public Advisory Committees and Panels...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-03-30

... DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES Food and Drug Administration [Docket No. FDA-2010-N-0001... Public Meeting AGENCY: Food and Drug Administration, HHS. ACTION: Notice of public meeting. The Food and... consumer interests on how to participate in the nomination and selection process for members representing...

Consumer Perception of Inpatient Medical Services.

PubMed

Izugami, Satoko; Takase, Kozo

2016-01-01

Although it is currently popular to reflect consumers' perspectives to medical service management, insufficient attempts have been made to understand detailed perception of the consumer side of medical services to promote medical services' evaluation from the consumer viewpoint. The aim of this study was to descriptively reveal how consumers perceive medical services that they receive, focusing on inpatient medical services. We conducted semi-structured interviews with 10 adults who experienced hospitalization of five or more days. Constant comparative analysis was performed on the obtained descriptive data. We identified 1) medical procedures, 2) explanations from medical professionals, 3) behavior of medical service providers, 4) somatic sensations, and 5) self-perceived physical conditions as target factors that medical service consumers perceived during hospitalization. The response to the perceived target factors, "compared with the expectation that the consumer had before the hospitalization," suggests that it is an important medical service consumer reaction to check if the service met their expectations for perceived factors. The response to the medical services perception targets suggested that medical service consumers are involved in medical services and interested in various perception targets. The expectations that medical service consumers have prior to hospitalization can largely influence inpatient medical services evaluation.

Consumer Expectations of Capacity Constrains and Their Effect on the Demand for Multi-Class Air Travel

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Battersby, Bryn D.

2003-01-01

This paper argues that a consumer's decision on ticket class takes into account the expected likelihood of obtaining a seat in a particular class which, in turn, partially depends on an optimum "transaction cost". Taking into account the preferences of the consumer and the information that the consumer is endowed with, the consumer will select a ticket that includes its own optimal transaction cost. This motivates the inclusion of the capacity constraint as a proxy independent variable for these consumer expectations This then forms the basis of a model of air-travel demand with specific reference to Australia. A censored likelihood function allowing for correlation in the disturbance term across k classes is introduced. The correlation in the disturbances arises as a result of the interdependence of the capacity constraints in k different ticket classes on each flight.

Product safety in Great Britain and the Consumer Protection Act 1987.

PubMed

Jenkins, D W; Davies, B T

1989-09-01

The Consumer Protection Act 1987 imposes new demands on manufacturers regarding the safety of their products. They can be sued directly by any person injured by their defective goods and prosecuted if they fail to meet the new comprehensive general safety requirement and any other safety provision. Product designers and ergonomists need a sound understanding of and involvement in the legal aspects of product safety. It is now essential to take into account what may reasonably be done with goods, or foreseeable conditions of use, in order to satisfy the test of what is "reasonably safe" and meet the level of safety which "persons generally are entitled to expect" under the law. Any significant progress in product safety will now come through developments in technical standards which will be harmonised throughout the European Community. It is essential that ergonomics considerations be taken into account during the drafting of product specifications if users' interests are to be safeguarded more effectively. Ergonomists will be required to make an even greater contribution in the field of product safety, therefore, by assisting in the determination of the new statutory safety criteria. They are uniquely qualified to ensure that the product user is fully considered at the design and assessment stages which can now be looked upon as an essential pre-requisite of the law and not just sound engineering policy.

Influence of label information on dark chocolate acceptability.

PubMed

Torres-Moreno, M; Tarrega, A; Torrescasana, E; Blanch, C

2012-04-01

The aim of the present work was to study how the information on product labels influences consumer expectations and their acceptance and purchase intention of dark chocolate. Six samples of dark chocolate, varying in brand (premium and store brand) and in type of product (regular dark chocolate, single cocoa origin dark chocolate and high percentage of cocoa dark chocolate), were evaluated by 109 consumers who scored their liking and purchase intention under three conditions: blind (only tasting the products), expected (observing product label information) and informed (tasting the products together with provision of the label information). In the expected condition, consumer liking was mainly affected by the brand. In the blind condition, differences in liking were due to the type of product; the samples with a high percentage of cocoa were those less preferred by consumers. Under the informed condition, liking of dark chocolates varied depending on both brand and type of product. Premium brand chocolates generated high consumer expectations of chocolate acceptability, which were fulfilled by the sensory characteristics of the products. Store brand chocolates created lower expectations, but when they were tasted they were as acceptable as premium chocolates. Claims of a high percentage of cocoa and single cocoa origin on labels did not generate higher expectations than regular dark chocolates. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

China's emergence as the world's leading iron-ore-consuming country

USGS Publications Warehouse

Kirk, W.S.

2004-01-01

China has become the leading iron ore consuming nation, and, based on recent steel production capacity increases and plans for more, its consumption will almost certainly to continue to grow. China's iron ore industry, however, faces a number of problems. China's iron ore is low-grade, expensive to process, and its mines are being depleted. For many Chinese steelmakers, particularly in the coastal regions, the delivered cost of domestic iron ore, is more than the delivered cost of foreign ore. Thus China's iron ore imports are expected to increase. As China's growth continues, it will almost certainly surpass Japan to become the leading iron ore importing country as well. Without China's increasing appetite for iron ore, the world iron ore market would be flat or declining. China's recent imports largely offset the slump in demand in North America and Europe. China is regarded by the iron ore industry as the growth sector for the next decade. Although Chinese imports are expected to continue their rapid increase and imports in other Asian countries are expected to continue growing, there appears to be enough greenfield and expansion projects to meet future demand for iron ore worldwide. Present suppliers of iron ore, Australia, Brazil, India, and South Africa, will probably be the chief beneficiaries of China's increasing consumption of iron ore. How long China can continue its extraordinary growth is the primary issue for the future of the iron ore industry. Based on the number and size of planned blast furnaces it appears that China's growth could continue for several more years. ?? 2004 Taylor and Francis.

Bioactive Compounds in Functional Meat Products.

PubMed

Pogorzelska-Nowicka, Ewelina; Atanasov, Atanas G; Horbańczuk, Jarosław; Wierzbicka, Agnieszka

2018-01-31

Meat and meat products are a good source of bioactive compounds with positive effect on human health such as vitamins, minerals, peptides or fatty acids. Growing food consumer awareness and intensified global meat producers competition puts pressure on creating new healthier meat products. In order to meet these expectations, producers use supplements with functional properties for animal diet and as direct additives for meat products. In the presented work seven groups of key functional constituents were chosen: (i) fatty acids; (ii) minerals; (iii) vitamins; (iv) plant antioxidants; (v) dietary fibers; (vi) probiotics and (vii) bioactive peptides. Each of them is discussed in term of their impact on human health as well as some quality attributes of the final products.

Isolated Operation at Hachinohe Micro-Grid Project

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Takano, Tomihiro; Kojima, Yasuhiro; Temma, Koji; Simomura, Masaru

To meet the global warming, renewable energy sources like wind, solar and biomass generations are dramatically increasing. Cogeneration systems are also ever-growing to save consumers' energy costs among factories, buildings and homes where lots of thermal loads are expected. According to these dispersed generators growth, their negative impacts to commercial power systems quality become non-negligible, because their unstable output causes network voltage and frequency fluctuation. Micro-grid technology comes to the front to solve the problem and many demonstrative field tests are now going all over the world. This paper presents the control paradigm and its application to Hachinohe micro-gird project, especially focusing on the power quality at isolated operation on which strict condition is imposed.

Consumerism and consumer complexity: implications for university teaching and teaching evaluation.

PubMed

Hall, Wendy A

2013-07-01

A contemporary issue is the effects of a corporate production metaphor and consumerism on university education. Efforts by universities to attract students and teaching strategies aimed at 'adult learners' tend to treat student consumers as a homogeneous group with similar expectations. In this paper, I argue that consumer groups are not uniform. I use Dagevos' theoretical approach to categorize consumers as calculating, traditional, unique, and responsible. Based on the characteristics of consumers occupying these categories, I describe the implications of the varying consumer expectations for teaching. I also consider the implications for evaluation of teaching and call for research taking consumer types into account when evaluating teaching. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Consumer Perception of Inpatient Medical Services

PubMed Central

Takase, Kozo

2016-01-01

Although it is currently popular to reflect consumers’ perspectives to medical service management, insufficient attempts have been made to understand detailed perception of the consumer side of medical services to promote medical services’ evaluation from the consumer viewpoint. The aim of this study was to descriptively reveal how consumers perceive medical services that they receive, focusing on inpatient medical services. We conducted semi-structured interviews with 10 adults who experienced hospitalization of five or more days. Constant comparative analysis was performed on the obtained descriptive data. We identified 1) medical procedures, 2) explanations from medical professionals, 3) behavior of medical service providers, 4) somatic sensations, and 5) self-perceived physical conditions as target factors that medical service consumers perceived during hospitalization. The response to the perceived target factors, “compared with the expectation that the consumer had before the hospitalization,” suggests that it is an important medical service consumer reaction to check if the service met their expectations for perceived factors. The response to the medical services perception targets suggested that medical service consumers are involved in medical services and interested in various perception targets. The expectations that medical service consumers have prior to hospitalization can largely influence inpatient medical services evaluation. PMID:27832165

Enabling fast charging – Battery thermal considerations

DOE PAGES

Keyser, Matthew; Pesaran, Ahmad; Li, Qibo; ...

2017-10-23

Battery thermal barriers are reviewed with regards to extreme fast charging. Present-day thermal management systems for battery electric vehicles are inadequate in limiting the maximum temperature rise of the battery during extreme fast charging. If the battery thermal management system is not designed correctly, the temperature of the cells could reach abuse temperatures and potentially send the cells into thermal runaway. Furthermore, the cell and battery interconnect design needs to be improved to meet the lifetime expectations of the consumer. Each of these aspects is explored and addressed as well as outlining where the heat is generated in a cell,more » the efficiencies of power and energy cells, and what type of battery thermal management solutions are available in today’s market. Here, thermal management is not a limiting condition with regard to extreme fast charging, but many factors need to be addressed especially for future high specific energy density cells to meet U.S. Department of Energy cost and volume goals.« less

Laparoscopic donor nephrectomy: meeting the challenge of consumerism?

PubMed

Siddins, Mark; Hart, Gabrielle; He, Bulang; Kanchanabat, Burapa; Mohan Rao, M

2003-11-01

Despite the increasing adoption of laparoscopic donor nephrectomy, no study has examined donor perceptions following this procedure. In particular, it has been tacitly assumed that a less invasive procedure might in itself provide a more satisfactory donor experience. The present study reviews the experience of donors undergoing laparoscopic nephrectomy, and examines the extent to which contemporary management practice addresses issues relevant to consumerism. Forty-two donors participated in a structured telephone interview, and 33 (79%) returned a written questionnaire. Coming through the survey was a strong sense of commitment to donation, and most respondents were satisfied with the experience. The main criticisms related to hotel services, the duration of the preoperative investigations, the perceived quality of nursing care on the general wards, medical communication and the duration of postoperative follow up. The self-reported time to meet recovery goals was extremely broad. Considering the nature of criticisms offered by the respondents, it is concluded that the expectations of donors as health-care consumers will only be met through modification of existing protocols.

Enabling fast charging – Battery thermal considerations

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Keyser, Matthew; Pesaran, Ahmad; Li, Qibo

Battery thermal barriers are reviewed with regards to extreme fast charging. Present-day thermal management systems for battery electric vehicles are inadequate in limiting the maximum temperature rise of the battery during extreme fast charging. If the battery thermal management system is not designed correctly, the temperature of the cells could reach abuse temperatures and potentially send the cells into thermal runaway. Furthermore, the cell and battery interconnect design needs to be improved to meet the lifetime expectations of the consumer. Each of these aspects is explored and addressed as well as outlining where the heat is generated in a cell,more » the efficiencies of power and energy cells, and what type of battery thermal management solutions are available in today’s market. Here, thermal management is not a limiting condition with regard to extreme fast charging, but many factors need to be addressed especially for future high specific energy density cells to meet U.S. Department of Energy cost and volume goals.« less

Expectations and responsibilities regarding the sale of complementary medicines in pharmacies: perspectives of consumers and pharmacy support staff.

PubMed

Iyer, Priya; McFarland, Reanna; La Caze, Adam

2017-08-01

Most sales of complementary medicines within pharmacies are conducted by pharmacy support staff. The absence of rigorous evidence for the effectiveness of many complementary medicines raises a number of ethical questions regarding the sale of complementary medicines in pharmacies. Explore (1) what consumers expect from pharmacists/pharmacies with regard to the sale of complementary medicines, and (2) how pharmacy support staff perceive their responsibilities when selling complementary medicines. One-on-one semi-structured interviews were conducted with a convenience sample of pharmacy support staff and consumers in pharmacies in Brisbane. Consumers were asked to describe their expectations when purchasing complementary medicines. Pharmacy support staff were asked to describe their responsibilities when selling complementary medicines. Interviews were conducted and analysed using the techniques developed within Grounded Theory. Thirty-three consumers were recruited from three pharmacies. Consumers described complementary medicine use as a personal health choice. Consumer expectations on the pharmacist included: select the right product for the right person, expert product knowledge and maintaining a wide range of good quality stock. Twenty pharmacy support staff were recruited from four pharmacies. Pharmacy support staff employed processes to ensure consumers receive the right product for the right person. Pharmacy support staff expressed a commitment to aiding consumers, but few evaluated the reliability of effectiveness claims regarding complementary medicines. Pharmacists need to respect the personal health choices of consumers while also putting procedures in place to ensure safe and appropriate use of complementary medicines. This includes providing appropriate support to pharmacy support staff. © 2016 Royal Pharmaceutical Society.

Complaint handling in healthcare: expectation gaps between physicians and the public; results of a survey study.

PubMed

Friele, R D; Reitsma, P M; de Jong, J D

2015-10-01

Patients who submit complaints about the healthcare they have received are often dissatisfied with the response to their complaints. This is usually attributed to the failure of physicians to respond adequately to what complainants want, e.g. an apology or an explanation. However, expectations of complaint handling among the public may colour how they evaluate the way their own complaint is handled. This descriptive study assesses expectations of complaint handling in healthcare among the public and physicians. Negative public expectations and the gap between these expectations and those of physicians may explain patients' dissatisfaction with complaints procedures. We held two surveys; one among physicians, using a panel of 3366 physicians (response rate 57 %, containing all kinds of physicians like GP's, medical specialist and physicians working in a nursing home) and one among the public, using the Dutch Healthcare Consumer Panel (n = 1422, response rate 68 %). We asked both panels identical questions about their expectations of how complaints are handled in healthcare. Differences in expectation scores between the public and the physicians were tested using non-parametric tests. The public have negative expectations about how complaints are handled. Physician's expectations are far more positive, demonstrating large expectation gaps between physicians and the public. The large expectation gap between the public and physicians means that when they meet because of complaint, they are likely to start off with opposite expectations of the situation. This is no favourable condition for a positive outcome of a complaints procedure. The negative public preconceptions about the way their complaint will be handled will prove hard to change during the process of complaints handling. People tend to see what they thought would happen, almost inevitably leading to a negative judgement about how their complaint was handled.

Walking the Line: Navigating Market and Gift Economies of Care in a Consumer-Directed Home-Based Care Program for Older Adults

PubMed Central

Torres, Jacqueline M; Kietzman, Kathryn G; Wallace, Steven P

2015-01-01

Context Paid caregivers of low-income older adults navigate their role at what Hochschild calls the “market frontier”: the fuzzy line between the “world of the market,” in which services are exchanged for monetary compensation, and the “world of the gift,” in which caregiving is uncompensated and motivated by emotional attachment. We examine how political and economic forces, including the reduction of long-term services and supports, shape the practice of “walking the line” among caregivers of older adults. Methods We used data from a longitudinal qualitative study with related and nonrelated caregivers (n = 33) paid through California’s In-Home Supportive Services (IHSS) program and consumers of IHSS care (n = 49). We analyzed the semistructured interviews (n = 330), completed between 2010 and 2014, using a constructivist grounded theory approach. Findings Related and nonrelated caregivers are often expected to “gift” hours of care above and beyond what is compensated by formal services. Cuts in formal services and lapses in pay push caregivers to further “walk the line” between market and gift economies of care. Both related and nonrelated caregivers who choose to stay on and provide more care without pay often face adverse economic and health consequences. Some, including related caregivers, opt out of caregiving altogether. While some consumers expect that caregivers would be willing to “walk the line” in order to meet their needs, most expressed sympathy for them and tried to alter their schedules or go without care in order to limit the caregivers’ burden. Conclusions Given economic and health constraints, caregivers cannot always compensate for cuts in formal supports by providing uncompensated time and resources. Similarly, low-income older adults are not competitive in the caregiving marketplace and, given the inadequacy of compensated hours, often depend on unpaid care. Policies that restrict formal long-term services and supports thus leave the needs of both caregivers and consumers unmet. PMID:26626984

Walking the Line: Navigating Market and Gift Economies of Care in a Consumer-Directed Home-Based Care Program for Older Adults.

PubMed

Torres, Jacqueline M; Kietzman, Kathryn G; Wallace, Steven P

2015-12-01

Paid caregivers of low-income older adults navigate their role at what Hochschild calls the "market frontier": the fuzzy line between the "world of the market," in which services are exchanged for monetary compensation, and the "world of the gift," in which caregiving is uncompensated and motivated by emotional attachment. We examine how political and economic forces, including the reduction of long-term services and supports, shape the practice of "walking the line" among caregivers of older adults. We used data from a longitudinal qualitative study with related and nonrelated caregivers (n = 33) paid through California's In-Home Supportive Services (IHSS) program and consumers of IHSS care (n = 49). We analyzed the semistructured interviews (n = 330), completed between 2010 and 2014, using a constructivist grounded theory approach. Related and nonrelated caregivers are often expected to "gift" hours of care above and beyond what is compensated by formal services. Cuts in formal services and lapses in pay push caregivers to further "walk the line" between market and gift economies of care. Both related and nonrelated caregivers who choose to stay on and provide more care without pay often face adverse economic and health consequences. Some, including related caregivers, opt out of caregiving altogether. While some consumers expect that caregivers would be willing to "walk the line" in order to meet their needs, most expressed sympathy for them and tried to alter their schedules or go without care in order to limit the caregivers' burden. Given economic and health constraints, caregivers cannot always compensate for cuts in formal supports by providing uncompensated time and resources. Similarly, low-income older adults are not competitive in the caregiving marketplace and, given the inadequacy of compensated hours, often depend on unpaid care. Policies that restrict formal long-term services and supports thus leave the needs of both caregivers and consumers unmet. © 2015 Milbank Memorial Fund.

Service Quality Management Systems: An Annotated Bibliography

DTIC Science & Technology

1992-05-01

customers, Fortune, 122, 38-48. Key words: Consumer preferences , customer expectations Abstract: Rice presents a profile of the 1990 U.S. consumers...business process, 16 competitive advantage, 6, 10 consumer, 5 consumer affairs department, 19 consumer preferences , 30 consumer research, 10,24

The Influence of Color on the Consumer's Experience of Beer.

PubMed

Carvalho, Felipe Reinoso; Moors, Pieter; Wagemans, Johan; Spence, Charles

2017-01-01

Visual appearance (e.g., color) cues set expectations regarding the likely taste and flavor properties of food and drink. These expectations may, in turn, anchor the subsequent tasting experience. In the present study, we examined the influence of the color of a beer on the consumer's experience. Dark and pale beers were evaluated both before and after tasting. Importantly, these beers were indistinguishable in terms of their taste/flavor when tasted without any visual cues. The results indicate that the differing visual appearance of the beers led to clear differences in expected taste/flavor. However, after tasting, no differences in flavor ratings were observed, indicating that the expectations based on visual cues did not influence the actual tasting experience. The participants also expected the dark beer to be more expensive than the pale one. These outcomes suggest that changes in the visual appearance of a beer lead to significant changes in the way in which consumers expect the beer to taste. At the same time, however, our findings also suggest the need for more evidence to be collected in order to determine the boundary conditions on when such crossmodal expectations may vs. may not affect the tasting experience. Highlights: The expected flavor of a beer is affected by its visual appearance. No differences in flavor ratings were observed on tasting. Consumers expect dark beers to be more expensive than pale/amber beers.

"Coming from a different place": Partnerships between consumers and health services for system change.

PubMed

Scholz, Brett; Bocking, Julia; Banfield, Michelle; Platania-Phung, Chris; Happell, Brenda

2018-05-18

The aim of the current study is to explore whether and how the expectations of consumers to be 'representative' influences consumers' ability to contribute to health services partnerships. Health standards call for services to partner with consumers in service development and governance. While existing research criticises the assumption that individual mental health consumers working with mental health services must be representative of consumers more broadly, research has yet to explore whether this requirement exists for consumers of other health services. Requiring individual consumers to be representative of consumers more broadly marginalises and limits consumer involvement. A qualitative, exploratory design was employed. Consumers (n=6), clinicians (n=7), and health managers (n=5) were interviewed about consumer participation in health services. Data analysis was conducted through the lens of social exchange theory, and informed by discursive psychological principles. The current study extends existing literature within mental health, finding that consumers of other health services are also held responsible for representing broader communities. Data also suggested that a requirement to be representative would marginalise consumers with a passion to bring about change in health systems. The findings suggest that organisations might need a culture change so that individual consumers are not expected to be representative of consumers more broadly, and that participation be made more accessible for diverse groups of consumers. Given the role that nurses might play as allies to consumers within health services, the findings of this study contribute to knowledge about the expectations placed on consumers and the ways that nurses might advocate for better partnerships. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

76 FR 12740 - Public Meeting of the Consumer Operated and Oriented Plan (CO-OP) Advisory Board; Meeting...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-03-08

... the original location of the meeting has proved unsuitable for the following reasons: (1) The space... the publication of the meeting notice. Because members of the Advisory Board have booked travel...

75 FR 47606 - Strategic Plan for Consumer Education via Cooperative Agreement (U18)

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-08-06

... or quantitative research with stakeholders and meetings with stakeholder groups and consumer experts... and resulting from an extensive consumer research process. In 2007, PFSE joined with USDA to create... responsibilities of FDA. B. Research Objectives PFSE supports a large, complex, and multi-faceted consumer food...

12 CFR 267.5 - Meetings.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... 12 Banks and Banking 3 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Meetings. 267.5 Section 267.5 Banks and Banking... AND PROCEDURE OF THE CONSUMER ADVISORY COUNCIL § 267.5 Meetings. (a) Time. Meetings of the Council...) Agenda. Each meeting of the Council shall be conducted in accordance with an agenda formulated or...

20 CFR 641.740 - How will the Department determine whether a grantee fails, meets, or exceeds the expected levels...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... grantee fails, meets, or exceeds the expected levels of performance for the core indicators and what will... determine whether a grantee fails, meets, or exceeds the expected levels of performance for the core... such levels) by aggregating the grantee's core indicators. The aggregate is calculated by combining the...

The effect of health/hedonic claims on consumer hedonic and sensory perception of sugar reduction: Case study with orange/passionfruit nectars.

PubMed

Oliveira, Denize; Ares, Gastón; Deliza, Rosires

2018-06-01

Sugar reduction in beverages can contribute to reduce consumption of this nutrient and to improve the health status of the population. However, such reduction can negatively affect consumer perception. Label information can be an effective tool to increase consumer interest in sugar-reduced products. In this context, the aim of the present work was to study the influence of health/hedonic claims on consumer hedonic and sensory perception of sugar reduction in orange/passionfruit nectars under expected and informed conditions. Sugar-reduced orange/passionfruit nectars (20% and 40% reduced in added sugar) featuring different claims (none, health claim or hedonic claim) were evaluated, together with a control product without reduction. Following a between-subjects experimental design, 206 participants evaluated the nectars under two experimental conditions: (a) expected, looking at the packages, and (b) informed, looking at the packages and tasting the nectars. In each experimental condition, participants evaluated their overall liking using a 9-point hedonic scale and answered a check-all-that-apply questions related to the sensory characteristics of the nectars. Results showed that although consumers did not have negative expectations about sugar-reduced nectars, the sensory characteristics of the products were the main determinants of consumers' hedonic reaction towards the nectars. The influence of claims on consumers' perception was modulated by their hedonic sensitivity towards sugar-reduction. The hedonic claim increased overall liking of those consumers with low hedonic sensitivity towards sugar reduction, whereas it had the opposite effect on the most sensitive consumers. Results from the present work suggest that although hedonic claims hold potential for a consumer segment, care must be taken to avoid the generation of unrealistic expectations about the sensory characteristics of sugar-reduced products. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Patients' and family members' views on how clinicians enact and how they should enact incident disclosure: the "100 patient stories" qualitative study.

PubMed

Iedema, Rick; Allen, Suellen; Britton, Kate; Piper, Donella; Baker, Andrew; Grbich, Carol; Allan, Alfred; Jones, Liz; Tuckett, Anthony; Williams, Allison; Manias, Elizabeth; Gallagher, Thomas H

2011-07-25

To investigate patients' and family members' perceptions and experiences of disclosure of healthcare incidents and to derive principles of effective disclosure. Retrospective qualitative study based on 100 semi-structured, in depth interviews with patients and family members. Nationwide multisite survey across Australia. 39 patients and 80 family members who were involved in high severity healthcare incidents (leading to death, permanent disability, or long term harm) and incident disclosure. Recruitment was via national newspapers (43%), health services where the incidents occurred (28%), two internet marketing companies (27%), and consumer organisations (2%). Participants' recurrent experiences and concerns expressed in interviews. Most patients and family members felt that the health service incident disclosure rarely met their needs and expectations. They expected better preparation for incident disclosure, more shared dialogue about what went wrong, more follow-up support, input into when the time was ripe for closure, and more information about subsequent improvement in process. This analysis provided the basis for the formulation of a set of principles of effective incident disclosure. Despite growing prominence of open disclosure, discussion about healthcare incidents still falls short of patient and family member expectations. Healthcare organisations and providers should strengthen their efforts to meet patients' (and family members') needs and expectations.

Setting the public agenda for online health search: a white paper and action agenda.

PubMed

Greenberg, Liza; D'Andrea, Guy; Lorence, Dan

2004-06-08

Searches for health information are among the most common reasons that consumers use the Internet. Both consumers and quality experts have raised concerns about the quality of information on the Web and the ability of consumers to find accurate information that meets their needs. To produce a national stakeholder-driven agenda for research, technical improvements, and education that will improve the results of consumer searches for health information on the Internet. URAC, a national accreditation organization, and Consumer WebWatch (CWW), a project of Consumers Union (a consumer advocacy organization), conducted a review of factors influencing the results of online health searches. The organizations convened two stakeholder groups of consumers, quality experts, search engine experts, researchers, health-care providers, informatics specialists, and others. Meeting participants reviewed existing information and developed recommendations for improving the results of online consumer searches for health information. Participants were not asked to vote on or endorse the recommendations. Our working definition of a quality Web site was one that contained accurate, reliable, and complete information. The Internet has greatly improved access to health information for consumers. There is great variation in how consumers seek information via the Internet, and in how successful they are in searching for health information. Further, there is variation among Web sites, both in quality and accessibility. Many Web site features affect the capability of search engines to find and index them. Research is needed to define quality elements of Web sites that could be retrieved by search engines and understand how to meet the needs of different types of searchers. Technological research should seek to develop more sophisticated approaches for tagging information, and to develop searches that "learn" from consumer behavior. Finally, education initiatives are needed to help consumers search more effectively and to help them critically evaluate the information they find.

Setting the Public Agenda for Online Health Search: A White Paper and Action Agenda

PubMed Central

D'Andrea, Guy; Lorence, Dan

2004-01-01

Background Searches for health information are among the most common reasons that consumers use the Internet. Both consumers and quality experts have raised concerns about the quality of information on the Web and the ability of consumers to find accurate information that meets their needs. Objective To produce a national stakeholder-driven agenda for research, technical improvements, and education that will improve the results of consumer searches for health information on the Internet. Methods URAC, a national accreditation organization, and Consumer WebWatch (CWW), a project of Consumers Union (a consumer advocacy organization), conducted a review of factors influencing the results of online health searches. The organizations convened two stakeholder groups of consumers, quality experts, search engine experts, researchers, health-care providers, informatics specialists, and others. Meeting participants reviewed existing information and developed recommendations for improving the results of online consumer searches for health information. Participants were not asked to vote on or endorse the recommendations. Our working definition of a quality Web site was one that contained accurate, reliable, and complete information. Results The Internet has greatly improved access to health information for consumers. There is great variation in how consumers seek information via the Internet, and in how successful they are in searching for health information. Further, there is variation among Web sites, both in quality and accessibility. Many Web site features affect the capability of search engines to find and index them. Conclusions Research is needed to define quality elements of Web sites that could be retrieved by search engines and understand how to meet the needs of different types of searchers. Technological research should seek to develop more sophisticated approaches for tagging information, and to develop searches that "learn" from consumer behavior. Finally, education initiatives are needed to help consumers search more effectively and to help them critically evaluate the information they find. PMID:15249267

Cheese liking and consumer willingness to pay as affected by information about organic production.

PubMed

Napolitano, Fabio; Braghieri, Ada; Piasentier, Edi; Favotto, Saida; Naspetti, Simona; Zanoli, Raffaele

2010-08-01

The present study aimed to assess the effect of information about organic production on Pecorino cheese liking and consumer willingness to pay. Mean scores of perceived liking were similar for organic cheese (OC) and conventional cheese (CC). Expected liking scores were higher for OC than for CC (P<0.001). For OC the expected liking was significantly higher (P<0.001) than the perceived liking expressed in blind conditions (negative disconfirmation), whereas for CC the expected liking was significantly lower (P<0.001) than the perceived liking expressed in blind conditions (positive disconfirmation). Consumers assimilated their liking for OC in the direction of expectations, as the difference actual vs. perceived liking was significant (P<0.001). However the assimilation was not complete, as also the difference actual liking vs. expected liking was significant (P<0.001). Consumers showed a willingness to pay OC (mean+/-se=4.20+/-0.13 euro/100 g) higher than the local retail price for conventional (1.90 euro/100 g) and even organic cheese (3.00 euro/100 g). We conclude that the information about organic farming can be a major determinant of cheese liking and consumer willingness to pay, thus providing a potential tool for product differentiation, particularly for small scale and traditional farms.

Mobile Health Apps to Facilitate Self-Care: A Qualitative Study of User Experiences.

PubMed

Anderson, Kevin; Burford, Oksana; Emmerton, Lynne

2016-01-01

Consumers are living longer, creating more pressure on the health system and increasing their requirement for self-care of chronic conditions. Despite rapidly-increasing numbers of mobile health applications ('apps') for consumers' self-care, there is a paucity of research into consumer engagement with electronic self-monitoring. This paper presents a qualitative exploration of how health consumers use apps for health monitoring, their perceived benefits from use of health apps, and suggestions for improvement of health apps. 'Health app' was defined as any commercially-available health or fitness app with capacity for self-monitoring. English-speaking consumers aged 18 years and older using any health app for self-monitoring were recruited for interview from the metropolitan area of Perth, Australia. The semi-structured interview guide comprised questions based on the Technology Acceptance Model, Health Information Technology Acceptance Model, and the Mobile Application Rating Scale, and is the only study to do so. These models also facilitated deductive thematic analysis of interview transcripts. Implicit and explicit responses not aligned to these models were analyzed inductively. Twenty-two consumers (15 female, seven male) participated, 13 of whom were aged 26-35 years. Eighteen participants reported on apps used on iPhones. Apps were used to monitor diabetes, asthma, depression, celiac disease, blood pressure, chronic migraine, pain management, menstrual cycle irregularity, and fitness. Most were used approximately weekly for several minutes per session, and prior to meeting initial milestones, with significantly decreased usage thereafter. Deductive and inductive thematic analysis reduced the data to four dominant themes: engagement in use of the app; technical functionality of the app; ease of use and design features; and management of consumers' data. The semi-structured interviews provided insight into usage, benefits and challenges of health monitoring using apps. Understanding the range of consumer experiences and expectations can inform design of health apps to encourage persistence in self-monitoring.

Influence of Expectation Measure on the Sensory Acceptance of Petit Suisse Product.

PubMed

Teixeira Lopes, Maria Micheline; Passos Rodrigues, Maria do Carmo; Souza de Araújo, Ana Maria

2018-03-01

The consumer's expectation has an important role in the consumption of food products. It is one of the factors that influence the perception of sensory attributes and interact with the physiological, behavioral and cognitive factors influencing consumer decisions. The present study aimed to analyze the influence of consumer's expectations on the acceptance of Petit Suisse. Products of 4 different brands were used for the sensory analysis, 2 international brands and 2 regional ones. The 9-point regular hedonic scale was employed to carry out affective sensory and expectation measure tests (with and without product information). Concerning the present research, photos of the packaging of each product were printed in color and presented to the participants. These photos displayed the following pieces of information: the product brand, pictures, colors, product name, nutritional information and date of manufacture. International samples obtained higher grades when presented with their packaging, and obtained lower values both in the blind test and in the real expectation test evaluation. It can be concluded that the sensory analysis of the expectation measure showed that the brand influences the acceptance of the product, for the consumer's expectations for international brands had positively confirmed and disconfirmed acceptance. This study generated a significant contribution, especially for companies that aim for a wider market. The application of sensory analysis with a focus on expectation measure, it shows that the brand determines the purchase, based on the results of this study. Therefore, the product's visual identity must be invested in; it must arouse children and adults' attention. That is, it reinforces that the image of the product, the label and what it arouses in the consumers are extremely important for the final choice. © 2018 Institute of Food Technologists®.

78 FR 57621 - Sunshine Act Meeting

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-09-19

... CONSUMER PRODUCT SAFETY COMMISSION Sunshine Act Meeting TIME AND DATE: Wednesday, September 25..., Maryland. STATUS: Commission Meeting--Open to the public Matters To Be Considered Briefing Matter: Voluntary Recall Notice--Notice of Proposed Rulemaking. [[Page 57622

Understanding critical factors for the quality and shelf-life of MAP fresh meat: a review.

PubMed

Singh, Preeti; Wani, Ali Abas; Saengerlaub, Sven; Langowski, Horst-Christian

2011-02-01

Due to increased demands for greater stringency in relation to hygiene and safety issues associated with fresh food products, coupled with ever-increasing demands by retailers for cost-effective extensions to product shelf-lives and the requirement to meet consumer expectations in relation to convenience and quality, the food packaging industry has rapidly developed to meet and satisfy expectations. One of the areas of research that has shown promise, and had success, is modified atmosphere packaging (MAP). The success of MAP-fresh meat depends on many factors including good initial product quality, good hygiene from the source plants, correct packaging material selection, the appropriate gas mix for the product, reliable packaging equipment, and maintenance of controlled temperatures and humidity levels. Advances in plastic materials and equipment have propelled advances in MAP, but other technological and logistical considerations are needed for successful MAP systems for raw chilled meat. Although several parameters critical for the quality of MA packed meat have been studied and each found to be crucial, understanding of the interactions between the parameters is needed. This review was undertaken to present the most comprehensive and current overview of the widely available, scattered information about the various integrated critical factors responsible for the quality and shelf life of MA packed meat with an interest to stimulate further research to optimize different quality parameters.

Consumer Engagement and the Development, Evaluation, and Dissemination of Evidence-Based Parenting Programs

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sanders, Matthew R.; Kirby, James N.

2012-01-01

A consumer perspective can contribute much to enhancing the "ecological fit" of population-level parenting interventions so they meet the needs of parents. This approach involves building relationships with consumer groups and soliciting consumer input into the relevance and acceptability of interventions, clarifying the enablers and barriers to…

Estimation of choline intake from 24 h dietary intake recalls and contribution of egg and milk consumption to intake among pregnant and lactating women in Alberta.

PubMed

Lewis, Erin D; Subhan, Fatheema B; Bell, Rhonda C; McCargar, Linda J; Curtis, Jonathan M; Jacobs, René L; Field, Catherine J

2014-07-14

Despite recommendations for higher choline intakes during pregnancy and lactation, there is limited research regarding maternal intake during these important periods. In the present study, we estimated dietary choline intake during pregnancy and lactation in a population of Albertan women and the contribution of egg and milk consumption to intake. Dietary intake data were collected from the first 600 women enrolled in a prospective cohort study carried out in Alberta, Canada. During the first and/or second trimester, the third trimester and 3 months postpartum, 24 h dietary intake recall data were collected. A database was constructed including foods consumed by the cohort and used to estimate dietary choline intake. The mean total choline intake value during pregnancy was 347 (SD 149) mg/d, with 23% of the participants meeting the adequate intake (AI) recommendation. During lactation, the mean total choline intake value was 346 (SD 151) mg/d, with 10% of the participants meeting the AI recommendation. Phosphatidylcholine was the form of choline consumed in the highest proportion and the main dietary sources of choline were dairy products, eggs and meat. Women who consumed at least one egg in a 24 h period had higher (P< 0·001) total choline intake and were eight times more likely (95% CI 5·2, 12·6) to meet choline intake recommendations compared with those who did not consume eggs during pregnancy. Women who reported consuming ≥ 500 ml of milk in a 24 h period were 2·8 times more likely (95 % CI 1·7, 4·8) to meet daily choline intake recommendations compared with those consuming < 250 ml of milk/d during pregnancy. Choline intake is below the recommendation levels in this population and the promotion of both egg and milk consumption may assist in meeting the daily choline intake recommendations.

The super practice: a marketing and professionalism hybrid.

PubMed

Farran, H

2000-04-01

The old standard dental practice of yesterday, with a stubborn dentist who thinks marketing and advertising (concepts key to retail establishment success) are "unethical" doesn't cut it anymore. The practical retail concepts discussed about in this article allow dentists to create a marketing and professionalism hybrid. Providing first-class, customer-service treatment is the underlying principle. Patients who feel their dentist and staff know them will always feel at ease and a great sense of loyalty. The reward for treating patients like customers, consumers, and friends is that patients patronize businesses, including dental practices that meet or exceed their expectations. There's a man driving down your street right now with a toothache. Will it be your practice or the one down the block.

16 CFR 1018.21 - Calling of meetings.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... 16 Commercial Practices 2 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Calling of meetings. 1018.21 Section 1018.21 Commercial Practices CONSUMER PRODUCT SAFETY COMMISSION GENERAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE MANAGEMENT Operation of Advisory Committees § 1018.21 Calling of meetings. Advisory committees shall, as a general rule, meet four...

77 FR 60970 - Sunshine Act Meeting Notice

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-10-05

... CONSUMER PRODUCT SAFETY COMMISSION Sunshine Act Meeting Notice FEDERAL REGISTER CITATION OF PREVIOUS ANNOUNCEMENT: Vol. 77, No. 188, Thursday, September 27, 2012, page 593898. ANNOUNCED TIME AND DATE OF OPEN MEETING: 10 a.m.-12 p.m., Wednesday October 30, 2012. CHANGES TO OPEN MEETING AGENDA: MATTERS...

77 FR 22290 - Sunshine Act Meetings

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-04-13

... CONSUMER PRODUCT SAFETY COMMISSION Sunshine Act Meetings FEDERAL REGISTER CITATION OF PREVIOUS ANNOUNCEMENT: Vol. 77, No. 62, Friday, March 30, 2012, page 19263. ANNOUNCED TIME AND DATE OF MEETING: Wednesday, April 4, 2012, 10 a.m.- 11 a.m. MEETING CANCELED: For a recorded message containing the latest...

An overview of the functional food market: from marketing issues and commercial players to future demand from life in space.

PubMed

Vergari, Francesca; Tibuzzi, Arianna; Basile, Giovanni

2010-01-01

Companies in the food industry have high expectations for food products that meet the consumers' demand for a healthy life style. In this context Functional Food plays a specific role. These foods are not intended only to satisfy hunger and provide the necessary human nutrients, but also to prevent nutrition-related diseases and increase the physical and mental well-being of their consumer. Among participants in space science and missions, recognition of nutraceuticals and dietary supplements is growing for their potential in reducing health risks and to improve health quality and eating habits during long-term flights and missions. In 2008 the entire functional foods market was worth over an estimated US $80 billion, with the US holding a majority share in the nutraceuticals market (35%) followed byJapan (25%) and with the ever-growing European market, currently estimated at US$8 billion. India and China are the two major countries known for their production of traditional functional food products and nutraceuticals, but other South-East Asian countries and Gulf nations are developing potential markets.

Operation Risk Mitigation On Halal Meat Supply Chain Management

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mansur, Agus; Farida, Ayu; Ulil Albab, Muhammad

2017-06-01

Business owner of perishable goods such as meats has barriers to meet the demand of worldwide shipping. One of potential risk is damage resulting in decreased quality product, while the product selection criteria not only focus on quality. As the development of health issues and needs, halal meats is not only considered by the Muslim consumer but also consumer globally. In addition, they have to pay attention to the possible risk that might occur during the logistic operations so as they prevent loss if they fail to deal with the problem and risk properly. Quality Function Development proposed to identify what consumer’s need as well as to analyse the condition of market in the future. The study is conducted in the context of business owner’s feelings based on their obstacles. It also aims to unravel the expectations and perceptions of owners with interrelated issues such as halal meats with each affecting on the other multidirectional ways. This study has revealed new insights for policy makers, logistics service providers, and practitioners whose decisions might impact the industry.

Design considerations for computationally constrained two-way real-time video communication

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bivolarski, Lazar M.; Saunders, Steven E.; Ralston, John D.

2009-08-01

Today's video codecs have evolved primarily to meet the requirements of the motion picture and broadcast industries, where high-complexity studio encoding can be utilized to create highly-compressed master copies that are then broadcast one-way for playback using less-expensive, lower-complexity consumer devices for decoding and playback. Related standards activities have largely ignored the computational complexity and bandwidth constraints of wireless or Internet based real-time video communications using devices such as cell phones or webcams. Telecommunications industry efforts to develop and standardize video codecs for applications such as video telephony and video conferencing have not yielded image size, quality, and frame-rate performance that match today's consumer expectations and market requirements for Internet and mobile video services. This paper reviews the constraints and the corresponding video codec requirements imposed by real-time, 2-way mobile video applications. Several promising elements of a new mobile video codec architecture are identified, and more comprehensive computational complexity metrics and video quality metrics are proposed in order to support the design, testing, and standardization of these new mobile video codecs.

16 CFR 1018.22 - Notice of meetings.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... 16 Commercial Practices 2 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Notice of meetings. 1018.22 Section 1018.22 Commercial Practices CONSUMER PRODUCT SAFETY COMMISSION GENERAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE MANAGEMENT Operation of Advisory Committees § 1018.22 Notice of meetings. (a) Meetings shall be called by written and/or oral...

77 FR 27030 - Sunshine Act Meeting; Time Change Notice

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-05-08

... CONSUMER PRODUCT SAFETY COMMISSION Sunshine Act Meeting; Time Change Notice FEDERAL REGISTER CITATION OF PREVIOUS ANNOUNCEMENT: Vol. 77, No. 86, Thursday, May 3, 2012, page 26254. ANNOUNCED TIME AND DATE OF CLOSED MEETING: 10 a.m.-11 a.m., Wednesday May 9, 2012. CHANGES TO CLOSED MEETING: TIME CHANGE...

Understanding apple consumers' expectations in terms of likes and dislikes. Use of comment analysis in a cross-cultural study.

PubMed

Galmarini, M V; Symoneaux, R; Chollet, S; Zamora, M C

2013-03-01

Apple consumers' expectations in Argentina and France were studied by comment analysis of open-ended questions. In an on-line survey consumers stated: attributes which defined quality in an apple; visual, flavor and texture characteristics they liked/did not like to find in an apple. Influence of country, consumption frequency and cultivar knowledge were analyzed by contingency tables, Chi-square per cell tests and Multiple Factor Analysis. Consumers' quality expectations were not the same in both countries. Argentineans and French consumers agreed that quality apples should be juicy (most used term in both countries), tasty, firm and fresh. However, for Argentineans quality was more related to visual characteristics, whereas for French it was driven by flavor. Argentineans used more words but French were more specific, particularly for flavour description. Moreover, frequency of consumption, varieties knowledge and the number of terms given were highly related. Frequent consumers knew more varieties and were more prolific in relation to flavour. Less frequent consumers knew fewer apple varieties and gave more words in the visual category. The use of comment analysis allowed identifying the terms that consumers used in their day to day life to describe apples, finding separately likes and dislikes, in spite of the different languages. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Usual Choline Intakes Are Associated with Egg and Protein Food Consumption in the United States

PubMed Central

Wallace, Taylor C.; Fulgoni, Victor L.

2017-01-01

Choline is an essential nutrient with critical roles in several biological processes including neuronal development, cell signaling, nerve impulse transmission, and lipid transport and metabolism. The National Cancer Institute method was used to assess usual intakes of choline from foods according to data for participants enrolled in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2009–2014 datasets and pregnant women in the 2005–2014 datasets. Suboptimal intakes of choline are present across many gender and life-stage subpopulations, as well as pregnant women in the U.S. Only 8.03 ± 0.56% of adults and 8.51 ± 2.89% pregnant women meet the AI for choline. Children 2–3 years were the most likely to meet their gender and life-stage specific AI, followed by children 4–8 years. Adults 19+ years who consume eggs were more likely to meet their gender and life-stage AI as compared to non-consumers (57.3 ± 1.45% and 2.43 ± 0.28%). Consumers of eggs had almost double the usual intake of choline as compared to non-consumers (525 ± 5.17 mg/d and 294 ± 1.98; p < 0.0001). Protein food (meat, poultry and seafood) consumption also increased usual choline intakes compared to non-consumers (345 ± 2.21 mg/day and 235 ± 8.81; p < 0.0001) to a lesser degree, but did not result in substantial increases in the percent of individuals meeting the AI. No subpopulation exceeded the UL for choline. This research illustrates that it is extremely difficult to achieve the AI for choline without consuming eggs or taking a dietary supplement. PMID:28783055

Usual Choline Intakes Are Associated with Egg and Protein Food Consumption in the United States.

PubMed

Wallace, Taylor C; Fulgoni, Victor L

2017-08-05

Choline is an essential nutrient with critical roles in several biological processes including neuronal development, cell signaling, nerve impulse transmission, and lipid transport and metabolism. The National Cancer Institute method was used to assess usual intakes of choline from foods according to data for participants enrolled in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2009-2014 datasets and pregnant women in the 2005-2014 datasets. Suboptimal intakes of choline are present across many gender and life-stage subpopulations, as well as pregnant women in the U.S. Only 8.03 ± 0.56% of adults and 8.51 ± 2.89% pregnant women meet the AI for choline. Children 2-3 years were the most likely to meet their gender and life-stage specific AI, followed by children 4-8 years. Adults 19+ years who consume eggs were more likely to meet their gender and life-stage AI as compared to non-consumers (57.3 ± 1.45% and 2.43 ± 0.28%). Consumers of eggs had almost double the usual intake of choline as compared to non-consumers (525 ± 5.17 mg/d and 294 ± 1.98; p < 0.0001). Protein food (meat, poultry and seafood) consumption also increased usual choline intakes compared to non-consumers (345 ± 2.21 mg/day and 235 ± 8.81; p < 0.0001) to a lesser degree, but did not result in substantial increases in the percent of individuals meeting the AI. No subpopulation exceeded the UL for choline. This research illustrates that it is extremely difficult to achieve the AI for choline without consuming eggs or taking a dietary supplement.

78 FR 12060 - Sunshine Act Meeting; Open Commission Meeting Wednesday, February 20, 2013

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-02-21

... accelerate the growth and expansion of new Wi-Fi technology offering consumers faster speeds and less network congestion at Wi-Fi hot spots. The meeting site is fully accessible to people using wheelchairs or other...

Consumer & Home Economics In-Service/Curriculum Development.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McGillicuddy (Shirley) & Associates, Sierra Madre, CA.

Mt. San Antonio Community College District's Consumer/Home Economics In-Service/Curriculum Development Project was designed to provide activities to meet staff development and program improvement needs. The choice of activities was based on evaluation data from previous home economics projects, and priorities identified by the Consumer/Home…

Making markets work for clean water.

PubMed

Carpenter, G

2003-01-01

Part of the solution to close the gap to meet the UN Millennium safe water goal lies in the domestic consumer marketplace. Multinational corporations must design products for low income consumers to deliver clean water at a household level. The future of business is linked to improving the lives of developing country consumers and to the improved economic status of those consumers.

16 CFR 1018.25 - Minutes and meeting reports.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... 1018.25 Commercial Practices CONSUMER PRODUCT SAFETY COMMISSION GENERAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE MANAGEMENT Operation of Advisory Committees § 1018.25 Minutes and meeting reports. (a) The Advisory Committee Management Officer shall be responsible for the preparation of detailed minutes of each meeting of each...

75 FR 5767 - All Terrain Vehicle Chinese Language Webinar; Meeting

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-02-04

... CONSUMER PRODUCT SAFETY COMMISSION All Terrain Vehicle Chinese Language Webinar; Meeting AGENCY... announcing the following meeting: All Terrain Vehicle Chinese Language Webinar. The webinar will focus on CPSC's requirements for ATV's, including CPSC's Action Plan and mandatory vehicle requirements. Date...

75 FR 11889 - Consumer Advisory Council; Notice of Meeting of the Consumer Advisory Council

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-03-12

...'s responsibilities under various consumer financial services laws and on other matters on which the... Affordable program, neighborhood stabilization initiatives and challenges, and other issues related to foreclosures. Short-term and small-dollar loan products. Members will discuss short-term and small-dollar loan...

"I like the sound of that!" Wine descriptions influence consumers' expectations, liking, emotions and willingness to pay for Australian white wines.

PubMed

Danner, Lukas; Johnson, Trent E; Ristic, Renata; Meiselman, Herbert L; Bastian, Susan E P

2017-09-01

This study investigated how information, typically presented on wine back-labels or wine company websites, influences consumers' expected liking, informed liking, wine-evoked emotions and willingness to pay for Australian white wines. Regular white wine consumers (n=126) evaluated the same set of three commercially available white wines (mono-varietal Chardonnay, Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc) under three information levels. Session 1, blind tasting (no information provided) and Session 2, informed tasting (held at least 1week later) with both basic (sensory description of the wines) and elaborate (sensory plus high wine quality and favourable winery information) descriptions followed by liking, wine-evoked emotions (measured with the Australian Wine Evoked Emotions Lexicon (AWEEL)) and willingness to pay evaluations. Before tasting the wine in session 2, consumers also rated expected liking. Results showed that information level had a significant effect on all investigated variables. The elaborate information level evoked higher expectations before tasting the wines, plus resulted in higher liking ratings, elicitation of more intense positive (e.g. contented, happy and warm-hearted) and less intense negative emotions (e.g. embarrassed and unfulfilled), and a substantial increase in willingness to pay after tasting the wines compared to the blind condition, with the basic condition ranging in-between. These results were consistent across the three wine samples. Furthermore, if the liking rating after tasting the wines matched the expected liking or exceeded the expectations by 1 point on a 9-point hedonic scale, participants felt the most intense positive emotions and the least intense negative emotions. Whereas, if the expectations were not met or the actual liking exceeded the expectations by >2 points, participants felt less intense positive and more intense negative emotions. This highlights not only the importance of well written and accurate wine descriptions, but also that information can influence consumers' wine drinking experience and behaviour. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Suggestions in maternal and child health for the National Technology Assessment Programme: a consideration of consumer and professional priorities.

PubMed

Johanson, R; Rigby, C; Newburn, M; Stewart, M; Jones, P

2002-03-01

In North Staffordshire, the Achieving Sustainable Quality in Maternity (ASQUAM) meetings provide the programme for clinical guidelines and audit over the following year. The ASQUAM clinical effectiveness programme has attempted to address a number of the issues identified as obstacles to informed democratic prioritization. For example, it became clear that a number of topics raised were actually research questions. The organizers therefore decided to split the fourth ASQUAM day into an 'audit' morning and a 'research' afternoon. The meeting organized by RJ, CR and PJ in partnership with the Midwives Information and Resource Service and the National Childbirth Trust, was timed to allow the research ideas to feed into the national Health Technology Assessment (HTA) programme. This meeting was designed to increase the profile of ASQUAM amongst consumers and to increase their representation at the meeting. Objectives were to choose a new set of research priorities for the year 2000, and to ascertain the voting pattern of comparison to health professionals. There was overall agreement in terms of priorities, with the consumer group prioritizing 8 of the 10 topics chosen by the professionals (or 10 of the 11). No significant differences between the proportions of voted cast for each topic by professionals and consumers were found apart from topic 20. The numbers of consumers were small which does limit the number the validity of statistical comparisons. Nevertheless, it is clear that voting patterns were similar. Overall the process suggests that democratic prioritization is a viable option and one that may become essential within the framework of clinical and research governance.

Consumer Health Informatics Aspects of Direct-to-Consumer Personal Genomic Testing.

PubMed

Gray, Kathleen; Stephen, Remya; Terrill, Bronwyn; Wilson, Brenda; Middleton, Anna; Tytherleigh, Rigan; Turbitt, Erin; Gaff, Clara; Savard, Jacqueline; Hickerton, Chriselle; Newson, Ainsley; Metcalfe, Sylvia

2017-01-01

This paper uses consumer health informatics as a framework to explore whether and how direct-to-consumer personal genomic testing can be regarded as a form of information which assists consumers to manage their health. It presents findings from qualitative content analysis of web sites that offer testing services, and of transcripts from focus groups conducted as part a study of the Australian public's expectations of personal genomics. Content analysis showed that service offerings have some features of consumer health information but lack consistency. Focus group participants were mostly unfamiliar with the specifics of test reports and related information services. Some of their ideas about aids to knowledge were in line with the benefits described on provider web sites, but some expectations were inflated. People were ambivalent about whether these services would address consumers' health needs, interests and contexts and whether they would support consumers' health self-management decisions and outcomes. There is scope for consumer health informatics approaches to refine the usage and the utility of direct-to-consumer personal genomic testing. Further research may focus on how uptake is affected by consumers' health literacy or by services' engagement with consumers about what they really want.

12 CFR 334.26 - Delivery of opt-out notices.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... POLICY FAIR CREDIT REPORTING Affiliate Marketing § 334.26 Delivery of opt-out notices. (a) In general... expectation of actual notice. A consumer may reasonably be expected to receive actual notice if the affiliate... to a consumer who has agreed to receive electronic disclosures by e-mail from the affiliate providing...

12 CFR 334.26 - Delivery of opt-out notices.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... POLICY FAIR CREDIT REPORTING Affiliate Marketing § 334.26 Delivery of opt-out notices. (a) In general... expectation of actual notice. A consumer may reasonably be expected to receive actual notice if the affiliate... to a consumer who has agreed to receive electronic disclosures by e-mail from the affiliate providing...

12 CFR 334.26 - Delivery of opt-out notices.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... POLICY FAIR CREDIT REPORTING Affiliate Marketing § 334.26 Delivery of opt-out notices. (a) In general... expectation of actual notice. A consumer may reasonably be expected to receive actual notice if the affiliate... to a consumer who has agreed to receive electronic disclosures by e-mail from the affiliate providing...

Anxiety Reduction in Preservice Elementary Teachers and the Fulfillment of Expectations for Identification of Minerals and Rocks.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Westerback, Mary E.; Gonzalez, Clemencia

This study examined: (1) the relationship between the fulfillment of expectations for the identification of rocks and minerals after experience with specimens selected to meet expectations and anxiety levels; (2) changes in anxiety levels after this experience was followed by experience with rocks and minerals which did not meet expectations; and…

Direct-to-consumer advertising (DTCA) for prescription drugs: consumers' attitudes and preferences concerning its regulation in South Korea.

PubMed

Suh, Hae Sun; Lee, Donghyun; Kim, Sang Yong; Chee, Dong Hyun; Kang, Hye-Young

2011-08-01

To examine consumers' attitudes toward direct-to-consumer advertising (DTCA) for prescription drugs in Korea. We conducted a survey of 350 patients visiting community pharmacies to fill their prescriptions. Consumers' attitudes toward DTCA were assessed in terms of whether they felt DTCA was necessary, their trust in the information provided by DTCA, and their intention to use the information provided by DTCA. We examined consumers' preferences regarding the regulation of DTCA and their expectations of the effects of DTCA. About 60% of the respondents responded that DTCA is necessary and that they intended to use the information from DTCA. Less than half of the respondents reported that they would trust DTCA information. About 70% of the participants expressed the need for prior vetting of the DTCA content. Respondents had the highest expectation on the effect of DTCA as an information source for patients. Positive consumer expectations regarding the effects of DTCA were significantly associated with positive consumer attitudes toward DTCA (odds ratio=4.70, 95% confidence interval: 2.25-9.82). This study provides evidence that consumers in South Korea generally have positive attitudes toward DTCA. However, most of the respondents wanted a prior examination system of DTCA content to ensure that the information conveyed to them via DTCA was trustworthy. Policy-makers should be cautious and well-prepared if they decide to introduce DTCA in Korea. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Patients’ and family members’ views on how clinicians enact and how they should enact incident disclosure: the “100 patient stories” qualitative study

PubMed Central

Allen, Suellen; Britton, Kate; Piper, Donella; Baker, Andrew; Grbich, Carol; Allan, Alfred; Jones, Liz; Tuckett, Anthony; Williams, Allison; Manias, Elizabeth; Gallagher, Thomas H

2011-01-01

Objectives To investigate patients’ and family members’ perceptions and experiences of disclosure of healthcare incidents and to derive principles of effective disclosure. Design Retrospective qualitative study based on 100 semi-structured, in depth interviews with patients and family members. Setting Nationwide multisite survey across Australia. Participants 39 patients and 80 family members who were involved in high severity healthcare incidents (leading to death, permanent disability, or long term harm) and incident disclosure. Recruitment was via national newspapers (43%), health services where the incidents occurred (28%), two internet marketing companies (27%), and consumer organisations (2%). Main outcome measures Participants’ recurrent experiences and concerns expressed in interviews. Results Most patients and family members felt that the health service incident disclosure rarely met their needs and expectations. They expected better preparation for incident disclosure, more shared dialogue about what went wrong, more follow-up support, input into when the time was ripe for closure, and more information about subsequent improvement in process. This analysis provided the basis for the formulation of a set of principles of effective incident disclosure. Conclusions Despite growing prominence of open disclosure, discussion about healthcare incidents still falls short of patient and family member expectations. Healthcare organisations and providers should strengthen their efforts to meet patients’ (and family members’) needs and expectations. PMID:21788260

Case managers' expectations about employment for people with psychiatric disabilities.

PubMed

Abraham, Kristen M; Stein, Catherine H

2009-01-01

The importance of employment in lives of people with psychiatric disabilities is well documented. Yet, the role of case managers in facilitating or inhibiting employment opportunities for consumers is only beginning to be understood. This study examined the psychometric properties of a newly developed self-report measure designed to assess case managers' employment-related expectations of consumers. Psychometric properties of a 24-item self-report measure, Expectations for the Employability of People with Serious Mental Illness (EESMI), were examined using a sample of 107 case managers. EESMI items tap individual and social systems factors related to employment for people with psychiatric disabilities. Construct validity was assessed by relationships between EESMI scores and scores on measures of general expectations and opinions of people with serious mental illness, case manager burnout, and social desirability. EESMI consists of three empirically derived subscales with good internal consistency. Case managers' scores on EESMI correlated positively with scores on general expectations and opinions about people with mental illness scales and were generally unrelated to social desirability scores. EESMI scores were positively related to case managers' perceptions of the employability of consumers on their caseloads. EESMI is a psychometrically sound measure of mental health professionals' employment-related expectations of consumers. Reliable and valid assessment is basic to the study of mental health professionals' role in increasing employment opportunities for people with psychiatric disabilities. Study limitations and directions for future research are discussed.

77 FR 58851 - National Cancer Institute; Notice of Meeting

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-09-24

... DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES National Institutes of Health National Cancer Institute.... App.), notice is hereby given of a meeting of the National Cancer Institute Director's Consumer... reasonable accommodations, should notify the Contact Person listed below in advance of the meeting. Name of...

76 FR 20693 - National Cancer Institute; Notice of Meeting

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-04-13

... DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES National Institutes of Health National Cancer Institute.... App.), notice is hereby given of a meeting of the National Cancer Institute Director's Consumer... reasonable accommodations, should notify the Contact Person listed below in advance of the meeting. Name of...

76 FR 51044 - National Cancer Institute; Notice of Meeting

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-08-17

... DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES National Institutes of Health National Cancer Institute.... App.), notice is hereby given of a meeting of the National Cancer Institute Director's Consumer... reasonable accommodations, should notify the Contact Person listed below in advance of the meeting. Name of...

77 FR 5029 - National Cancer Institute; Notice of Meeting

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-02-01

... DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES National Institutes of Health National Cancer Institute.... App.), notice is hereby given of a meeting of the National Cancer Institute Director's Consumer... reasonable accommodations, should notify the Contact Person listed below in advance of the meeting. Name of...

77 FR 31030 - National Cancer Institute; Notice of Meeting

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-05-24

... DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES National Institutes of Health National Cancer Institute.... App.), notice is hereby given of a meeting of the National Cancer Institute Director's Consumer... reasonable accommodations, should notify the Contact Person listed below in advance of the meeting. Name of...

The role of production process and information on quality expectations and perceptions of sparkling wines.

PubMed

Vecchio, Riccardo; Lisanti, Maria Tiziana; Caracciolo, Francesco; Cembalo, Luigi; Gambuti, Angelita; Moio, Luigi; Siani, Tiziana; Marotta, Giuseppe; Nazzaro, Concetta; Piombino, Paola

2018-05-28

The present research aims to analyse, by combining sensory and experimental economics techniques, to what extent production process, and the information about it, may affect consumer preferences. Sparkling wines produced by Champenoise and Charmat methods were the object of the study. A quantitative descriptive sensory analysis with a trained panel and non-hypothetical auctions combined with hedonic ratings involving young wine consumers (N=100), under different information scenarios(Blind, Info and Info Taste), were performed. Findings show that the production process impacts both the sensory profile of sparkling wines and consumer expectations. In particular, the hedonic ratings revealed that when tasting the products, both with no information on the production process (Blind) and with such information (Info Taste), the consumers preferred the Charmat wines. On the contrary, when detailed information on the production methods was given without tasting (Info), consumers liked more the two Champenoise wines. It can be concluded that sensory and non-sensory attributes of sparkling wines affect consumers' preferences. Specifically, the study suggests that production process information strongly impacts liking expectations, while not affecting informed liking. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

76 FR 59125 - 2011 Fall Meeting of the Ozone Transport Commission

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-09-23

... security/energy efficiency; architectural industrial and maintenance coatings; consumer products... storage tanks; seaports; aftermarket catalysts; lightering and non-road idling. DATES: The meeting will be...

78 FR 9402 - National Cancer Institute; Notice of Meeting

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-02-08

... DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES National Institutes of Health National Cancer Institute; Notice of Meeting Pursuant to section 10(a) of the Federal Advisory Committee Act, as amended (5 U.S.C. App.), notice is hereby given of a meeting of the National Cancer Institute Director's Consumer Liaison Group. The meeting will be open to the...

Cross-sector Service Provision in Health and Social Care: An Umbrella Review.

PubMed

Winters, Shannon; Magalhaes, Lilian; Anne Kinsella, Elizabeth; Kothari, Anita

2016-04-08

Meeting the complex health needs of people often requires interaction among numerous different sectors. No one service can adequately respond to the diverse care needs of consumers. Providers working more effectively together is frequently touted as the solution. Cross-sector service provision is defined as independent, yet interconnected sectors working together to better meet the needs of consumers and improve the quality and effectiveness of service provision. Cross-sector service provision is expected, yet much remains unknown about how it is conceptualised or its impact on health status. This umbrella review aims to clarify the critical attributes that shape cross-sector service provision by presenting the current state of the literature and building on the findings of the 2004 review by Sloper. Literature related to cross-sector service provision is immense, which poses a challenge for decision makers wishing to make evidence-informed decisions. An umbrella review was conducted to articulate the overall state of cross-sector service provision literature and examine the evidence to allow for the discovery of consistencies and discrepancies across the published knowledge base. Sixteen reviews met the inclusion criteria. Seven themes emerged: Focusing on the consumer, developing a shared vision of care, leadership involvement, service provision across the boundaries, adequately resourcing the arrangement, developing novel arrangements or aligning with existing relationships, and strengthening connections between sectors. Future research from a cross-organisational, rather than individual provider, perspective is needed to better understand what shapes cross-sector service provision at the boundaries. Findings aligned closely with the work done by Sloper and raise red flags related to reinventing what is already known. Future researchers should look to explore novel areas rather than looking into areas that have been explored at length. Evaluations of out-comes related to cross-sector service provision are still needed before any claims about effectiveness can be made.

Cross-sector Service Provision in Health and Social Care: An Umbrella Review

PubMed Central

Magalhaes, Lilian; Anne Kinsella, Elizabeth; Kothari, Anita

2016-01-01

Introduction: Meeting the complex health needs of people often requires interaction among numerous different sectors. No one service can adequately respond to the diverse care needs of consumers. Providers working more effectively together is frequently touted as the solution. Cross-sector service provision is defined as independent, yet interconnected sectors working together to better meet the needs of consumers and improve the quality and effectiveness of service provision. Cross-sector service provision is expected, yet much remains unknown about how it is conceptualised or its impact on health status. This umbrella review aims to clarify the critical attributes that shape cross-sector service provision by presenting the current state of the literature and building on the findings of the 2004 review by Sloper. Methods: Literature related to cross-sector service provision is immense, which poses a challenge for decision makers wishing to make evidence-informed decisions. An umbrella review was conducted to articulate the overall state of cross-sector service provision literature and examine the evidence to allow for the discovery of consistencies and discrepancies across the published knowledge base. Findings: Sixteen reviews met the inclusion criteria. Seven themes emerged: Focusing on the consumer, developing a shared vision of care, leadership involvement, service provision across the boundaries, adequately resourcing the arrangement, developing novel arrangements or aligning with existing relationships, and strengthening connections between sectors. Future research from a cross-organisational, rather than individual provider, perspective is needed to better understand what shapes cross-sector service provision at the boundaries. Conclusion: Findings aligned closely with the work done by Sloper and raise red flags related to reinventing what is already known. Future researchers should look to explore novel areas rather than looking into areas that have been explored at length. Evaluations of out-comes related to cross-sector service provision are still needed before any claims about effectiveness can be made. PMID:27616954

75 FR 58378 - 2010 Fall Meeting of the Ozone Transport Commission

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-09-24

... efficiency, architectural industrial and maintenance coatings, consumer products, institution [[Page 58379..., seaports, aftermarket catalysts, lightering, and non-road idling. DATES: The meeting will be held on...

Impact of Breakfast Skipping and Breakfast Choice on the Nutrient Intake and Body Mass Index of Australian Children

PubMed Central

Fayet-Moore, Flavia; Kim, Jean; Sritharan, Nilani; Petocz, Peter

2016-01-01

Recent data on breakfast consumption among Australian children are limited. This study examined the impact of breakfast skipping and breakfast type (cereal or non-cereal) on nutrient intakes, likelihood of meeting nutrient targets and anthropometric measures. A secondary analysis of two 24-h recall data from the 2007 Australian National Children’s Nutrition and Physical Activity Survey was conducted (2–16 years; n = 4487) to identify (a) breakfast skippers and (b) breakfast consumers, with breakfast consumers further sub-divided into (i) non-cereal and (ii) cereal consumers. Only 4% skipped breakfast and 59% of skippers were 14–16 years. Breakfast consumers had significantly higher intakes of calcium and folate, and significantly lower intakes of total fat than breakfast skippers. Cereal consumers were more likely to meet targets and consume significantly higher fibre, calcium, iron, had significantly higher intakes of folate, total sugars and carbohydrate, and significantly lower intakes of total fat and sodium than non-cereal consumers. The prevalence of overweight was lower among breakfast consumers compared to skippers, and among cereal consumers compared to-cereal consumers (p < 0.001), while no significant differences were observed for mean body mass index (BMI), BMI z-score, waist circumference and physical activity level across the categories. Breakfast and particularly breakfast cereal consumption contributes important nutrients to children’s diets. PMID:27517957

Influencing health equity: role of the effective consumer scale in measuring skills and abilities in a middle income country.

PubMed

Rader, Tamara; Ueffing, Erin; Garcia-Elorrio, Ezequiel; Idzerda, Leanne; Ciapponi, Agustin; Irazola, Vilma; Welch, Vivian; Lyddiatt, Anne; Shea, Beverley; Newman, Stanton; Osborne, Richard; Tugwell, Peter S

2011-08-01

The 2008 World Health Report emphasizes the need for patient-centered primary care service delivery models in which patients are equal partners in the planning and management of their health. It is argued that this involvement will lead to improved management of disease, improved health outcomes and patient satisfaction, better informed decision-making, increased compliance with healthcare decisions, and better resource utilization. This article investigates the domains captured by the Effective Consumer Scale (EC-17) in relation to vulnerable population groups that experience health inequity. Particular focus is paid to the domain of health literacy as an area fundamental to patients' involvement in managing their condition and negotiating the healthcare system. In examining the possible influence of Outcome Measures in Rheumatology Clinical Trials (OMERACT) on health equity, we used the recent translation and validation of the EC-17 scale into Spanish and tested Argentina as an example. Future plans to use the EC-17 with vulnerable groups include formal collaboration and needs assessment with the community to tailor an intervention to meet its needs in a culturally relevant manner. Some systematic reviews have questioned whether interventions to improve effective consumer skills are appropriate in vulnerable populations. We propose that these populations may have the most to gain from such interventions since they might be expected to have relatively lower skills and health literacy than other groups.

Consumer Concerns about Nutrition: Opportunities for the Food Sector.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Frazao, Elizabeth

The growing evidence of the link between diet and health has not been lost on consumers in the United States. As awareness of the diet-health link has increased through nutrition education, consumers have changed their diets. Although there is still considerable room for improvement in meeting Federal food-guidance recommendations, nutrition…

A Consumer Education Self-Help Manual for Displaced Homemaker Service Providers.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Williams, Herma; Thompson, Patricia

This manual is designed to allow service providers at displaced homemaker centers to update and refresh their knowledge and information of consumer concepts and to initiate and implement some consumer education services designed to meet the needs of displaced homemakers. Material is divided into five parts. Part 1 focuses on financial management…

77 FR 74186 - Sunshine Act Meeting

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-12-13

..., Consumer Financial Protection Bureau), and Chairman Martin J. Gruenberg, that Corporation business required its consideration of the matters which were to be the subject of this meeting on less than seven days... not require consideration of the matters in a meeting open to public observation; and that the matters...

76 FR 39389 - Sunshine Act Meeting Notice

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-07-06

... CONSUMER PRODUCT SAFETY COMMISSION Sunshine Act Meeting Notice TIME AND DATE: Wednesday, July 6, 2011, 10 a.m.-12 Noon. PLACE: Room 420, Bethesda Towers, 4330 East West Highway, Bethesda, Maryland. STATUS: Commission Meeting--Open to the Public. Matters To Be Considered Briefing Matters (a) ASTM F963...

78 FR 62588 - Sunshine Act Meeting

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-10-22

... CONSUMER PRODUCT SAFETY COMMISSION Sunshine Act Meeting TIME AND DATE: Tuesday, October 22, 2013, 10 a.m.-12 p.m. PLACE: Hearing Room 420, Bethesda Towers, 4330 East-West Highway, Bethesda, Maryland. STATUS: Commission Meeting--Open to the Public Matters To Be Considered Hearing: Magnet Sets NPR--Oral...

Consumers' expected quality and intention to purchase high quality pork meat.

PubMed

Papanagiotou, P; Tzimitra-Kalogianni, I; Melfou, K

2013-03-01

Expected quality is believed to be one of the most important factors that influence consumers' intention to purchase food. The present study seeks to explore the concept of pork meat expected quality and compare it with self-stated consumer intention to purchase pork meat. The aim is attempted by means of a field research conducted in Greece, following a conjoint analytic procedure. Results show that quality expectations comply with intention to buy pork, in many aspects. However, several differences have been identified. More specifically, country of origin and marbling appear to be more important for respondents' purchase decisions than they are for their quality evaluations, while the opposite appears to be true for price. Finally, socio-demographic factors such as gender, level of education, place of purchase and consumption habits seem to influence perceptions. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Covariance of engineering management characteristics with engineering employee performance

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hesketh, Andrew Arthur

1998-12-01

As business in the 1990's grapples with the impact of continuous improvement and quality to meet market demands, there is an increased need to improve the leadership capabilities of our managers. Engineers have indicated desire for certain managerial characteristics in their leadership but there have been no studies completed that approached the problem of determining what managerial characteristics were best at improving employee performance. This study addressed the idea of identifying certain managerial characteristics that enhance employee performance. In the early 1990's, McDonnell Douglas Aerospace in St. Louis used a forced distribution system and allocated 35% of its employees into a "exceeds expectations" category and 60% into a "meets expectations" category. A twenty-question 5 point Likert scale survey on managerial capabilities was administered to a sample engineering population that also obtained their "expectations" category. A single factor ANOVA on the survey results determined a statistical difference between the "exceeds" and "meets" employees with four of the managerial capability questions. The "exceeds expectations" employee indicated that supervision did a better job of supporting subordinate development, clearly communicating performance expectations, and providing timely performance feedback when compared to the "meets expectations" employee. The "meets expectations" employee felt that their opinions, when different from their supervisor's, were more often ignored when compared to the "exceeds expectations" employee. These four questions relate to two specific managerial characteristics, "gaining (informal) authority and support" or "control" characteristic and "providing assistance and guidance" or "command" characteristic, that can be emphasized in managerial training programs.

78 FR 25265 - 2013 Annual Meeting of the Ozone Transport Commission

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-04-30

... efficiency, architectural industrial and maintenance coatings, consumer products, institution commercial and..., seaports, aftermarket catalysts, lightering, and non-road idling. DATES: The meeting will be held on June...

The Use of an Expectancy-Value Model in Studying a University's Image. AIR Forum 1982 Paper.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Muffo, John A.; Whipple, Thomas W.

The use of an expectancy-value model, common to consumer marketing studies, in analyzing the market position of Cleveland State University was investigated. Attention was focused on showing how consumer attitude concepts and methodologies can be used in developing a strategic marketing plan. Six populations were identified as groups important to…

76 FR 79767 - Truth in Lending (Regulation Z)

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-12-22

... analysis of potential benefits, costs, and impacts.\\14\\ The Bureau believes that the interim final rule... obligations on consumers or covered persons and is not expected to have any impact on consumers' access to... potential reduction of access by consumers to consumer financial products or services; the impact on...

Developing social marketed individual preconception care consultations: Which consumer preferences should it meet?

PubMed

van Voorst, Sabine F; Ten Kate, Chantal A; de Jong-Potjer, Lieke C; Steegers, Eric A P; Denktaş, Semiha

2017-10-01

Preconception care (PCC) is care that aims to improve the health of offspring by addressing risk factors in the pre-pregnancy period. Consultations are recognized as a method to promote perinatal health. However, prospective parents underutilize PCC services. Uptake can improve if delivery approaches satisfy consumer preferences. Aim of this study was to identify preferences of women (consumers) as a first step to social marketed individual PCC consultations. In depth, semi-structured interviews were performed to identify women's views regarding the four components of the social marketing model: product (individual PCC consultation), place (setting), promotion (how women are made aware of the product) and price (costs). Participants were recruited from general practices and a midwife's practice. Content analysis was performed by systematic coding with NVIVO software. The 39 participants reflected a multiethnic intermediately educated population. Product: Many participants had little knowledge of the need and the benefits of the product. Regarding the content of PCC, they wish to address fertility concerns and social aspects of parenthood. PCC was seen as an informing and coaching service with a predominant role for health-care professionals. the general practitioner and midwife setting was the most mentioned setting. Promotion: A professional led promotion approach was preferred. Price: Introduction of a fee for PCC consultations will make people reconsider their need for a consultation and could exclude vulnerable patients from utilization. This study provides consumer orientated data to design a social marketed delivery approach for individual PCC consultations. © 2017 The Authors Health Expectations Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Health care providers and direct-to-consumer access and advertising of genetic testing in the United States

PubMed Central

2011-01-01

Marketing pressures, regulatory policies, clinical guidelines, and consumer demand all affect health care providers' knowledge and use of health-related genetic tests that are sold and/or advertised to consumers. In addition, clinical guidelines, regulatory policies, and educational efforts are needed to promote the informed use of genetic tests that are sold and advertised to consumers and health care providers. A shift in culture regarding the regulation of genetic tests that are sold directly to consumers is suggested: by recent actions taken by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), including letters sent to direct-to-consumer (DTC) genetic testing companies stating that their tests meet the definition of medical devices; by public meetings held by the FDA to discuss laboratory developed tests; and by the convening of the Molecular and Clinical Genetics Panel to gather input on scientific issues concerning DTC genetic tests that make medical claims. This review provides a brief overview of DTC advertising and the regulation of pharmaceuticals and genetic tests in the United States. It highlights recent changes in the regulatory culture regarding genetic tests that are sold to consumers, and discusses the impact on health care providers of selling and advertising genetic tests directly to consumers. PMID:22204616

Health care providers and direct-to-consumer access and advertising of genetic testing in the United States.

PubMed

Myers, Melanie F

2011-12-28

Marketing pressures, regulatory policies, clinical guidelines, and consumer demand all affect health care providers' knowledge and use of health-related genetic tests that are sold and/or advertised to consumers. In addition, clinical guidelines, regulatory policies, and educational efforts are needed to promote the informed use of genetic tests that are sold and advertised to consumers and health care providers. A shift in culture regarding the regulation of genetic tests that are sold directly to consumers is suggested: by recent actions taken by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), including letters sent to direct-to-consumer (DTC) genetic testing companies stating that their tests meet the definition of medical devices; by public meetings held by the FDA to discuss laboratory developed tests; and by the convening of the Molecular and Clinical Genetics Panel to gather input on scientific issues concerning DTC genetic tests that make medical claims. This review provides a brief overview of DTC advertising and the regulation of pharmaceuticals and genetic tests in the United States. It highlights recent changes in the regulatory culture regarding genetic tests that are sold to consumers, and discusses the impact on health care providers of selling and advertising genetic tests directly to consumers.

77 FR 15368 - 2012 Annual Meeting of the Ozone Transport Commission

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-03-15

... efficiency, architectural industrial and maintenance coatings, consumer products, institution commercial and..., aftermarket catalysts, lightering, and non- road idling. DATES: The meeting will be held on May 24, 2012...

78 FR 17140 - Upholstered Furniture Fire Safety Technology; Meeting and Request for Comments

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-03-20

... Furniture Fire Safety Technology; Meeting and Request for Comments AGENCY: Consumer Product Safety... Commission (CPSC, Commission, or we) is announcing its intent to hold a meeting on upholstered furniture fire... http://www.cpsc.gov/meetingsignup.html and click on the link titled, ``Upholstered Furniture Fire...

78 FR 37821 - Joint Meeting of the Risk Communication Advisory Committee and Tobacco Products Scientific...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-06-24

...] Joint Meeting of the Risk Communication Advisory Committee and Tobacco Products Scientific Advisory...). The meeting will be open to the public. Name of Committee: Risk Communication Advisory Committee and... information on consumer perceptions and comprehension, and how to effectively communicate information about...

Perceived legitimacy of normative expectations motivates compliance with social norms when nobody is watching

PubMed Central

Andrighetto, Giulia; Grieco, Daniela; Tummolini, Luca

2015-01-01

Three main motivations can explain compliance with social norms: fear of peer punishment, the desire for others' esteem and the desire to meet others' expectations. Though all play a role, only the desire to meet others' expectations can sustain compliance when neither public nor private monitoring is possible. Theoretical models have shown that such desire can indeed sustain social norms, but empirical evidence is lacking. Moreover it is unclear whether this desire ranges over others' “empirical” or “normative” expectations. We propose a new experimental design to isolate this motivation and to investigate what kind of expectations people are inclined to meet. Results indicate that, when nobody can assign either material or immaterial sanctions, the perceived legitimacy of others' normative expectations can motivate a significant number of people to comply with costly social norms. PMID:26500568

75 FR 24692 - Meeting of the Ozone Transport Commission

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-05-05

..., architectural industrial and maintenance coatings, consumer products, industrial commercial and institutional... catalysts, lightering, and non- road idling. DATES: The meeting will be held on June 3, 2010 starting at 9 a...

Mobile Health Apps to Facilitate Self-Care: A Qualitative Study of User Experiences

PubMed Central

Anderson, Kevin; Burford, Oksana; Emmerton, Lynne

2016-01-01

Objective Consumers are living longer, creating more pressure on the health system and increasing their requirement for self-care of chronic conditions. Despite rapidly-increasing numbers of mobile health applications (‘apps’) for consumers’ self-care, there is a paucity of research into consumer engagement with electronic self-monitoring. This paper presents a qualitative exploration of how health consumers use apps for health monitoring, their perceived benefits from use of health apps, and suggestions for improvement of health apps. Materials and Methods ‘Health app’ was defined as any commercially-available health or fitness app with capacity for self-monitoring. English-speaking consumers aged 18 years and older using any health app for self-monitoring were recruited for interview from the metropolitan area of Perth, Australia. The semi-structured interview guide comprised questions based on the Technology Acceptance Model, Health Information Technology Acceptance Model, and the Mobile Application Rating Scale, and is the only study to do so. These models also facilitated deductive thematic analysis of interview transcripts. Implicit and explicit responses not aligned to these models were analyzed inductively. Results Twenty-two consumers (15 female, seven male) participated, 13 of whom were aged 26–35 years. Eighteen participants reported on apps used on iPhones. Apps were used to monitor diabetes, asthma, depression, celiac disease, blood pressure, chronic migraine, pain management, menstrual cycle irregularity, and fitness. Most were used approximately weekly for several minutes per session, and prior to meeting initial milestones, with significantly decreased usage thereafter. Deductive and inductive thematic analysis reduced the data to four dominant themes: engagement in use of the app; technical functionality of the app; ease of use and design features; and management of consumers’ data. Conclusions The semi-structured interviews provided insight into usage, benefits and challenges of health monitoring using apps. Understanding the range of consumer experiences and expectations can inform design of health apps to encourage persistence in self-monitoring. PMID:27214203

Exploring the functional mealtime associations of older adults through consumer segmentation and a means-end chain approach.

PubMed

den Uijl, Louise C; Jager, Gerry; de Graaf, Cees; Kremer, Stefanie

2016-12-01

Senior consumers are a rapidly growing and highly heterogeneous part of the world's population. This group does not always meet its recommended protein intake, which can negatively impact on their physical functioning and quality of life. To date, little is known about their motivations to consume protein-rich meals. In the current study, we therefore aim to identify consumer segments within the group of vital community-dwelling older adults on the basis of mealtime functionality (for example 'I eat because I'm hungry', or 'I eat because it is cosy'). To this end, we first conducted an online survey to identify these functional mealtime expectations of older consumers (study I, n = 398, 158 males, mean age 65.8 (y) ± 5.9 (SD)). To obtain further insights regarding mealtime functionality and proteins/protein enrichment, laddering interviews were conducted with a subgroup of the segmentation study participants (study II, n = 40, 20 males, mean age 66.9 (y) ± 4.8 (SD)). The results of the online survey showed three consumer clusters: cosy socialisers, physical nutritioners, and thoughtless rewarders. Thoughtless rewarders tend to eat without having explicit thoughts about it, they eat for the reward, and score highest on environmental awareness. Both the segmentation and the in-depth interviews showed that, for the cosy socialisers, the cosiness and social function of a meal are important motivators, whereas for the physical nutritioners the focus is more on the health and nutrient aspects of a meal. For cosy socialisers, protein enrichment can best be achieved through addition of protein-rich ingredients, whereas, for physical nutritioners, addition of protein powder is preferred. These results provide practical guidelines for the development of protein-rich meals and communication strategies tailored to the needs of specific vital community-dwelling older subgroups. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Agent-based self-service technology adoption model for air-travelers: Exploring best operational practices

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ueda, Keiichi; Kurahashi, Setsuya

2018-02-01

The continuous development of the service economy and an aging society with fewer children is expected to lead to a shortage of workers in the near future. In addition, the growth of the service economy would require service providers to meet various service requirements. In this regard, self-service technology (SST) is a promising alternative to securing labor in both developed and emerging countries. SST is expected to coordinate the controllable productive properties in order to optimize resources and minimize consumer stress. As services are characterized by simultaneity and inseparability, a smoother operation in cooperation with the consumer is required to provide a certain level of service. This study focuses on passenger handling in an airport departure lobby with the objective of optimizing multiple service resources comprising interpersonal service staff and self-service kiosks. Our aim is to elucidate the passenger decision- making mechanism of choosing either interpersonal service or self-service as the check-in option, and to apply it to analyze several scenarios to determine the best practice. The experimental space is studied and an agent-based model is proposed to analyze the operational efficiency via a simulation. We expand on a previous SST adoption model, which is enhanced by introducing the concept of individual traits. We focus on the decision-making of individuals who are neutral toward the service option, by tracking the actual activity of passengers and mapping their behavior into the model. A new method of validation that follows a different approach is proposed to ensure that this model approximates real-world situations. A scenario analysis is then carried out with the aim of exploring the best operational practice to minimize the stress experienced by the air travelers and to meet the business needs of the airline managers at the airport. We collected actual data from the Departure Control System of an airline to map the real-world data to the proposed model. Passenger behavior was extracted by front-line service experts and clarified through consecutive on-site observations.

Consumer Feedback: Tiny Tim Is Dead!

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Remmes, Harold

1974-01-01

In a paper delivered (June, 1974) at the Nationwide Staff Meeting of the National Easter Seal Society for Crippled Children and Adults, the author stresses the need for consumer involvement in agencies providing services to the handicapped. (LS)

Food group and micronutrient intake adequacy among children, adults and elderly women in Greece.

PubMed

Manios, Yannis; Moschonis, George; Grammatikaki, Evangelia; Mavrogianni, Christina; van den Heuvel, Ellen G H M; Bos, Rolf; Singh-Povel, Cecile

2015-03-11

The aim of the present study was to record the percentage of children, adults and elderly women in Greece meeting food and micronutrient intake recommendations. Additionally, the present study was aiming to identify the main food contributors of micronutrient intakes and assess the degree up to which meeting food intake recommendations also ensures micronutrient intake adequacy. Dietary intake data from three studies conducted in Greece (on 9-13-year-old children; 40-60-year-old adults; and 50-75-year-old women) were used to estimate mean intakes, the percentages of subjects meeting food and nutrient intake recommendations and the contribution of six core food groups to nutrient intake adequacy. The present study showed that more than 50% of children, adults and elderly women were failing to consume the recommended portions of vegetables, dairy and grains. Furthermore, children and adults consuming the recommended portions of individual core food groups had significantly lower percentages of inadequate micronutrient intakes compared to their counterparts not meeting food intake recommendations (p < 0.05). Nevertheless, even among those consuming the recommended portions from a specific core food group, the recommended intake of the corresponding micronutrient (for which this food group is the main contributor) was not always met. Indicatively, 18.2%-44.1% and 4.2%-7.0% of the populations under study were not meeting calcium and vitamin C intake recommendations, although they were consuming the recommended portions of dairy and fruits, respectively. In conclusion, these findings highlight the importance for public health policy makers to take all necessary initiatives to support the population in achieving the recommended intakes from all core food groups, but also emphasize on food variety to ensure adequate intake for all micronutrients.

Food Group and Micronutrient Intake Adequacy among Children, Adults and Elderly Women in Greece

PubMed Central

Manios, Yannis; Moschonis, George; Grammatikaki, Evangelia; Mavrogianni, Christina; van den Heuvel, Ellen GHM; Bos, Rolf; Singh-Povel, Cecile

2015-01-01

The aim of the present study was to record the percentage of children, adults and elderly women in Greece meeting food and micronutrient intake recommendations. Additionally, the present study was aiming to identify the main food contributors of micronutrient intakes and assess the degree up to which meeting food intake recommendations also ensures micronutrient intake adequacy. Dietary intake data from three studies conducted in Greece (on 9–13-year-old children; 40–60-year-old adults; and 50–75-year-old women) were used to estimate mean intakes, the percentages of subjects meeting food and nutrient intake recommendations and the contribution of six core food groups to nutrient intake adequacy. The present study showed that more than 50% of children, adults and elderly women were failing to consume the recommended portions of vegetables, dairy and grains. Furthermore, children and adults consuming the recommended portions of individual core food groups had significantly lower percentages of inadequate micronutrient intakes compared to their counterparts not meeting food intake recommendations (p < 0.05). Nevertheless, even among those consuming the recommended portions from a specific core food group, the recommended intake of the corresponding micronutrient (for which this food group is the main contributor) was not always met. Indicatively, 18.2%–44.1% and 4.2%–7.0% of the populations under study were not meeting calcium and vitamin C intake recommendations, although they were consuming the recommended portions of dairy and fruits, respectively. In conclusion, these findings highlight the importance for public health policy makers to take all necessary initiatives to support the population in achieving the recommended intakes from all core food groups, but also emphasize on food variety to ensure adequate intake for all micronutrients. PMID:25768954

Local foods can meet micronutrient needs for women in urban Burkina Faso, but only if rarely consumed micronutrient-dense foods are included in daily diets: A linear programming exercise.

PubMed

Arimond, Mary; Vitta, Bineti S; Martin-Prével, Yves; Moursi, Mourad; Dewey, Kathryn G

2018-01-01

Women of reproductive age are at nutritional risk due to their need for nutrient-dense diets. Risk is further elevated in resource-poor environments. In one such environment, we evaluated feasibility of meeting micronutrient needs of women of reproductive age using local foods alone or using local foods and supplements, while minimizing cost. Based on dietary recall data from Ouagadougou, we used linear programming to identify the lowest cost options for meeting 10 micronutrient intake recommendations, while also meeting energy needs and following an acceptable macronutrient intake pattern. We modeled scenarios with maximum intake per food item constrained at the 75th percentile of reported intake and also with more liberal maxima based on recommended portions per day, with and without the addition of supplements. Some scenarios allowed only commonly consumed foods (reported on at least 10% of recall days). We modeled separately for pregnant, lactating, and nonpregnant, nonlactating women. With maxima constrained to the 75th percentile, all micronutrient needs could be met with local foods but only when several nutrient-dense but rarely consumed items were included in daily diets. When only commonly consumed foods were allowed, micronutrient needs could not be met without supplements. When larger amounts of common animal-source foods were allowed, all needs could be met for nonpregnant, nonlactating women but not for pregnant or lactating women, without supplements. We conclude that locally available foods could meet micronutrient needs but that to achieve this, strategies would be needed to increase consistent availability in markets, consistent economic access, and demand. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Does drinking lead to sex? Daily alcohol-sex behaviors and expectancies among college students.

PubMed

Patrick, Megan E; Maggs, Jennifer L

2009-09-01

A within-person multilevel approach was used to model the links between alcohol use and sexual behavior among first-year college students, using up to 14 days of data for each person with occasions (Level 1, N = 2879 days) nested within people (Level 2, N = 218 people; 51.4% male). Between-persons (Level 2) effects were gender, relationship status, person means of alcohol use, and alcohol-sex expectancies for sexual affect and sexual drive. Within-person (Level 1) effects were weekend days, number of drinks consumed, and the interaction between drinks consumed and alcohol-sex expectancies. Independent of average alcohol use, consuming more drinks on a given day was associated with a greater likelihood of oral sex and with experiencing more positive consequences of sex that day. Significant Alcohol Use x Alcohol-Sex Expectancies interactions were found for oral sex and total sex behaviors, indicating that individuals with more positive expectancies were more likely to have sex after drinking. The negative association between drinks and condom use was at a trend level of significance. Results support the potential for promoting sexual health by focusing on cross-behavior expectancies among late adolescents. 2009 APA, all rights reserved.

Meeting Teacher Expectations in a DL Professional Development Programme--A Case Study for Sustained Applied Competence as Programme Outcome

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kruger, Cornè Gerda; Van Rensburg, Ona Janse; De Witt, Marike W.

2016-01-01

Meeting teacher expectations for a professional development programme (PDP) is expected to strengthen sustainable applied competence as programme outcome since teachers will be more motivated to apply the programme content in practice. A revised distance learning (DL) programme was augmented by a practical component comprising a work-integrated…

Identification of factors affecting birth rate in Czech Republic

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zámková, Martina; Blašková, Veronika

2013-10-01

This article is concerned with identifying economic factors primarily that affect birth rates in Czech Republic. To find the relationship between the magnitudes, we used the multivariate regression analysis and for modeling, we used a time series of annual values (1994-2011) both economic indicators and indicators related to demographics. Due to potential problems with apparent dependence we first cleansed all series obtained from the Czech Statistical Office using first differences. It is clear from the final model that meets all assumptions that there is a positive correlation between birth rates and the financial situation of households. We described the financial situation of households by GDP per capita, gross wages and consumer price index. As expected a positive correlation was proved for GDP per capita and gross wages and negative dependence was proved for the consumer price index. In addition to these economic variables in the model there were used also demographic characteristics of the workforce and the number of employed people. It can be stated that if the Czech Republic wants to support an increase in the birth rate, it is necessary to consider the financial support for households with small children.

Risk assessment for food allergy--the industry viewpoint.

PubMed

Crevel, R W

2001-01-01

A safe food supply is a legitimate expectation of consumers, which the food industry must meet. Allergic reactions to food are recognised as a significant public health problem. Protecting allergic consumers against such reactions, while minimising the impact of food allergy on their quality of life, poses a challenge to the industry. Risk assessment is the process whereby the likelihood of an adverse event is related to exposure. Allergic reactions to foods can arise in one of three ways, which are not mutually exclusive. Firstly, a known allergen may be present in a food at a level above that at which the allergic individual reacts, secondly, an individual may react to a known or novel allergen because of sensitisation to another, cross-reactive, allergen and finally sensitisation may occur to a novel allergen, followed by reaction on subsequent exposure. A total absence of risk of reaction to an allergen implies no exposure, a situation which in most food manufacturing environments is unrealistic, and in any event would not help in the context of novel allergens. Possible approaches to risk assessment for food allergy in each of the contexts described above are examined, together with their limitations.

Is home health technology adequate for proactive self-care?

PubMed

Horwitz, C M; Mueller, M; Wiley, D; Tentler, A; Bocko, M; Chen, L; Leibovici, A; Quinn, J; Shar, A; Pentland, A P

2008-01-01

To understand whether home health technology in the market and in development can satisfy the needs of patients and their non-professional caregivers for proactive support in managing health and chronic conditions in the home. A panel of clinical providers and technology researchers was assembled to examine whether home health technology addresses consumer-defined requirements for self-care devices. A lexicon of home care and self-care technology terms was then created. A global survey of home health technology for patients with heart disease and dementia was conducted. The 254 items identified were categorized by conditions treated, primary user, function, and purpose. A focus group of patients and caregivers was convened to describe their expectations of self-care technology. Items identified in the database were then assessed for these attributes. Patients and family caregivers indicated a need for intelligent self-care technology which supports early diagnosis of health changes, intervention enablement, and improvement of communication quality among patients and the health care system. Of these, only intervention enablement was commonly found in the home health technology items identified. An opportunity exists to meet consumer self-care needs through increased research and development in intelligent self-care technology.

The Feedback-Related Negativity and the P300 Brain Potential Are Sensitive to Price Expectation Violations in a Virtual Shopping Task.

PubMed

Schaefer, Alexandre; Buratto, Luciano G; Goto, Nobuhiko; Brotherhood, Emilie V

A large body of evidence shows that buying behaviour is strongly determined by consumers' price expectations and the extent to which real prices violate these expectations. Despite the importance of this phenomenon, little is known regarding its neural mechanisms. Here we show that two patterns of electrical brain activity known to index prediction errors-the Feedback-Related Negativity (FRN) and the feedback-related P300 -were sensitive to price offers that were cheaper than participants' expectations. In addition, we also found that FRN amplitude time-locked to price offers predicted whether a product would be subsequently purchased or not, and further analyses suggest that this result was driven by the sensitivity of the FRN to positive price expectation violations. This finding strongly suggests that ensembles of neurons coding positive prediction errors play a critical role in real-life consumer behaviour. Further, these findings indicate that theoretical models based on the notion of prediction error, such as the Reinforcement Learning Theory, can provide a neurobiologically grounded account of consumer behavior.

Does food complexity have a role in eliciting expectations of satiating capacity?

PubMed

Marcano, Johanna; Morales, Diana; Vélez-Ruiz, Jorge F; Fiszman, Susana

2015-09-01

New strategies for formulating healthy, balanced food with enhanced expected satiating capacity are a hot topic. The present work tests the hypothesis that adding complexity to food will result in higher expectations of satiating capacity. Different kinds of "visible" particles (wheat bran, ground coconut, flaxseeds and oat meal) were added to cheese pies with the aim of increasing the complexity of both their appearance and their texture. Two more basic recipes were also prepared with no particles added. Instrumental texture measurements, complexity and expected satiating capacity consumer scoring and sensory profiling of the six pie formulations were performed. In addition, the consumers were asked to write down the characteristics they took into account in their pie complexity scores. For pies with very similar instrumental TPA hardness and resistance to penetration values, a clear trend that emerged was that the more complex the texture, the higher the satiating capacity expectations. The qualitative analysis of the terms mentioned by consumers was of great value for understanding the concepts underlying the appraisal of the samples' complexity. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

User Expectations: Nurses' Perspective.

PubMed

Gürsel, Güney

2016-01-01

Healthcare is a technology-intensive industry. Although all healthcare staff needs qualified computer support, physicians and nurses need more. As nursing practice is an information intensive issue, understanding nurses' expectations from healthcare information systems (HCIS) is a must issue to meet their needs and help them in a better way. In this study perceived importance of nurses' expectations from HCIS is investigated, and two HCIS is evaluated for meeting the expectations of nurses by using fuzzy logic methodologies.

Shaping beliefs in experimental markets for expert services: Guilt aversion and the impact of promises and money-burning options.

PubMed

Beck, Adrian; Kerschbamer, Rudolf; Qiu, Jianying; Sutter, Matthias

2013-09-01

In a credence goods game with an expert and a consumer, we study experimentally the impact of two devices that are predicted to induce consumer-friendly behavior if the expert has a propensity to feel guilty when he believes that he violates the consumer's payoff expectations: (i) an opportunity for the expert to make a non-binding promise; and (ii) an opportunity for the consumer to burn money. In belief-based guilt aversion theory the first opportunity shapes an expert's behavior if an appropriate promise is made and if it is expected to be believed by the consumer; by contrast, the second opportunity might change behavior even though this option is never used along the predicted path. Experimental results confirm the behavioral relevance of (i) but fail to confirm (ii).

16 CFR 1209.32 - Definitions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... Commercial Practices CONSUMER PRODUCT SAFETY COMMISSION CONSUMER PRODUCT SAFETY ACT REGULATIONS INTERIM SAFETY STANDARD FOR CELLULOSE INSULATION Certification § 1209.32 Definitions. In addition to the... samples of the cellulose insulation being produced to demonstrate that the product meets the requirements...

78 FR 69851 - Consumer Advisory Committee

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-11-21

... FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION [DA 13-2169] Consumer Advisory Committee AGENCY: Federal Communications Commission. ACTION: Notice. SUMMARY: The Commission announces the next meeting date, time, [email protected] . SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This is a summary of the Commission's document DA 13-2169...

76 FR 12961 - Sunshine Act Meeting; Deletion of Agenda Items; Open Commission Meeting; Thursday, March 3, 2011

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-03-09

... FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION Sunshine Act Meeting; Deletion of Agenda Items; Open Commission... the Communications Act of 1934, and Consumer & as Enacted by the Twenty-First Century Governmental Affairs. Communications and Video Accessibility Act of 2010 (CG Docket No. 10-213); Amendments to the...

Courageous leaders. The integral force behind organizational excellence.

PubMed

Snyder, N H

1995-01-01

For more than a decade, Total Quality Management (TQM) has been used as a powerful instrument in shaping the competitive strategies of businesses, and producing quality products and services has become the credo of firms trying to defend or expand their markets. During this time, we have come to realize that without effective leadership no quality program can succeed. That is why the quality guru, W. Edwards Deming, refused to work in any organization unless he could begin with the CEO. That is why the first criterion examined for the Malcolm Baldridge National Quality Award is leadership. Focusing on quality will not guarantee success in today's rapidly changing markets. Increasingly discriminating consumers have come to expect quality in the products and services they buy, and businesses that fail to deliver it will not survive. In a very real sense, quality performance is the price you must pay simply to play the game. But consumers want more, and satisfying their expectations will determine tomorrow's winners and losers. Building organizations capable of producing superior results that consistently meet the needs of customers is the responsibility of leaders. For this reason, leaders are more important today than they have ever been before. Leaders in successful businesses must show the way for their employees by nurturing "cultures" that encourage and reward superior performance and by exhibiting personal characteristics that inspire excellence. Great leaders possess three crucial characteristics--vision, strong values and beliefs, and the courage to do the job despite seemingly insurmountable obstacles. These characteristics make the difference between excellence and "business as usual."

16 CFR 1213.7 - Findings.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... Practices CONSUMER PRODUCT SAFETY COMMISSION CONSUMER PRODUCT SAFETY ACT REGULATIONS SAFETY STANDARD FOR ENTRAPMENT HAZARDS IN BUNK BEDS § 1213.7 Findings. The Consumer Product Safety Act requires that the... there will be substantial compliance with such voluntary standard. (d) The benefits expected from the...

Projection display technologies for the new millennium

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kahn, Frederic J.

2000-04-01

Although analog CRTs continue to enable most of the world's electronic projection displays such as US consumer rear projection televisions, discrete pixel (digital) active matrix LCD and DLP reflective mirror array projectors have rapidly created large nonconsumer markets--primarily for business. Recent advances in image quality, compactness and cost effectiveness of digital projectors have the potential to revolutionize major consumer and entertainment markets as well. Digital penetration of the mainstream consumer projection TV market will begin in the hear 2000. By 2005 digital projection HDTVs could take the major share of the consumer HDTV projection market. Digital projection is expected to dominate both the consumer HDTV and the cinema market by 2010, resulting in potential shipments for all projection markets exceeding 10 M units per year. Digital projection is improving at a rate 10X faster than analog CRT projectors and 5X faster than PDP flat panels. Continued rapid improvement of digital projection is expected due to its relative immaturity and due to the wide diversity of technological improvements being pursued. Key technology enablers are the imaging panels, light sources and micro-optics. Market shares of single panel projectors, MEMs panels, LCOS panels and low T p-Si TFT LCD panel variants are expected to increase.

Critical thinking ability of new graduate and experienced nurses.

PubMed

Fero, Laura J; Witsberger, Catherine M; Wesmiller, Susan W; Zullo, Thomas G; Hoffman, Leslie A

2009-01-01

This paper is a report of a study to identify critical thinking learning needs of new and experienced nurses. Concern for patient safety has grown worldwide as high rates of error and injury continue to be reported. In order to improve patient safety, nurses must be able to recognize changes in patient condition, perform independent nursing interventions, anticipate orders and prioritize. In 2004-2006, a consecutive sample of 2144 newly hired nurses in a university-affiliated healthcare system completed the Performance Based Development System Assessment consisting of 10 videotaped vignettes depicting change in patient status. Results were reported as meeting or not meeting expectations. For nurses not meeting expectations, learning needs were identified in one of six subcategories. Overall, 74.9% met assessment expectations. Learning needs identified for nurses not meeting expectations included initiating independent nursing interventions (97.2%), differentiation of urgency (67%), reporting essential clinical data (65.4%), anticipating relevant medical orders (62.8%), providing relevant rationale to support decisions (62.6%) and problem recognition (57.1%). Controlling for level of preparation, associate (P=0.007) and baccalaureate (P<0.0001) nurses were more likely to meet expectations as years of experience increased; a similar trend was not seen for diploma nurses (P=0.10). Controlling for years of experience, new graduates were less likely to meet expectations compared with nurses with >or=10 years experience (P=0.046). Patient safety may be compromised if a nurse cannot provide clinically competent care. Assessments such as the Performance Based Development System can provide information about learning needs and facilitate individualized orientation targeted to increase performance level.

The future of direct-to-consumer clinical genetic tests.

PubMed

Frueh, Felix W; Greely, Henry T; Green, Robert C; Hogarth, Stuart; Siegel, Sue

2011-06-01

In light of the meeting of the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in March 2011 to discuss the regulation of clinical direct-to-consumer (DTC) genetic tests, we have invited five experts to consider the best means of overseeing the ordering and interpretation of these tests. Should these tests be regulated? If so, who, if anyone, should communicate results to consumers?

The feasibility of a Paleolithic diet for low-income consumers.

PubMed

Metzgar, Matthew; Rideout, Todd C; Fontes-Villalba, Maelan; Kuipers, Remko S

2011-06-01

Many low-income consumers face a limited budget for food purchases. The United States Department of Agriculture developed the Thrifty Food Plan to address this problem of consuming a healthy diet given a budget constraint. This dietary optimization program uses common food choices to build a suitable diet. In this article, the United States Department of Agriculture data sets are used to test the feasibility of consuming a Paleolithic diet given a limited budget. The Paleolithic diet is described as the diet that humans are genetically adapted to, containing only the preagricultural food groups of meat, seafood, fruits, vegetables, and nuts. Constraints were applied to the diet optimization model to restrict grains, dairy, and certain other food categories. Constraints were also applied for macronutrients, micronutrients, and long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids. The results show that it is possible to consume a Paleolithic diet given the constraints. However, the diet does fall short of meeting the daily recommended intakes for certain micronutrients. A 9.3% increase in income is needed to consume a Paleolithic diet that meets all daily recommended intakes except for calcium. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The combined impact of diet, physical activity, sleep and screen time on academic achievement: a prospective study of elementary school students in Nova Scotia, Canada.

PubMed

Faught, Erin L; Ekwaru, John P; Gleddie, Douglas; Storey, Kate E; Asbridge, Mark; Veugelers, Paul J

2017-03-09

Few studies have investigated the independent associations of lifestyle behaviors (diet, physical activity, sleep, and screen time) and body weight status with academic achievement. Even fewer have investigated the combined effect of these behaviors on academic achievement. We hypothesize that the combined effect of these behaviors will have a higher impact on academic achievement than any behavior alone, or that of body weight status. In 2011, 4253 grade 5 (10-11 years old) students and their parents were surveyed about the child's diet, physical activity, screen time and sleep. Students' heights and weights were measured by research assistants. Academic achievement was measured using provincial standardized exams in mathematics, reading and writing, and was expressed as 'meeting' or 'not meeting' expectations as per standardized criterion. Exams were written 1 year following the measurement of lifestyle behaviors. Lifestyle behaviors were measured with self- and parental proxy reports and expressed as meeting recommendations (yes/no) for each behavior. Mixed effects logistic regression models adjusting for demographic confounders and caloric intake were used to determine the independent and combined associations. Meeting dietary recommendations was associated with increased likelihood of meeting academic expectations for each of math, reading and writing. Meeting recommendations for screen time and sleep was associated with meeting expectations for writing. For all three subjects, meeting additional lifestyle behavior recommendations was associated with higher likelihood of meeting expectations. Children who met 7-9 lifestyle behavior recommendations had greater than three-times the odds of meeting expectations for reading compared to those who met 0-3 recommendations (OR: 3.07, 95% CI: 2.09, 4.51), and 1.47 and 2.77 times the odds of meeting expectations in mathematics and writing, respectively. Body weight status was not associated with academic achievement. We found that lifestyle behaviors, not body weight status, are strongly associated with student academic performance. Promoting compliance with established healthy lifestyle recommendations could improve both the health and educational outcomes of school-aged children. School-based health promotion initiatives that target multiple lifestyle behaviors may have a greater effect on academic achievement than those that focus on a single behavior.

Modeling and simulation of consumer response to dynamic pricing.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Valenzuela, J.; Thimmapuram, P.; Kim, J

2012-08-01

Assessing the impacts of dynamic-pricing under the smart grid concept is becoming extremely important for deciding its full deployment. In this paper, we develop a model that represents the response of consumers to dynamic pricing. In the model, consumers use forecasted day-ahead prices to shift daily energy consumption from hours when the price is expected to be high to hours when the price is expected to be low while maintaining the total energy consumption as unchanged. We integrate the consumer response model into the Electricity Market Complex Adaptive System (EMCAS). EMCAS is an agent-based model that simulates restructured electricity markets.more » We explore the impacts of dynamic-pricing on price spikes, peak demand, consumer energy bills, power supplier profits, and congestion costs. A simulation of an 11-node test network that includes eight generation companies and five aggregated consumers is performed for a period of 1 month. In addition, we simulate the Korean power system.« less

Shaping beliefs in experimental markets for expert services: Guilt aversion and the impact of promises and money-burning options☆☆☆

PubMed Central

Beck, Adrian; Kerschbamer, Rudolf; Qiu, Jianying; Sutter, Matthias

2013-01-01

In a credence goods game with an expert and a consumer, we study experimentally the impact of two devices that are predicted to induce consumer-friendly behavior if the expert has a propensity to feel guilty when he believes that he violates the consumerʼs payoff expectations: (i) an opportunity for the expert to make a non-binding promise; and (ii) an opportunity for the consumer to burn money. In belief-based guilt aversion theory the first opportunity shapes an expertʼs behavior if an appropriate promise is made and if it is expected to be believed by the consumer; by contrast, the second opportunity might change behavior even though this option is never used along the predicted path. Experimental results confirm the behavioral relevance of (i) but fail to confirm (ii). PMID:24003266

78 FR 69858 - National Cancer Institute; Amended Notice of Meeting

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-11-21

... DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES National Institutes of Health National Cancer Institute; Amended Notice of Meeting Notice is hereby given of a change in the meeting of the National Cancer Institute Director's Consumer Liaison Group, October 17, 2013, 10:00 a.m. to October 17, 2013, 04:30 p.m., National Institutes of Health, Building 31, ...

The ecosystem approach to fisheries: management at the dynamic interface between biodiversity conservation and sustainable use.

PubMed

Jennings, Simon; Smith, Anthony D M; Fulton, Elizabeth A; Smith, David C

2014-08-01

The emergence of an ecosystem approach to fisheries (EAF) was characterized by the adoption of objectives for maintaining ecosystem health alongside those for fisheries. The EAF was expected to meet some aspirations for biodiversity conservation, but health was principally linked to sustainable use rather than lower levels of human impact. Consequently, while policies including EAF concepts identified objectives for fisheries management and biodiversity conservation, the wording often reflected unresolved societal and political debates about objectives and gave imprecise guidance on addressing inevitable trade-offs. Despite scientific progress in making trade-offs and consequences explicit, there remain substantial differences in interpretations of acceptable impact, responses to uncertainty and risk, and the use of management measures by groups accountable for fisheries management and biodiversity conservation. Within and among nations and regions, these differences are influenced by the contribution of fisheries, aquaculture, farming, and trade to food security, consumers' options, and other social, economic, and environmental factors. Notwithstanding, mutual understanding of the motivations and norms of fisheries management and biodiversity conservation groups is increasing, and interactions between these groups have likely supported more progress toward meeting their stated objectives than would have otherwise been achievable. © 2014 New York Academy of Sciences.

Forest amount affects soybean productivity in Brazilian agricultural frontier

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rattis, L.; Brando, P. M.; Marques, E. Q.; Queiroz, N.; Silverio, D. V.; Macedo, M.; Coe, M. T.

2017-12-01

Over the past three decades, large tracts of tropical forests have been converted to crop and pasturelands across southern Amazonia, largely to meet the increasing worldwide demand for protein. As the world's population continue to grow and consume more protein per capita, forest conversion to grow more crops could be a potential solution to meet such demand. However, widespread deforestation is expected to negatively affect crop productivity via multiple pathways (e.g., thermal regulation, rainfall, local moisture, pest control, among others). To quantify how deforestation affects crop productivity, we modeled the relationship between forest amount and enhanced vegetation index (EVI—a proxy for crop productivity) during the soybean planting season across southern Amazonia. Our hypothesis that forest amount causes increased crop productivity received strong support. We found that the maximum MODIS-based EVI in soybean fields increased as a function of forest amount across three spatial-scales, 0.5 km, 1 km, 2 km, 5 km, 10 km, 15 km and 20 km. However, the strength of this relationship varied across years and with precipitation, but only at the local scale (e.g., 500 meters and 1 km radius). Our results highlight the importance of considering forests to design sustainable landscapes.

The FY2014 Government Shutdown: Economic Effects

DTIC Science & Technology

2013-11-01

caused a decline in consumer, business, or investor confidence, it could have led consumers and businesses to postpone or cancel spending decisions...Even if lawmakers come to terms roughly as expected , political vitriol and repeated threats to shut government or not pay its bills have weighed...growth.14 Most forecasts taken before the shutdown expected a moderate pace of growth in the fourth quarter, and forecasters projected a slightly more

Global value of GM rice: a review of expected agronomic and consumer benefits.

PubMed

Demont, Matty; Stein, Alexander J

2013-06-25

Unlike the other major crops, no genetically modified (GM) varieties of rice have been commercialized at a large scale. Within the next 2-3 years new transgenic rice varieties could be ready for regulatory approval and subsequent commercialization, though. Given the importance of rice as staple crop for many of the world's poorest people, this will have implications for the alleviation of poverty, hunger and malnutrition. Thus, policy-makers need to be aware of the potential benefits of GM rice. We provide an overview of the literature and discuss the evidence on expected agronomic and consumer benefits of genetically engineered rice. We find that while GM rice with improved agronomic traits could deliver benefits similar to already commercialized biotechnology crops, expected benefits of consumer traits could be higher by an order of magnitude. By aggregating the expected annual benefits, we estimate the global value of GM rice to be US$64 billion per year. This is only an indicative value, as more GM varieties will become available in future. Nevertheless, such a figure can help guide policy-makers when deciding on the approval or funding of biotechnology crops and it may also raise awareness among consumers about what is at stake for their societies. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

The future of direct-to-consumer clinical genetic tests

PubMed Central

Frueh, Felix W.; Greely, Henry T.; Green, Robert C.; Hogarth, Stuart; Siegel, Sue

2013-01-01

In light of the meeting of the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in March 2011 to discuss the regulation of clinical direct-to-consumer (DTC) genetic tests, we have invited five experts to consider the best means of overseeing the ordering and interpretation of these tests. Should these tests be regulated? If so, who, if anyone, should communicate results to consumers? PMID:21629275

Supporting Better Treatments for Meeting Health Consumers' Needs: Extracting Semantics in Social Data for Representing a Consumer Health Ontology

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Choi, Yunseon

2016-01-01

Introduction: The purpose of this paper is to provide a framework for building a consumer health ontology using social tags. This would assist health users when they are accessing health information and increase the number of documents relevant to their needs. Methods: In order to extract concepts from social tags, this study conducted an…

EAACI Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis Guidelines. Protecting consumers with food allergies: understanding food consumption, meeting regulations and identifying unmet needs.

PubMed

Muraro, A; Hoffmann-Sommergruber, K; Holzhauser, T; Poulsen, L K; Gowland, M H; Akdis, C A; Mills, E N C; Papadopoulos, N; Roberts, G; Schnadt, S; van Ree, R; Sheikh, A; Vieths, S

2014-11-01

Individuals suffering from IgE-mediated food allergy usually have to practise life-long food allergen avoidance. This document aims to provide an overview of recent evidence-based recommendations for allergen risk assessment and management in the food industry and discusses unmet needs and expectations of the food allergic consumer in that context. There is a general duty of care on the food industry and obligations in European Union legislation to reduce and manage the presence of allergens alongside other food hazards. Current evidence enables quantification of allergen reference doses used to set-up reliable food safety management plans for some foods. However, further work is required to include a wider variety of foods and to understand the impact of the food matrix as well as additional factors which affect the progression and severity of symptoms as a function of dose. Major concerns have been raised by patients, carers and patient groups about the use of precautionary 'may contain' labelling to address the issue of unintended presence of allergens; these therefore need to be reconsidered. New and improved allergen detection methods should be evaluated for their application in food production. There is an urgent requirement for effective communication between healthcare professionals, patient organizations, food industry representatives and regulators to develop a better approach to protecting consumers with food allergies. © 2014 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Prevention and control of food safety risks: the role of governments, food producers, marketers, and academia.

PubMed

Lupien, John R

2007-01-01

Food systems are rapidly changing as world population grows, increasing urbanization occurs, consumer tastes and preferences change and differ in various countries and cultures, large scale food production increases, and food imports and exports grow in volume and value. Consumers in all countries have become more insistent that foods available in the marketplace are of good quality and safe, and do not pose risks to them and their families. Publicity about food risk problems and related risks, including chemical and microbiological contamination of foods, mad-cow disease, avian flu, industrial chemical contamination all have made consumers and policy makers more aware of the need of the control of food safety risk factors in all countries. To discuss changes in food systems, and in consumer expectations, that have placed additional stress on the need for better control of food safety risks. Food producers, processors, and marketers have additional food law and regulations to meet; government agencies must increase monitoring and enforcement of adequate food quality and safety legislation and coordinate efforts between agriculture, health, trade, justice and customs agencies; and academia must take action to strengthen the education of competent food legislation administrators, inspectorate, and laboratory personnel for work in government and industry, including related food and food safety research . Both Government and the food industry must assure that adequate control programs are in place to control the quality and safety of all foods, raw or processed, throughout the food chain from production to final consumption. This includes appropriate laboratory facilities to perform necessary analysis of foods for risk and quality factors, and to carry out a wide range of food science, toxicological and related research.

Surveying Consumer Satisfaction to Assess Managed-Care Quality: Current Practices

PubMed Central

Gold, Marsha; Wooldridge, Judith

1995-01-01

Growing interest in using consumer satisfaction information to enhance quality of care and promote informed consumer choice has accompanied recent expansions in managed care. This article synthesizes information about consumer satisfaction surveys conducted by managed-care plans, government and other agencies, community groups, and purchasers of care. We discuss survey content, methods, and use of consumer survey information. Differences in the use of consumer surveys preclude one instrument or methodology from meeting all needs. The effectiveness of plan-based surveys could be enhanced by increased information on alternative survey instruments and methods and new methodological studies, such as ones developing risk-adjustment methods. PMID:10151887

77 FR 29345 - Sunshine Act Meeting

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-05-17

... of the Currency), Director Richard Cordray (Director, Consumer Financial Protection Bureau) and Acting Chairman Martin J. Gruenberg, that Corporation business required its consideration of the matters... earlier notice of the meeting was practicable; that the public interest did not require consideration of...

77 FR 64514 - Sunshine Act Meeting; Deletion of Agenda Item for October 17, 2012 Open Meeting

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-10-22

... of Part 43 of the Commission's Rules Summary: The Commission will consider a Second Report and Order... filing burdens while ensuring collection of the data needed to protect consumers and competition in...

Investigations of the environmental acceptability of fluorocarbon alternatives to chlorofluorocarbons.

PubMed Central

McFarland, M

1992-01-01

Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) are currently used in systems for preservation of perishable foods and medical supplies, increasing worker productivity and consumer comfort, conserving energy and increasing product reliability. As use of CFCs is phased out due to concerns of ozone depletion, a variety of new chemicals and technologies will be needed to serve these needs. In choosing alternatives, industry must balance concerns over safety and environmental acceptability and still meet the preformance characteristics of the current technology, the only viable alternatives meeting the safety, performance, and environmental requirements for the remaining 40% of demand are fluorocarbons, hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFs), and hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs). HCFCs and HFCs possess many of the desirable properties of the CFCs, but because of the, hydrogen, they results in shorter atmospheric lifetimes compared to CFCs and reduces their potential to contribute to stratospheric ozone depletion or global warming; HFCs do not contain chlorine and have no potential to destroy ozone. This paper provides an overview of challenges faced by industry, regulators, and society in general in continuing to meet societal needs and consumer demands while reducing risk to the enviroment without compromising consumer or worker safety. PMID:11607257

Public Meeting Federal Register Notices and Presentations about Prohibitions on use of Lead Pipes, Solder and Flux

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

This page contains federal register notices, a presentation, and a summary of the webinar. The presentation provides a consumer perspective on the lead free requirements, including challenges faced by consumers in identifying lead free products.

47 CFR 301.6 - Retailer participation.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... responsible for checking consumer or household eligibility but shall report to NTIA suspicious patterns of customer behavior. (4) Use commercially reasonable methods to order and manage inventory to meet customer... requires the retailers to self certify that they: (A) Have been engaged in the consumer electronics retail...

The business case for transitioning to safer chemicals.

PubMed

McFadden, Roger D

2011-01-01

Emerging domestic and international chemical regulations and a heightened consumer awareness of chemicals of concern in products is challenging American businesses to reevaluate and reconsider their approaches to supply chain management and product design. Some of these companies recognize business opportunities and are responding proactively with innovative strategies and tactics. This article describes steps that Staples Inc., the world's largest office products provider, is taking to meet demand for products that are safer and more sustainable. In trying to meet the demand for safer products, Staples faces significant barriers, including the complexity of supply chains, data gaps, and confidential business information. New collaborations between companies, government, and advocates, and improved tools and criteria for defining safer products enhance the ability of businesses, like Staples, to meet new consumer demands.

76 FR 11484 - Public Meeting of the Consumer Operated and Oriented Plan (CO-OP) Advisory Board, March 14, 2011

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-03-02

... Oversight (CCIIO) in accordance with the Federal Advisory Committee Act. The meeting is open to the public... appropriate; and examine relevant data sources to assess the grant and loan award strategy to provide....gov . Written comments must be submitted in Word format. Registration: The meeting is open to the...

Consumer understanding of sugars claims on food and drink products

PubMed Central

Patterson, N J; Sadler, M J; Cooper, J M

2012-01-01

Consumer understanding of nutrition and health claims is a key aspect of current regulations in the European Union (EU). In view of this, qualitative and quantitative research techniques were used to investigate consumer awareness and understanding of product claims in the UK, focusing particularly on nutrition claims relating to sugars. Both research methods identified a good awareness of product claims. No added sugars claims were generally preferred to reduced sugars claims, and there was a general assumption that sweeteners and other ingredients would be added in place of sugars. However, there was little awareness of the level of sugar reduction and the associated calorie reduction in products when reduced sugars claims were made on pack. In focus groups, participants felt deceived if sugar reduction claims were being made without a significant reduction in calories. This was reinforced in the quantitative research which showed that respondents expected a similar and meaningful level of calorie reduction to the level of sugar reduction. The research also identified consumer confusion around the calorie content of different nutrients, including over-estimation of the calorie content of sugars. This is crucial to consumers' expectations as they clearly link sugar to calories and therefore expect a reduction in sugar content to deliver a reduction in calorie content. PMID:22973161

An experimental examination of alcohol consumption, alcohol expectancy, and self‐blame on willingness to report a hypothetical rape

PubMed Central

Maltby, John

2017-01-01

This study experimentally examined the role of victim alcohol intoxication, and self‐blame in perceiving and reporting rape to the police using a hypothetical interactive rape scenario. Participants (N = 79) were randomly assigned to consume alcohol (mean BAC = 0.07%) or tonic water before they engaged in the scenario. Alcohol expectancy was manipulated, and participant beliefs about the beverage they thought they had consumed and their feelings of intoxication were measured. Alcohol consumption and expectancy did not affect the likelihood that the nonconsensual intercourse depicted in the scenario was perceived and would be reported as rape. Participants with higher levels of self‐blame were less likely to say they would report the hypothetical rape. Self‐blame levels were higher for participants who believed they had consumed alcohol, and were associated with increased feelings of intoxication. The implications are discussed. PMID:29243270

78 FR 41928 - Sunshine Act Meeting

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-07-12

... the Currency), Director Richard Cordray (Director, Consumer Financial Protection Bureau), and Chairman Martin J. Gruenberg, that Corporation business required its consideration of the matters which were to be... the meeting was practicable; that the public interest did not require consideration of the matters in...

78 FR 48678 - Sunshine Act Meeting

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-08-09

... the Currency), Director Richard Cordray (Director, Consumer Financial Protection Bureau), and Chairman Martin J. Gruenberg, that Corporation business required its consideration of the matters which were to be... the meeting was practicable; that the public interest did not require consideration of the matters in...

78 FR 75920 - Sunshine Act Meetings

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-12-13

... the Currency), Director Richard Cordray (Director, Consumer Financial Protection Bureau), and Chairman Martin J. Gruenberg, that Corporation business required its consideration of the matters which were to be... the meeting was practicable; that the public interest did not require consideration of the matters in...

78 FR 34100 - Sunshine Act Meetings

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-06-06

... the Currency), Director Richard Cordray (Director, Consumer Financial Protection Bureau), and Chairman Martin J. Gruenberg, that Corporation business required its consideration of the matters which were to be... the meeting was practicable; that the public interest did not require consideration of the matters in...

78 FR 31548 - Sunshine Act Meeting

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-05-24

... Currency), Director Richard Cordray (Director, Consumer Financial Protection Bureau), and Chairman Martin J. Gruenberg, that Corporation business required its consideration of the matters which were to be the subject... was practicable; that the public interest did not require consideration of the matters in a meeting...

78 FR 66005 - Notice of Sunshine Act Meeting

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-11-04

... of the Currency), Director Richard Cordray (Director, Consumer Financial Protection Bureau), and Chairman Martin J. Gruenberg, that Corporation business required its consideration of the matters which... notice of the meeting was practicable; that the public interest did not require consideration of the...

16 CFR 1012.1 - General policy considerations; scope.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... Policy, sets forth requirements for advance public notice, public attendance, and recordkeeping for... 16 Commercial Practices 2 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false General policy considerations; scope. 1012.1 Section 1012.1 Commercial Practices CONSUMER PRODUCT SAFETY COMMISSION GENERAL MEETINGS POLICY-MEETINGS...

16 CFR 1012.7 - Telephone conversations.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... 16 Commercial Practices 2 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Telephone conversations. 1012.7 Section 1012.7 Commercial Practices CONSUMER PRODUCT SAFETY COMMISSION GENERAL MEETINGS POLICY-MEETINGS BETWEEN... susceptible to public attendance, or participation, Agency employees must take care to ensure that telephone...

Molded, wafer level optics for long wave infra-red applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Franks, John

2016-05-01

For many years, the Thermal Imaging market has been driven by the high volume consumer market. The first signs of this came with the launch of night vision systems for cars, first by Cadillac and Honda and then, more successfully by BMW, Daimler and Audi. For the first time, simple thermal imaging systems were being manufactured at the rate of more than 10,000 units a year. This step change in volumes enabled a step change in system costs, with thermal imaging moving into the consumer's price range. Today we see that the consumer awareness and the consumer market continues to increase with the launch of a number of consumer focused smart phone add-ons. This has brought a further step change in system costs, with the possibility to turn your mobile phone into a thermal imager for under $250. As the detector technology has matured, the pixel pitches have dropped from 50μm in 2002 to 12 μm or even 10μm in today's detectors. This dramatic shrinkage in size has had an equally dramatic effect on the optics required to produce the image on the detector. A moderate field of view that would have required a focal length of 40mm in 2002 now requires a focal length of 8mm. For wide field of view applications and small detector formats, focal lengths in the range 1mm to 5mm are becoming common. For lenses, the quantity manufactured, quality and costs will require a new approach to high volume Infra-Red (IR) manufacturing to meet customer expectations. This, taken with the SwaP-C requirements and the emerging requirement for very small lenses driven by the new detectors, suggests that wafer scale optics are part of the solution. Umicore can now present initial results from an intensive research and development program to mold and coat wafer level optics, using its chalcogenide glass, GASIR®.

Television and the Young Consumer. An Analysis of Consumer Needs of Children and a Proposal for the Utilization of Television to Meet These Needs.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Williams, Sally

The Committee on Children's Television (CCT) and five commercial television stations in San Francisco designed and broadcast television messages for children to help them to develop healthy eating habits and sound consumer skills. Surveys showed that: 1) children aged 9-13 spent about $10 per month, mainly for toys and sugar-related snacks; 2)…

Recommendations for patient engagement in guideline development panels: A qualitative focus group study of guideline-naïve patients.

PubMed

Armstrong, Melissa J; Mullins, C Daniel; Gronseth, Gary S; Gagliardi, Anna R

2017-01-01

Patient and consumer engagement in clinical practice guideline development is internationally advocated, but limited research explores mechanisms for successful engagement. To investigate the perspectives of potential patient/consumer guideline representatives on topics pertaining to engagement including guideline development group composition and barriers to and facilitators of engagement. Participants were guideline-naïve volunteers for programs designed to link community members to academic research with diverse ages, gender, race, and degrees of experience interacting with health care professionals. Three focus groups and one key informant interview were conducted and analyzed using a qualitative descriptive approach. Participants recommended small, diverse guideline development groups engaging multiple patient/consumer stakeholders with no prior relationships with each other or professional panel members. No consensus was achieved on the ideal balance of patient/consumer and professional stakeholders. Pre-meeting reading/training and an identified contact person were described as keys to successful early engagement; skilled facilitators, understandable speech and language, and established mechanisms for soliciting patient opinions were suggested to enhance engagement at meetings. Most suggestions for effective patient/consumer engagement in guidelines require forethought and planning but little additional expense, making these strategies easily accessible to guideline developers desiring to achieve more meaningful patient and consumer engagement.

Consumer expectations of nonprescription medications according to location of sale.

PubMed

Taylor, Jeffrey G; Lo, Ya-Ning; Dobson, Roy; Suveges, Linda G

2007-01-01

To determine whether the public has different expectations of nonprescription medications based on location of sale. Cross-sectional, descriptive. Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada, during the summer of 2003. 2,102 randomly selected citizens. Mail survey. Differences in expectations for potency, safety, adverse effects, effectiveness, and package information of products sold in pharmacies versus convenience stores. The response rate was 57.2%. Most participants (81.2%) were aware that nonprescription medications could be purchased in convenience stores, but far fewer (42.3%) had done so. As one potential resource during purchases, pharmacists were held in reasonably high regard. Expectations with the greatest difference were of a merchandising nature. Respondents expected pharmacies to have a better quality and selection of products and lower prices. For drug-related attributes, differences were minimal but statistically significant. Location of sale does not appear to have any practical influence on consumer expectations of the drug-related attributes of nonprescription medications. Buyers of such products expect similar properties to be present regardless of location.

76 FR 9780 - Consumer Advisory Council; Notice of Meeting

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-02-22

... under various consumer financial services laws and on other matters on which the Board seeks its advice... owned (REO) properties, the impact of foreclosed and vacant properties on communities, and neighborhood.... Reports by committees and other matters initiated by Council members also may be discussed. Persons...

77 FR 38597 - Multistakeholder Process To Develop Consumer Data Privacy Code of Conduct Concerning Mobile...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-06-28

... Process To Develop Consumer Data Privacy Code of Conduct Concerning Mobile Application Transparency AGENCY... convene the first meeting of a privacy multistakeholder process concerning mobile application transparency... concerning mobile application transparency. Stakeholders will engage in an open, transparent, consensus...

77 FR 9659 - National Committee on Vital and Health Statistics: Meeting

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-02-17

... to gain input from diverse patient, consumer, community, and healthcare stakeholders to identify opportunities for improving the relevance, usefulness and use of quality of care measures for consumers/patients...: February 9, 2012. James Scanlon, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation, Office of the...

78 FR 26101 - Advisory Committee for Aviation Consumer Protection

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-05-03

... and enforcement initiatives affecting consumer protection in air travel. The meeting will also address privacy of personally identifiable information collected in connection with the purchase of air travel from airlines and travel agents. Issues to be addressed are: what information is collected and by whom...

Teaching Consumer Education: A Common-Sense Approach.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wilhelms, Fred T.

Effective buymanship and effective financial management are the cornerstone of an elementary and secondary school consumer education program. The curriculum must meet some basic and essential criteria in order to prepare the student for learning about budgeting, a concept which encompasses buymanship and financial management. Through knowledge,…

The live well collaborative: a new model for universities and companies to work together to meet the needs of 50+ consumers.

PubMed

Vogel, Craig M

2008-01-01

A new opportunity has emerged for universities and corporations to align in response to the global trend of countries with significant percentages of their population over the age of 50. This trend is driven by the dramatic increase in the birth rate starting in 1945 after World War II and ending in 1965 (a population commonly referred to in the United States as "baby boomers"). As they reach retirement, this age cohort has a unique expectation of a continued high quality of life in spite of the emerging health challenges they face. The boomer's lifestyle expectation has tremendous impact on the design of new products and services in every sector of the economy. To achieve effective translational research (from laboratory to marketable products), universities and companies must integrate the qualitative innovation processes used by design fields like industrial design into the quantitative research techniques embraced by medicine and engineering. The University of Cincinnati is one of the few universities in the United States with all the necessary components in place to respond to this opportunity. P&G with global headquarters in Cincinnati is the right corporate partner to define this new university-corporate relationship.

Middle-school students' school lunch consumption does not meet the new Institute of Medicine's National School Lunch Program recommendations.

PubMed

Cullen, Karen W; Watson, Kathleen B; Dave, Jayna M

2011-10-01

To compare the school lunch consumption of Texas middle-school students with the 2009 Institute of Medicine's (IOM) school meal report recommendations. These new lunch menu patterns increase fruit to one serving and vegetables to two servings, with 50 % wholegrain food. Lunch food records were collected from middle-school students from four schools in south-east Texas in the spring of 2008, and entered into the Nutrition Data System for Research software. Average intake was calculated for those consuming meals according to the National School Lunch Program (NSLP; n 5414) and for those consuming lunch from other sources (n 239). The percentage of students selecting each food group was calculated. Middle schools in south-east Texas. Middle-school students in south-east Texas. Students consuming NSLP meals reported consuming almost 1/2 serving of fruit, 3/4 serving of vegetables, 8 oz of milk and 1/3 serving of whole grains at lunch. Non-NSLP consumers reported almost no intake of fruit, vegetables or milk, and consumed 1/4 serving of whole grains at lunch. Among NSLP consumers, about 40% selected and consumed a fruit serving. About two-thirds of students selected a vegetable, consuming about 67 %. Less than 4% selected a dark green or orange vegetable. Students' lunch intake did not meet the new IOM recommendations. Few students selected dark green or orange vegetables, and only 40 % selected fruit. Whole grains consumption was low. Interventions with all stakeholders will be necessary to improve students' food and beverage selections overall when school meal patterns are revised.

Reasoning or reacting to others? How consumers use the rationality of other consumers.

PubMed

Pelzmann, Linda; Hudnik, Urska; Miklautz, Michaela

2005-11-15

Consumers adapt their behavior to the structure of the information available in the environment where they form expectations. One factor in people's environments is other people. "Others" are a significant source of information and means of orientating oneself. In conditions such as uncertainty, insecurity, anxiety but also euphoria, it is "the others" who provide market participants with coordinates. The purpose of this paper is to pass forward an approach that relates to consumers' other-directedness and to demonstrate in what ways consumers use the rationality of other consumers.

75 FR 65987 - 1-Propene, 2,3,3,3-tetrafluoro-; Significant New Use Rule

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-10-27

... chemical substance and the potential exposures from ``do-it- yourself'' (DIY) consumer use, and uses a... could result from DIY consumer use. These commenters evaluated EPA's risk assessment and conducted their... not be expected for car occupants, servicing personnel, or DIY consumers. The comments relate to the...

Consumer Marketing and the Airline Industry

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Roy, W. R.

1972-01-01

The fundamentals of consumer marketing as applied to the airline industry are considered. An attempt is made to boil down the mystique and jargon which frequently surround the subject of marketing. Topics covered include: (1) The marketing concept; (2) consumer expectations from airlines; (3) planning of marketing strategy; and (4) the roles of advertising, sales, and middlemen.

Interactive survey of consumer awareness of nanotechnologies and nanoparticles in consumer products in South Korea.

PubMed

Kim, Yu-Ri; Lee, Eun Jeong; Park, Sung Ha; Kwon, Hyo Jin; An, Seong Soo A; Son, Sang Wook; Seo, Young Rok; Pie, Jae-Eun; Yoon, Myoung; Kim, Ja Hei; Kim, Meyoung-Kon

2014-01-01

The purpose of our study was to understand consumers' risk awareness and need for relevant information about nanotechnology and nanoparticles contained in products currently being sold in Korea. One thousand and seven adult consumers (aged 20-50 years) were randomly selected from all over South Korea between November 1 and 9, 2010. We surveyed the origin and degree of their concern and their need for information and education regarding nanomaterials. Analysis of the survey results showed no significant differences in responses by sex, age, and level of education, but significant differences were found in responses based on average monthly household income. Our research showed that consumers have vague expectations for and positive image of nanotechnology and nanoproducts but do not clearly understand what they are. In addition, we found that preparing and disseminating information to consumers is required in order to provide correct information about nanotechnology to the public. A communication system should be established among the multiple stakeholders involved with nanomaterials to address consumer expectations and concerns. Further, a safety evaluation system must be set up, the results of which should be processed by a reliable expert group so they can be disseminated to the public.

Consumer preference, behavior and perception about meat and meat products: an overview.

PubMed

Font-I-Furnols, Maria; Guerrero, Luis

2014-11-01

Meat and meat products currently represent an important source of protein in the human diet, and their quality varies according to intrinsic and extrinsic parameters that can sometimes be shaped to make a product more desirable. Because consumers are the final step in the production chain, it is useful to identify which factors affect their behavioral patterns. This would allow the meat sector to better satisfy consumer expectations, demands and needs. This paper focuses on features that might influence consumer behavior, preferences and their perception of meat and meat products with respect to psychological, sensory and marketing aspects. This multidisciplinary approach includes evaluating psychological issues such as attitudes, beliefs, and expectations; sensory properties such as appearance, texture, flavor and odor; and marketing-related aspects such as price and brand. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

77 FR 68121 - Notice of Sunshine Act Meeting

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-11-15

... Acting Chairman Martin J. Gruenberg, that Corporation business required its consideration of the matters..., Consumer Financial Protection Bureau), seconded by Director Thomas M. Hoenig (Appointive), concurred in by... earlier notice of the meeting was practicable; that the public interest did not require consideration of...

78 FR 56229 - Sunshine Act Meeting Notice

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-09-12

..., Consumer Financial Protection Bureau), Director Thomas J. Curry (Comptroller of the Currency), and Chairman Martin J. Gruenberg, that Corporation business required its consideration of the matters which were to be... the meeting was practicable; that the public interest did not require consideration of the matters in...

78 FR 3895 - Sunshine Act Meeting

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-01-17

..., Consumer Financial Protection Bureau), Director Thomas J. Curry (Comptroller of the Currency), and Chairman Martin J. Gruenberg, that Corporation business required its consideration of the matters which were to be... the meeting was practicable; that the public interest did not require consideration of the matters in...

75 FR 37451 - National Cancer Institute; Notice of Meeting

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-06-29

... Prevention Research; 93.394, Cancer Detection and Diagnosis Research; 93.395, Cancer Treatment Research; 93... DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES National Institutes of Health National Cancer Institute.... App.), notice is hereby given of a meeting of the National Cancer Institute Director's Consumer...

Safety Surveillance of Traditional Chinese Medicine: Current and Future

PubMed Central

Liu, Shwu-Huey; Chuang, Wu-Chang; Lam, Wing; Jiang, Zaoli

2015-01-01

Herbal medicine, including traditional Chinese medicine, has been used for the prevention, treatment, and cure of disorders or diseases for centuries. In addition to being used directly as therapeutic agents, medicinal plants are also important sources for pharmacological drug research and development. With the increasing consumption of herbal products intended to promote better health, it is extremely important to assure the safety and quality of herbal preparations. However, under current regulation surveillance, herbal preparations may not meet expectations in safety, quality, and efficacy. The challenge is how to assure the safety and quality of herbal products for consumers. It is the responsibility of producers to minimize hazardous contamination and additives during cultivation, harvesting, handling, processing, storage, and distribution. This article reviews the current safety obstacles that have been involved in traditional Chinese herbal medicine preparations with examples of popular herbs. Approaches to improve the safety of traditional Chinese medicine are proposed. PMID:25647717

Growth of the Asian health-care market: global implications for the pharmaceutical industry.

PubMed

Epstein, Richard J

2007-10-01

The global economy is being transformed by an explosion of information unleashed by the internet, the digital revolution, communications and increased international mobility. This transformation is manifesting in many ways, including rapid development of countries such as China, commoditization of public services, mobilization of workforces, shifting of market control from suppliers to consumers, interlinked rises in product demand and customer expectations, and problems regulating international business competition. As Asia is home to half of the world's population, and offers both a large relatively low-cost workforce in some countries and a potentially huge retail market, this region could be central to the future of the global economy. Like other industries, the pharmaceutical industry faces a new array of Asia-specific opportunities and challenges. Success in meeting these challenges will go to those pharmaceutical companies that best understand the unique strengths and constraints of Asia's diverse cultures, talents and markets.

Fast Breeder Reactors in Sweden: Vision and Reality.

PubMed

Fjaestad, Maja

2015-01-01

The fast breeder is a type of nuclear reactor that aroused much attention in the 1950s and '60s. Its ability to produce more nuclear fuel than it consumes offered promises of cheap and reliable energy. Sweden had advanced plans for a nuclear breeder program, but canceled them in the middle of the 1970s with the rise of nuclear skepticism. The article investigates the nuclear breeder as a technological vision. The nuclear breeder reactor is an example of a technological future that did not meet its industrial expectations. But that does not change the fact that the breeder was an influential technology. Decisions about the contemporary reactors were taken with the idea that in a foreseeable future they would be replaced with the efficient breeder. The article argues that general themes in the history of the breeder reactor can deepen our understanding of the mechanisms behind technological change.

Seasonal foraging responses of beavers to sodium-enhanced foods: An experimental assessment with field feeding trials

USGS Publications Warehouse

Strules, Jennifer; DeStefano, Stephen

2015-01-01

Salt drive is a seasonal phenomenon common to several classes of wild herbivores. Coincident with shifts of nutrient quality when plants resume growth in the spring, sodium is secondarily lost as surplus potassium is excreted. The beaver (Castor canadensis) is an herbivore whose dietary niche closely follows that of other herbivores that are subject to salt drive, but no published studies to date have assessed the likelihood of its occurrence. To quantify if beavers experience seasonal salt drive, we designed a field experiment to measure the foraging responses of beavers to sodium-enhanced foods. We used sodium-treated (salted) and control (no salt) food items (aspen [Populus tremuloides] and pine [Pinus spp.] sticks) during monthly feeding trials at beaver-occupied wetlands. If conventional ontogeny of salt drive was operant, we expected to observe greater utility of sodium-treated food items by beavers in May and June. Further, if water lilies (Nymphaea spp. and Nuphar spp.) supply beavers with sodium to meet dietary requirements as is widely speculated, we expected foraging responses to sodium-treated food items at wetlands where water lilies were absent to be greater than at wetlands where water lily was present. Aspen was selected by beavers in significantly greater amounts than pine. There was no difference between the mean percent consumed of salted and control aspen sticks by beavers at lily and non-lily wetlands, and no differences in temporal consumption associated with salted or control pine sticks at either wetland type. Salted pine was consumed in greater amounts than unsalted pine. We propose that the gastrointestinal or renal physiology of beavers may preclude solute loss, thereby preventing salt drive.

40 CFR 63.7700 - What work practice standards must I meet?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... (CONTINUED) National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants for Iron and Steel Foundries Work..., slitter, or other materials that do not include post-consumer automotive body scrap, post-consumer engine... written plan for the selection and inspection of iron and steel scrap to minimize, to the extent...

40 CFR 63.7700 - What work practice standards must I meet?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... (CONTINUED) National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants for Iron and Steel Foundries Work..., slitter, or other materials that do not include post-consumer automotive body scrap, post-consumer engine... written plan for the selection and inspection of iron and steel scrap to minimize, to the extent...

40 CFR 63.7700 - What work practice standards must I meet?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... (CONTINUED) National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants for Iron and Steel Foundries Work..., slitter, or other materials that do not include post-consumer automotive body scrap, post-consumer engine... written plan for the selection and inspection of iron and steel scrap to minimize, to the extent...

Family and Consumer Sciences Education. Subject Matters Volume 2, No. 2, Nov/Dec 2000.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Techniques: Connecting Education and Careers, 2000

2000-01-01

Includes "Addressing the Critical Shortage of FACS [Family and Consumer Sciences] Educators"; "Leaving Home Economics in the Past" (Ruth E. Thaler-Carter); "Cutting-Edge Training and Career Relevance" (Ruth E. Thaler-Carter); and "Meeting the Demands of a Growth Industry" (Laird Livingston). (JOW)

Using Performance Measures to Allocate Consumable Funding

DTIC Science & Technology

2007-06-01

The Air Force is now using the Customer Oriented Leveling Technique (COLT) to determine levels for consumable items at its bases. COLT is an...Overview • COLT is a system to set AF retail stock levels for DLA-managed consumable parts to minimize expected customer wait time (ECWT) • COLT...changed please list both.) Original title on 712 A/B: Using Performance Measures to Allocate Consumable Funding If the title was revised

Consumer perception of meat quality and implications for product development in the meat sector-a review.

PubMed

Grunert, Klaus G; Bredahl, Lone; Brunsø, Karen

2004-02-01

In the first part of the paper, the Total Food Quality Model is used as a frame of reference for analysing the way in which consumers perceive meat quality, drawing mainly on European studies involving beef and pork. The way in which consumers form expectations about quality at the point of purchase, based on their own experience and informational cues available in the shopping environment, is described, as well as the way in which quality is experienced in the home during and after meal preparation. The relationship between quality expectations and quality experience and its implications for consumer satisfaction and repeat purchase intent is addressed. In the second part of the paper, and building on the insights obtained on subjective quality perception, possibilities for consumer-oriented product development in the meat sector are addressed. Issues dealt with here are branding, differentiation by taste, healthiness and convenience, and by process characteristics like organic production and animal welfare.

RECONCEPTUALIZING CONSENT FOR DIRECT-TO-CONSUMER HEALTH SERVICES.

PubMed

Spector-Bagdady, Kayte

2015-01-01

The market for direct-to-consumer (DTC) health services continues to grow rapidly with former patients converting to customers for the opportunity to purchase varied diagnostic tests without the involvement of their clinician. For the first time a DTC genetic testing company is advertising health-related reports "that meet [Food and Drug Administration] standards for being clinically and scientifically valid." Ethicists and regulatory agencies alike have recognized the need for a more informed transaction in the DTC context, but how should we classify a commercial transaction for something normally protected by a duty of care? How can we assure informed agreements in an industry with terms and conditions as varied as the services performed? The doctrine of "informed consent" began as an ethical construct building on the promise of beneficence in the clinical relationship and elevating the principle of autonomy--but in the DTC context should we hold providers to legal standards of informed consent and associated medical malpractice liability, or contractual obligations where consumers would seek remedy for breach? This Article analyzes the fine balance that must be struck in an industry where companies are selling services for entertainment or non-medical purposes that possess the capacity to produce serious and disquieting medical information. It begins by reviewing current standards of consent in the clinical setting from both a legal and ethical perspective and then lays forth current standards for DTC consent using two currently controversial case studies: that of keepsake fetal ultrasound and genetic testing. DTC keepsake ultrasound and genetic testing providers attempt to de-medicalize the devices used for these procedures from their intended medical uses to non-medical uses. But while keepsake ultrasound is marketed as "intended for entertainment purposes only," it can provide medical information as an incidental finding. 23andMe currently purports to be the only DTC genetics service that "includes" reports that meet FDA qualifications, despite disclaimers of intent to "provide medical advice." The attempted de-medicalization of these devices, therefore, has not been fully transformative, and DTC providers should have more robust ethical and legal duties than the average goods and services seller. This Article delineates these responsibilities, beginning with ethical duties surrounding marketing, entering into, and providing DTC services. It then turns to the legal paradigms necessary to enable, or at least allow for, DTC providers to meet these ethical obligations. While it argues that contractual, as opposed to fiduciary, requirements are most appropriate and that waivers of liability will likely be upheld, it also advocates for a heightened expectation of disclosure during contracting.

Application of information theory methods to food web reconstruction

USGS Publications Warehouse

Moniz, L.J.; Cooch, E.G.; Ellner, S.P.; Nichols, J.D.; Nichols, J.M.

2007-01-01

In this paper we use information theory techniques on time series of abundances to determine the topology of a food web. At the outset, the food web participants (two consumers, two resources) are known; in addition we know that each consumer prefers one of the resources over the other. However, we do not know which consumer prefers which resource, and if this preference is absolute (i.e., whether or not the consumer will consume the non-preferred resource). Although the consumers and resources are identified at the beginning of the experiment, we also provide evidence that the consumers are not resources for each other, and the resources do not consume each other. We do show that there is significant mutual information between resources; the model is seasonally forced and some shared information between resources is expected. Similarly, because the model is seasonally forced, we expect shared information between consumers as they respond to the forcing of the resources. The model that we consider does include noise, and in an effort to demonstrate that these methods may be of some use in other than model data, we show the efficacy of our methods with decreasing time series size; in this particular case we obtain reasonably clear results with a time series length of 400 points. This approaches ecological time series lengths from real systems.

Nutrient Composition of Retail Samples of Australian Beef Sausages

PubMed Central

Cunningham, Judy; Nguyen, Van; Adorno, Paul; Droulez, Veronique

2015-01-01

Some nutrient data for beef sausages in Australia’s food composition table, NUTTAB 2010, is over 25 years old and may no longer reflect the composition of this popular food. To update this, 41 retail samples of fresh beef sausages were purchased in Melbourne, Australia, in May 2015. Each purchase was analysed, uncooked, for moisture, protein and fat. Sausages were then grouped by fat content into one of three composites and analysed for a wide range of nutrients, before and after dry heat cooking, the most popular sausage cooking method. Fat content in raw sausages averaged 14.9 g/100 g, 30% lower than NUTTAB values, varying from 7.3 to 22.6 g/100 g. This indicates it is possible to formulate leaner sausages that meet consumer expectations and may qualify for certain nutrition labelling statements. Under current Australian labelling requirements, two low fat sausages contain sufficient protein, B12, niacin, phosphorus and zinc to qualify as a good source of these nutrients and sufficient iron, selenium and vitamin A to qualify as a source of these. Sodium levels are higher than fresh beef, ranging from 680 to 840 mg/100 g. These data will be used to update NUTTAB and support product labelling and consumer education. PMID:26610557

Professionalism in a digital age: opportunities and considerations for using social media in health care.

PubMed

Gagnon, Kendra; Sabus, Carla

2015-03-01

Since the beginning of the millennium, there has been a remarkable change in how people access and share information. Much of this information is user-generated content found on social media sites. As digital technologies and social media continue to expand, health care providers must adapt their professional communication to meet the expectations and needs of consumers. This adaptation may include communication on social media sites. However, many health care providers express concerns that professional social media use, particularly interactions with patients, is ethically problematic. Social media engagement does not create ethical dissonance if best practices are observed and online communication adheres to terms of service, professional standards, and organizational policy. A well-executed social media presence provides health care providers, including physical therapists, the opportunity-and perhaps a professional obligation-to use social media sites to share or create credible health care information, filling a consumer void for high-quality online information on fitness, wellness, and rehabilitation. This perspective article provides a broad review of the emergence of social media in society and health care, explores policy implications of organizational adoption of health care social media, and proposes individual opportunities and guidelines for social media use by the physical therapy professional. © 2015 American Physical Therapy Association.

Caffeine Expectancy Questionnaire (CaffEQ): construction, psychometric properties, and associations with caffeine use, caffeine dependence, and other related variables.

PubMed

Huntley, Edward D; Juliano, Laura M

2012-09-01

Expectancies for drug effects predict drug initiation, use, cessation, and relapse, and may play a causal role in drug effects (i.e., placebo effects). Surprisingly little is known about expectancies for caffeine even though it is the most widely used psychoactive drug in the world. In a series of independent studies, the nature and scope of caffeine expectancies among caffeine consumers and nonconsumers were assessed, and a comprehensive and psychometrically sound Caffeine Expectancy Questionnaire (CaffEQ) was developed. After 2 preliminary studies, the CaffEQ was administered to 1,046 individuals from the general population along with other measures of interest (e.g., caffeine use history, anxiety). Exploratory factor analysis of the CaffEQ yielded a 7-factor solution. Subsequently, an independent sample of 665 individuals completed the CaffEQ and other measures, and a subset (n = 440) completed the CaffEQ again approximately 2 weeks later. Confirmatory factor analysis revealed good model fit, and test-retest reliability was very good. The frequency and quantity of caffeine use were associated with greater expectancies for withdrawal/dependence, energy/work enhancement, appetite suppression, social/mood enhancement, and physical performance enhancement and lower expectancies for anxiety/negative physical effects and sleep disturbance. Caffeine expectancies predicted various caffeine- associated features of substance dependence (e.g., use despite harm, withdrawal incidence and severity, perceived difficulty stopping use, tolerance). Expectancies for caffeine consumed via coffee were stronger than for caffeine consumed via soft drinks or tea. The CaffEQ should facilitate the advancement of our knowledge of caffeine and drug use in general. PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved.

75 FR 11806 - Notice of Public Meeting; Tire Fuel Efficiency

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-03-12

... further consumer research. NHTSA invites interested parties to submit written comments and participate in a public meeting on the research plan using the instructions set forth in this notice. As described.... To facilitate discussion, NHTSA has placed documents concerning early research, and the draft...

77 FR 37741 - Open Meeting of the President's Advisory Council on Financial Capability

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-06-22

... statements to the Department of the Treasury, Office of Financial Education, Financial Access, and Consumer... to assist the American people in understanding financial matters and making informed financial... DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY Open Meeting of the President's Advisory Council on Financial...

78 FR 290 - National Conference on Weights and Measures 98th Interim Meeting

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-01-03

... DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE National Institute of Standards and Technology National Conference on Weights and Measures 98th Interim Meeting AGENCY: National Institute of Standards and Technology, Commerce... consumer organizations on subjects related to the field of weights and measures technology, administration...

Optimizing desalinated sea water blending with other sources to meet magnesium requirements for potable and irrigation waters.

PubMed

Avni, Noa; Eben-Chaime, Moshe; Oron, Gideon

2013-05-01

Sea water desalination provides fresh water that typically lacks minerals essential to human health and to agricultural productivity. Thus the rising proportion of desalinated sea water consumed by both the domestic and agricultural sectors constitutes a public health risk. Research on low-magnesium water irrigation showed that crops developed magnesium deficiency symptoms that could lead to plant death, and tomato yields were reduced by 10-15%. The World Health Organization (WHO) reported on a relationship between sudden cardiac death rates and magnesium intake deficits. An optimization model, developed and tested to provide recommendations for Water Distribution System (WDS) quality control in terms of meeting optimal water quality requirements, was run in computational experiments based on an actual regional WDS. The expected magnesium deficit due to the operation of a large Sea Water Desalination Plant (SWDP) was simulated, and an optimal operation policy, in which remineralization at the SWDP was combined with blending desalinated and natural water to achieve the required quality, was generated. The effects of remineralization costs and WDS physical layout on the optimal policy were examined by sensitivity analysis. As part of the sensitivity blending natural and desalinated water near the treatment plants will be feasible up to 16.2 US cents/m(3), considering all expenses. Additional chemical injection was used to meet quality criteria when blending was not feasible. Crown Copyright © 2013. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Meeting the nutritional requirements of hospitalized patients: an interdisciplinary approach to hospital catering.

PubMed

Iff, S; Leuenberger, M; Rösch, S; Knecht, G; Tanner, B; Stanga, Z

2008-12-01

The study served to assure the quality of our catering, to locate problems, and to define further optimization measures at the Bern University Hospital. The main objective was to investigate whether the macronutrient and energy content of the hospital food complies with the nutritional value calculated from recipes as well as with the recommendations issued by the German Nutrition Society (DGE). Prospective, randomized, single-center quality study. Complete standard meals were analyzed over seven consecutive days for each seasonal menu plan in one year. The quantitative and qualitative chemical content of a randomly chosen menu was determined by an external laboratory. Sixty meals were analyzed. The amount of food served and the ratio of macronutrients contained in the food satisfactorily reflected all recipes. Not surprisingly, the energy and carbohydrate content of our meals was lower than in the German recommendations, because the report of the DGE is based on the sum of meals, snacks and beverages consumed over the whole day and not only on the main meals, as we analyzed. Periodic quality control is essential in order to meet recommendations and patients' expectations in hospital catering. Members of the catering service should undergo regularly repeated skills training, and continuous efforts should be made to ensure portion size for all delivered meals. Food provision in the hospital setting needs to be tailored to meet the demands of the different patient groups, to optimize nutritional support, and to minimize food waste.

Seven Ways to Streamline Student Services

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fredette, Michelle

2011-01-01

To meet the expectations of today's tech-savvy students, colleges and universities are looking for ways to speed up their processes and provide better services for their No. 1 customer. They have turned to technology to simplify processes, reduce costs, and meet the high expectations of a technically literate student body. In this article, the…

Electrical-power-system data base for consumables analysis. Volume 2: Electrical equipment utilization

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Pipher, M. D.; Green, P. A.; Wolfgram, D. F.

1975-01-01

A catalogue is presented of space shuttle electrical equipment as used within a standardized data base for EPS consumables analyses. The general function and expected usage of each type of electrical equipment are described, and the usage of specific equipment of each type in the performance of EPS consumables analyses is defined.

Australian consumer perspectives, attitudes and behaviours on antibiotic use and antibiotic resistance: a qualitative study with implications for public health policy and practice.

PubMed

Lum, Elaine P M; Page, Katie; Nissen, Lisa; Doust, Jenny; Graves, Nicholas

2017-10-10

Consumers receive over 27 million antibiotic prescriptions annually in Australian primary healthcare. Hence, consumers are a key group to engage in the fight against antibiotic resistance. There is a paucity of research pertaining to consumers in the Australian healthcare environment. This study aimed to investigate the perspectives, attitudes and behaviours of Australian consumers on antibiotic use and antibiotic resistance, to inform national programs for reducing inappropriate antibiotic consumption. Semi-structured interviews with 32 consumers recruited via convenience and snowball sampling from a university population in South East Queensland. Interview transcripts were deductively and inductively coded. Main themes were identified using iterative thematic analysis. Three themes emerged from the analysis, to elucidate factors affecting antibiotic use: (a) prescription type; (b) consumer attitudes, behaviours, skills and knowledge; and (c) consumer engagement with antibiotic resistance. Consumers held mixed views regarding the use of delayed antibiotic prescriptions, and were often not made aware of the use of repeat antibiotic prescriptions. Consumers with regular general practitioners were more likely to have shared expectations regarding minimising the use of antibiotics. Even so, advice or information mediated by general practitioners was influential with all consumers; and helped to prevent inappropriate antibiotic use behaviours. Consumers were not aware of the free Return of Unwanted Medicines service offered by pharmacies and disposed of leftover antibiotics through household waste. To engage with mitigating antibiotic resistance, consumers required specific information. Previous public health campaigns raising awareness of antibiotics were largely not seen by this sample of consumers. Australian consumers have specific information needs regarding prescribed antibiotics to enable appropriate antibiotic use behaviours. Consumers also have expectations for high quality general practice consults conducted in a manner that increases consumer confidence in the treatment decision, regardless of whether an antibiotic is prescribed. To reduce inappropriate consumption of antibiotics and to more fully engage Australian consumers in mitigating antibiotic resistance, changes in health policy and practice are required.

Meeting everyday water needs--a company's contribution.

PubMed

Duncan, D

2004-01-01

As a packaged consumer goods company serving mass markets around the world for household and personal hygiene products, laundry detergents and foods, Unilever's business is inextricably linked with consumers' interest in meeting their everyday water needs. Once the basic need for drinking water is met, almost all other "everyday" water needs derive from consumption associated with the type of products Unilever sells. Use of some of these products, such as basic toilet soap, involve "actual" water consumption; others, such as margarine, concern "virtual" water consumption through agricultural production. Global scenarios for water and sanitation present a major challenge to long-term business strategies that assume sustained economic growth particularly in emerging and developing markets. Responsibility for finding and delivering solutions lies with all major actors in society. For companies such as Unilever, a priority is to help break the link between economic development on the one hand, and increased water use and water degradation on the other. Water catchment level perspectives are central to realising this vision. Unilever uses such a framework, building an experience-based model that demonstrates how a "consumer" company can engage in meeting everyday water needs with a sustained positive impact.

Nurse Delegation in Home Care: Research Guiding Policy Change.

PubMed

Young, Heather M; Farnham, Jennifer; Reinhard, Susan C

2016-09-01

The current study evaluated nurse delegation in home care, a pilot program introduced in 2007 in New Jersey to promote home care options for consumers needing assistance with medical/nursing tasks. Findings on readiness for the program, barriers and facilitating factors, experience with the program, and recommendations are summarized and presented. Methods included surveys and interviews with participants in nurse delegation, observations of planning and implementation meetings, and review meeting minutes. Major findings were no negative outcomes for consumers, improvements in quality of life and quality of care for consumers, high readiness and increasing satisfaction with experience in delegation, perception of nurse delegation in home care as a valued option, and the challenges of ensuring adequate staffing. Subsequent changes in regulation in New Jersey are underway, translating this research into policy. [Journal of Gerontological Nursing, 42(9), 7-15.]. Copyright 2016, SLACK Incorporated.

76 FR 3929 - Sunshine Act Meeting

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-01-21

... subject matter of the Open Meeting will be: Item 1: The Commission will consider whether to adopt rules to... 413(a) of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act regarding the definition of... ascertain what, if any, matters have been added, deleted or postponed, please contact: The Office of the...

Toward Sustainable Land-Use: The Planning of Stella, Missouri

EPA Science Inventory

Human life relies upon goods and services that ecosystems provide. If we want these systems to sustain future generations, the limitation to how much of the environment can be consumed to meet human needs is how much must remain to meet human needs. This concept establishes a b...

49 CFR 579.4 - Terminology.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... system means any system that meets, or is offered for sale in the United States as meeting, any definition in S4 of § 571.213 of this chapter, or that is offered for sale as a child restraint system in a... contract, or otherwise. Customer satisfaction campaign, consumer advisory, recall, or other activity...

16 CFR 1102.28 - Publication of reports of harm.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... REGULATIONS PUBLICLY AVAILABLE CONSUMER PRODUCT SAFETY INFORMATION DATABASE Procedural Requirements § 1102.28... publish reports of harm that meet the requirements for publication in the Database. The Commission will... Commission may publish a report of harm that meets the requirements of § 1102.10(d) in the Database beyond...

16 CFR 1102.28 - Publication of reports of harm.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... REGULATIONS PUBLICLY AVAILABLE CONSUMER PRODUCT SAFETY INFORMATION DATABASE Procedural Requirements § 1102.28... publish reports of harm that meet the requirements for publication in the Database. The Commission will... Commission may publish a report of harm that meets the requirements of § 1102.10(d) in the Database beyond...

Consumer Education.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Heintz, Amy D., Comp.

The curriculum guide is intended as a source to help teachers plan consumer education classes in Nevada, from junior high school through the adult level. Developed for a semester's (18 weeks) separate course of study, using individual or group instruction, the guide may be expanded to meet the needs of a full year. Each unit can be taught as an…

Analyzing the Environmental Impacts of Laptop Enclosures Using Screening-Level Life Cycle Assessment to Support Sustainable Consumer Electronics

EPA Science Inventory

With the ever-increasing amount of consumer electronics in service, it is essential industries and policy-makers work together to develop ways to manufacture more environmentally sustainable IT products which meet the needs of society. The objective of this study was to better un...

Honey bee (Apis mellifera) nurses do not consume pollens based on their nutritional quality

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Honey bees (Apis mellifera) consume a variety of pollens to meet the majority of their requirements for protein and lipids. Recent work indicates that at both the colony and individual levels, honey bees prefer diets that reflect the proper ratio of nutrients necessary for optimal survival and homeo...

78 FR 48655 - Multistakeholder Meeting To Develop Consumer Data Privacy Code of Conduct Concerning Mobile...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-08-09

... Consumer Privacy Bill of Rights applies in specific business contexts.\\2\\ On July 12, 2012, NTIA convened... most efficiently; how future processes might make stakeholder participation easier and more effective; and how future processes might start with one or more sessions that provide factual background on a...

78 FR 73502 - Multistakeholder Process To Develop Consumer Data Privacy Code of Conduct Concerning Facial...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-12-06

... Process To Develop Consumer Data Privacy Code of Conduct Concerning Facial Recognition Technology AGENCY... technology. This Notice announces the meetings to be held in February, March, April, May, and June 2014. The... promote trust regarding facial recognition technology in the commercial context.\\4\\ NTIA encourages...

Consumer Behavior in Shopping Streets: The Importance of the Salesperson's Professional Personal Attention

PubMed Central

Medrano, Natalia; Olarte-Pascual, Cristina; Pelegrín-Borondo, Jorge; Sierra-Murillo, Yolanda

2016-01-01

Since the early 2010s, the emergence of a new consumer has begun. In this context, consumer behavior represents one of the greatest interests of marketing scholars and business managers due to their need to adapt their companies' strategies to the new frontier. In order to advance understanding of this new consumer, this article focuses on analyzing consumer behavior in shopping streets. Thus, the aim of this research is to know what customers value in terms of salesperson–customer interaction quality nowadays. To achieve this, the authors conducted two studies. The results of the first study show that customers cite personal attention as the primary factor motivating their preference for small retailers in shopping streets. However, this motivation is not as relevant one for those who prefer malls. This result provides a point on which to research service quality incorporating personal attention in a second study. Using the SERVQUAL-P scale, the authors elaborate three lenses through which the quality of service from the customer's point of view can be analyzed: normative expectations, predictive expectations, and the importance of each attribute. The most striking result is that the dimensions of expectations (normative and predictive) are the same; these results demonstrate that customers are coherent in making assessments of their expectations, evaluating service quality and satisfaction with similar criteria. However, these dimensions are different from the dimensions of importance. Our main contribution lies in the finding that personal attention, when assessed using the scale of attribute importance, is split into two dimensions: (1) courteous attention and (2) personal relationship. Courteous attention is always welcome, but personal relationships are less valued and are often even rejected. The article concludes with a discussion of the implications of these findings for marketing practices and research. PMID:26903927

Multiple isotope analyses of the pike tapeworm Triaenophorus nodulosus reveal peculiarities in consumer-diet discrimination patterns.

PubMed

Behrmann-Godel, J; Yohannes, E

2015-03-01

Previous studies of dietary isotope discrimination have led to the general expectation that a consumer will exhibit enriched stable isotope levels relative to its diet. Parasite-host systems are specific consumer-diet pairs in which the consumer (parasite) feeds exclusively on one dietary source: host tissue. However, the small numbers of studies previously carried out on isotopic discrimination in parasite-host (ΔXP-HT) systems have yielded controversial results, showing some parasites to be isotopically depleted relative to their food source, while others are enriched or in equilibrium with their hosts. Although the mechanism for these deviations from expectations remains to be understood, possible influences of specific feeding niche or selection for only a few nutritional components by the parasite are discussed. ΔXP-HT for multiple isotopes (δ13C, δ15N, δ34S) were measured in the pike tapeworm Triaenophorus nodulosus and two of its life-cycle fish hosts, perch Perca fluviatilis and pike Esox lucius, within which T. nodulosus occupies different feeding locations. Variability in the value of ΔXP-HT calculated for the parasite and its different hosts indicates an influence of feeding location on isotopic discrimination. In perch liver ΔXP-HT was relatively more negative for all three stable isotopes. In pike gut ΔXP-HT was more positive for δ13C, as expected in conventional consumer-diet systems. For parasites feeding on pike gut, however, the δ15N and δ34S isotope values were comparable with those of the host. We discuss potential causes of these deviations from expectations, including the effect of specific parasite feeding niches, and conclude that ΔXP-HT should be critically evaluated for trophic interactions between parasite and host before general patterns are assumed.

Consumer Behavior in Shopping Streets: The Importance of the Salesperson's Professional Personal Attention.

PubMed

Medrano, Natalia; Olarte-Pascual, Cristina; Pelegrín-Borondo, Jorge; Sierra-Murillo, Yolanda

2016-01-01

Since the early 2010s, the emergence of a new consumer has begun. In this context, consumer behavior represents one of the greatest interests of marketing scholars and business managers due to their need to adapt their companies' strategies to the new frontier. In order to advance understanding of this new consumer, this article focuses on analyzing consumer behavior in shopping streets. Thus, the aim of this research is to know what customers value in terms of salesperson-customer interaction quality nowadays. To achieve this, the authors conducted two studies. The results of the first study show that customers cite personal attention as the primary factor motivating their preference for small retailers in shopping streets. However, this motivation is not as relevant one for those who prefer malls. This result provides a point on which to research service quality incorporating personal attention in a second study. Using the SERVQUAL-P scale, the authors elaborate three lenses through which the quality of service from the customer's point of view can be analyzed: normative expectations, predictive expectations, and the importance of each attribute. The most striking result is that the dimensions of expectations (normative and predictive) are the same; these results demonstrate that customers are coherent in making assessments of their expectations, evaluating service quality and satisfaction with similar criteria. However, these dimensions are different from the dimensions of importance. Our main contribution lies in the finding that personal attention, when assessed using the scale of attribute importance, is split into two dimensions: (1) courteous attention and (2) personal relationship. Courteous attention is always welcome, but personal relationships are less valued and are often even rejected. The article concludes with a discussion of the implications of these findings for marketing practices and research.

Visually suboptimal bananas: How ripeness affects consumer expectation and perception.

PubMed

Symmank, Claudia; Zahn, Susann; Rohm, Harald

2018-01-01

One reason for the significant amount of food that is wasted in developed countries is that consumers often expect visually suboptimal food as being less palatable. Using bananas as example, the objective of this study was to determine how appearance affects consumer overall liking, the rating of sensory attributes, purchase intention, and the intended use of bananas. The ripeness degree (RD) of the samples was adjusted to RD 5 (control) and RD 7 (more ripened, visually suboptimal). After preliminary experiments, a total of 233 participants were asked to judge their satisfaction with the intensity of sensory attributes that referred to flavor, taste, and texture using just-about-right scales. Subjects who received peeled samples were asked after tasting, whereas subjects who received unpeeled bananas judged expectation and, after peeling and tasting, perception. Expected overall liking and purchase intention were significantly lower for RD 7 bananas. Purchase intention was still significantly different between RD 5 and RD 7 after tasting, whereas no difference in overall liking was observed. Significant differences between RD 5 and RD 7 were observed when asking participants for their intended use of the bananas. Concerning the sensory attributes, penalty analysis revealed that only the firmness of the RD 7 bananas was still not just-about-right after tasting. The importance that consumers attribute to the shelf-life of food had a pronounced impact on purchase intention of bananas with different ripeness degree. In the case of suboptimal bananas, the results demonstrate a positive relationship between the sensory perception and overall liking and purchase intention. Convincing consumers that visually suboptimal food is still tasty is of high relevance for recommending different ways of communication. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Recommendations for patient engagement in guideline development panels: A qualitative focus group study of guideline-naïve patients

PubMed Central

Mullins, C. Daniel; Gronseth, Gary S.; Gagliardi, Anna R.

2017-01-01

Background Patient and consumer engagement in clinical practice guideline development is internationally advocated, but limited research explores mechanisms for successful engagement. Objective To investigate the perspectives of potential patient/consumer guideline representatives on topics pertaining to engagement including guideline development group composition and barriers to and facilitators of engagement. Setting and participants Participants were guideline-naïve volunteers for programs designed to link community members to academic research with diverse ages, gender, race, and degrees of experience interacting with health care professionals. Methods Three focus groups and one key informant interview were conducted and analyzed using a qualitative descriptive approach. Results Participants recommended small, diverse guideline development groups engaging multiple patient/consumer stakeholders with no prior relationships with each other or professional panel members. No consensus was achieved on the ideal balance of patient/consumer and professional stakeholders. Pre-meeting reading/training and an identified contact person were described as keys to successful early engagement; skilled facilitators, understandable speech and language, and established mechanisms for soliciting patient opinions were suggested to enhance engagement at meetings. Conclusions Most suggestions for effective patient/consumer engagement in guidelines require forethought and planning but little additional expense, making these strategies easily accessible to guideline developers desiring to achieve more meaningful patient and consumer engagement. PMID:28319201

Changes on expected taste perception of probiotic and conventional yogurts made from goat milk after rapidly repeated exposure.

PubMed

Costa, M P; Balthazar, C F; Franco, R M; Mársico, E T; Cruz, A G; Conte, C A

2014-05-01

Goat milk yogurt is an excellent source of fatty acids, protein, and minerals; however, it is not well accepted by many consumers, due to its typical flavor derived from caprylic, capric, and caproic acids present in this milk and dairy products. Recently, the repeated-exposure test has been used to increase the consumption of particular foods. This methodology has been used to increase children's willingness to eat food in some settings and has also been used to reduce sodium in soup. Based on these considerations, the aim of this study was to investigate whether repeated exposures may increase acceptance of both goat milk yogurt and probiotic goat milk yogurt. In a pre-exposure session, a total of 45 panelists (28 females and 17 males) from southeastern Brazil, who were not used to consuming dairy goat milk, evaluated the expected taste perception and the perceived liking after tasting 3 yogurt preparations. Then, consumers were randomly divided into 3 groups and participated in rapidly repeated exposure sessions performed within 6 d. Each panelist consumed only the yogurt that he or she would be exposed to. The day after the exposure sessions, all panelists returned to participate in the postexposure session and were asked to evaluate acceptance, familiarity, and the "goaty taste" characteristic of each yogurt. Regarding the expected liking before tasting, results showed higher expectations for cow milk yogurt compared with goat milk yogurt, which proved that consumers were not familiar with the goat milk yogurt. Likewise, only cow milk yogurt presented high acceptance and familiarity rates, confirming that these panelists were used to consuming cow milk products. With respect to the rapidly repeated exposure, 6 d were enough to significantly increase the consumers' familiarity with goat milk yogurt and probiotic goat milk yogurt. However, this method was not suitable to significantly increase the acceptance of such products. Nonetheless, a correlation existed between the exposure sessions and the increase in acceptance of the exposure groups. Thus, hypothetically, the increasing of exposure sessions could be a strategy to increase goat milk product acceptance. Copyright © 2014 American Dairy Science Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Adult Parasitoids of Honeydew-Producing Insects Prefer Honeydew Sugars to Cover their Energetic Needs.

PubMed

Lenaerts, Marijke; Abid, Lamis; Paulussen, Caroline; Goelen, Tim; Wäckers, Felix; Jacquemyn, Hans; Lievens, Bart

2016-10-01

To meet their carbohydrate requirements, adult parasitoids exploit a broad range of sugar resources, including floral and extrafloral nectar and honeydew. Although honeydew might be the predominant sugar source, especially in agricultural systems, it often is nutritionally inferior to sugar sources like nectar. Given its broad availability, it may be expected that sugar-feeding insects have evolved specialized adaptations to deal with this typically inferior sugar source. This would apply especially to organisms that have a close association with honeydew producers. Here, we hypothesized that parasitoids of honeydew-producing insects should show a pronounced response to sugars, such as fructose, sucrose, melezitose, and trehalose, and to a lesser extent glucose. To test this hypothesis, we investigated sugar consumption, feeding behavior and survival of the aphid parasitoid Aphidius ervi on several sugars (equiweight solutions). Our results show that A. ervi adults consumed typical honeydew sugars (sucrose, fructose, trehalose, and melezitose) the most, while consuming considerably less glucose or melibiose. Rhamnose, which does not occur in aphid honeydew, was not, or was only marginally, consumed. When different sugars were provided at the same time, A. ervi adults preferred sucrose or fructose over glucose or melezitose. Furthermore, pre-exposure to sucrose or fructose significantly reduced subsequent intake of glucose, suggesting an acquired distaste for glucose after being previously exposed to highly preferred sugars such as sucrose and fructose. Altogether, this study shows that A. ervi adults prefer sugars (fructose, melezitose, trehalose, and sucrose) that are overrepresented in aphid honeydew and show a lower preference to one (glucose) that is underrepresented in honeydew.

Acquisition of flat panel displays for military applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Van Atta, Richard H.; Goodell, Larry; Cohen, Brian S.; Lippitz, Michael J.; Marks, Michael B.; Bardsley, James N.; Kimzey, Charles H.

1998-09-01

Congress requested the Department of Defense (DoD) to study the acquisition of flat panel displays (FPDs) for military applications with specific attention to tradeoffs made in acquiring 'consumer-grade displays' rather than 'FPD systems that are custom designed to meet military requirements.' The study addresses: life cycle cost and performance tradeoffs, environmental and performance requirements and test data on performance of both custom and consumer-grade FPDs, life cycle cost and support issues such as commonality, supportability, and availability, potential benefits of FPD system interface standards and open systems approaches. The study found that appropriately ruggedized consumer-grade FPDs can meet the environmental and performance requirements for a broad range of military applications, including shipboard, command and control, army ground vehicles, military transport aviation, and soldier-portable computer systems. Currently, ruggedized consumer-grade FPDs cannot meet the specifications for some highly stressful applications, particularly tactical cockpit avionics. Due to lack of comparable and available data, programs have reached different judgments about the environmental tolerance and optical performance of ruggedized consumer-grade FPDs. There appear to be few systematic assessments of display performance impact on mission effectiveness. FPD availability concerns pivot on (1) the potentially rapid obsolescence of commercial FPDs and (2) the economic viability of domestic custom FPD suppliers. Display integrators using commercial FPDs are working to establish long-term supply arrangements with foreign producers of displays, but it is unclear how responsive these relationships will be in the future. Some DoD display integrators using custom FPDs believe that until the FPD market matures and stabilizes, it would be imprudent for DoD to become dependent on foreign, commercial FPD producers. However, many of these integrators are also concerned about the financial health of domestically based custom FPD producers.

Product Quality Assurance for Off-Grid Lighting in Africa

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

World Bank; Mills, Evan; Mills, Evan

Although the emergence of markets for high efficiency off-grid lighting technologies holds promise, realizing the potential of this opportunity on a long-term, sustainable basis requires careful attention to issues of product quality, consumer protection, and the potential for significant 'market spoiling', in anticipation of increases of sales of low cost, low performance off-grid lighting products. The goal of the Lighting Africa quality assurance workshop was to articulate strategies to mitigate the dangers of market spoiling and to explore ways to protect consumers from misleading advertising for sales of inferior, off-grid lighting products in the context of Lighting Africa's overarching objectivemore » to support the industry in developing a robust off-grid lighting market in Africa. The workshop resulted in the identification of two strategic approaches for meeting Lighting Africa quality assurance programmatic needs. The first strategy is intended to meet a short-term programmatic need for quality associated with requests for lighting products by bulk procurement agents, such as in a World Bank-financed project. The development of procurement specifications and test procedures that could be used in a quality/usability screening method in order to provide guidance for forthcoming large volume purchases emerged as the best solution to meet this need. Such approaches are used in World Bank-financed solar home systems (SHSs) projects in Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and China, among others. However, unlike the SHSs which have multiple balance-of-system (BOS) components warranting the need for an array of specifications for individual components, stand alone lighting systems require specifications that are amenable to individual light points. To test this approach, Lighting Africa elected to use the technical specifications issued by the Photovoltaic Global Approval Program for solar lanterns that use CFL bulbs (PVRS11A) as the basis of qualifying such products. A contract has been competitively awarded to the Global Approval Program for Photovoltaics (PV GAP) under the Lighting Africa Program to select and test ten solar lantern product models. Lantern selection will be determined based on a number of criteria, among them, the ability to provide a daily duty cycle of at least 3 hours of light, the number of days of autonomy of battery, the volume of sales (especially in Africa), and whether or not the manufacturing facility is ISO 9000 certified. Those that are confirmed as meeting the specifications may be eligible to receive a PVGAP quality seal. The work is being carried out in partnership with the Photovoltaic and Wind Quality Test Center in Beijing, China and TUV Rhineland in Koeln, Germany. As off-grid LED-based stand-alone lighting products is in a nascent stage of development compared to CFL-based lanterns, Lighting Africa will support the development of a 'Quality Screening' approach to selecting LED lighting, in order not to delay consumers benefiting from such advances. The screening methodology could be used by procurement agencies to qualify LED lighting products for bulk or programmatic procurements. The main elements of this work comprises of developing a procurement specification and test procedure for undertaking a 'quick' quality/usability screening to be used for procuring LED lights and to test up to 30 LED-based lights to screen products that meet the requirement. The second strategy is intended to meet a longer-term need associated with creating a self-sustaining product quality assurance program that will effectively protect the African consumer, prevent significant market spoiling, adapt with expected technological advancements over the long-term--in other words, give consumers the ability to detect quality products and the information needed to find products that meet their specific needs from among the myriad of lighting products that become available commercially. Workshop discussions and the discussions evolving from the workshop led the Lighting Africa team to opt for an approach similar to that of the 'Fair Trade' model, involving the creation of a set of voluntary criteria which companies can elect to subscribe to in order to receive a product evaluation/certification. This solution was proposed as it has the widest capacity to incorporate the largest number of recommendations from the workshop sessions. This code of conduct will be made available for companies to comment on later in 2008. These workshop proceedings provide an overview of workshop discussions and a summary of the key points identified around various workshop topic areas, contributing to the two strategy approach Lighting Africa will take as it moves forward with developing its quality assurance program.« less

The Effect of Inconsistency Appeals on the Influence of Direct-to-Consumer Prescription Drug Advertisements: An Application of Goal Disruption Theory.

PubMed

Rosenberg, Benjamin D; Siegel, Jason T

2016-01-01

Scholars across multiple domains have identified the presence of inconsistency-arousing information in direct-to-consumer prescription drug advertisements and have suggested that these appeals, which highlight differences between people's actual and desired lives, may create psychological disequilibrium. However, experimental assessment of the distinct influence of inconsistency-arousing information in this domain is rare. Guided by goal disruption theory-a framework that outlines people's reactions to goal expectation violations-we created direct-to-consumer advertisements designed to make people's life inconsistencies salient. The influence of these ads on people's perceptions of, and intentions to use, prescription drugs was then assessed. Results from a structural equation modeling analysis supported the proposed model, indicating that compared to a control ad, an ad containing a goal expectation violation manipulation resulted in higher levels of psychological disequilibrium; in turn, psychological disequilibrium led to positive evaluations of the ad and the drug, positive outcome expectations of the drug, increased purposive harm endurance, and increased usage intentions. The current results suggest a psychological pathway that begins with a negative goal expectation violation and ends with increased usage intentions and a greater willingness to endure harm to make use possible.

Financial coping strategies of mental health consumers: managing social benefits.

PubMed

Caplan, Mary Ager

2014-05-01

Mental health consumers depend on social benefits in the forms of supplemental security income and social security disability insurance for their livelihood. Although these programs pay meager benefits, little research has been undertaken into how this population makes ends meet. Using a qualitative approach, this study asks what are the financial coping strategies of mental health consumers? Seven approaches were identified: subsidies, cost-effective shopping, budgeting, prioritizing, technology, debt management, and saving money. Results illustrate the resourcefulness of mental health consumers in managing meager social benefits and highlight the need to strengthen community mental health efforts with financial capabilities education.

Reorienting health systems to meet the demand for consumer health solutions.

PubMed

Buckeridge, David L

2014-01-01

There is a clear and pronounced gap between the demand for and access to consumer health solutions. Existing health information systems and broader health system factors such as funding models are reasons for this gap. There are strong arguments from the perspectives of the consumer and population health for closing this gap, but the case from the perspective of the current health system is mixed. Closing the gap will require a concerted effort to reorient health information systems and funding models to support online access by consumers to health information and health services.

Brand Name, Store Image, and Country-of-Origin: The Effects on Consumers' Perception of Quality and Price.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

King, Margaret C. A.

1993-01-01

A review of literature indicated that, with regard to brand labels, consumers' perception of price, but not of quality, was affected. Consumers expected to pay more for goods bought in a higher status store and rated imported goods as being more expensive than domestically produced goods. Products from developing countries received lower quality…

Member’s Perception of Service Quality At the Nellis Air Force Base Officers Open Mess

DTIC Science & Technology

1993-05-01

35 Consumer Behavior ............................... 36 Perceptions ...................................... 37 Value...110 Table 13. Problem Resolution: Overall Service Quality .... 111 ix LIST OF FIGURES Figure 1. Faith Popcorn’s Ten Changes in Consumer Behavior .......................................... 16...military club has the same characteristics as their civilian counterparts in regards to consumer behavior , needs, and expectations; S3: The miliary

Attacking the obesity epidemic: the potential health benefits of providing nutrition information in restaurants.

PubMed

Burton, Scot; Creyer, Elizabeth H; Kees, Jeremy; Huggins, Kyle

2006-09-01

Requiring restaurants to present nutrition information on menus is under consideration as a potential way to slow the increasing prevalence of obesity. Using a survey methodology, we examined how accurately consumers estimate the nutrient content of typical restaurant meals. Based on these results, we then conducted an experiment to address how the provision of nutrition information on menus influences purchase intentions and reported preferences. For both the survey and experiment, data were analyzed using analysis of variance techniques. Survey results showed that levels of calories, fat, and saturated fat in less-healthful restaurant items were significantly underestimated by consumers. Actual fat and saturated fat levels were twice consumers' estimates and calories approached 2 times more than what consumers expected. In the subsequent experiment, for items for which levels of calories, fat, and saturated fat substantially exceeded consumers' expectations, the provision of nutrition information had a significant influence on product attitude, purchase intention, and choice. Most consumers are unaware of the high levels of calories, fat, saturated fat, and sodium found in many menu items. Provision of nutrition information on restaurant menus could potentially have a positive impact on public health by reducing the consumption of less-healthful foods.

Caffeine Consumption, Expectancies of Caffeine-Enhanced Performance, and Caffeinism Symptoms among University Students.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bradley, John R.; Petree, Allen

1990-01-01

Gathered self-report data on college students' (n=797) expectations of caffeine-enhanced performance, level of beverage caffeine consumed daily, and caffeinism signs experienced after consumption of caffeinated beverages. Results supported extending the expectancies model of substance use motivation from alcohol to caffeine. (Author/ABL)

Marketing to the consumer: perspectives from the pharmaceutical industry.

PubMed

David, C

2001-01-01

Individualized health management is one of the most exciting challenges facing health care marketing today. Greater access to health information has empowered consumers to take more control of their health needs, creating a whole new landscape for marketers, manufacturers, and service providers. Customization is the key to creating marketing campaigns that successfully target today's health-conscious consumers. Drawing on individualized market intelligence and available genetic information, pharmaceutical companies are learning to tailor products to meet the needs of this growing market.

Dental services advertising: does it affect consumers?

PubMed

Sanchez, P M; Bonner, P G

1989-12-01

Dental services advertising appears to be increasing. Despite their negative attitude toward advertising, as many as 20% of all dentists may now be advertising to meet changing conditions in a highly competitive market. Research on dental services advertising has provided a useful starting point for developing dental advertising strategies. However, it affords little understanding of how consumers may respond to the many types of information provided in dental services advertisements. The authors extend knowledge in this area by examining consumer response to dental advertising in an experimental setting.

Meeting UK dietary recommendations is associated with higher estimated consumer food costs: an analysis using the National Diet and Nutrition Survey and consumer expenditure data, 2008-2012.

PubMed

Jones, Nicholas Rv; Tong, Tammy Yn; Monsivais, Pablo

2018-04-01

To test whether diets achieving recommendations from the UK's Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition (SACN) were associated with higher monetary costs in a nationally representative sample of UK adults. A cross-sectional study linking 4 d diet diaries in the National Diet and Nutrition Survey (NDNS) to contemporaneous food price data from a market research firm. The monetary cost of diets was assessed in relation to whether or not they met eight food- and nutrient-based recommendations from SACN. Regression models adjusted for potential confounding factors. The primary outcome measure was individual dietary cost per day and per 2000 kcal (8368 kJ). UK. Adults (n 2045) sampled between 2008 and 2012 in the NDNS. On an isoenergetic basis, diets that met the recommendations for fruit and vegetables, oily fish, non-milk extrinsic sugars, fat, saturated fat and salt were estimated to be between 3 and 17 % more expensive. Diets meeting the recommendation for red and processed meats were 4 % less expensive, while meeting the recommendation for fibre was cost-neutral. Meeting multiple targets was also associated with higher costs; on average, diets meeting six or more SACN recommendations were estimated to be 29 % more costly than isoenergetic diets that met no recommendations. Food costs may be a population-level barrier limiting the adoption of dietary recommendations in the UK. Future research should focus on identifying systems- and individual-level strategies to enable consumers achieve dietary recommendations without increasing food costs. Such strategies may improve the uptake of healthy eating in the population.

76 FR 26720 - 2011 Annual Meeting of the Ozone Transport Commission

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-05-09

... efficiency, architectural industrial and maintenance coatings, consumer products, institution commercial and..., aftermarket catalysts, lightering, and non- road idling. DATES: The meeting will be held on June 15, 2011 starting at 9 a.m. and ending at 3:30 p.m. Location: Washington Marriott Wardman Park, 2660 Woodley Road NW...

75 FR 70852 - Energy Efficiency Program for Consumer Products: Public Meeting and Availability of the Framework...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-11-19

... is planning to conduct in-depth technical analyses in the following areas: (1) Engineering; (2... this rulemaking process, DOE has prepared a framework document to explain the relevant issues, analyses... development of any amended standards. The focus of the public meeting will be to discuss the analyses...

16 CFR 1011.4 - Forms of advance public notice of meetings; Public Calendar/Master Calendar and Federal Register.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

...; Public Calendar/Master Calendar and Federal Register. 1011.4 Section 1011.4 Commercial Practices CONSUMER... meetings; Public Calendar/Master Calendar and Federal Register. Advance notice of Agency activities is... Calendar/Master Calendar. (1) The printed Public Calendar and the Master Calendar maintained in the Office...

16 CFR 1011.4 - Forms of advance public notice of meetings; Public Calendar/Master Calendar and Federal Register.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

...; Public Calendar/Master Calendar and Federal Register. 1011.4 Section 1011.4 Commercial Practices CONSUMER... meetings; Public Calendar/Master Calendar and Federal Register. Advance notice of Agency activities is... Calendar/Master Calendar. (1) The printed Public Calendar and the Master Calendar maintained in the Office...

National Commission on New Technological Uses of Copyrighted Works (CONTU), Meeting Number One (Washington, D.C., October 8, 1975).

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Library of Congress, Washington, DC. Copyright Office.

The first meeting of the National Commission on New Technological Uses of Copyrighted Works (CONTU) established some basic premises and procedures. Commissioners representing various interests concerned with copyright legislation (librarians, publishers, consumers and lawyers) discussed the responsibility of the Commission to review copyright…

16 CFR § 1102.28 - Publication of reports of harm.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... REGULATIONS PUBLICLY AVAILABLE CONSUMER PRODUCT SAFETY INFORMATION DATABASE Procedural Requirements § 1102.28... publish reports of harm that meet the requirements for publication in the Database. The Commission will... Commission may publish a report of harm that meets the requirements of § 1102.10(d) in the Database beyond...

Taking Ownership of the Future: The National Strategy for Financial Literacy, 2006

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

US Financial Literacy and Education Commission, 2006

2006-01-01

Today's increasingly complex financial services market offers consumers a vast array of products, services, and providers to choose from to meet their financial needs. While this degree of choice provides consumers with a great number of options, it also requires that they be equipped with the information, knowledge, and skills to evaluate their…

76 FR 33297 - Consumer Advisory Council; Notice of Meeting of the Consumer Advisory Council

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-06-08

..., in Dining Room E on the Terrace Level of the Martin Building. For security purposes, anyone planning.... Proposed Rules Regarding Ability to Pay for Mortgage Loans Members will discuss the Board's proposed rules... on a proposed rule that would require sponsors of asset-backed securities to retain at least 5...

Developing Effective Educational Materials Using Best Practices in Health Literacy

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Niebaum, Kelly; Cunningham-Sabo, Leslie; Bellows, Laura

2015-01-01

Health literacy is emerging as a leading issue affecting U.S. consumers' health. It has been shown to be a stronger predictor of a person's health than age, income, employment status, education level, or race. To best meet the health literacy needs of consumers, Extension educators can use best practice guidelines for improved health…

16 CFR § 1101.11 - General application of provisions of section 6(b)(1).

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... CONSUMER PRODUCT SAFETY ACT REGULATIONS INFORMATION DISCLOSURE UNDER SECTION 6(b) OF THE CONSUMER PRODUCT SAFETY ACT Information Subject to Notice and Analysis Provisions of Section 6(b)(1) § 1101.11 General... notice and analysis provisions of section 6(b)(1), information must meet all the following criteria: (1...

Worth of Geophysical Data in Natural-Disaster-Insurance Rate Setting.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Attanasi, E. D.; Karlinger, M. R.

1982-04-01

Insurance firms that offer natural-disaster insurance base their rates on available information. The benefits from collecting additional data and incorporating this information to improve parameter estimates of probability distributions that are used to characterize natural-disaster events can be determined by computing changes in premiums as a function of additional data. Specifically, the worth of data can be measured by changes in consumer's surplus (the widely applied measure of benefits to consumers used in benefit-cost analysis) brought about when the premiums are adjusted. In this paper, a formal model of the process for setting insurance rates is hypothesized in which the insurance firm sets rates so as to trade off penalties of overestimation and underestimation of expected damages estimated from currently available hydrologic data. A Bayesian preposterior analysis is performed which permits the determination of the expected benefits of collecting additional geophysical data by examining the changes in expected premium rates as a function of the longer record before the data are actually collected. An estimate of the expected benefits associated with collecting more data for the representative consumer is computed using an assumed demand function for insurance. In addition, a sensitivity analysis of expected benefits to changes in insurance demand and firm rate-setting procedures is carried out. From these results, conclusions are drawn regarding aggregate benefits to all flood insurance purchasers.

Consumer-directed health care and the courts: let the buyer (and seller) beware.

PubMed

Jacobson, Peter D; Tunick, Michael R

2007-01-01

In consumer-directed health care, patients will be expected to exert greater control over their spending decisions than before. As consumer-directed care gains market acceptance, courts will inevitably be involved in resolving challenges to the new arrangements. We anticipate that courts will be generally favorable toward consumer-directed care, but the new legal doctrine will not uniformly favor medical professionals and insurers. The information demands inherent in consumer-directed care will present particular legal challenges to physicians and insurers. Even as courts provide flexibility to reflect the new market realities, they will closely monitor how consumer-directed care is implemented.

Meeting High Expectations: Healthy Thinking, Resiliency, and Deaf and Hard of Hearing Children

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Egbert, Lisalee D.; LaMarr, Todd; Hossler, Tami; Davenport, Carrie; Crace, Jodee

2014-01-01

The authors present a positive outlook for deaf and hard of hearing children in meeting the high expectations set before them. Like all children, deaf and hard of hearing children thrive in environments that support and promote healthy ways of thinking. When individuals have healthy ways of thinking, they have what researchers call a "growth…

How to Conduct a Meeting.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dun and Bradstreet Business Library, New York, NY.

This guide book provides valuable checklists, charts and forms, pointers and case histories to help in organizing and conducting a successful meeting. The 16 chapter headings are as follows: What to Expect from a Meeting; The Meeting-Planner: The Catalyst; Using an Outside Consultant; First Things First--So Let's Look at Planning; Developing the…

Empowering the managed care consumer: not as easy as it sounds.

PubMed

Korczyk, S M; Witte, H A

2000-01-01

Managed care remains one of the most highly publicized issues in employee benefits, with its accompanying controversy causing concern to the consumer and the employer. The authors of this article discuss the very basic things consumers of health benefits should know about their plans in order to be prepared, as well as what they should reasonably expect from employers that sponsor the plans.

Technology to control variation in meat quality

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Consumers have certain expectations regarding the quality of the meat they purchase. Lean color is the primary quality attribute used by consumers to make purchase decisions. Similarly, repeat purchase decisions are generally a result of eating satisfaction, which is determined by the perceived va...

Cerebrovascular accident patients: an interdisciplinary/multidisciplinary audit.

PubMed

Penman, G M; Wojnar-Horton, S A; Bebee, R

1991-01-01

To develop appropriate standards to assess the intervention with cerebrovascular accident (CVA) patients by allied health professionals; to establish baseline data with which subsequent information collected could be compared. Retrospective criteria auditing of hospital files was undertaken to evaluate whether the allied health professionals were meeting the expected clinical standards for patients admitted with a diagnosis of CVA. Written documentation in hospital files did not meet expected standards in all criteria and varied between professions. The data obtained provided a baseline against which future results could be measured. It was expected that subsequent evaluations would provide improved results. All departments agreed that meeting clinical standards was important and it was agreed to repeat the audit in one year and to include some outcome standards using patients' perceptions of service provision.

The use of memoranda of understanding in fostering inter-agency collaboration: a qualitative study of health services agencies serving vulnerable populations in Baltimore, USA.

PubMed

Khosla, Nidhi; Marsteller, Jill A; Holtgrave, David R

2013-11-01

We examined whether mandated collaboration reflected in memoranda of understanding (MOUs) developed by health agencies to meet funder expectations is effective in fostering inter-agency collaboration. We conducted 22 semi-structured interviews from late 2010 to early 2012 in Baltimore, USA, with representatives of 17 HIV service agencies, three local health department units, and one agency that closed in 2008 (two interviews). While there was no consensus, most respondents perceived MOUs negatively, mainly because the process of obtaining signed MOUs was time consuming; frontline staff was mostly unaware of MOUs, agencies did not necessarily work with agencies they signed MOUs with and MOUs were rarely evaluated after being signed. A few agencies reported that MOUs could keep agencies focused and set mutual expectations. The local health department acknowledged shortcomings in MOUs but emphasized that MOUs could help agencies plan for referring clients when their own capacity was full. Although many agencies acknowledged the importance of collaboration, most respondents found that MOUs lacked practical utility. Grant-makers should consult sub-grantees to develop alternative means of fostering collaboration that would be perceived as relevant by both parties. © The Author(s) 2014 Reprints and permissions: sagepub.co.uk/journalsPermissions.nav.

77 FR 22558 - Agenda and Notice of Public Meeting of the Arkansas Advisory Committee

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-04-16

... meeting. Callers can expect to incur charges for calls they initiate over wireless lines, and the..., both before and after the meeting. Persons interested in the work of this advisory committee are...

Veterans Health Administration Office of Nursing Services exploration of positive patient care synergies fueled by consumer demand: care coordination, advanced clinic access, and patient self-management.

PubMed

Wertenberger, Sydney; Yerardi, Ruth; Drake, Audrey C; Parlier, Renee

2006-01-01

The consumers who utilize the Veterans Health Administration healthcare system are older, and most are learning to live with chronic diseases. Their desires and needs have driven changes within the Veterans Health Administration. Through patient satisfaction initiatives and other feedback sources, consumers have made it clear that they do not want to wait for their care, they want a say in what care is provided to them, and they want to remain as independent as possible. Two interdisciplinary processes/models of healthcare are being implemented on the national level to address these issues: advanced clinic access and care coordination. These programs have a synergistic relationship and are integrated with patient self-management initiatives. Positive outcomes of these programs also meet the needs of our staff. As these new processes and programs are implemented nationwide, skills of both patients and nursing staff who provide their care need to be enhanced to meet the challenges of providing nursing care now and into the 21st century. Veterans Health Administration Office of Nursing Services Strategic Planning Work Group is defining and implementing processes/programs to ensure nurses have the knowledge, information, and skills to meet these patient care demands at all levels within the organization.

A Descriptive Study of Teenage Expectant Fathers.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Barret, Robert L.; Robinson, Bryan E.

1982-01-01

Reports demographic data on 26 adolescent expectant fathers and information about their relationships with the expectant mothers and their families. Results indicated that young fathers maintained positive relationships with their girlfriend's family, maintained contact with the expectant mother, and desired to meet certain responsibilities toward…

78 FR 2961 - Proposed Collection; Comment Request

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-01-15

... inform or improve consumer financial decision-making. The Bureau expects to collect qualitative data on... education and empowerment programs, leading to better financial decision-making outcomes for adult consumers... financial decisions. DATES: Written comments are encouraged and must be received on or before March 18, 2013...

Mobile Agents for Battlespace Information Exchange

DTIC Science & Technology

2013-05-01

autonomously gather information and coordinate activities (e.g. meetings, e - commerce transactions) on behalf of their owners. Sometime in the...operations where consumer -level infrastructure is not available. The report provides an overview of MA characteristics and follows with a description of...detection for security, telecommunications and the military. With the advent of broadband communication (fixed and wireless) a typical consumer is now

National Health Objectives for the Year 2000: The Demographic Impact of Health Promotion and Disease Prevention.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stoto, Michael A.; Durch, Jane S.

1991-01-01

Demographic impacts of meeting the National Health Objectives for 2000 were studied using life-table methods. Meeting the targets would increase life expectancy at birth by 1.5-2.1 years to 76.6-77.2 years. Modifying the coronary heart disease and unintentional injury targets to be more optimistic would further increase life expectancy. (SLD)

"It Sais I Have a D How that Be"

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Russell, Connie

2009-01-01

We've all gotten them--the student emails that make you question your decision to get into this profession. The title of this column says it all. If we want students to meet our expectations, we must give them instruction on what we expect. Technology should be used to help us meet our academic goals, not just to cater to students' love of…

Consumer participation in housing: reflecting on consumer preferences.

PubMed

Browne, Graeme; Hemsley, Martin

2010-12-01

Historically, people living with mental illness have had limited chance to participate in mental health services other than as patients. Following on from a recent review focusing on consumer participation in mental health services, this paper looks at consumer participation in housing. Housing is a critical element in recovery from mental illness. Without suitable housing, people have little chance of maintaining other resources in their lives, such as supportive social relationships and meaningful activities. Consumer participation is not a common topic in the recent literature, despite the significant public policy push to promote it. The importance of appropriate housing to the recovery of people living with mental illness cannot be underestimated. Even well-meaning and well-resourced housing initiatives can fall short of meeting consumers' recovery goals when they do not incorporate the expressed needs of consumers. These expressed needs include keeping units small in size and employing drop-in support models.

77 FR 56840 - Meeting of the Environmental Financial Advisory Board-Public Notice

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-09-14

... ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY [FRL-9727-8] Meeting of the Environmental Financial Advisory Board... meeting. SUMMARY: The United States Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) Environmental Financial... expected on the following topics: Clean air technology; tribal environmental programs; transit-oriented...

Emerging Therapeutic Enhancement Enabling Health Technologies and Their Discourses: What Is Discussed within the Health Domain?

PubMed Central

Wolbring, Gregor; Diep, Lucy; Yumakulov, Sophya; Ball, Natalie; Leopatra, Verlyn; Yergens, Dean

2013-01-01

So far, the very meaning of health and therefore, treatment and rehabilitation is benchmarked to the normal or species-typical body. We expect certain abilities in members of a species; we expect humans to walk but not to fly, but a bird we expect to fly. However, increasingly therapeutic interventions have the potential to give recipients beyond species-typical body related abilities (therapeutic enhancements, TE). We believe that the perfect storm of TE, the shift in ability expectations toward beyond species-typical body abilities, and the increasing desire of health consumers to shape the health system will increasingly influence various aspects of health care practice, policy, and scholarship. We employed qualitative and quantitative methods to investigate among others how human enhancement, neuro/cognitive enhancement, brain machine interfaces, and social robot discourses cover (a) healthcare, healthcare policy, and healthcare ethics, (b) disability and (c) health consumers and how visible various assessment fields are within Neuro/Cogno/Human enhancement and within the BMI and social robotics discourse. We found that health care, as such, is little discussed, as are health care policy and ethics; that the term consumers (but not health consumers) is used; that technology, impact and needs assessment is absent; and that the imagery of disabled people is primarily a medical one. We submit that now, at this early stage, is the time to gain a good understanding of what drives the push for the enhancement agenda and enhancement-enabling devices, and the dynamics around acceptance and diffusion of therapeutic enhancements. PMID:27429129

An Evaluation of the Consumer Costs and Benefits of Energy Efficiency Resource Standards

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lessans, Mark D.

Of the modern-day policies designed to encourage energy efficiency, one with a significant potential for impact is that of Energy Efficiency Resource Standards (EERS). EERS policies place the responsibility for meeting an efficiency target on the electric and gas utilities, typically setting requirements for annual reductions in electricity generation or gas distribution to customers as a percentage of sales. To meet these requirements, utilities typically implement demand-side management (DSM) programs, which encourage energy efficiency at the customer level through incentives and educational initiatives. In Maryland, a statewide EERS has provided for programs which save a significant amount of energy, but is ultimately falling short in meeting the targets established by the policy. This study evaluates residential DSM programs offered by Pepco, a utility in Maryland, for cost-effectiveness. However, unlike most literature on the topic, analysis focuses on the costs-benefit from the perspective of the consumer, and not the utility. The results of this study are encouraging: the majority of programs analyzed show that the cost of electricity saved, or levelized cost of saved energy (LCSE), is less expensive than the current retail cost of electricity cost in Maryland. A key goal of this study is to establish a metric for evaluating the consumer cost-effectiveness of participation in energy efficiency programs made available by EERS. In doing so, the benefits of these programs can be effectively marketed to customers, with the hope that participation will increase. By increasing consumer awareness and buy-in, the original goals set out through EERS can be realized and the policies can continue to receive support.

Consumer preference for chicken breast may be more affected by information on organic production than by product sensory properties.

PubMed

Napolitano, F; Castellini, C; Naspetti, S; Piasentier, E; Girolami, A; Braghieri, A

2013-03-01

Conventional chicken from a fast-growing strain (CC), organic chicken from a slow-growing strain (OSG), and organic chicken from a fast-growing strain (OFG) were used to assess descriptive sensory differences between organic and conventional breasts, to verify whether differences were perceived by consumers and to evaluate the effect of information about organic production on liking. A conventional quantitative-descriptive analysis was performed by a trained panel of 10 members on breast slices (1 cm thick) grilled at 300°C. A 150-member consumer panel (from southern, central, and northern Italy) rated CC, OSG, and OFG breasts according to 3 types of evaluation: tasting without information (perceived liking), information without tasting (expected liking), and tasting with information (actual liking). Breasts from different sources were clearly discriminated by the trained panel as meat from CC was perceived more tender than OFG (P < 0.05) and OSG (P < 0.001), more fibrous than OFG (P < 0.05) and OSG (P < 0.001), and leaving more residue than OFG (P < 0.05) and OSG (P < 0.001), whereas OSG was assessed as less juicy before swallowing than OFG and CC (P < 0.05) and less fibrous than OFG (P < 0.05). No significant differences were observed by consumers for perceived liking. However, consumer expected liking scores were higher for organic than for conventional products (P < 0.001) and actual liking of organic breasts moved toward the expectancy. In particular, actual liking scores were higher than perceived liking in blind conditions (P < 0.001 and P < 0.01 for OFG and OSG, respectively). We conclude that trained panelists were able to discriminate chicken breasts from different sources, whereas untrained consumers were not. However, consumer liking was markedly affected by the information given on the organic production system, thus providing a tool to differentiate the product in an increasingly competitive market.

When "patients" become "consumers.".

PubMed

Gardner, H H

1986-01-01

The medical world expects "patients" to bear up patiently. But the medical world needs to learn to live with "consumers." And employers are in the best position to make "consumers" out of "patients" by educating and helping employees to negotiate the health care system. The author, President of a New York firm, has developed the Options Program for this purpose. Its structure, functions and results in pilot tests and at Burlington Industries are detailed here.

Impact of Health Labels on Flavor Perception and Emotional Profiling: A Consumer Study on Cheese

PubMed Central

Schouteten, Joachim J.; De Steur, Hans; De Pelsmaeker, Sara; Lagast, Sofie; De Bourdeaudhuij, Ilse; Gellynck, Xavier

2015-01-01

The global increase of cardiovascular diseases is linked to the shift towards unbalanced diets with increasing salt and fat intake. This has led to a growing consumers’ interest in more balanced food products, which explains the growing number of health-related claims on food products (e.g., “low in salt” or “light”). Based on a within-subjects design, consumers (n = 129) evaluated the same cheese product with different labels. Participants rated liking, saltiness and fat flavor intensity before and after consuming four labeled cheeses. Even though the cheese products were identical, inclusion of health labels influenced consumer perceptions. Cheese with a “light” label had a lower overall expected and perceived liking compared to regular cheese. Although cheese with a “salt reduced” label had a lower expected liking compared to regular cheese, no lower liking was found when consumers actually consumed the labeled cheese. All labels also influenced the perceived intensities of the attributes related to these labels, e.g., for example salt intensity for reduced salt label. While emotional profiles of the labeled cheeses differed before tasting, little differences were found when actual tasting these cheeses. In conclusion, this study shows that health-related labels might influence the perceived flavor and emotional profiles of cheese products. PMID:26690211

Interactive survey of consumer awareness of nanotechnologies and nanoparticles in consumer products in South Korea

PubMed Central

Kim, Yu-Ri; Lee, Eun Jeong; Park, Sung Ha; Kwon, Hyo Jin; An, Seong Soo A; Son, Sang Wook; Seo, Young Rok; Pie, Jae-Eun; Yoon, Myoung; Kim, Ja Hei; Kim, Meyoung-Kon

2014-01-01

Background The purpose of our study was to understand consumers’ risk awareness and need for relevant information about nanotechnology and nanoparticles contained in products currently being sold in Korea. Methods One thousand and seven adult consumers (aged 20–50 years) were randomly selected from all over South Korea between November 1 and 9, 2010. We surveyed the origin and degree of their concern and their need for information and education regarding nanomaterials. Results Analysis of the survey results showed no significant differences in responses by sex, age, and level of education, but significant differences were found in responses based on average monthly household income. Our research showed that consumers have vague expectations for and positive image of nanotechnology and nanoproducts but do not clearly understand what they are. In addition, we found that preparing and disseminating information to consumers is required in order to provide correct information about nanotechnology to the public. Conclusion A communication system should be established among the multiple stakeholders involved with nanomaterials to address consumer expectations and concerns. Further, a safety evaluation system must be set up, the results of which should be processed by a reliable expert group so they can be disseminated to the public. PMID:25565822

A perspective on emerging law, consumer trust and social responsibility in China's food sector: the "bleaching" case study.

PubMed

Roberts, Michael T

2011-01-01

Trust underpins the Chinese social system, and yet it is lacking from a Chinese food system that is riddled with safety disasters and disgruntled consumers. Government and industry play a major role in rehabilitating consumer trust in China. To this end, food safety and quality laws have been constructed to foster this process; however, safety scandals continue even in the face of stricter regulations and increased enforcement. A potential toll to abate food-safety problems and to build trust is the implementation of Corporate Social Responsibility ("CSR"). Mandates by the government promote CSR in enterprise activity, including Article 3 of the 2009 China Food Safety Law. Officials have also recently touted the need for "moral education" of operators in the food industry. Regardless of government activity or whether CSR is employed by food enterprises, it is imperative that the food industry recognizes how critical it is to establish trust with Chinese consumers, who increasingly expect safe, quality food. The case study with pistachios highlights this evolving consumer expectation and the principles of social responsibility in the framework of the relationship between government and industry and consumers, while demonstrating the benefits of doing the right thing for food companies doing business in China.

Primary expectations of secondary metabolites

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Plant secondary metabolites (e.g., phenolics) are important for human health, in addition to the organoleptic properties they impart to fresh and processed foods. Consumer expectations such as appearance, taste, or texture influence their purchasing decisions. Thorough identification of phenolic com...

Primary expectations of secondary metabolites

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

My program examines the plant secondary metabolites (i.e. phenolics) important for human health, and which impart the organoleptic properties that are quality indicators for fresh and processed foods. Consumer expectations such as appearance, taste, or texture influence their purchasing decisions; a...

Dynamic pricing of network goods with boundedly rational consumers.

PubMed

Radner, Roy; Radunskaya, Ami; Sundararajan, Arun

2014-01-07

We present a model of dynamic monopoly pricing for a good that displays network effects. In contrast with the standard notion of a rational-expectations equilibrium, we model consumers as boundedly rational and unable either to pay immediate attention to each price change or to make accurate forecasts of the adoption of the network good. Our analysis shows that the seller's optimal price trajectory has the following structure: The price is low when the user base is below a target level, is high when the user base is above the target, and is set to keep the user base stationary once the target level has been attained. We show that this pricing policy is robust to a number of extensions, which include the product's user base evolving over time and consumers basing their choices on a mixture of a myopic and a "stubborn" expectation of adoption. Our results differ significantly from those that would be predicted by a model based on rational-expectations equilibrium and are more consistent with the pricing of network goods observed in practice.

Dynamic pricing of network goods with boundedly rational consumers

PubMed Central

Radner, Roy; Radunskaya, Ami; Sundararajan, Arun

2014-01-01

We present a model of dynamic monopoly pricing for a good that displays network effects. In contrast with the standard notion of a rational-expectations equilibrium, we model consumers as boundedly rational and unable either to pay immediate attention to each price change or to make accurate forecasts of the adoption of the network good. Our analysis shows that the seller’s optimal price trajectory has the following structure: The price is low when the user base is below a target level, is high when the user base is above the target, and is set to keep the user base stationary once the target level has been attained. We show that this pricing policy is robust to a number of extensions, which include the product’s user base evolving over time and consumers basing their choices on a mixture of a myopic and a “stubborn” expectation of adoption. Our results differ significantly from those that would be predicted by a model based on rational-expectations equilibrium and are more consistent with the pricing of network goods observed in practice. PMID:24367101

Institute in Consumer Education for Disadvantaged Adults. Final Report.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Paolucci, Beatrice; And Others

This two week professional development institute was designed to equip vocational education personnel for work with the disadvantaged. Participants (business educators and home economists) were expected to acquire basic understanding of the problems of disadvantaged adults; explore consumer education services now available to the poor; identify…

The educational potential of direct-to-consumer prescription drug advertising.

PubMed

Kaphingst, Kimberly A; DeJong, William

2004-01-01

Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulations for direct-to-consumer (DTC) prescription drug advertising allow broadcast advertisements with incomplete risk information if the ads refer consumers to physicians, pharmacists, and supplemental information sources. New research reveals several problems with both television advertisements and supplemental text materials that might compromise their ability to meet the FDA's requirement for "fair balance" in the presentation of risks and benefits. In response, we make several recommendations to improve the educational quality of DTC advertising, which can be implemented through either voluntary agreements or revised FDA regulations.

Health care consumers' experiences of information communication technology--a summary of literature.

PubMed

Akesson, Kerstin M; Saveman, Britt-Inger; Nilsson, Gunilla

2007-09-01

There is an increasing interest in reaching consumers directly through the Internet and different telecommunication systems. The most important contacts in health care will always be the face-to-face meetings, but the tools of health informatics can be seen as a means to an end, which is to provide the best possible health care. A variety of applications have been described in different references. To our knowledge there has been no review of a research-based state of the art in the field of consumers' experiences in using different applications in health informatics. According to the benefits in using information communication technology (ICT) as being cost-effective and timesaving it is of great importance to focus on and examine consumers' experiences. It is important that it is user friendly and regarded as valuable and useful. The aim of this study was to describe consumers' subjective experiences of using electronic resources with reference to health and illness. DESIGN AND/OR METHOD: A systematic literature search was performed in databases CINAHL, Medline and Cochrane, as well as a manual search. Retrieved references (n=14) were appraised according to their scientific structure and quality. A broad search was performed in order to find as many different applications as possible. Our primary intention was to identify existing references describing consumers' experiences with ICT. In spite of this broad search few references were found. Twelve references remained and three themes were identified: support and help, education and information, and telecommunication instead of on-site visiting. Consumers felt more confident and empowered, their knowledge increased and their health status improved due to the ICT resources. Lack of face-to-face meetings or privacy did not appear to be a problem. ICT can improve the nurse-patient relationship and augment well-being for consumers. More research is needed to measure consumers' experiences and factors that influence it. 2006 Elsevier Ireland Ltd

Prescription drug advertising: is it a driving force on drug pricing?

PubMed

Millstein, Lloyd G

2003-01-01

It has been shown that drug companies will sell more drugs when they use DTC advertising, but it is also true that many consumers who are suffering--unaware there is help for their symptoms--will learn from these ads that help is available. Advertising to consumers, like advertising to professionals, will continue to be one of the best methods of providing information. Of course, healthcare professionals also have the sales representatives, their colleagues, medical journals, and medical conventions as additional options for needed information. The consumer may or may not use other methods, such as the Internet, the library or friends or family, but the advertising is a starting point for a dialogue. If the DTC ad provides consumers with "information," which is different from "advertising," the drug company will be providing a worthwhile service to consumers and potential patients. No doubt consumers will begin demanding higher quality information from DTC ads and will frown upon the ads that are blatantly trying just to sell a drug. It will also reap the benefits of improved consumer awareness and patient compliance. A DTC ad that is consumer-friendly, does not use fear appeal, is educational in tone, and downplays the "hard sell" and hype will go a long way in offering important information to the casual observer. Oversight by the FDA will ensure the information meets the requirements they have set down for prescription drug advertising. That is, advertising will be truthful and fairly balanced and will meet what the government, consumers and, no doubt, the medical community wants. Attempting to control drug costs, by controlling advertising, will not be an easy task. This has an implication across all product areas, not just drugs. DTC advertising has become a lightening rod for cost containment issues, but is it alone driving demand for prescription products? I don't think so.

77 FR 49851 - Nineteenth Meeting: RTCA Special Committee 216, Aeronautical Systems Security (Joint Meeting With...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-08-17

... Welcome Introduction, Logistics Eurocae Context Presentation Joint Plenary: Scope and purpose of this meeting with focus on ED-202A/ DO-326A and ED-204 Open Consultation/FRAC requirements & expectations Coordination between drafting [[Page 49852

Sustained Assessment Metadata as a Pathway to Trustworthiness of Climate Science Information

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Champion, S. M.; Kunkel, K.

2017-12-01

The Sustained Assessment process has produced a suite of climate change reports: The Third National Climate Assessment (NCA3), Regional Surface Climate Conditions in CMIP3 and CMIP5 for the United States: Differences, Similarities, and Implications for the U.S. National Climate Assessment, Impacts of Climate Change on Human Health in the United States: A Scientific Assessment, The State Climate Summaries, as well as the anticipated Climate Science Special Report and Fourth National Climate Assessment. Not only are these groundbreaking reports of climate change science, they are also the first suite of climate science reports to provide access to complex metadata directly connected to the report figures and graphics products. While the basic metadata documentation requirement is federally mandated through a series of federal guidelines as a part of the Information Quality Act, Sustained Assessment products are also deemed Highly Influential Scientific Assessments, which further requires demonstration of the transparency and reproducibility of the content. To meet these requirements, the Technical Support Unit (TSU) for the Sustained Assessment embarked on building a system for not only collecting and documenting metadata to the required standards, but one that also provides consumers unprecedented access to the underlying data and methods. As our process and documentation have evolved, the value of both continue to grow in parallel with the consumer expectation of quality, accessible climate science information. This presentation will detail the how the TSU accomplishes the mandated requirements with their metadata collection and documentation process, as well as the technical solution designed to demonstrate compliance while also providing access to the content for the general public. We will also illustrate how our accessibility platforms guide consumers through the Assessment science at a level of transparency that builds trust and confidence in the report content.

Predicting resident confidence to lead family meetings.

PubMed

Butler, D J; Holloway, R L; Gottlieb, M

1998-05-01

Family physicians frequently encounter patients' family members in family meetings regarding health care. Although residents are expected to learn how to interview families, no quantitative studies have examined variables associated with building residents' confidence in their ability to lead family meetings. The current study sought to clarify the relationship between a number of training, participant, and situational components and resident confidence. All family practice residents (n = 90) in a five-residency program system were sent a survey that examined their experience in and perceived competence to conduct family meetings. Responses were analyzed with a hierarchical regression analysis and an ex post facto univariate analysis. Residents with higher perceived confidence in their ability to run a family meeting were male, had specific training for leading family meetings, had participated in and initiated more family meetings, perceived stronger family physician faculty support, and had more family systems training than lower-confidence residents. The results highlight the experiential, curricular, and environmental variables that are associated with building resident confidence to lead family meetings. Residents may benefit from early exposure to the skills needed for family meetings and from reinforcement of these skills through observations of skilled practitioners, the expectation that they will initiate meetings, and the opportunity to debrief meetings with supportive faculty. Family meeting curricula should include conflict management skills and incorporate input from other specialists and hospital personnel who meet with families.

The Join-Up Meeting

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cameron, W. Scott

2002-01-01

I recently took on a new assignment and, as is my norm, I scheduled a series of one-hour, 1:1 join-up meetings with the various lead personnel on the team and their hierarchy. During one of these meetings, the person I was meeting with informed me how pleasantly surprised she was that I had scheduled this meeting as very few individuals took the time anymore to have them. I was shocked. I was taught that establishing a 1:1 relationship with the people on your team is critical to the project's success. This was the first time I'd heard anything like this about join-up meetings. I filed this feedback away. Later I was talking to my project manager-mentor, and he indicated he had finished his join-up meetings with every person in his new organization. He also indicated his predecessor had conducted few, if any, join-up meetings. Again, I was shocked. When I reflected on these two experiences, I realized a very negative trend might be emerging in our fast-paced, schedule-driven, 500-e-mail-per-day, cell-phone -ringing, 24/7 -communication, multi-tasking work lives: NO FACE TIME! Face time is what you spend with people to talk about the project you are working on, their expectations of you, your expectations of them, your hierarchy's expectations about each of you, and/or-last but certainly not least-what each of you plans on achieving during the project. A 1:1, face-to-face, join-up meeting is the only way I know to build solid trust between the project manager and the team members and their hierarchy.

Expectations of millennial nurse graduates transitioning into practice.

PubMed

Andrews, Diane Randall

2013-01-01

Identified as Millennials, nurses born after 1980 are anticipated to redefine the employer-employee relationship as one based on the employee's wants and needs. The purpose of this study is to portray the expectations of Millennial student nurses immediately before graduation. Understanding these expectations may provide insight for leaders who are responsible for crafting a successful transition experience. Successful transition and decreased turnover are important elements of cost management for the nursing enterprise. A qualitative descriptive design was used to collect data from 14 students enrolled in a traditional BSN academic nursing program approximately 2 months prior to graduation. Upon completion of private, confidential semistructured interviews, data were transcribed, coded, and analyzed. Demographic data were compiled and interview data summarized according to identified themes. Three overarching themes emerged: the expectation that transition would be stressful, the expectation that there would be a safety net of support, and the expectation to be valued and respected as a professional. Revealing was the expectation of supportive relationships and a collaborative approach to patient care. Failure to meet those expectations may result in turnover as Millennials seek opportunities that meet their expectations.

Adult Student Expectations and Experiences in an Online Learning Environment

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bourdeaux, Renee; Schoenack, Lindsie

2016-01-01

This study investigated adult student experiences with instructors in online classes. Using expectancy violations theory as a lens, we conducted 22 interviews to understand reasons students enroll in online classes, expectations for instructors, and behaviors instructors employed that may or may not meet expectations. We conducted a thematic…

CCA: Exploratory Case Study of Construction in a Contingency Environment

DTIC Science & Technology

2010-03-01

IN A CONTINGENCY ENVIRONMENT THESIS Presented to the Faculty Department of Systems and Engineering Management Graduate School of...process is not meeting the expectation of the war fighters. Furthermore, because it is not meeting the war fighter’s expectation the system is...Daniel Holt, Lt Col Jason Turner, Lt Col Robert Fass and G Richard Freeman (Technical Director of AF Center of Systems Engineering) for their guidance

Working towards a consensus for antibody validation.

PubMed

Reiss, Peter D; Min, Danxi; Leung, Mei Y

2014-01-01

Commercial research antibodies are the most commonly used product in the life science tools market, and their applications represent a significant investment of time and resources for researchers. Frequently however, the quality of antibodies does not meet the expectations of consumers, causing loss of valuable time and money. This can delay research efforts and scientific discovery, or even lead to false, irreproducible results to be published in the scientific literature. This raises the question of whether there should be universal standards for validating antibodies.   During the 1 (st) International Antibody Validation Forum, hosted by St John's Laboratory Ltd on October 15 (th) 2014 at Queen Mary University of London, scientists from academia and industry presented data highlighting quality issues arising from lack of antibody validation. While the forum identified significant current problems in the antibody market, it also discussed future opportunities for improved quality and transparency by encouraging data disclosure and data sharing. This article highlights the key issues and conclusions reached at the forum.

Health care reform and people with disabilities.

PubMed

Batavia, A I

1993-01-01

As a group, people with disabilities or chronic conditions experience higher-than-average health care costs and have difficulty gaining access to affordable private health insurance coverage. While the Americans with Disabilities Act will enhance access by prohibiting differential treatment without sound actuarial justification, it will not guarantee equal access for people in impairment groups with high utilization rates. Health care reform is needed to subsidize the coverage of such individuals. Such subsidization can be achieved under either a casualty insurance model, in which premiums based on expected costs are subsidized directly, or a social insurance model, in which low-cost enrollees cross-subsidize high-cost enrollees. Cost containment provisions that focus on the provider, such as global budgeting and managed competition, will adversely affect disabled people if providers do not have adequate incentives to meet these people's needs. Provisions focusing on the consumer, such as cost sharing, case management, and benefit reductions, will adversely affect disabled people if they unduly limit needed services or impose a disproportionate financial burden on disabled people.

Wide-area situation awareness in electric power grid

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Greitzer, Frank L.

2010-04-01

Two primary elements of the US energy policy are demand management and efficiency and renewable sources. Major objectives are clean energy transmission and integration, reliable energy transmission, and grid cyber security. Development of the Smart Grid seeks to achieve these goals by lowering energy costs for consumers, achieving energy independence and reducing greenhouse gas emissions. The Smart Grid is expected to enable real time wide-area situation awareness (SA) for operators. Requirements for wide-area SA have been identified among interoperability standards proposed by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission and the National Institute of Standards and Technology to ensure smart-grid functionality. Wide-area SA and enhanced decision support and visualization tools are key elements in the transformation to the Smart Grid. This paper discusses human factors research to promote SA in the electric power grid and the Smart Grid. Topics that will be discussed include the role of human factors in meeting US energy policy goals, the impact and challenges for Smart Grid development, and cyber security challenges.

Martian Atmospheric Dust Mitigation for ISRU Intakes via Electrostatic Precipitation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Phillips, James R., III; Pollard, Jacob R. S.; Johansen, Michael R.; Mackey, Paul J.; Clements, J. Sid; Calle, Carlos I.

2016-01-01

The Mars 2020 and Mars Sample Return missions expected to fly to Mars within the next ten years will each include an In Situ Resource Utilization (ISRU) system. They convert carbon dioxide in the Martian atmosphere into consumable oxygen at 1% and 20% of the rate required by a full scale human exploration Mars mission, respectively. The ISRU systems will need to draw in the surrounding atmosphere at a rate of 110L/min and 550L/min, respectively, in order to meet their oxygen production goals. Over the duration of each respective mission, a total atmospheric dust mass of 4.86g and 243g will be drawn into each system, respectively. Ingestion of large quantities of dust may interfere with ISRU operations, so a dust mitigation device will be required. The atmospheric volume and dust mass flow rates above will be utilized to simulate Martian environmental conditions in a laboratory electrostatic precipitator being developed to provide active dust mitigation support for atmospheric ISRU systems such as these.

Product manufacturing, quality, and reliability initiatives to maintain a competitive advantage and meet customer expectations in the semiconductor industry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Capps, Gregory

Semiconductor products are manufactured and consumed across the world. The semiconductor industry is constantly striving to manufacture products with greater performance, improved efficiency, less energy consumption, smaller feature sizes, thinner gate oxides, and faster speeds. Customers have pushed towards zero defects and require a more reliable, higher quality product than ever before. Manufacturers are required to improve yields, reduce operating costs, and increase revenue to maintain a competitive advantage. Opportunities exist for integrated circuit (IC) customers and manufacturers to work together and independently to reduce costs, eliminate waste, reduce defects, reduce warranty returns, and improve quality. This project focuses on electrical over-stress (EOS) and re-test okay (RTOK), two top failure return mechanisms, which both make great defect reduction opportunities in customer-manufacturer relationship. Proactive continuous improvement initiatives and methodologies are addressed with emphasis on product life cycle, manufacturing processes, test, statistical process control (SPC), industry best practices, customer education, and customer-manufacturer interaction.

State-of-the-art of alkaline rechargeable batteries

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Morioka, Y.; Narukawa, S.; Itou, T.

Alkaline rechargeable batteries represented by Ni-Cd and Ni-MH batteries are expanding their market, continuously meeting an increasing demand. Approximately 30 years have elapsed since the first sealed Ni-Cd battery was commercialized for consumer use, and the production of these alkaline batteries is still expanding. The high power performance and good cost performance of these batteries are the outstanding features, which are leading to new battery applications. Continuous R&D of many researchers and engineers has improved these features. Since first coming to the market in 1990, Ni-MH batteries have been extending their application as power sources for portable advanced information and communication equipment. Improvements in electrode materials and other components have increased the energy density of current Ni-MH batteries to values of 91 Wh/kg and 340 Wh/l. Recently, novel metallic alloys for hydrogen storage have been proposed to increase their capacity further, and further improvement in the performance of these batteries is expected.

Quality assessment of baby food made of different pre-processed organic raw materials under industrial processing conditions.

PubMed

Seidel, Kathrin; Kahl, Johannes; Paoletti, Flavio; Birlouez, Ines; Busscher, Nicolaas; Kretzschmar, Ursula; Särkkä-Tirkkonen, Marjo; Seljåsen, Randi; Sinesio, Fiorella; Torp, Torfinn; Baiamonte, Irene

2015-02-01

The market for processed food is rapidly growing. The industry needs methods for "processing with care" leading to high quality products in order to meet consumers' expectations. Processing influences the quality of the finished product through various factors. In carrot baby food, these are the raw material, the pre-processing and storage treatments as well as the processing conditions. In this study, a quality assessment was performed on baby food made from different pre-processed raw materials. The experiments were carried out under industrial conditions using fresh, frozen and stored organic carrots as raw material. Statistically significant differences were found for sensory attributes among the three autoclaved puree samples (e.g. overall odour F = 90.72, p < 0.001). Samples processed from frozen carrots show increased moisture content and decrease of several chemical constituents. Biocrystallization identified changes between replications of the cooking. Pre-treatment of raw material has a significant influence on the final quality of the baby food.

Overcoming consumer inertia to dietary guidance.

PubMed

Webb, Densie; Byrd-Bredbenner, Carol

2015-07-01

Despite 35 y of dietary guidance, there has been no substantial shift in consumer compliance. Consumers report that they seek information on nutrition and healthy eating, but most are not paying attention to dietary recommendations. For guidance to be effective, it must be realistic. Even with increasingly detailed nutrition information and evidence that diet affects health outcomes, convenience and taste remain the strongest determinants of food choices. It is up to health educators to clear up confusion and give consumers control with nutrition messages that are realistic, positive, easy to understand, and actionable without an expectation that consumers will surrender foods they love. © 2015 American Society for Nutrition.

Overcoming Consumer Inertia to Dietary Guidance12

PubMed Central

Webb, Densie; Byrd-Bredbenner, Carol

2015-01-01

Despite 35 y of dietary guidance, there has been no substantial shift in consumer compliance. Consumers report that they seek information on nutrition and healthy eating, but most are not paying attention to dietary recommendations. For guidance to be effective, it must be realistic. Even with increasingly detailed nutrition information and evidence that diet affects health outcomes, convenience and taste remain the strongest determinants of food choices. It is up to health educators to clear up confusion and give consumers control with nutrition messages that are realistic, positive, easy to understand, and actionable without an expectation that consumers will surrender foods they love. PMID:26178023

Importance of Applying Condiments in a Commonly Consumed Food System for Understanding the Association Between Familiarity and Sensory Drivers of Liking: A Study Focused on Doenjang.

PubMed

Roh, Soo Hyun; Lee, Soh Min; Kim, Sang Sook; Kim, Kwang-Ok

2018-02-01

Doenjang, a Korean traditional fermented soybean paste, is one of the most essential condiments in Korean cuisine. Condiments are rarely consumed as it is, and are generally applied to other foods. The objective of this study was to understand how sensory drivers of liking of Doenjang would be affected according to food forms in which it is evaluated: the original paste form compared with a normally consumed soup form, and to understand the association of familiarity of evaluated food form. Descriptive analysis and consumer acceptability test was performed in 2 consumption forms: the original paste form and the Doenjang soup from. For consumer liking test, elderly consumers who have more experience to traditional Deonjang were compared to the young in their response to Doenjang paste and soup. The descriptive analysis results showed that the characteristic sensory features of the Deonjang samples were little affected based on the food system in which it was evaluated. However, when the paste was applied in soup, the intensities of the characteristic sensory features were reduced. Acceptability and familiarity of traditional type Doenjang samples for the young and for the elderly consumers were very similar in paste, but it differed when the samples were evaluated in soup. Thus, expectation difference between the young and the elderly was better revealed in soup, a more common food form consumed in practice. The results of this study indicate the importance of understanding sensory drivers of liking for a condiment such as Doenjang in their commonly consumed forms. Compared to the original condiment form, expectation difference between the young and the elderly were better revealed in Deonjang soup, a food form normally consumed in practice. Thus, the results of this study reinforced the importance of investigating sensory drivers of liking for a condiment in a food form that is normally consumed in practice for accurate understanding on consumer preference. © 2018 Institute of Food Technologists®.

Participation of People with Disabilities: An International Perspective. Selected Papers from the 1980 World Congress of Rehabilitation International (Winnipeg, Canada, June 22-27, 1980).

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Miller, Kathleen S., Ed.; And Others

Selected papers from the 1980 World Congress of Rehabilitation International Meeting on the participation of disabled people are presented. The papers address the rights of the disabled, the organization and functions of consumer groups, the impact of consumer involvement on rehabilitation and related services, social implications of the consumer…

Impact of typical rather than nutrient-dense food choices in the US Department of Agriculture Food Patterns.

PubMed

Britten, Patricia; Cleveland, Linda E; Koegel, Kristin L; Kuczynski, Kevin J; Nickols-Richardson, Sharon M

2012-10-01

The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) Food Patterns, released as part of the 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans, are designed to meet nutrient needs without exceeding energy requirements. They identify amounts to consume from each food group and recommend that nutrient-dense forms-lean or low-fat, without added sugars or salt-be consumed. Americans fall short of most food group intake targets and do not consume foods in nutrient-dense forms. Intake of calories from solid fats and added sugars exceed maximum limits by large margins. Our aim was to determine the potential effect on meeting USDA Food Pattern nutrient adequacy and moderation goals if Americans consumed the recommended quantities from each food group, but did not implement the advice to select nutrient-dense forms of food and instead made more typical food choices. Food-pattern modeling analysis using the USDA Food Patterns, which are structured to allow modifications in one or more aspects of the patterns, was used. Nutrient profiles for each food group were modified by replacing each nutrient-dense representative food with a similar but typical choice. Typical nutrient profiles were used to determine the energy and nutrient content of the food patterns. Moderation goals are not met when amounts of food in the USDA Food Patterns are followed and typical rather than nutrient-dense food choices are made. Energy, total fat, saturated fat, and sodium exceed limits in all patterns, often by substantial margins. With typical choices, calories were 15% to 30% (ie, 350 to 450 kcal) above the target calorie level for each pattern. Adequacy goals were not substantially affected by the use of typical food choices. If consumers consume the recommended quantities from each food group and subgroup, but fail to choose foods in low-fat, no-added-sugars, and low-sodium forms, they will not meet the USDA Food Patterns moderation goals or the 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans. Copyright © 2012 Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Potential release scenarios for carbon nanotubes used in composites

EPA Science Inventory

The expected widespread use of carbon nanotube (CNT)-composites in consumer products calls for an assessment of the possible release and exposure to workers, consumers and the environment. Release of CNTs may occur at all steps in the life cycle of products, but to date only limi...

Consumer Concerns.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Idleman, Hillis K.

The module deals mainly with some of the service problems experienced by consumers, examines the causes of some problems, and suggests some solutions, attempting to present the standpoint of the producer as well as the buyer and user. The module may be presented as a semester or part semester course. Organized by expected student understandings,…

Automotive advertising copy test. Final report

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Not Available

In order to better understand consumer perceptions and use of the mileage estimates as presented in print advertising, the Department of Energy, in conjunction with the Federal Trade Commission and the EPA, initiated a research project. Purpose was to: measure recall/recognition of EPA Estimated MPG/highway mileage estimates in print ads; determine consumer expectations and believability of advertised mileage guidelines; measure recall/comprehension of mileage disclaimers; and determine how consumers utilize published mileage estimates.

The role of yogurt in improving the quality of the American diet and meeting dietary guidelines.

PubMed

Webb, Densie; Donovan, Sharon M; Meydani, Simin Nikbin

2014-03-01

The Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGA) recommend three daily servings of low- or nonfat dairy products, yet two-thirds of individuals in the United States do not meet that goal. Including low- or nonfat yogurt as part of an overall healthful diet can be a positive step toward meeting the DGA recommendations. Yogurt naturally contains calcium and potassium, and some products are fortified with vitamin D. All of these nutrients were identified in the DGA as "nutrients of concern," because typical intake falls far short of recommended intakes. Yogurt can also be an excellent source of high-quality protein, which promotes satiety, helps in maintaining a healthy body weight, and aids muscle and bone growth. In addition, yogurt is low in sodium and contributes 1.0% or less of added sugars to the diets of most individuals in the United States; however, 90% of children and adults consume less than 8 ounces (1 cup) of yogurt per week. Thus, consuming 1 serving of yogurt per day would help to meet the DGA-recommended dairy servings and would provide nutrients of concern. © 2014 International Life Sciences Institute.

Influence of BMI and dietary restraint on self-selected portions of prepared meals in US women.

PubMed

Labbe, David; Rytz, Andréas; Brunstrom, Jeffrey M; Forde, Ciarán G; Martin, Nathalie

2017-04-01

The rise of obesity prevalence has been attributed in part to an increase in food and beverage portion sizes selected and consumed among overweight and obese consumers. Nevertheless, evidence from observations of adults is mixed and contradictory findings might reflect the use of small or unrepresentative samples. The objective of this study was i) to determine the extent to which BMI and dietary restraint predict self-selected portion sizes for a range of commercially available prepared savoury meals and ii) to consider the importance of these variables relative to two previously established predictors of portion selection, expected satiation and expected liking. A representative sample of female consumers (N = 300, range 18-55 years) evaluated 15 frozen savoury prepared meals. For each meal, participants rated their expected satiation and expected liking, and selected their ideal portion using a previously validated computer-based task. Dietary restraint was quantified using the Dutch Eating Behaviour Questionnaire (DEBQ-R). Hierarchical multiple regression was performed on self-selected portions with age, hunger level, and meal familiarity entered as control variables in the first step of the model, expected satiation and expected liking as predictor variables in the second step, and DEBQ-R and BMI as exploratory predictor variables in the third step. The second and third steps significantly explained variance in portion size selection (18% and 4%, respectively). Larger portion selections were significantly associated with lower dietary restraint and with lower expected satiation. There was a positive relationship between BMI and portion size selection (p = 0.06) and between expected liking and portion size selection (p = 0.06). Our discussion considers future research directions, the limited variance explained by our model, and the potential for portion size underreporting by overweight participants. Copyright © 2016 Nestec S.A. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

The Influence of Color on the Consumer’s Experience of Beer

PubMed Central

Carvalho, Felipe Reinoso; Moors, Pieter; Wagemans, Johan; Spence, Charles

2017-01-01

Visual appearance (e.g., color) cues set expectations regarding the likely taste and flavor properties of food and drink. These expectations may, in turn, anchor the subsequent tasting experience. In the present study, we examined the influence of the color of a beer on the consumer’s experience. Dark and pale beers were evaluated both before and after tasting. Importantly, these beers were indistinguishable in terms of their taste/flavor when tasted without any visual cues. The results indicate that the differing visual appearance of the beers led to clear differences in expected taste/flavor. However, after tasting, no differences in flavor ratings were observed, indicating that the expectations based on visual cues did not influence the actual tasting experience. The participants also expected the dark beer to be more expensive than the pale one. These outcomes suggest that changes in the visual appearance of a beer lead to significant changes in the way in which consumers expect the beer to taste. At the same time, however, our findings also suggest the need for more evidence to be collected in order to determine the boundary conditions on when such crossmodal expectations may vs. may not affect the tasting experience. Highlights: The expected flavor of a beer is affected by its visual appearance. No differences in flavor ratings were observed on tasting. Consumers expect dark beers to be more expensive than pale/amber beers. PMID:29312065

The impact of perceived quality on online buying decisions: an event-related potentials perspective.

PubMed

Wang, Jing; Han, Weiwei

2014-10-01

Consumer neuroscience can provide useful insights into the neural foundations of consumer decisions, such as perceived quality. One of the applications is to guide attribute configuration of products to fit consumers' expectations on the basis of individual preferences. In this study, we required 20 participants to decide whether to buy the product provided in the stimuli and to respond as soon as possible. According to their reports of expectations after the experiment, we subdivided the stimuli into two conditions. Condition 1 contained the stimuli that fit individual preferences, whereas Condition 2 contained the other stimuli. An essential component of event-related potentials (ERPs), the P300, was elicited in the two conditions and distributed over almost all parietal and occipital regions. Products in Condition 1 induced a higher P300 amplitude than those in Condition 2. The results show that evaluating product attributes is a cognitive process that modulates attention in the aforementioned regions. When participants evaluate the alternatives, categorical processing occurred on the basis of similarity judgment. The situation in Condition 1 produced a similarity overlap between the product and the expectation and resulted in a higher P300. Otherwise, there was no overlap, leading to a smaller P300. Hence, the P300 may be a useful neural endogenous indicator for measuring consumers' evaluations of products in marketing research.

Meeting Recommended Levels of Physical Activity in Relation to Preventive Health Behavior and Health Status Among Adults.

PubMed

Hart, Peter D; Benavidez, Gabriel; Erickson, James

2017-01-01

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship of meeting the recommended levels of physical activity (PA) with health status and preventive health behavior in adults. A total of 5630 adults 18 years of age or older were included in this study. PA was assessed using a series of questions that categorized activities based on their metabolic equivalent values and then categorized individuals based on the reported frequency and duration of such activities. Participants reporting 150 minutes or more of moderate-intensity PA per week were considered to have met the PA guidelines. Multiple logistic regression was used to model the relationships between meeting PA guidelines and health status and preventive health behavior, while controlling for confounding variables. Overall, 53.9% (95% confidence interval [CI], 51.9 to 55.9%) of adults reported meeting the recommended levels of PA. Among adults with good general health, 56.9% (95% CI, 54.7 to 59.1%) reported meeting the recommended levels of PA versus 43.1% (95% CI, 40.9 to 45.3%) who did not. Adults who met the PA guidelines were significantly more likely not to report high cholesterol, diabetes, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, arthritis, asthma, depression, or overweight. Furthermore, adults meeting the PA guidelines were significantly more likely to report having health insurance, consuming fruits daily, consuming vegetables daily, and not being a current cigarette smoker. In this study, we found meeting the current guidelines for PA to have a protective relationship with both health status and health behavior in adults. Health promotion programs should focus on strategies that help individuals meet the current guidelines of at least 150 minutes per week of moderate-intensity PA.

75 FR 4408 - Notice of Public Meeting

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-01-27

..., pharmaceutical companies, health care delivery organizations, agricultural producers, consumer groups, and other...: January 20, 2010. Tanja Popovic, Chief Science Officer, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. [FR...

Consumer Expectations of Online Services in the Insurance Industry: An Exploratory Study of Drivers and Outcomes.

PubMed

Méndez-Aparicio, M Dolores; Izquierdo-Yusta, Alicia; Jiménez-Zarco, Ana I

2017-01-01

Today, the customer-brand relationship is fundamental to a company's bottom line, especially in the service sector and with services offered via online channels. In order to maximize its effects, organizations need (1) to know which factors influence the formation of an individual's service expectations in an online environment; and (2) to establish the influence of these expectations on customers' likelihood of recommending a service before they have even used it. In accordance with the TAM model (Davis, 1989; Davis et al., 1992), the TRA model (Fishbein and Ajzen, 1975), the extended UTAUT model (Venkatesh et al., 2012), and the approach described by Alloza (2011), this work proposes a theoretical model of the antecedents and consequences of consumer expectations of online services. In order to validate the proposed theoretical model, a sample of individual insurance company customers was analyzed. The results showed, first, the importance of customers' expectations with regard to the intention to recommend the "private area" of the company's website to other customers prior to using it themselves. They also revealed the importance to expectations of the antecedents perceived usefulness, ease of use, frequency of use, reputation, and subjective norm.

Consumer Expectations of Online Services in the Insurance Industry: An Exploratory Study of Drivers and Outcomes

PubMed Central

Méndez-Aparicio, M. Dolores; Izquierdo-Yusta, Alicia; Jiménez-Zarco, Ana I.

2017-01-01

Today, the customer-brand relationship is fundamental to a company’s bottom line, especially in the service sector and with services offered via online channels. In order to maximize its effects, organizations need (1) to know which factors influence the formation of an individual’s service expectations in an online environment; and (2) to establish the influence of these expectations on customers’ likelihood of recommending a service before they have even used it. In accordance with the TAM model (Davis, 1989; Davis et al., 1992), the TRA model (Fishbein and Ajzen, 1975), the extended UTAUT model (Venkatesh et al., 2012), and the approach described by Alloza (2011), this work proposes a theoretical model of the antecedents and consequences of consumer expectations of online services. In order to validate the proposed theoretical model, a sample of individual insurance company customers was analyzed. The results showed, first, the importance of customers’ expectations with regard to the intention to recommend the “private area” of the company’s website to other customers prior to using it themselves. They also revealed the importance to expectations of the antecedents perceived usefulness, ease of use, frequency of use, reputation, and subjective norm. PMID:28798705

The Feedback-Related Negativity and the P300 Brain Potential Are Sensitive to Price Expectation Violations in a Virtual Shopping Task

PubMed Central

Schaefer, Alexandre; Buratto, Luciano G.; Goto, Nobuhiko; Brotherhood, Emilie V.

2016-01-01

A large body of evidence shows that buying behaviour is strongly determined by consumers’ price expectations and the extent to which real prices violate these expectations. Despite the importance of this phenomenon, little is known regarding its neural mechanisms. Here we show that two patterns of electrical brain activity known to index prediction errors–the Feedback-Related Negativity (FRN) and the feedback-related P300 –were sensitive to price offers that were cheaper than participants’ expectations. In addition, we also found that FRN amplitude time-locked to price offers predicted whether a product would be subsequently purchased or not, and further analyses suggest that this result was driven by the sensitivity of the FRN to positive price expectation violations. This finding strongly suggests that ensembles of neurons coding positive prediction errors play a critical role in real-life consumer behaviour. Further, these findings indicate that theoretical models based on the notion of prediction error, such as the Reinforcement Learning Theory, can provide a neurobiologically grounded account of consumer behavior. PMID:27658301

Does better for the environment mean less tasty? Offering more climate-friendly meals is good for the environment and customer satisfaction.

PubMed

Visschers, Vivianne H M; Siegrist, Michael

2015-12-01

Food consumption comprises a significant portion of the total environmental impact of households. One way to reduce this impact may be to offer consumers more climate-friendly meal choices, such as when eating out. However, the environmental benefits of such an intervention will depend on not only consumers' liking of the climate-friendlier meals, but also on the perceived environmental impact. We therefore investigated the relationship between the global warming potential (GWP) of and consumers' liking of meals in two field studies in the same restaurant. Visitors to the restaurant were asked to rate the taste of the meal they had just consumed. These taste ratings were then related to the meals' GWP and number of purchases. In the second study, an intervention was tested consisting of a climate-friendly choice label and information posters. Contrary to expectations, it was found in both studies that the GWP of the meals was unrelated to the taste or the number of purchases. Offering more climate-friendly meals did not change consumer satisfaction. As expected, the introduction of the climate-friendly choice label increased the number of climate-friendly meal purchases. Therefore, offering more climate-friendly meals with a climate-friendly choice label can affect consumers' meal choices, but not their preferences or satisfaction, which is beneficial for the climate, consumers and gastronomic establishments. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Consumer concerns and expectations about novel food processing technologies: effects on product liking.

PubMed

Cardello, Armand V

2003-06-01

Eighty-eight consumers participated in a blind pre-test in which they rated their baseline preference for chocolate pudding, their liking of three tasted brands of chocolate pudding, and their level of concern for 20 different food processing and preservation technologies. All returned one month later and tasted the same puddings, but this time they were informed that they had been processed by one of several different novel or traditional food processing techniques. Different sub-groups were informed of the name of the process, the name plus a factual description of the process, or the name, the factual description, plus a benefit statement. Ratings of expected liking were obtained before and after viewing the samples, but before tasting them. Finally, subjects tasted and rated the products for actual liking and a sub-group rated their concern levels for the same 20 technologies rated in the pre-test. Pre-test results showed females to have significantly higher concern levels for all technologies. Individuals who had demonstrated a willingness to consume foods processed by one novel technology (irradiation) had lower concern ratings for all technologies. Ratings of concern were negatively correlated with expected liking for products believed to be processed by the technologies. Expected liking ratings were positively influenced by visual exposure to the product and by a safety and benefit statement. Linear regression of the change in product liking as a function of whether products were better or worse than expected supported an assimilation model of the effect of disconfirmed expectations on liking/disliking. Lastly, post-test concern levels for many of the technologies were reduced by participation in the study.

Modulation of sweet preference by the actual and anticipated consequences of eating.

PubMed

Martin, Ashley A; Ferriday, Danielle; Rogers, Peter J; Brunstrom, Jeffrey M

2016-12-01

Previous research has shown that non-human animals exhibit an inverted-U pattern of sweet preference, with consumption increasing across moderate levels of sweetness and then declining for high levels of sweetness. In rodents, this pattern reflects an avoidance of the postingestive effects of consuming energy-dense sugar solutions (conditioned satiation). Here, we examined whether humans also adjust their preferences to compensate for the anticipated energy content/satiating outcomes of consuming sweetened foods. In two experiments (each N = 40), participants were asked to taste and imagine eating small (15 g) and large (250 g) portions of five novel desserts that varied in sweetness. Participants evaluated the desserts' expected satiety, expected satiation, and expected sickliness. A measure of estimated energy content was also derived using a computerized energy compensation test. This procedure was completed before and after consuming a standard lunch. Across both experiments, results confirmed that participants preferred a less sweet dessert when asked to imagine eating a large versus a small portion, and when rating the dessert in a fed versus fasted state. We also obtained evidence that participants anticipated more energy from the sweeter desserts (even in Experiment 2 when half of the participants were informed that the desserts were equated for energy content). However we found only partial evidence for anticipated satiation-expected sickliness was related systematically to increases in sweetness, but expected satiation and expected satiety were only weakly influenced. These findings raise questions about the role of sweetness in the control of food intake (in humans) and the degree to which 'sweet-calorie learning' occurs in complex dietary environments where sweetness may actually be a poor predictor of the energy content of foods. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Improvements to a Major Digital Archive of Seismic Waveforms from Nuclear Explosions: Borovoye Seismogram Archive

DTIC Science & Technology

2008-09-30

coda) meet expectations. We are also interpreting absolute amplitudes, for those underground nuclear explosions at the Semipalatinsk Test Site (STS...waves, coda) meet expectations. We are also interpreting absolute amplitudes, for those underground nuclear explosions at the Semipalatinsk Test Site ...Monitoring Research Review: Ground-Based Nuclear Explosion Monitoring Technologies 4.0- Balapan Subregion Semipalatinsk Test Site n- 3.5 - (U CIO ’-3.0 ES UI

Educating Danish School Leaders to Meet New Expectations?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Moos, Lejf

2011-01-01

There is no shared understanding of what school leaders are expected to do. Schools have many external as well as internal stakeholders and each of them has different expectations as to leadership practice. Thus school leadership is a "fluid signifier". This article first outlines external expectations that school leaders are faced with…

Consumer involvement in the health technology assessment program.

PubMed

Royle, Jane; Oliver, Sandy

2004-01-01

This study aims to describe a cycle of development leading to sustainable methods for involving consumers in the management of a program commissioning health technology assessment. Staff time was dedicated to developing procedures for recruiting and briefing consumers to participate in prioritizing, commissioning, and reporting research. Resources and support were developed in light of early feedback from consumers and those working with them. These were piloted and amended before being used routinely. Over 4 years, procedures and resources have been developed to support six consumers attending seven to eight prioritization meetings a year; thirty to forty-five consumers each year commenting on research need for particular topics; thirty consumers a year commenting on research proposals, and twenty a year commenting on research reports. The procedures include clear job descriptions, induction and development days, clear briefing materials, payment for substantial tasks, and regularly seeking feedback to improve procedures. Explicit, inclusive, and reproducible methods for supporting consumer involvement that satisfy National Health Service policy recommendations for involving consumers in research require dedicated staff time to support a cycle of organizational development.

Relationship of Consumption of Meals Including Grain, Fish and Meat, and Vegetable Dishes to the Prevention of Nutrient Deficiency: The INTERMAP Toyama Study.

PubMed

Koyama, Tatsuya; Yoshita, Katsushi; Sakurai, Masaru; Miura, Katsuyuki; Naruse, Yuchi; Okuda, Nagako; Okayama, Akira; Stamler, Jeremiah; Ueshima, Hirotsugu; Nakagawa, Hideaki

2016-01-01

A Japanese-style diet consists of meals that include grain (shushoku), fish and meat (shusai), and vegetable dishes (fukusai). Little is known about the association of such meals (designated well-balanced meals hereafter) with nutrient intake. We therefore examined the frequency of well-balanced meals required to prevent nutrient deficiency. Participants were Japanese people, ages 40 to 59 y, from Toyama, recruited for INTERMAP, in an international population-based study. Each person provided 4 in-depth 24-h dietary recalls (149 men, 150 women). The prevalence of risk ratios of not meeting the Dietary Reference Intakes for Japanese (2015) was calculated. Well-balanced diets were assessed by the Japanese Food Guide Spinning Top. We counted the frequencies of meals in which participants consumed 1.0 or more servings of all 3 dishes categories. We divided the frequency of consumption of well-balanced meals into the following 4 groups: <1.00 time/d, 1.00-1.49 times/d, 1.50-1.74 times/d, and ≥1.75 times/d. Compared with participants in the highest frequency group for well-balanced meals, those who consumed well-balanced meals less than once a day had a higher risk of not meeting the adequate intake for potassium and the recommended dietary allowance for vitamin A. Those who consumed well-balanced meals on average less than 1.50 times per day had a higher risk of not meeting the recommended dietary allowance for calcium and vitamin C. Our results suggest that individuals should on average consume well-balanced meals more than 1.5 times per day to prevent calcium and vitamin C deficiencies.

Naturalistic drive cycle synthesis for pickup trucks.

PubMed

Liu, Zifan; Ivanco, Andrej; Filipi, Zoran

2015-09-01

Future pick-up trucks are meeting much stricter fuel economy and exhaust emission standards. Design tradeoffs will have to be carefully evaluated to satisfy consumer expectations within the regulatory and cost constraints. Boundary conditions will obviously be critical for decision making: thus, the understanding of how customers are driving in naturalistic settings is indispensable. Federal driving schedules, while critical for certification, do not capture the richness of naturalistic cycles, particularly the aggressive maneuvers that often shape consumer perception of performance. While there are databases with large number of drive cycles, applying all of them directly in the design process is impractical. Therefore, representative drive cycles that capture the essence of the naturalistic driving should be synthesized from naturalistic driving data. Naturalistic drive cycles are firstly categorized by investigating their micro-trip components, defined as driving activities between successive stops. Micro-trips are expected to characterize underlying local traffic conditions, and separate different driving patterns. Next, the transitions from one vehicle state to another vehicle state in each cycle category are captured with Transition Probability Matrix (TPM). Candidate drive cycles can subsequently be synthesized using Markov Chain based on TPMs for each category. Finally, representative synthetic drive cycles are selected through assessment of significant cycle metrics to identify the ones with smallest errors. This paper provides a framework for synthesis of representative drive cycles from naturalistic driving data, which can subsequently be used for efficient optimization of design or control of pick-up truck powertrains. Manufacturers will benefit from representative drive cycles in several aspects, including quick assessments of vehicle performance and energy consumption in simulations, component sizing and design, optimization of control strategies, and vehicle testing under real-world conditions. This is in contrast to using federal certification test cycles, which were never intended to capture pickup truck segment. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd and National Safety Council. All rights reserved.

Marketing analysis of a maternity service by a consumer.

PubMed

Crowley-Murphy, M

1996-07-01

Marketing analysis is a means of identifying consumer satisfaction, thus providing a means of exploiting weaknesses in competitors. As part of a graduate midwifery programme a small study was undertaken analysing marketing activities used by one competitor provider of maternity care services. The Marketing mix, Ansoff matrix and Gap analysis were the marketing tools used. Recommendations to midwifery service providers suggest using market research to identify consumer expectations and explore areas of both satisfaction and dissatisfaction.

HealthStyles: a new psychographic segmentation system for health care marketers.

PubMed

Endresen, K W; Wintz, J C

1988-01-01

HealthStyles is a new psychographic segmentation system specifically designed for the health care industry. This segmentation system goes beyond traditional geographic and demographic analysis and examines health-related consumer attitudes and behaviors. Four statistically distinct "styles" of consumer health care preferences have been identified. The profiles of the four groups have substantial marketing implications in terms of design and promotion of products and services. Each segment of consumers also has differing expectations of physician behavior.

A consumption value-gap analysis for sustainable consumption.

PubMed

Biswas, Aindrila

2017-03-01

Recent studies on consumption behavior have depicted environmental apprehension resulting from across wide consumer segments. However, this has not been widely reflected upon the growth in the market shares for green or environment-friendly products mostly because gaps exist between consumers' expectations and perceptions for those products. Previous studies have highlighted the impact of perceived value on potential demand, consumer satisfaction and behavioral intentions. The necessity to understand the effects of gaps in expected and perceived values on consumers' behavioral intention and potential demand for green products cannot be undermined as it shapes the consumers' inclination to repeated purchase and consumption and thus foster potential market demand. Pertaining to this reason, the study aims to adopt a consumption value-gap model based on the theory of consumption values to assess their impact on sustainable consumption behavior and market demand of green products. Consumption value refers to the level of fulfillment of consumer needs by assessment of net utility derived after effective comparison between the benefits (financial or emotional) and the gives (money, time, or energy). The larger the gaps the higher will be the adversarial impact on behavioral intentions. A structural equation modeling was applied to assess data collected through questionnaire survey. The results indicate that functional value-gap and environmental value-gap has the most adversarial impact on sustainable consumption behavior and market demand for green products.

FAA and NASA UTM Research Transition Team: Communications and Navigation (CN) Working Group (WCG) Kickoff Meeting

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Jung, Jaewoo; Larrow, Jarrett

2017-01-01

This is NASA FAA UTM Research Transition Team Communications and Navigation working group kick off meeting presentation that addresses the followings. Objectives overview Overall timeline and scope Outcomes and expectations Communication method and frequency of meetings Upcoming evaluation Next steps.

Women Infant and Children program participants' beliefs and consumption of soy milk : Application of the Theory of Planned Behavior.

PubMed

Wheeler, Ashley; Chapman-Novakofski, Karen

2014-02-01

The purpose of this study was to determine if Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) variables predict soy milk intake in a sample of WIC participants in 2 Illinois counties (n = 380). A cross-sectional survey was used, which examined soy foods intake, behavioral beliefs, subjective norms, motivation, and intention. Soy product intake was low at both sites, and many participants (40%) did not know that soy milk was WIC approved. Most (> 70%) wanted to comply with their health care providers, but didn't know their opinions about soy milk (50-66%). Intention was significantly correlated with intake (0.507, P ≤ 0.01; 0.308, P ≤ 0.05). Environmental beliefs (0.282 and 0.410, P ≤ 0.01) and expectancy beliefs (0.490 and 0.636, P ≤ 0.01) were correlated with intention. At site 1, 30% of the variance in intention to consume soy milk was explained by expectancy beliefs and subjective norm beliefs (P < 0.0001); at site 2, 40% of the variance in intention was explained by expectancy beliefs. The TPB variables of expectancy beliefs predicted intention to consume soy milk in WIC participants. Therefore, knowing more about the health benefits of soy and how to cook with soy milk would increase WIC participants' intention to consume soy milk. Positive messages about soy milk from health care providers could influence intake.

SOCIAL MARKETING : A NEW APPROACH IN MENTAL HEALTH RESEARCH

PubMed Central

Tiwari, S.C.

1998-01-01

Social marketing has a proven role in marketing and many manufacturing establishments/ organizations have been marketing their products incorporating social marketing research. Social marketing has its root in the ground fact that the perceptions and expectations of the consumers are important in influencing buying behaviour. The principles of social marketing, therefore, have been extensively utilized in the areas of consumer products. These are also used in several other fields for modifying behaviours such as civil administration, public establishments etc. In health sector social marketing has not found appropriate application whereas it could be utilized in an effective way for creating awareness, formulating health related policies, their implementation and for preventing a variety of illnesses/abnormal behaviours etc. With this background knowledge about social marketing, the author hypothesized that abnormal behaviours could be modified, health education packages could be developed to make more acceptable and effective and desired behaviours could be induced if perceptions and expectations of the community (consumers) are known a prioriori and their expectations are incorporated in programmes and policies. Thus, the author utilizing the concepts of social marketing for understanding community′s perceptions and expectations regarding issues of health, and for incorporating the same in health related programmes and policies, introduced this research concept in medical field in this country. The important findings of three research projects based on the concepts of social marketing research and their implications have been discussed. PMID:21494494

Social marketing : a new approach in mental health research.

PubMed

Tiwari, S C

1998-10-01

Social marketing has a proven role in marketing and many manufacturing establishments/ organizations have been marketing their products incorporating social marketing research. Social marketing has its root in the ground fact that the perceptions and expectations of the consumers are important in influencing buying behaviour. The principles of social marketing, therefore, have been extensively utilized in the areas of consumer products. These are also used in several other fields for modifying behaviours such as civil administration, public establishments etc. In health sector social marketing has not found appropriate application whereas it could be utilized in an effective way for creating awareness, formulating health related policies, their implementation and for preventing a variety of illnesses/abnormal behaviours etc.With this background knowledge about social marketing, the author hypothesized that abnormal behaviours could be modified, health education packages could be developed to make more acceptable and effective and desired behaviours could be induced if perceptions and expectations of the community (consumers) are known a prioriori and their expectations are incorporated in programmes and policies. Thus, the author utilizing the concepts of social marketing for understanding community's perceptions and expectations regarding issues of health, and for incorporating the same in health related programmes and policies, introduced this research concept in medical field in this country.The important findings of three research projects based on the concepts of social marketing research and their implications have been discussed.

Food Group Intake and Micronutrient Adequacy in Adolescent Girls

PubMed Central

Moore, Lynn L.; Singer, Martha R.; Qureshi, M. Mustafa; Bradlee, M. Loring; Daniels, Stephen R.

2012-01-01

This study explores the contribution of food group intakes to micronutrient adequacy among 2379 girls in the National Growth and Health Study during three age periods (9–13, 14–18, and 19–20 years). Data on food and nutrient intakes from 3-day diet records over 10 years were used to estimate mean intakes and percent meeting Dietary Guidelines (DGA) recommendations for food intakes and Institute of Medicine’s recommendations for vitamins and minerals. More than 90% of girls failed to consume the recommended amounts of fruit, vegetables and dairy; 75% consumed less than the recommended amounts in the “meat” group. The vast majority of girls of all ages had inadequate intakes of calcium, magnesium, potassium, and vitamins D and E. In contrast, they consumed >750 kcal/day (~40% of total energy) from the DGA category of solid fat and added sugars, about five times the recommended maximum intakes. This study shows the importance of consuming a variety of foods in all five food groups, including those that are more energy dense such as dairy and meats, in order to meet a broad range of nutrient guidelines. Diet patterns that combined intakes across food groups led to greater improvements in overall nutritional adequacy. PMID:23201841

12 CFR 717.26 - Delivery of opt-out notices.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... CREDIT REPORTING Affiliate Marketing § 717.26 Delivery of opt-out notices. (a) In general. The opt-out... of actual notice. A consumer may reasonably be expected to receive actual notice if the affiliate... to a consumer who has agreed to receive electronic disclosures by e-mail from the affiliate providing...

12 CFR 717.26 - Delivery of opt-out notices.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... CREDIT REPORTING Affiliate Marketing § 717.26 Delivery of opt-out notices. (a) In general. The opt-out... of actual notice. A consumer may reasonably be expected to receive actual notice if the affiliate... to a consumer who has agreed to receive electronic disclosures by e-mail from the affiliate providing...

12 CFR 717.26 - Delivery of opt-out notices.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... CREDIT REPORTING Affiliate Marketing § 717.26 Delivery of opt-out notices. (a) In general. The opt-out... of actual notice. A consumer may reasonably be expected to receive actual notice if the affiliate... to a consumer who has agreed to receive electronic disclosures by e-mail from the affiliate providing...

Parent Evaluations of Traditional and Consumer-Focused School Psychoeducational Reports

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hite, John F.

2017-01-01

Completion of pyschoeducational reports account for a significant amount of school psychologists' time. The report findings are often used to make high stakes educational decisions about the child. Parents are one of the main consumers of psychoeducational reports and expected to use the information contained in them to participate in making…

Insurance choice and tax-preferred health savings accounts.

PubMed

Cardon, James H; Showalter, Mark H

2007-03-01

We develop an infinite horizon utility maximization model of the interaction between insurance choice and tax-preferred health savings accounts. The model can be used to examine a wide range of policy options, including flexible spending accounts, health savings accounts, and health reimbursement accounts. We also develop a 2-period model to simulate various implications of the model. Key results from the simulation analysis include the following: (1) with no adverse selection, use of unrestricted health savings accounts leads to modest welfare gains, after accounting for the tax revenue loss; (2) with adverse selection and an initial pooling equilibrium comprised of "sick" and "healthy" consumers, introducing HSAs can, but does not necessarily, lead to a new pooling equilibrium. The new equilibrium results in a higher coinsurance rate, an increase in expected utility for healthy consumers, and a decrease in expected utility for sick consumers; (3) with adverse selection and a separating equilibrium, both sick and healthy consumers are better off with a health savings account; (4) efficiency gains are possible when insurance contracts are explicitly linked to tax-preferred health savings accounts.

Understanding Housing Delays and Relocations Within the Housing First Model.

PubMed

Zerger, Suzanne; Pridham, Katherine Francombe; Jeyaratnam, Jeyagobi; Hwang, Stephen W; O'Campo, Patricia; Kohli, Jaipreet; Stergiopoulos, Vicky

2016-01-01

This study explores factors contributing to delays and relocations during the implementation of the Housing First model in Toronto, Ontario. While interruptions in housing tenure are expected en route to recovery and housing stability, consumer and service provider views on finding and keeping housing remain largely unknown. In-person interviews and focus groups were conducted with 48 study participants, including 23 case managers or housing workers and 25 consumers. The following three factors contributed to housing delays and transfers: (1) the effectiveness of communication and collaboration among consumers and service providers, (2) consumer-driven preferences and ambivalence, and (3) provider prioritization of consumer choice over immediate housing access. Two strategies--targeted communications and consumer engagement in housing searches--supported the housing process. Several factors affect the timing and stability of housing. Communication between and among providers and consumers, and a shared understanding of consumer choice, can further support choice and recovery.

Australian mental health consumers contributions to the evaluation and improvement of recovery-oriented service provision.

PubMed

Marshal, Sarah L; Oades, Lindsay G; Growe, Trevor P

2010-01-01

One key component of recovery-oriented mental health services, typically overlooked, involves genuine collaboration between researchers and consumers to evaluate and improve services delivered within a recovery framework. Eighteen mental health consumers working with staff who had received training in the Collaborative Recovery Model (CRM) took part in in-depth focus group meetings, of approximately 2.5 hours each, to generate feedback to guide improvement of the CRM and its use in mental health services. Consumers identified clear avenues for improvement for the CRM both specific to the model and broadly applicable to recovery-oriented service provision. Findings suggest consumers want to be more engaged and empowered in the use of the CRM from the outset. Improved sampling procedures may have led to the identification of additional dissatisfied consumers. Collaboration with mental health consumers in the evaluation and improvement of recovery-oriented practice is crucial with an emphasis on rebuilding mental health services that are genuinely oriented to support recovery.

Meet EPA Scientist Diana Bless

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

EPA chemical engineer Diana Bless works on sustainable materials management research for rare earth elements in consumer electronics and approaches related to characterization, source control and treatment of mining-influenced waters.

Plan selection in Medicare Part D: Evidence from administrative data

PubMed Central

Heiss, Florian; Leive, Adam; McFadden, Daniel; Winter, Joachim

2014-01-01

We study the Medicare Part D prescription drug insurance program as a bellwether for designs of private, non-mandatory health insurance markets, focusing on the ability of consumers to evaluate and optimize their choices of plans. Our analysis of administrative data on medical claims in Medicare Part D suggests that fewer than 25 percent of individuals enroll in plans that are ex ante as good as the least cost plan specified by the Plan Finder tool made available to seniors by the Medicare administration, and that consumers on average have expected excess spending of about $300 per year, or about 15 percent of expected total out-of-pocket cost for drugs and Part D insurance. These numbers are hard to reconcile with decision costs alone; it appears that unless a sizeable fraction of consumers place large values on plan features other than cost, they are not optimizing effectively. PMID:24308882

Hospital customer service in a changing healthcare world: does it matter?

PubMed

Howard, J

1999-01-01

The healthcare industry is undergoing a rapid transformation to meet the ever-increasing needs and demands of the patient population. Employers and health plans such as HMOs are demanding better service and higher quality care, and hospitals are trying to tackle reimbursement cutbacks, streamline services, and serve a diverse population. Hospitals have begun to realize that to overcome these obstacles and meet the needs of the health care plans and consumers, they must focus on the demands of the customer. Customer service initiatives increase patient satisfaction and loyalty and overall hospital quality, and many hospitals have found that consumer demands can be met through initiating and maintaining a customer service program. This article describes how the administrator can create, implement, and manage customer service initiatives within the hospital.

Why Do So Few Consumers Use Health Care Quality Report Cards? A Framework for Understanding the Limited Consumer Impact of Comparative Quality Information.

PubMed

Bhandari, Neeraj; Scanlon, Dennis P; Shi, Yunfeng; Smith, Rachel A

2018-05-01

Despite growing investment in producing and releasing comparative provider quality information (CQI), consumer use of CQI has remained poor. We offer a framework to interpret and synthesize the existing literature's diverse approaches to explaining the CQI's low appeal for consumers. Our framework cautions CQI stakeholders against forming unrealistic expectations of pervasive consumer use and suggests that they focus their efforts more narrowly on consumers who may find CQI more salient for choosing providers. We review the consumer impact of stakeholder efforts to apply the burgeoning knowledge of consumers' cognitive limitations to the design and dissemination of the new generation of report cards; we conclude that while it is too limited to draw firm conclusions, early evidence suggests consumers are responding to the novel design and dissemination strategies. We find that consumers continue to have difficulty accessing reliable report cards, while the media remains underused in the dissemination of report cards.

Consumers' quality perception of national branded, national store branded, and imported store branded beef.

PubMed

Banović, Marija; Grunert, Klaus G; Barreira, Maria Madalena; Fontes, Magda Aguiar

2010-01-01

This study investigated the differences in the consumers' quality perception of national branded, national store branded, and imported store branded beef. Partial Least Squares analysis is used for modelling the quality perception process. Results show that consumers perceived national branded Carnalentejana beef, as better on all quality cues and quality aspects than the other two store branded beefs. Preference for Carnalentejana beef stayed highly consistent even after the blind test, where consumers differentiated this beef from the other two beef brands on all sensory dimensions: taste, tenderness, and juiciness, and chose it as the preferred one. Consumers utilized more perceived intrinsic cues to infer expected eating quality of store branded beefs.

Levers for change: an investigation of how accreditation programmes can promote consumer engagement in healthcare.

PubMed

Hinchcliff, Reece; Greenfield, David; Hogden, Anne; Sarrami-Foroushani, Pooria; Travaglia, Joanne; Braithwaite, Jeffrey

2016-10-01

To examine how consumer engagement (CE) can be promoted through Australian accreditation programmes. A nation-wide qualitative study completed in 2012. All eight Australian States and Territories. Two-hundred and fifty-eight healthcare stakeholders from the acute, primary and aged care sectors. Forty-seven individual and group interviews were undertaken. Questions elicited views on the dimensions and utility of CE promotion by accreditation programmes. Healthcare stakeholders' views on the dimensions and utility of CE promotion by accreditation programmes. Four mechanisms of CE promotion were identified. Two involved requirements for health service organizations to meet CE-related standards related to consumer experience and satisfaction surveys, and consumer participation in organizational governance processes. Two mechanisms for promoting CE through accreditation processes were also identified, concerning consumer participation in the development and revision of standards, and the implementation of accreditation surveys. Accreditation programmes were viewed as important drivers of CE, yet concerns were raised regarding the organizational investments needed to meet programmes' requirements. Accreditation programmes use diverse mechanisms as levers for change to promote CE in healthcare. These mechanisms and their inter-relationships require careful consideration by accreditation agencies and health policymakers to maximize their potential benefits, while maintaining stakeholder engagement in programmes. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press in association with the International Society for Quality in Health Care. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

The Occupational Expectations of Undergraduate Students in the Conservatory Piano Majors

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Çevik Kiliç, Deniz Beste; Baltacilar Bayoglu, Talia Özlem; Güner Canbey, Ebru

2018-01-01

An expectation is the belief that a certain action will lead to a given outcome. It is noteworthy to reveal individuals' expectations from their future occupations. The quality and success of education are undoubtedly related to meeting their occupational expectations in the future. In this regard, it is of critical importance to investigate the…

From policy to practice: Addressing snack quality, consumption, and price in afterschool programs

PubMed Central

Beets, Michael W.; Tilley, Falon; Weaver, Robert G.; Turner-McGrievy, Brie; Moore, Justin B.; Webster, Collin

2013-01-01

Objective To evaluate a community partnership between afterschool programs (ASPs) and grocery store to provide discounted pricing on snacks to meet the National Afterschool Association Healthy Eating Standards that call for serving a fruit/vegetable (FV) daily, while eliminating sugar-based foods/beverages. Methods A single-group, pre- with multiple post-test design (Spring 2011–2013) in four large-scale ASPs serving 500 children/day was used along with direct observation of snacks served, consumed, and cost. Results At baseline FV, sugar-sweetened beverages (SSB), and desserts were served 0.1±0.5, 1.7±2.0, and 2.0±1.4 days/wk. By Spring 2013, FV increased to 5.0±0.0 days/wk, while SSB and desserts were eliminated. Eighty-four percent of children consumed the fruit; 59% consumed the vegetables. Cost associated with purchasing snacks resulted in a $2,000–$3,000 savings over a standard 180day school year. Conclusions and Implications This partnership can serve as a model for successfully meeting nutrition policies established for ASP snacks. PMID:24268299

E-health: how to make the right choice.

PubMed

Perez, Elizabeth

2009-01-01

TOPIC. The online health promotion phenomenon is a pivotal movement toward consumer empowerment. The challenges for the 21st century are to create meaningful, accurate online health communication interventions that successfully change behavior and improve health. PURPOSE. The Internet is a valuable tool for health promotion, self-care tools, and decision aids components for a high-quality care. The nurse educator ensures e-health sites used meet the criteria for achieving optimal wellness for the consumer. SOURCES. Published literature. CONCLUSIONS. It is crucial for nurses to use reputable e-health sites for consumer engagement and education. Researchers and practitioners are exploring the phenomenon of e-health to gain a better understanding of how to engage these consumers in health behavioral change programs.

Competitive energy consumption under transmission constraints in a multi-supplier power grid system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Popov, Ivan; Krylatov, Alexander; Zakharov, Victor; Ivanov, Dmitry

2017-04-01

Power grid architectures need to be revised in order to manage the increasing number of producers and, more generally, the decentralisation of energy production and distribution. In this work, we describe a multi-supplier multi-consumer congestion model of a power grid, where the costs of consumers depend on the congestion in nodes and arcs of the power supply network. The consumer goal is both to meet their energy demand and to minimise the costs. We show that the methods of non-atomic routing can be applied in this model in order to describe current distribution in the network. We formulate a consumer cost minimisation game for this setting, and discuss the challenges arising in equilibrium search for this game.

[Consumer demands concerning meat between price and ethics].

PubMed

Branscheid, W

1998-08-01

A review is given about consumer demands on meat. Mainly the problems of decreasing meat consumption, health aspects and special questions of ecological products are considered. The market gives evidence of a further drop in meat consumption and a more consistent differentiation of product lines. Eco-products, emphasising the animal welfare aspect, will have their place in that context but persist in the state of a minor market segment. Nevertheless it has to be expected, that also the conventional products will increasingly comply to modern consumer demands.

Economic Analysis of a Basic Allowance for Health Care for Active Duty and Retired Members of the Armed Forces

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-12-01

the ability to alter consumer behavior and lower costs (Herzlinger, 2004; Feldstein, 1995). One of the possible drivers behind this behavioral...between $400–$2,400 may alter consumer behavior on the margin because those changes should lead them to think more carefully about the marginal costs...section. While the underlying system proposed by Heffley and Miceli does not mirror the proposed BAHC, it does offer insights into expected consumer

Culture and Consumer Behavior: The Role of Horizontal and Vertical Cultural Factors

PubMed Central

Shavitt, Sharon; Cho, Hyewon

2016-01-01

We examine the influence of culture on consumer behavior with a particular focus on horizontal and vertical individualism and collectivism. Cultures vary in their propensity to emphasize hierarchy, a distinction captured by examining horizontal/vertical cultural orientations or contexts. These cultural factors pattern personal values and goals, power concepts, and normative expectations applied to the exercise of power. We review implications for how consumers respond to brands in the marketplace, service providers, and each others' needs. PMID:28083559

Culture and Consumer Behavior: The Role of Horizontal and Vertical Cultural Factors.

PubMed

Shavitt, Sharon; Cho, Hyewon

2016-04-01

We examine the influence of culture on consumer behavior with a particular focus on horizontal and vertical individualism and collectivism. Cultures vary in their propensity to emphasize hierarchy, a distinction captured by examining horizontal/vertical cultural orientations or contexts. These cultural factors pattern personal values and goals, power concepts, and normative expectations applied to the exercise of power. We review implications for how consumers respond to brands in the marketplace, service providers, and each others' needs.

34 CFR 200.79 - Exclusion of supplemental State and local funds from supplement, not supplant and comparability...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... EDUCATION TITLE I-IMPROVING THE ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT OF THE DISADVANTAGED Improving Basic Programs Operated... academic achievement standards that all students are expected to meet; (iii) Is designed to meet the... at risk of failing, to meet the State's challenging student academic achievement standards; and (iv...

34 CFR 200.79 - Exclusion of supplemental State and local funds from supplement, not supplant and comparability...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... academic achievement standards; (ii) Provides supplementary services designed to meet the special... at least 40 percent; (ii) Is designed to promote schoolwide reform and upgrade the entire educational... academic achievement standards that all students are expected to meet; (iii) Is designed to meet the...

Perceived barriers to effective implementation of public reporting of hospital performance data in Australia: a qualitative study.

PubMed

Canaway, Rachel; Bismark, Marie; Dunt, David; Kelaher, Margaret

2017-06-07

Public reporting of government funded (public) hospital performance data was mandated in Australia in 2011. Studies suggest some benefit associated with such public reporting, but also considerable scope to improve reporting systems. In 2015, a purposive sample of 41 expert informants were interviewed, representing consumer, provider and purchasers perspectives across Australia's public and private health sectors, to ascertain expert opinion on the utility and impact of public reporting of health service performance. Qualitative data was thematically analysed with a focus on reporting perceived strengths and barriers to public reporting of hospital performance data (PR). Many more weaknesses and barriers to PR were identified than strengths. Barriers were: conceptual (unclear objective, audience and reporting framework); systems-level (including lack of consumer choice, lack of consumer and clinician involvement, jurisdictional barriers, lack of mandate for private sector reporting); technical and resource related (including data complexity, lack of data relevance consistency, rigour); and socio-cultural (including provider resistance to public reporting, poor consumer health literacy, lack of consumer empowerment). Perceptions of the Australian experience of PR highlight important issues in its implementation that can provide lessons for Australia and elsewhere. A considerable weakness of PR in Australia is that the public are often not considered its major audience, resulting in information ineffectually framed to meet the objective of PR informing consumer decision-making about treatment options. Greater alignment is needed between the primary objective of PR, its audience and audience needs; more than one system of PR might be necessary to meet different audience needs and objectives. Further research is required to assess objectively the potency of the barriers to PR suggested by our panel of informants.

Expectations, Performance, and Citizen Satisfaction with Urban Services

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Van Ryzin, Gregg G.

2004-01-01

The expectancy disconfirmation model has dominated private-sector research on customer satisfaction for several decades, yet it has not been applied to citizen satisfaction with urban services. The model views satisfaction judgments as determined--not just by product or service performance--but by a process in which consumers compare performance…

76 FR 33409 - Guidance on Deposit-Related Consumer Credit Products

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-06-08

... OCC's application of principles of safe and sound banking practices in connection with deposit-related... guidance details the principles that the OCC expects national banks to follow in connection with any... without dictating specific product terms. The OCC expects national banks to apply the principles set forth...

Utilization of community pharmacy space to enhance privacy: a qualitative study.

PubMed

Hattingh, H Laetitia; Emmerton, Lynne; Ng Cheong Tin, Pascale; Green, Catherine

2016-10-01

Community pharmacists require access to consumers' information about their medicines and health-related conditions to make informed decisions regarding treatment options. Open communication between consumers and pharmacists is ideal although consumers are only likely to disclose relevant information if they feel that their privacy requirements are being acknowledged and adhered to. This study sets out to explore community pharmacy privacy practices, experiences and expectations and the utilization of available space to achieve privacy. Qualitative methods were used, comprising a series of face-to-face interviews with 25 pharmacists and 55 pharmacy customers in Perth, Western Australia, between June and August 2013. The use of private consultation areas for certain services and sensitive discussions was supported by pharmacists and consumers although there was recognition that workflow processes in some pharmacies may need to change to maximize the use of private areas. Pharmacy staff adopted various strategies to overcome privacy obstacles such as taking consumers to a quieter part of the pharmacy, avoiding exposure of sensitive items through packaging, lowering of voices, interacting during pharmacy quiet times and telephoning consumers. Pharmacy staff and consumers regularly had to apply judgement to achieve the required level of privacy. Management of privacy can be challenging in the community pharmacy environment, and on-going work in this area is important. As community pharmacy practice is increasingly becoming more involved in advanced medication and disease state management services with unique privacy requirements, pharmacies' layouts and systems to address privacy challenges require a proactive approach. © 2015 The Authors. Health Expectations Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

The Physical Therapy and Society Summit (PASS) Meeting: observations and opportunities.

PubMed

Kigin, Colleen M; Rodgers, Mary M; Wolf, Steven L

2010-11-01

The construct of delivering high-quality and cost-effective health care is in flux, and the profession must strategically plan how to meet the needs of society. In 2006, the House of Delegates of the American Physical Therapy Association passed a motion to convene a summit on "how physical therapists can meet current, evolving, and future societal health care needs." The Physical Therapy and Society Summit (PASS) meeting on February 27-28, 2009, in Leesburg, Virginia, sent a clear message that for physical therapists to be effective and thrive in the health care environment of the future, a paradigm shift is required. During the PASS meeting, participants reframed our traditional focus on the physical therapist and the patient/client (consumer) to one in which physical therapists are an integral part of a collaborative, multidisciplinary health care team with the health care consumer as its focus. The PASS Steering Committee recognized that some of the opportunities that surfaced during the PASS meeting may be disruptive or may not be within the profession's present strategic or tactical plans. Thus, adopting a framework that helps to establish the need for change that is provocative and potentially disruptive to our present care delivery, yet prioritizes opportunities, is a critical and essential step. Each of us in the physical therapy profession must take on post-PASS roles and responsibilities to accomplish the systemic change that is so intimately intertwined with our destiny. This article offers a perspective of the dynamic dialogue and suggestions that emerged from the PASS event, providing further opportunities for discussion and action within our profession.

What Price Privacy? (and why identity theft is about neither identity nor theft)

DTIC Science & Technology

2004-01-01

justify. It might be pos- sible to collect data on occurrence of identity theft correlated with consumer behavior so that probabilities of at least...needs to learn from experience, so consumer behavior is likely to lag behind any current reality. So one answer is that the expected cost 6 of privacy

Techno-economic analysis and decision making for PHEV benefits to society, consumers, policymakers and automakers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Al-Alawi, Baha Mohammed

Plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) are an emerging automotive technology that has the capability to reduce transportation environmental impacts, but at an increased production cost. PHEVs can draw and store energy from an electric grid and consequently show reductions in petroleum consumption, air emissions, ownership costs, and regulation compliance costs, and various other externalities. Decision makers in the policy, consumer, and industry spheres would like to understand the impact of HEV and PHEV technologies on the U.S. vehicle fleets, but to date, only the disciplinary characteristics of PHEVs been considered. The multidisciplinary tradeoffs between vehicle energy sources, policy requirements, market conditions, consumer preferences and technology improvements are not well understood. For example, the results of recent studies have posited the importance of PHEVs to the future US vehicle fleet. No studies have considered the value of PHEVs to automakers and policy makers as a tool for achieving US corporate average fuel economy (CAFE) standards which are planned to double by 2030. Previous studies have demonstrated the cost and benefit of PHEVs but there is no study that comprehensively accounts for the cost and benefits of PHEV to consumers. The diffusion rate of hybrid electric vehicle (HEV) and PHEV technology into the marketplace has been estimated by existing studies using various tools and scenarios, but results show wide variations between studies. There is no comprehensive modeling study that combines policy, consumers, society and automakers in the U.S. new vehicle sales cost and benefits analysis. The aim of this research is to build a potential framework that can simulate and optimize the benefits of PHEVs for a multiplicity of stakeholders. This dissertation describes the results of modeling that integrates the effects of PHEV market penetration on policy, consumer and economic spheres. A model of fleet fuel economy and CAFE compliance for a large US automaker will be developed. A comprehensive total cost of ownership model will be constructed to calculate and compare the cost and benefits of PHEVs, conventional vehicles (CVs) and HEVs. Then a comprehensive literature review of PHEVs penetration rate studies will be developed to review and analyze the primary purposes, methods, and results of studies of PHEV market penetration. Finally a multi-criteria modeling system will incorporate results of the support model results. In this project, the models, analysis and results will provide a broader understanding of the benefits and costs of PHEV technology and the parties to whom those benefits accrue. The findings will provide important information for consumers, automakers and policy makers to understand and define HEVs and PHEVs costs, benefits, expected penetration rate and the preferred vehicle design and technology scenario to meet the requirements of policy, society, industry and consumers.

Toward Enhancing the Social Benefits of Electronic Publishing. Report of an Aspen Institute Planning Meeting (Queenstown, Maryland, February 25-26, 1987). Communications and Society Forum Report #1.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rice, Michael

Intended to investigate ways in which electronic publishing might be further developed to serve important consumer needs and social interests that have yet to become a focus for the industry, this two-day planning meeting consisted of roundtable discussions with 16 electronic publishing experts and practitioners. Following a presentation of the…

White Sands Missile Range 2011 Drinking Water Quality Report

DTIC Science & Technology

2012-01-01

This Annual Drinking Water Quality Report, or the Consumer Confi dence Report, is required by the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA). The SDWA ensures...public drinking water systems meet national standards for the protection of your health. This report provides details about where your water comes...NMED). WSMR tap water meets all EPA and NMED drinking water standards. What is This Water Quality Report? Este informe contiene informacion importante

The Combined Effects of Alcohol, Caffeine and Expectancies on Subjective Experience, Impulsivity and Risk-Taking

PubMed Central

Heinz, Adrienne J.; de Wit, Harriet; Lilje, Todd C.; Kassel, Jon D.

2013-01-01

Caffeinated alcoholic beverage (CAB) consumption is a rapidly growing phenomenon among young adults and is associated with a variety of health-risk behaviors. The current study examined whether either caffeinated alcohol or the expectation of receiving caffeinated alcohol altered affective, cognitive and behavioral outcomes hypothesized to contribute to risk behavior. Young adult social drinkers (N=146) participated in a single session where they received alcohol (peak Breath Alcohol Content = .088 g/dL, SD = .019; equivalent to about 4 standard drinks) and were randomly assigned to one of four further conditions 1) no caffeine, no caffeine expectancy, 2) caffeine and caffeine expectancy, 3) no caffeine but caffeine expectancy, 4) caffeine but no caffeine expectancy. Participants’ habitual CAB consumption was positively correlated with measures of impulsivity and risky behavior, independently of study drugs. Administration of caffeine (mean dose = 220 mg, SD = 38; equivalent to about 2.75 Red Bulls) in the study reduced subjective ratings of intoxication and reversed the decrease in desire to continue drinking, regardless of expectancy. Caffeine also reduced the effect of alcohol on inhibitory reaction time (faster incorrect responses). Participants not expecting caffeine were less attentive after alcohol, whereas participants expecting caffeine were not, regardless of caffeine administration. Alcohol decreased response accuracy in all participants except those who both expected and received caffeine. Findings suggest that CABs may elevate risk for continued drinking by reducing perceived intoxication, and by maintaining the desire to continue drinking. Simply expecting to consume caffeine may reduce the effects of alcohol on inattention, and either expecting or consuming caffeine may protect against other alcohol-related performance decrements. Caffeine, when combined with alcohol, has both beneficial and detrimental effects on mechanisms known to contribute to risky behavior. PMID:23750693

77 FR 31611 - Consumer Advisory Committee

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-05-29

... ask questions of presenters via email [email protected] or via Twitter using the hashtab fcclive. In addition, the public may also follow the meeting on Twitter @fcc or via the Commission's Facebook...

Flame Retardants Used in Flexible Polyurethane Foam

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

The partnership project on flame retardants in furniture seeks to update the health and environmental profiles of flame-retardant chemicals that meet fire safety standards for upholstered consumer products with polyurethane foam

49 CFR 173.167 - Consumer commodities.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

...-toxic aerosols only), Class 3 (Packing Group II and III only), Division 6.1 (Packing Group III only... packagings intended to contain liquids must be capable of meeting the pressure differential requirements (75...

[Consumer perspective and quality development in ambulatory nursing care].

PubMed

Wingenfeld, K; Schaeffer, D

2001-04-01

In the 1990s, the debate surrounding the issue of quality in outpatient nursing care was given a remarkable boost. Also the conviction steadily grew that quality assurance should be more adjusted to values and expectations of people in need of nursing care, the addressees of such services. But a critical analysis is required to determine to what extent the role of "customer" or "consumer", a role often ascribed to them in this context, can actually be reconciled with their possibilities, expectations and interests. Based on the results of empirical studies, the following article shows that the patient's view, his expectations and evaluations largely depend on some specific consequences of being in need of care and using outpatient nursing care. The article goes into the divergent perspectives that, on the one hand, are characteristic of patients and, on the other, of the nursing staff and other bodies concerned with quality of care.

Individual insurance: health insurers try to tap potential market growth.

PubMed

November, Elizabeth A; Cohen, Genna R; Ginsburg, Paul B; Quinn, Brian C

2009-11-01

Individual insurance is the only source of health coverage for people without access to employer-sponsored insurance or public insurance. Individual insurance traditionally has been sought by older, sicker individuals who perceive the need for insurance more than younger, healthier people. The attraction of a sicker population to the individual market creates adverse selection, leading insurers to employ medical underwriting--which most states allow--to either avoid those with the greatest health needs or set premiums more reflective of their expected medical use. Recently, however, several factors have prompted insurers to recognize the growth potential of the individual market: a declining proportion of people with employer-sponsored insurance, a sizeable population of younger, healthier people forgoing insurance, and the likelihood that many people receiving subsidies to buy insurance under proposed health insurance reforms would buy individual coverage. Insurers are pursuing several strategies to expand their presence in the individual insurance market, including entering less-regulated markets, developing lower-cost, less-comprehensive products targeting younger, healthy consumers, and attracting consumers through the Internet and other new distribution channels, according to a new study by the Center for Studying Health System Change (HSC). Insurers' strategies in the individual insurance market are unlikely to meet the needs of less-than-healthy people seeking affordable, comprehensive coverage. Congressional health reform proposals, which envision a larger role for the individual market under a sharply different regulatory framework, would likely supersede insurers' current individual market strategies.

Automated personnel-assets-consumables-drug tracking in ambulance services for more effective and efficient medical emergency interventions.

PubMed

Utku, Semih; Özcanhan, Mehmet Hilal; Unluturk, Mehmet Suleyman

2016-04-01

Patient delivery time is no longer considered as the only critical factor, in ambulatory services. Presently, five clinical performance indicators are used to decide patient satisfaction. Unfortunately, the emergency ambulance services in rapidly growing metropolitan areas do not meet current satisfaction expectations; because of human errors in the management of the objects onboard the ambulances. But, human involvement in the information management of emergency interventions can be reduced by electronic tracking of personnel, assets, consumables and drugs (PACD) carried in the ambulances. Electronic tracking needs the support of automation software, which should be integrated to the overall hospital information system. Our work presents a complete solution based on a centralized database supported by radio frequency identification (RFID) and bluetooth low energy (BLE) identification and tracking technologies. Each object in an ambulance is identified and tracked by the best suited technology. The automated identification and tracking reduces manual paper documentation and frees the personnel to better focus on medical activities. The presence and amounts of the PACD are automatically monitored, warning about their depletion, non-presence or maintenance dates. The computerized two way hospital-ambulance communication link provides information sharing and instantaneous feedback for better and faster diagnosis decisions. A fully implemented system is presented, with detailed hardware and software descriptions. The benefits and the clinical outcomes of the proposed system are discussed, which lead to improved personnel efficiency and more effective interventions. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

The CARDIA dietary history: development, implementation, and evaluation.

PubMed

McDonald, A; Van Horn, L; Slattery, M; Hilner, J; Bragg, C; Caan, B; Jacobs, D; Liu, K; Hubert, H; Gernhofer, N; Betz, E; Havlik, D

1991-09-01

To meet the objectives for dietary assessment in the Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults (CARDIA) prospective study, we developed a dietary history to provide accurate and reliable quantitative data on habitual individual nutrient intakes at baseline. The CARDIA dietary history was an interviewer-administered method that included a short questionnaire regarding general dietary practices followed by a comprehensive food frequency questionnaire about typical intake of foods using the previous month as a reference for recall. For each broad category of foods, participants were questioned in detail about specific foods only if they indicated that they consumed foods from that category. Follow-up questions for selected foods concerned serving size, frequency of consumption, and common additions to these foods. Provision was made for reporting foods not found in the food frequency list. The interview took approximately 45 minutes. Cue cards prompted responses and plastic food models assisted in estimating usual amounts consumed. A precoded format standardized coding for reported items and established the detail needed for recall during the interview. Baseline nutrient analyses from the CARDIA dietary history provided estimates that agreed reasonably well with expected caloric intake for body mass index according to the age- and sex-specific Recommended Dietary Allowances, but were higher than those reported from 24-hour recalls for comparable age, sex, and race groups in the second National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. The CARDIA dietary history is a comprehensive assessment tool that can provide a dietitian with detailed information regarding habitual eating patterns and nutrient intakes among adults.

What do expectant fathers expect of antenatal care in Sweden? A cross-sectional study.

PubMed

Andersson, Ewa; Norman, Åse; Kanlinder, Camilla; Plantin, Lars

2016-10-01

In Sweden expectant fathers are now assumed to be active participants in pregnancy and birth, but few studies have focused on fathers' expectations of antenatal care. Knowledge of expectant fathers' views about what is important in antenatal care will enable the design of care that is more inclusive and meets the expectant fathers' needs. To identify expectant fathers' expectations regarding the content of antenatal care during pregnancy and to examine associations between expectations and social factors. The current study uses data from a quasi-experimental trial that took place from 2009 to 2010, in which 627 expectant fathers were recruited from different parts of Sweden. Checking the health of the baby (85.3%) and the mother (80.8%) were rated highest in importance by expectant fathers, whereas attending parent classes (14.9%), becoming acquainted with other expectant parents (7.0%) and paying attention to their own emotional well-being (6.9%) were rated lowest. Furthermore, less than half of the expectant fathers had a very high expectation of being treated in a way that made them feel involved (38.5%).First-time fathers, young fathers and fathers with very good emotional health had higher expectations about most aspects of antenatal care. Expectant fathers had low expectations of receiving support or of meeting other parents as they thought that antenatal care should have a medical focus. First-time fathers, young fathers and fathers with very good emotional health had higher expectations of antenatal care in most areas. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

The Educational Film Industry

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tortora, Vincent R.; Schillaci, Peter

1975-01-01

Increased dialog is needed among educational film producers, distributors, and consumers in order to be sure that what is being produced meets educators' needs and also to help solve the financial problems of the film industry. (LS)

77 FR 55214 - Consumer Advisory Committee

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-09-07

... public may ask questions of presenters via email at [email protected] , or via Twitter using the hashtag fcclive. In addition, the public may also follow the meeting on Twitter @fcc or via the Commission...

Restrictions on Rodenticide Products

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

Consumer size products contain one pound of poison bait or less and must include a bait station. Products formulated for pest control professionals also meet certain requirements. Read the product label to ensure safe and effective use.

Choosing a Bait Station Product for Household Use

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

Information on tamper-resistant, weather-resistant, and other products that meet EPA safety standards and can help consumers control household rodents while greatly reducing accidental exposure to children, pets, and non-target wildlife.

Consumer Vehicle Choice Model Documentation

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Liu, Changzheng; Greene, David L

In response to the Fuel Economy and Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions standards, automobile manufacturers will need to adopt new technologies to improve the fuel economy of their vehicles and to reduce the overall GHG emissions of their fleets. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has developed the Optimization Model for reducing GHGs from Automobiles (OMEGA) to estimate the costs and benefits of meeting GHG emission standards through different technology packages. However, the model does not simulate the impact that increased technology costs will have on vehicle sales or on consumer surplus. As the model documentation states, “While OMEGA incorporates functionsmore » which generally minimize the cost of meeting a specified carbon dioxide (CO2) target, it is not an economic simulation model which adjusts vehicle sales in response to the cost of the technology added to each vehicle.” Changes in the mix of vehicles sold, caused by the costs and benefits of added fuel economy technologies, could make it easier or more difficult for manufacturers to meet fuel economy and emissions standards, and impacts on consumer surplus could raise the costs or augment the benefits of the standards. Because the OMEGA model does not presently estimate such impacts, the EPA is investigating the feasibility of developing an adjunct to the OMEGA model to make such estimates. This project is an effort to develop and test a candidate model. The project statement of work spells out the key functional requirements for the new model.« less

Consumer perception of dry-cured sheep meat products: Influence of process parameters under different evoked contexts.

PubMed

de Andrade, Juliana Cunha; Nalério, Elen Silveira; Giongo, Citieli; de Barcellos, Marcia Dutra; Ares, Gastón; Deliza, Rosires

2017-08-01

The development of high-quality air-dried cured sheep meat products adapted to meet consumer demands represent an interesting option to add value to the meat of adult animals. The present study aimed to evaluate the influence of process parameters on consumer choice of two products from sheep meat under different evoked contexts, considering product concepts. A total of 375 Brazilian participants completed a choice-based conjoint task with three 2-level variables for each product: maturation time, smoking, and sodium reduction for dry-cured sheep ham, and natural antioxidant, smoking, and sodium reduction for sheep meat coppa. A between-subjects experimental design was used to evaluate the influence of consumption context on consumer choices. All the process parameters significantly influenced consumer choice. However, their relative importance was affected by evoked context. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

78 FR 57844 - Sunshine Act Meeting

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-09-20

... public may call this number and listen to the meeting. Callers can expect to incur charges for calls they..., 9th Floor, 1201 New York Avenue NW., Washington, DC 20525. Phone 202-606-6696. Fax 202-606-3459. TTY...

Fair balance in direct-to-consumer antidepressant print and television advertising, 1995-2007.

PubMed

Avery, Rosemary J; Eisenberg, Matthew; Simon, Kosali I

2012-01-01

The authors evaluated fair balance in the presentation of risks and benefits in a large sample of direct-to-consumer advertising for prescription antidepressant medications appearing in magazines (1995-2006) and television (1999-2007) to assess how well they meet U.S. Food and Drug Administration guidelines. Using content analysis to capture relevant dimensions of the ads, results indicated that (a) considerably less attention is given to risks relative to benefits and (b) implicit ad content favors communication of drug benefits over risks, but that fair balance in direct-to-consumer ads has improved over time. The authors discuss policy implications and explore future research directions.

Women Infant and Children program participants' beliefs and consumption of soy milk : Application of the Theory of Planned Behavior

PubMed Central

Chapman-Novakofski, Karen

2014-01-01

The purpose of this study was to determine if Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) variables predict soy milk intake in a sample of WIC participants in 2 Illinois counties (n = 380). A cross-sectional survey was used, which examined soy foods intake, behavioral beliefs, subjective norms, motivation, and intention. Soy product intake was low at both sites, and many participants (40%) did not know that soy milk was WIC approved. Most (> 70%) wanted to comply with their health care providers, but didn't know their opinions about soy milk (50-66%). Intention was significantly correlated with intake (0.507, P ≤ 0.01; 0.308, P ≤ 0.05). Environmental beliefs (0.282 and 0.410, P ≤ 0.01) and expectancy beliefs (0.490 and 0.636, P ≤ 0.01) were correlated with intention. At site 1, 30% of the variance in intention to consume soy milk was explained by expectancy beliefs and subjective norm beliefs (P < 0.0001); at site 2, 40% of the variance in intention was explained by expectancy beliefs. The TPB variables of expectancy beliefs predicted intention to consume soy milk in WIC participants. Therefore, knowing more about the health benefits of soy and how to cook with soy milk would increase WIC participants' intention to consume soy milk. Positive messages about soy milk from health care providers could influence intake. PMID:24611108

75 FR 76468 - Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation; Medicare Program; Meeting of the...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-12-08

... Evaluation; Medicare Program; Meeting of the Technical Advisory Panel on Medicare Trustee Reports AGENCY... announces a public meeting of the Technical Advisory Panel on Medicare Trustee Reports (Panel). Notice of... long run. The Panel's discussion is expected to be very technical in nature and will focus on the...

Applications of direct-to-consumer hearing devices for adults with hearing loss: a review

PubMed Central

Manchaiah, Vinaya; Taylor, Brian; Dockens, Ashley L; Tran, Nicole R; Lane, Kayla; Castle, Mariana; Grover, Vibhu

2017-01-01

Background This systematic literature review is aimed at investigating applications of direct-to-consumer hearing devices for adults with hearing loss. This review discusses three categories of direct-to-consumer hearing devices: 1) personal sound amplification products (PSAPs), 2) direct-mail hearing aids, and 3) over-the-counter (OTC) hearing aids. Method A literature review was conducted using EBSCOhost and included the databases CINAHL, MEDLINE, and PsycINFO. After applying prior agreed inclusion and exclusion criteria, 13 reports were included in the review. Results Included studies fell into three domains: 1) electroacoustic characteristics, 2) consumer surveys, and 3) outcome evaluations. Electroacoustic characteristics of these devices vary significantly with some meeting the stringent acoustic criteria used for hearing aids, while others producing dangerous output levels (ie, over 120-dB sound pressure level). Low-end (or low-cost) devices were typically poor in acoustic quality and did not meet gain levels necessary for most adult and elderly hearing loss patterns (eg, presbycusis), especially in high frequencies. Despite direct-mail hearing aids and PSAPs being associated with lower satisfaction when compared to hearing aids purchased through hearing health care professionals, consumer surveys suggest that 5%–19% of people with hearing loss purchase hearing aids through direct-mail or online. Studies on outcome evaluation suggest positive outcomes of OTC devices in the elderly population. Of note, OTC outcomes appear better when a hearing health care professional supports these users. Conclusion While some direct-to-consumer hearing devices have the capability to produce adverse effects due to production of dangerously high sound levels and internal noise, the existing literature suggests that there are potential benefits of these devices. Research of direct-to-consumer hearing devices is limited, and current published studies are of weak quality. Much effort is needed to understand the benefits and limitations of such devices on people with hearing loss. PMID:28553093

Applications of direct-to-consumer hearing devices for adults with hearing loss: a review.

PubMed

Manchaiah, Vinaya; Taylor, Brian; Dockens, Ashley L; Tran, Nicole R; Lane, Kayla; Castle, Mariana; Grover, Vibhu

2017-01-01

This systematic literature review is aimed at investigating applications of direct-to-consumer hearing devices for adults with hearing loss. This review discusses three categories of direct-to-consumer hearing devices: 1) personal sound amplification products (PSAPs), 2) direct-mail hearing aids, and 3) over-the-counter (OTC) hearing aids. A literature review was conducted using EBSCOhost and included the databases CINAHL, MEDLINE, and PsycINFO. After applying prior agreed inclusion and exclusion criteria, 13 reports were included in the review. Included studies fell into three domains: 1) electroacoustic characteristics, 2) consumer surveys, and 3) outcome evaluations. Electroacoustic characteristics of these devices vary significantly with some meeting the stringent acoustic criteria used for hearing aids, while others producing dangerous output levels (ie, over 120-dB sound pressure level). Low-end (or low-cost) devices were typically poor in acoustic quality and did not meet gain levels necessary for most adult and elderly hearing loss patterns (eg, presbycusis), especially in high frequencies. Despite direct-mail hearing aids and PSAPs being associated with lower satisfaction when compared to hearing aids purchased through hearing health care professionals, consumer surveys suggest that 5%-19% of people with hearing loss purchase hearing aids through direct-mail or online. Studies on outcome evaluation suggest positive outcomes of OTC devices in the elderly population. Of note, OTC outcomes appear better when a hearing health care professional supports these users. While some direct-to-consumer hearing devices have the capability to produce adverse effects due to production of dangerously high sound levels and internal noise, the existing literature suggests that there are potential benefits of these devices. Research of direct-to-consumer hearing devices is limited, and current published studies are of weak quality. Much effort is needed to understand the benefits and limitations of such devices on people with hearing loss.

Expected satiation alone does not predict actual intake of desserts.

PubMed

Guillocheau, Etienne; Davidenko, Olga; Marsset-Baglieri, Agnès; Darcel, Nicolas; Gaudichon, Claire; Tomé, Daniel; Fromentin, Gilles

2018-04-01

The degree to which consumers expect foods to satisfy hunger, referred to as expected satiation, has been reported to predict food intake. Yet this relationship has not been established precisely, at a quantitative level. We sought to explore this relationship in detail by determining whether expected satiation predicts the actual intake of semi-solid desserts. Two separate experiments were performed: the first used variations of a given food (eight apple purées), while the second involved a panel of different foods within a given category (eight desserts). Both experiments studied the consumption of two products assigned to volunteers based on their individual liking and expected satiation ratings, given ad libitum at the end of a standardised meal. A linear model was used to find predictors of food intake and included expected satiation scores, palatability scores, BMI, age, sex, TFEQ-R, TFEQ-D, water consumption during the meal, reported frequency of eating desserts, and reported frequency of consuming tested products as explanatory variables. Expected satiation was a significant predictor of actual food intake in both experiments (apple purée: F(1,97) = 18.60, P < .001; desserts: F(1,106) = 9.05, P < .01), along with other parameters such as product palatability and the volunteers' age, sex and food restriction (variation explained by the model/expected satiation in the experiments: 57%/23% and 36%/17%, respectively). However, we found a significant gap between expected and actual consumption of desserts, on group and on individual level. Our results confirm the importance of expected satiation as a predictor of subsequent food intake, but highlight the need to study individual consumption behaviour and preferences in order to fully understand the role of expected satiation. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Daly, G.G.; Mayor, T.H.

This paper develops a technique for extracting the expectations embedded in the current prices of energy-using durable goods and applies it to be used-car markets during the two energy crises of the 1970s. The resulting estimates indicate that consumers took the energy crises seriously and formed expectations about future gasoline prices that appear rational when compared with the historical gasoline price series, with the forecasts of specialists and experts, or with the actual postsample behavior of gasoline prices. The evidence therefore supports the view that consumers are able to make rather complex choices with a great deal of rationality andmore » casts doubt on the wisdom of policies based on assumptions to the contrary. 17 references, 2 figures.« less

Germany Country Analysis Brief

EIA Publications

2016-01-01

Germany was the largest energy consumer in Europe and the seventh-largest energy consumer in the world in 2015, according to BP Statistical Review of World Energy. It was also the fourth-largest economy in the world by nominal gross domestic product (GDP) after the United States, China, and Japan in 2015. Its size and location give it considerable influence over the European Union’s energy sector. However, Germany must rely on imports to meet the majority of its energy demand.

Contributions to Industrial Development of Science and Technology Institutions in Malaysia, Nigeria, and Colombia and Opportunities for Bilateral Cooperation (A Cross-Country Comparative Analysis).

DTIC Science & Technology

1979-09-01

inexpensive labor, and to modify products to meet the tastes of local consumers . Indeed, technology development for most industrial operations in these...of oil spills (Exxon) Local flavors added to toothpaste and cosmetics ( Colgate -Palmolive) Development of specialized electronic circuitry (Motorola...conditions, and to adjusting products to local consumer tastes. An exception is the Motorola laboratory in Penang. Using the highly skilled Chinese

Marketing concepts for pharmaceutical service development.

PubMed

Grauer, D W

1981-02-01

Marketing concepts as a mechanism to help pharmacy develop, communicate, and sell future pharmaceutical services to consumers are discussed. Pharmacy as a profession must define itself broadly to take advantage of future growth opportunities. These growth opportunities will be realized from unmet health-care needs and changing consumer life style trends and values. New services must therefore be oriented toward consumers (i.e., patients, health professionals, and third-party agencies) to gain acceptance. Dispensing and drug-knowledge-distribution pharmaceutical services are reviewed by a product life cycle analysis of sales profits versus time. A marketing mix for new pharmaceutical services is developed consisting of service, price, distribution, and promotion strategies. Marketing can encompass those key elements necessary to meet the organizational goals of pharmacy and provide a systematic, disciplined approach for presenting a new service to consumers.

18 CFR 1301.5 - Timing of responses to requests.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... expect that the decision on disclosure will be as time consuming as for requests in Tract 3. (3) Tract 3. Requests which require a decision or input from another office or agency, extensive submitter notifications... expected to pose an imminent threat to the life or physical safety of an individual; (ii) An urgency to...

A Standardized Approach to Assessing Physician Expectations and Perceptions of Continuing Medical Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shewchuk, Richard M.; Schmidt, Hilary J.; Benarous, Alexandra; Bennett, Nancy L.; Abdolrasulnia, Maziar; Casebeer, Linda L.

2007-01-01

Introduction: Rapidly expanding science and mandates for maintaining credentials place increasing demands on continuing medical education (CME) activities to provide information that is current and relevant to patient care. Quality may be seen as the perceived level of service measured against consumer expectations. Standard tools have not been…

Organizational and Technological Strategies for Higher Education in the Information Age. CAUSE Professional Paper Series, #13.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ernst, David J.; And Others

This paper examines five key trends impacting higher education administration: (1) traditional funding sources are flat or decreasing; (2) public expectations and state mandates are calling for more reporting requirements and accountability; (3) consumer expectations demand more sophisticated services requiring greater access to date; (4) evolving…

Do Consumers Expect Companies To Be Socially Responsible? The Impact of Corporate Social Responsibility on Buying Behavior.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mohr, Lois A.; Webb, Deborah J.; Harris, Katherine E.

2001-01-01

Interviews with 48 consumers found that they desired moderate to high levels of corporate social responsibility (CSR). Precontemplators (n=16) did not base purchasing on CSR and contemplators (n=11) only moderately. The action group (n=8) had stronger beliefs about CSR but did not always purchase accordingly. Maintainers (n=9) practiced socially…

Enrolment Choices in Portuguese Higher Education: Do Students Behave as Rational Consumers?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tavares, Orlanda; Cardoso, Sónia

2013-01-01

As part of a progressive change occurring in the way public sector beneficiaries are conceived, higher education students started to be more and more perceived as clients or consumers. This implies assuming them as rational and conscious actors aware of what to expect from higher education attendance and of its returns. Framed by the metaphor of…

Price-Shopping in Consumer-Directed Health Plans

PubMed Central

Sood, Neeraj; Wagner, Zachary; Huckfeldt, Peter; Haviland, Amelia

2013-01-01

We use health insurance claims data from 63 large employers to estimate the extent of price shopping for nine common outpatient services in consumer-directed health plans (CDHPs) compared to traditional health plans. The main measures of price-shopping include: (1) the total price paid on the claim, (2) the share of claims from low and high cost providers and (3) the savings from price shopping relative to choosing prices randomly. All analyses control for individual and zip code level demographics and plan characteristics. We also estimate differences in price shopping within CDHPs depending on expected health care costs and whether the service was bought before or after reaching the deductible. For 8 out of 9 services analyzed, prices paid by CDHP and traditional plan enrollees did not differ significantly; CDHP enrollees paid 2.3% less for office visits. Similarly, office visits was the only service where CDHP enrollment resulted in a significantly larger share of claims from low cost providers and greater savings from price shopping relative to traditional plans. There was also no evidence that, within CDHP plans, consumers with lower expected medical expenses exhibited more price-shopping or that consumers exhibited more price-shopping before reaching the deductible. PMID:25342936

Doing what we can, but knowing our place: Being an ally to promote consumer leadership in mental health.

PubMed

Happell, Brenda; Scholz, Brett

2018-02-01

Consumer participation in all aspects of mental health services is clearly articulated as an expectation of contemporary mental health policy. Consumer leadership has been demonstrated to be beneficial to mental health services. Barriers to implementation have limited the realization of this goal. In this discursive paper, we argue that non-consumers who support consumer partnerships and leadership (known as 'allies') have an important role to play in facilitating and supporting consumers in leadership roles. Allies currently have more potential to influence resource allocation, and might be viewed more credibly by their peers than consumer leaders themselves. We call for allies to ensure their role is one of support and facilitation (doing what they can), rather than directing the content or speaking on behalf of the consumer movement (knowing their place). In the present study, we address the importance of allies for the consumer movement. It proposes some 'rules of engagement' to ensure that allies do not intentionally or otherwise encroach on consumer knowledge and expertise, so that they maintain the important position of supporting consumers and facilitating the valuing and use of consumer knowledge, expertise, and ultimately, leadership. © 2017 Australian College of Mental Health Nurses Inc.

Theoretical dietary modelling of Australian seafood species to meet long-chain omega 3 fatty acid dietary recommendations

PubMed Central

Grieger, Jessica A.; McLeod, Catherine; Chan, Lily; Miller, Michelle D.

2013-01-01

Background Several agencies recommend seafood to be consumed 2–3 times per week. In Australia, there is a lack of nutrient composition data for seafood species and it is not known whether including different seafood species in a diet would provide sufficient long-chain omega 3 fatty acids (LC n–3 PUFA) to meet various national recommendations. Objective To utilise recent nutrient composition data for major Australian seafood groups (n=24) with the addition of two tuna options (total n=26) to: (1) determine whether including these species into a diet based on the Australian Guide to Healthy Eating (AGHE) will achieve LC n–3 PUFA recommendations [Adequate Intake (AI: 160 mg/d men, 90 mg/d women)], Suggested Dietary Target (SDT), 500 mg/d Heart Foundation (HF) recommendation and (2) determine the weekly number of servings of seafood to meet recommendations using either lower fat (n=23, <10% total fat) or higher fat (n=3, ≥10% total fat) seafood. Design Two simulation models incorporated all 26 species of seafood or only lower fat seafood into a diet based on the AGHE. Two further models identified the number of servings of lower or higher fat seafood required to meet recommendations. Results Including 2 and 3 servings/week of any seafood would enable 89% of women and 66% of men to meet the AI. Including only lower fat seafood would enable 83% of women and 47% of men to meet the AI. Half a serving/week of higher fat seafood would enable 100% of men and women to meet the AI. Conclusions Including the recommended 2–3 servings of seafood/week requires at least some higher fat seafood to be consumed in order for most men and women to meet the AI. Further messages and nutrition resources are needed which provide options on how to increase intake of LC n–3 PUFA, specifically through consumption of the higher fat seafood. PMID:24179469

Consumer perspectives of a community paramedicine program in rural Ontario.

PubMed

Martin, Angela; O'Meara, Peter; Farmer, Jane

2016-08-01

To evaluate a community paramedicine program in rural Ontario, Canada, through the perceptions and experiences of consumers. An observational ethnographic approach was used to acquire qualitative data through informal discussions, semi-structured interviews and direct observation of interactions between consumers and community paramedics. The study was conducted in rural Ontario where a community paramedicine program has been established consisting of four components: ad hoc home visiting, ageing at home, paramedic wellness clinics and community paramedic response unit. Fourteen adult consumers participated, representing all program components. Consumer satisfaction and perceived benefits. Three main interlinked themes were identified: (i) improved health monitoring and primary health care access close to home; (ii) improved sense of security and support for vulnerable residents in the community; and (iii) improved consumer education and empowerment for enhanced health management. Consumers' reflections on their experiences and perceptions of a rural community paramedicine program indicate acceptance of paramedics in non-traditional preventative health care roles. This supports the desirability of investigating the potential development of community paramedicine programs in rural Australia to meet identified health service needs. © 2015 National Rural Health Alliance Inc.

Focusing Your E-Recruitment Efforts to Meet the Expectations of College-Bound Students. E-Expectations 2010

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Noel-Levitz, Inc, 2010

2010-01-01

Early in 2010, the E-Expectations research group surveyed more than 1,000 college-bound high school students, polling them on their online behaviors and expectations, as well as other key enrollment-related topics. Highlights of the study include: (1) 1 in 4 students reported removing a school from their prospective list because of a bad…

Getting What They Want: Aligning Student Expectations of Advising with Perceived Advisor Behaviors

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Anderson, Whitney; Motto, Justin S.; Bourdeaux, Renee

2014-01-01

Maintaining effective undergraduate academic advising programs that meet the needs of students is an ongoing challenge for universities across the country. Using expectancy violations theory as a lens, this study argues that student satisfaction with advising is linked to alignment between student expectations of the advising process and perceived…

Parents' Expectations about Childrearing after Divorce: Does Anticipating Difficulty Deter Divorce?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Poortman, Anne-Rigt; Seltzer, Judith A.

2007-01-01

Divorce is costly for parents because of the challenges of meeting children's economic and socioemotional needs after separation. Using the National Survey of Families and Households (N = 1,935), we investigate whether expected economic and parenting costs deter divorce. Mothers expect higher economic costs than fathers, whereas fathers expect…

Management of Multiple Nitrogen Sources during Wine Fermentation by Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

PubMed

Crépin, Lucie; Truong, Nhat My; Bloem, Audrey; Sanchez, Isabelle; Dequin, Sylvie; Camarasa, Carole

2017-03-01

During fermentative growth in natural and industrial environments, Saccharomyces cerevisiae must redistribute the available nitrogen from multiple exogenous sources to amino acids in order to suitably fulfill anabolic requirements. To exhaustively explore the management of this complex resource, we developed an advanced strategy based on the reconciliation of data from a set of stable isotope tracer experiments with labeled nitrogen sources. Thus, quantifying the partitioning of the N compounds through the metabolism network during fermentation, we demonstrated that, contrary to the generally accepted view, only a limited fraction of most of the consumed amino acids is directly incorporated into proteins. Moreover, substantial catabolism of these molecules allows for efficient redistribution of nitrogen, supporting the operative de novo synthesis of proteinogenic amino acids. In contrast, catabolism of consumed amino acids plays a minor role in the formation of volatile compounds. Another important feature is that the α-keto acid precursors required for the de novo syntheses originate mainly from the catabolism of sugars, with a limited contribution from the anabolism of consumed amino acids. This work provides a comprehensive view of the intracellular fate of consumed nitrogen sources and the metabolic origin of proteinogenic amino acids, highlighting a strategy of distribution of metabolic fluxes implemented by yeast as a means of adapting to environments with changing and scarce nitrogen resources. IMPORTANCE A current challenge for the wine industry, in view of the extensive competition in the worldwide market, is to meet consumer expectations regarding the sensory profile of the product while ensuring an efficient fermentation process. Understanding the intracellular fate of the nitrogen sources available in grape juice is essential to the achievement of these objectives, since nitrogen utilization affects both the fermentative activity of yeasts and the formation of flavor compounds. However, little is known about how the metabolism operates when nitrogen is provided as a composite mixture, as in grape must. Here we quantitatively describe the distribution through the yeast metabolic network of the N moieties and C backbones of these nitrogen sources. Knowledge about the management of a complex resource, which is devoted to improvement of the use of the scarce N nutrient for growth, will be useful for better control of the fermentation process and the sensory quality of wines. Copyright © 2017 American Society for Microbiology.

Management of Multiple Nitrogen Sources during Wine Fermentation by Saccharomyces cerevisiae

PubMed Central

Crépin, Lucie; Truong, Nhat My; Bloem, Audrey; Sanchez, Isabelle; Dequin, Sylvie

2017-01-01

ABSTRACT During fermentative growth in natural and industrial environments, Saccharomyces cerevisiae must redistribute the available nitrogen from multiple exogenous sources to amino acids in order to suitably fulfill anabolic requirements. To exhaustively explore the management of this complex resource, we developed an advanced strategy based on the reconciliation of data from a set of stable isotope tracer experiments with labeled nitrogen sources. Thus, quantifying the partitioning of the N compounds through the metabolism network during fermentation, we demonstrated that, contrary to the generally accepted view, only a limited fraction of most of the consumed amino acids is directly incorporated into proteins. Moreover, substantial catabolism of these molecules allows for efficient redistribution of nitrogen, supporting the operative de novo synthesis of proteinogenic amino acids. In contrast, catabolism of consumed amino acids plays a minor role in the formation of volatile compounds. Another important feature is that the α-keto acid precursors required for the de novo syntheses originate mainly from the catabolism of sugars, with a limited contribution from the anabolism of consumed amino acids. This work provides a comprehensive view of the intracellular fate of consumed nitrogen sources and the metabolic origin of proteinogenic amino acids, highlighting a strategy of distribution of metabolic fluxes implemented by yeast as a means of adapting to environments with changing and scarce nitrogen resources. IMPORTANCE A current challenge for the wine industry, in view of the extensive competition in the worldwide market, is to meet consumer expectations regarding the sensory profile of the product while ensuring an efficient fermentation process. Understanding the intracellular fate of the nitrogen sources available in grape juice is essential to the achievement of these objectives, since nitrogen utilization affects both the fermentative activity of yeasts and the formation of flavor compounds. However, little is known about how the metabolism operates when nitrogen is provided as a composite mixture, as in grape must. Here we quantitatively describe the distribution through the yeast metabolic network of the N moieties and C backbones of these nitrogen sources. Knowledge about the management of a complex resource, which is devoted to improvement of the use of the scarce N nutrient for growth, will be useful for better control of the fermentation process and the sensory quality of wines. PMID:28115380

A qualitative evaluation of New Zealand consumers perceptions of general practice nurses

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Background An important consideration in health service delivery is ensuring that services meet consumer needs and that consumers are satisfied with service delivery. Patient satisfaction can impact on compliance with suggested treatments and therefore impact on health outcomes. Comparatively few studies have explored consumer satisfaction with nurses in general practice. Methods A sub-group of 18 consumers from a larger quantitative evaluation of consumer satisfaction with New Zealand general practice nurses participated in semi-structured telephone interviews. Interview data was analysed using thematic analysis. Results Four major themes emerged from the data. These themes highlighted that, despite confusion experienced by some consumers regarding the practice nurse role, consumers were happy with the level of care provided by them. Consumers felt valued by Practice Nurses and considered them competent and highly knowledgeable. Findings also convey that consumers appreciate the accessibility and financial benefits of utilising the services of practice nurses. Conclusions Consumers are highly satisfied with practice nurse service delivery and value their relationships with these health professionals. Consumers revealed that greater clarity around the practice nurse role and their scope of practice may enhance their utilisation. Spreading the message of practice nurses being the right person to deliver care, within their scope of practice, at the right time may have the potential to provide more timely care within the primary care setting. PMID:23433311

Optimization Program for Drinking Water Systems

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

The Area-Wide Optimization Program (AWOP) provides tools and approaches for drinking water systems to meet water quality optimization goals and provide an increased – and sustainable – level of public health protection to their consumers.

The Reviews Are in: A Qualitative Content Analysis of Consumer Perspectives on Apps for Bipolar Disorder

PubMed Central

Fogarty, Andrea S; Boydell, Katherine; Christensen, Helen

2017-01-01

Background The delivery of mobile health (mHealth) services is acceptable to mental health consumers. However, despite the benefits of accessibility, cost-effectiveness, anonymity, and ability to tailor content to individual needs, consumer engagement remains a hurdle for uptake and continued use. This may be unsurprising as few studies have examined app content from the consumer perspective or assessed consumer preferences for the content of apps for mental health management. An opportunity to examine consumer perspectives exists in using naturally generated data that is publically available in the Google Play and Apple app stores. Whereas commercial developers routinely use this data, to date there has been no in-depth evaluation within scientific research. Objective The aim of our study was to explore what consumers consider useful content for mental health management apps, identify unmet needs, and understand user expectations of mental health apps within the context of apps for bipolar disorder. Methods Publically available English language consumer reviews of 48 apps for bipolar disorder were used as data, providing a total of 2173 reviews. Review text was coded and analyzed using a team approach to qualitative content analysis. Results were presented in 2 forms: (1) a quantitative summary of the 9 major and minor themes and (2) a qualitative synthesis of key thematic findings. Results The majority of reviews were for symptom monitoring apps (87.94%, 1911/2173). The qualitative content analysis revealed 5 main themes: (1) laudatory talk, comments regarding the app’s benefits including helpfulness and successful design features (74.00% of reviews, 1608/2173); (2) unfavorable feedback, negative reviews largely concerning unmet needs, privacy and technical issues, and potential dangers of app use (25.54%, 555/2173); (3) conceptions of community, referring to both communities of users with mental ill-health accessed via the app and a community created among app users and developers (24.25%, 527/2173); (4) wishlist features, app features requested by users (17.53%, 381/2173); and (5) apps and therapy, app use within clinical care (10.58%, 230/2173). Four minor themes were also identified: (1) app cost, (2) privacy and data security, (3) comparisons with traditional monitoring, and (4) evidence-based mHealth. Conclusions Although mostly positive, the proportion of reviews containing wishlist requests indicates consumer needs are not adequately addressed by currently available disorder management apps. Consumers value content that is helpful, supportive, and easy to use, and they are integrating apps into their health management and clinical care without necessarily considering the evidence-base or clinical effectiveness of the tool. User expectations regarding developer responsiveness to their needs has implications for community-based participatory research and integrated knowledge translation. However, this expectation is incompatible with current mHealth funding structures. PMID:28389420

The Impact of Electronic Health Records on Risk Management of Information Systems in Australian Residential Aged Care Homes.

PubMed

Jiang, Tao; Yu, Ping; Hailey, David; Ma, Jun; Yang, Jie

2016-09-01

To obtain indications of the influence of electronic health records (EHR) in managing risks and meeting information system accreditation standard in Australian residential aged care (RAC) homes. The hypothesis to be tested is that the RAC homes using EHR have better performance in meeting information system standards in aged care accreditation than their counterparts only using paper records for information management. Content analysis of aged care accreditation reports from the Aged Care Standards and Accreditation Agency produced between April 2011 and December 2013. Items identified included types of information systems, compliance with accreditation standards, and indicators of failure to meet an expected outcome for information systems. The Chi-square test was used to identify difference between the RAC homes that used EHR systems and those that used paper records in not meeting aged care accreditation standards. 1,031 (37.4%) of 2,754 RAC homes had adopted EHR systems. Although the proportion of homes that met all accreditation standards was significantly higher for those with EHR than for homes with paper records, only 13 RAC homes did not meet one or more expected outcomes. 12 used paper records and nine of these failed the expected outcome for information systems. The overall contribution of EHR to meeting aged care accreditation standard in Australia was very small. Risk indicators for not meeting information system standard were no access to accurate and appropriate information, failure in monitoring mechanisms, not reporting clinical incidents, insufficient recording of residents' clinical changes, not providing accurate care plans, and communication processes failure. The study has provided indications that use of EHR provides small, yet significant advantages for RAC homes in Australia in managing risks for information management and in meeting accreditation requirements. The implication of the study for introducing technology innovation in RAC in Australia is discussed.

Consumer preferences for health and nonhealth outcomes of health promotion: results from a discrete choice experiment.

PubMed

Alayli-Goebbels, Adrienne F G; Dellaert, Benedict G C; Knox, Stephanie A; Ament, André J H A; Lakerveld, Jeroen; Bot, Sandra D M; Nijpels, G; Severens, J L

2013-01-01

Health promotion (HP) interventions have outcomes that go beyond health. Such broader nonhealth outcomes are usually neglected in economic evaluation studies. To allow for their consideration, insights are needed into the types of nonhealth outcomes that HP interventions produce and their relative importance compared with health outcomes. This study explored consumer preferences for health and nonhealth outcomes of HP in the context of lifestyle behavior change. A discrete choice experiment was conducted among participants in a lifestyle intervention (n = 132) and controls (n = 141). Respondents made 16 binary choices between situations that can be experienced after lifestyle behavior change. The situations were described by 10 attributes: future health state value, start point of future health state, life expectancy, clothing size above ideal, days with sufficient relaxation, endurance, experienced control over lifestyle choices, lifestyle improvement of partner and/or children, monetary cost per month, and time cost per week. With the exception of "time cost per week" and "start point of future health state," all attributes significantly determined consumer choices. Thus, both health and nonhealth outcomes affected consumer choice. Marginal rates of substitution between the price attribute and the other attributes revealed that the attributes "endurance," "days with sufficient relaxation," and "future health state value" had the greatest impact on consumer choices. The "life expectancy" attribute had a relatively low impact and for increases of less than 3 years, respondents were not willing to trade. Health outcomes and nonhealth outcomes of lifestyle behavior change were both important to consumers in this study. Decision makers should respond to consumer preferences and consider nonhealth outcomes when deciding about HP interventions. Copyright © 2013 International Society for Pharmacoeconomics and Outcomes Research (ISPOR). Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The influence of recipe modification and nutritional information on restaurant food acceptance and macronutrient intakes.

PubMed

Stubenitsky, K; Aaron, J; Catt, S; Mela, D

2000-06-01

To examine the influences of nutritional information and consumer characteristics on meal quality expectations, food selection and subsequent macronutrient intakes of consumers offered a reduced-fat option in a restaurant. A target, full-fat (FF) main restaurant meal option was developed in a version substantially reduced in fat and energy (RF). Restaurant patrons were randomly placed into one of four treatment groups varying in provision of menu information about the target dish, and the actual version of that dish served (if ordered). A full-fat blind (FFB) control group was given no nutritional information in the menu and was served the FF version. The other three groups were all served the modified RF version: (i) reduced-fat blind (RFB), who were given no nutritional information; (ii) reduced-fat informed (RFI), who were given nutritional information; and (iii) reduced-fat informed with details (RFID), who were given the same nutritional information plus recipe modification details. Subjects rated their expected and actual liking, the pleasantness of taste, texture and appearance of the dish, how well the dish matched their expectations, and the likelihood of purchase again. Additional measures included the other dish selections, sociodemographic and attitudinal information. A silver service (training) restaurant. Members of the public (n = 279) consuming meals in the restaurant. The presence of nutritional information on the menu did not significantly increase subsequent intakes of energy and fat from the rest of the meal, and did not significantly influence sensory expectations or post-meal acceptance measures (which also did not differ between the FF and RF versions). Consumer characteristics relating to fat reduction attitudes and behaviours were significantly related to the selection of different dishes. Provision of RF alternatives in a restaurant can have significant positive dietary benefits. Menu nutritional information did not affect measures of meal acceptance. Further studies should identify which types of information formats might be most effective in enhancing the selection of 'healthy' options.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Kinzey, Bruce R.; Royer, Michael P.; Hadjian, M.

Nine different streetlighting products were installed on various streets in Kansas City, Missouri during February, 2011, to evaluate their performance relative to the incumbent high-pressure sodium (HPS) lighting. The applications investigated included 100 W, 150 W, 250 W, and 400 W HPS installations. Initial measurements and comparisons included power, illuminance, and luminance; sample illuminance readings have continued at each of the nine locations at roughly 1,000-hour operating intervals since then. All of the LED products consumed less power than their HPS counterparts—with a mean difference of 39% and a range of 31% to 51%—but they also emitted 31% fewer lumens,more » on average. The net result is just a 15% increase in mean efficacy. Applying the city’s stringent light loss factors to the initial measured data meant that five of the LED products (and two of the HPS luminaires) were predicted to eventually fail to meet the specified mean illuminance over their lifetimes; however, the specified light loss levels are not expected to be reached by the LED products until some distant future date (between 12 and 30 years after installation according to manufacturer specification sheet estimates). The practical value of designing streetlighting systems to meet illumination requirements more than 15 years in the future is questioned. Numerous sources of variation in field measurements are noted throughout the report, particularly seasonal influences such as ambient temperature and foliage that are evident in the time-series illuminance data.« less

The economics of direct-to-consumer advertising of prescription-only drugs: prescribed to improve consumer welfare?

PubMed

Morgan, Steven; Mintzes, Barbara; Barer, Morris

2003-10-01

According to economic theory, one might expect that the informational content of direct-to-consumer advertising of prescription-only drugs would improve consumers' welfare. However, contrasting the models of consumer and market behaviour underlying this theory with the realities of the prescription-only drug market reveals that this market is distinct in ways that render it unlikely that advertising will serve an unbiased and strictly informative function. A review of qualitative evidence regarding the informational content of drug advertising supports this conclusion. Direct-to-consumer prescription drug advertising concentrates on particular products, and features of those products, to the exclusion of others, and the information provided has frequently been found to be biased or misleading in regulatory and academic evaluations. Governments that have so far resisted direct-to-consumer advertising should invest in independent sources of evidence that could help consumers and professionals to better understand the risks and benefits of treating disease with alternative drug and non-drug therapies, rather than permitting direct-to-consumer prescription drug advertising.

From policy to practice: addressing snack quality, consumption, and price in after-school programs.

PubMed

Beets, Michael W; Tilley, Falon; Weaver, Robert G; Turner-McGrievy, Gabrielle; Moore, Justin B; Webster, Collin

2014-01-01

To evaluate a community partnership between after-school programs (ASPs) and grocery stores to provide discounted pricing on snacks to meet the National Afterschool Association Healthy Eating Standards that call for serving a fruit or vegetable (FV) daily while eliminating sugar-based foods and beverages. A single-group, pretest with multiple posttest design (spring, 2011-2013) in 4 large-scale ASPs serving 500 children/d was used, along with direct observation of snacks served, consumed, and cost. At baseline, FV, sugar-sweetened beverages, and desserts were served 0.1 ± 0.5, 1.7 ± 2.0, and 2.0 ± 1.4 d/wk. By spring, 2013, FV increased to 5.0 ± 0.0 d/wk, whereas sugar-sweetened beverages and desserts were eliminated. A total of 84% of children consumed the fruit; 59% consumed the vegetables. Cost associated with purchasing snacks resulted in a $2,000-$3,000 savings over a standard 180-day school year. This partnership can serve as a model for successfully meeting nutrition policies established for ASP snacks. Copyright © 2014 Society for Nutrition Education and Behavior. All rights reserved.

Relationship between colorimetric (instrumental) evaluation and consumer-defined beef colour acceptability.

PubMed

Holman, Benjamin W B; Mao, Yanwei; Coombs, Cassius E O; van de Ven, Remy J; Hopkins, David L

2016-11-01

The relationship between instrumental colorimetric values (L*, a*, b*, the ratio of reflectance at 630nm and 580nm) and consumer perception of acceptable beef colour was evaluated using a web-based survey and standardised photographs of beef m. longissimus lumborum with known colorimetrics. Only L* and b* were found to relate to average consumer opinions of beef colour acceptability. Respondent nationality was also identified as a source of variation in beef colour acceptability score. Although this is a preliminary study with the findings necessitating additional investigation, these results suggest L* and b* as candidates for developing instrumental thresholds for consumer beef colour expectations. Crown Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Evaluation of hybrid polymers for high-precision manufacturing of 3D optical interconnects by two-photon absorption lithography

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schleunitz, A.; Klein, J. J.; Krupp, A.; Stender, B.; Houbertz, R.; Gruetzner, G.

2017-02-01

The fabrication of optical interconnects has been widely investigated for the generation of optical circuit boards. Twophoton absorption (TPA) lithography (or high-precision 3D printing) as an innovative production method for direct manufacture of individual 3D photonic structures gains more and more attention when optical polymers are employed. In this regard, we have evaluated novel ORMOCER-based hybrid polymers tailored for the manufacture of optical waveguides by means of high-precision 3D printing. In order to facilitate future industrial implementation, the processability was evaluated and the optical performance of embedded waveguides was assessed. The results illustrate that hybrid polymers are not only viable consumables for industrial manufacture of polymeric micro-optics using generic processes such as UV molding. They also are potential candidates to fabricate optical waveguide systems down to the chip level where TPA-based emerging manufacturing techniques are engaged. Hence, it is shown that hybrid polymers continue to meet the increasing expectations of dynamically growing markets of micro-optics and optical interconnects due to the flexibility of the employed polymer material concept.

Sustainable and consumer-friendly emerging technologies for application within the meat industry: An overview.

PubMed

Troy, Declan J; Ojha, Kumari Shikha; Kerry, Joseph P; Tiwari, Brijesh K

2016-10-01

New and emerging robust technologies can play an important role in ensuring a more resilient meat value chain and satisfying consumer demands and needs. This paper outlines various novel thermal and non-thermal technologies which have shown potential for meat processing applications. A number of process analytical techniques which have shown potential for rapid, real-time assessment of meat quality are also discussed. The commercial uptake and consumer acceptance of novel technologies in meat processing have been subjects of great interest over the past decade. Consumer focus group studies have shown that consumer expectations and liking for novel technologies, applicable to meat processing applications, vary significantly. This overview also highlights the necessity for meat processors to address consumer risk-benefit perceptions, knowledge and trust in order to be commercially successful in the application of novel technologies within the meat sector. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Optical design for consumer products

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gupta, Anurag

2014-10-01

Optical engineers often limit their focus on meeting the provided targets on performance and geometry and assume that the specifications are largely non-negotiable. Such approach ignores the value proposition behind the product and the challenges associated with overall product design, manufacturing, business development and legal issues. As a result, the design effort can be expensive, time consuming and can result in product failure. We discuss a product based systems engineering approach that leads to an application specific optical design that is more effective and efficient to implement.

ASTM METHODS

EPA Science Inventory

ASTM is a not-for-profit organization that provides a forum for producers, users, ultimate consumers, and those having a general interest (representatives of government and academia) to meet on common ground and write standards for materials, products, systems, and services. From...

Which perceived characteristics make product innovations appealing to the consumer? A study on the acceptance of fruit innovations using cross-cultural consumer segmentation.

PubMed

Onwezen, Marleen C; Bartels, Jos

2011-08-01

In general, fruit consumption in the EU does not meet governments' recommended levels, and innovations in the fruit industry are thought to be useful for increasing fruit consumption. Despite the enormous number of product innovations, the majority of new products in the market fail within the first two years, due to a lack of consumer acceptance. Consumer segmentation may be a useful research tool to increase the success rates of new fruit products. The current study aims to identify consumer segments based on individual importance rankings of fruit choice motives. We conducted a cross-national, online panel survey on fresh fruit innovations in four European countries: the Netherlands (n=251), Greece (n=246), Poland (n=250), and Spain (n=250). Our cluster analysis revealed three homogeneous consumer segments: Average Joe, the Naturally conscious consumer, and the Health-oriented consumer. These consumer segments differed with respect to their importance ratings for fruit choice motives. Furthermore, the willingness to buy specific fruit innovations (i.e., genetically modified, functional food and convenience innovation) and the perceived product characteristics that influence this willingness differed across the segments. Our study could lead to more tailored marketing strategies aimed at increasing consumer acceptance of fruit product innovations based on consumer segmentation. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

76 FR 44463 - Children's Products Containing Lead; Technological Feasibility of 100 ppm for Lead Content...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-07-26

...Section 101(a) of the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act (``CPSIA'') provides that, as of August 14, 2011, children's products may not contain more than 100 parts per million (``ppm'') of lead unless the Consumer Product Safety Commission (``CPSC,'' ``Commission,'' or ``we'') determines that such a limit is not technologically feasible. The determination can only be made after notice and a hearing and after analyzing the public health protections associated with substantially reducing lead in children's products. On February 16, 2011, we conducted a public hearing to receive views from all interested parties about the technological feasibility of meeting the 100 ppm lead content limit for children's products and associated public health considerations. Through this document, we announce that children's products must meet the statutory 100 ppm lead content limit on August 14, 2011, unless otherwise excluded under CPSC regulations.\\1\\ ---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Consumer trust in the Australian food system - The everyday erosive impact of food labelling.

PubMed

Tonkin, Emma; Webb, Trevor; Coveney, John; Meyer, Samantha B; Wilson, Annabelle M

2016-08-01

Consumer trust in food system actors is foundational for ensuring consumer confidence in food safety. As food labelling is a direct communication between consumers and food system actors, it may influence consumer perceptions of actor trustworthiness. This study explores the judgements formed about the trustworthiness of the food system and its actors through labelling, and the expectations these judgements are based on. In-depth, semi-structured interviews with 24 Australian consumers were conducted. Theoretical sampling focussed on shopping location, dietary requirements, rurality, gender, age and educational background. The methodological approach used (adaptive theory) enabled emerging data to be examined through the lens of a set of guiding theoretical concepts, and theory reconsidered in light of emerging data. Food labelling acted as a surrogate for personal interaction with industry and government for participants. Judgements about the trustworthiness of these actors and the broader food system were formed through interaction with food labelling and were based on expectations of both competence and goodwill. Interaction with labelling primarily reduced trust in actors within the food system, undermining trust in the system as a whole. Labelling has a role as an access point to the food system. Access points are points of vulnerability for systems, where trust can be developed, reinforced or broken down. For the participants in this study, in general labelling demonstrates food system actors lack goodwill and violate their fiduciary responsibility. This paper provides crucial insights for industry and policy actors to use this access point to build, rather than undermine, trust in food systems. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.