Spatial Heterogeneity of Embedded Water Consumption from the Perspective of Virtual Water Surplus and Deficit in the Yellow River Basin,China

Virtual water trade(VWT)provides a new perspective for alleviating water crisis and has thus attracted widespread attention.However,the heterogeneity of virtual water trade inside and outside the river basin and its influencing factors remains further study.In this study,for better investigating the pattern and heterogeneity of virtual water trade inside and outside provincial regions along the Yellow River Basin in 2015 using the input-output model(MRIO),we proposed two new concepts,i.e.,virtual water surplus and virtual water deficit,and then used the Logarithmic Mean Divisia Index(LMDI)model to identify the inherent mechanism of the imbalance of virtual water trade between provincial regions along the Yellow River Basin and the other four regions in China.The results show that:1)in provincial regions along the Yellow River Basin,the less developed the economy was,the larger the contribution of the agricultural sector in virtual water trade,while the smaller the contribution of the industrial sector.2)Due to the large output of agricultural products,the upstream and midstream provincial regions of the Yellow River Basin had a virtual water surplus,with a net outflow of virtual water of 2.7×10^(8) m^(3) and 0.9×10^(8) m^(3),respectively.3)provincial regions along the Yellow River Basin were in a virtual water deficit with the rest of China,and the decisive factor was the active degree of trade with the outside.This study would be beneficial to illuminate the trade-related water use issues in provincial regions along the Yellow River Basin,which has farreaching practical signific-ance for alleviating water scarcity.

Consumers’ Perception and Knowledge of Food Additives in Senegal: A Pilot Study

Food safety has become a major concern for consumers, as well as a priority for regulatory authorities. Faced with the growing industrial and domestic use of food additives, many questions are being asked and concerns are being felt by consumers around the world. Consumer perception defines the acceptability or rejection of food products, and has an impact on consumption patterns and behavior. To assess the level of knowledge and perception of food additives, a pilot study was carried out on a sample of 200 people in Dakar and Saint-Louis. A questionnaire was used to assess the acceptance or rejection, use and impact of food additives by consumers in Senegal. The results revealed several aspects. On the whole, the people surveyed expressed great mistrust and even rejection of these substances added to food products. This consumer perception is shared throughout the world, as indicated in numerous surveys. It also emerges from this study that, although most consumers are aware of the existence of these additives and their uses in the home, they feel that the use of these substances in industrial production is too excessive. What’s more, consumers associate food additives with numerous pathologies such as cancer, diabetes, hypertension, stroke and even sexual impotence. For some of these indexed pathologies, scientific studies have reached the same conclusions, although controversy still persists. On the other hand, for some of the other adverse effects mentioned, no cause-and-effect relationship has been scientifically demonstrated. In these latter cases, it seems that negative communication, misinformation and misconceptions have a major influence on consumer perception of food additives.

Study on the Influence of Food Packaging on the Psychology of Different Groups of Consumers

With the vigorous development of consumer culture in today’s society,various types of food packaging also appear in front of consumers in different forms.There are very big differences in food packaging in terms of shape,color,style and other aspects of information transmission,which have the most direct impact on the audience’s food consumption needs.Driven by the consumption-oriented society,food packaging has shown very obvious comprehensive characteristics,is significantly interdisciplinary,and has close connections with other disciplines.This article will analyze and sort out the impact of food packaging on consumer psychology from different perspectives.

Research on the Influence of Anchor Attributes on Consumers’Online Behaviors in Social E-Commerce Platforms:The Moderating Effect of Platform Contextual Factors

As e-commerce continues to mature,the advantages of live streaming within the industry have become increasingly apparent,offering significant growth opportunities.Social e-commerce platforms,which are user-centered,integrate social networks with e-commerce by leveraging social interactions to drive product sales and enhance the overall consumer shopping experience.This type of e-commerce fosters engagement and promotes products by merging online communities with shopping behavior,creating a more interactive and dynamic marketplace.It not only retains the traditional e-commerce trading and marketing functions but also adds a social dimension,making live stream anchors crucial figures connecting consumers with products.These anchors can attract consumers with their appearance and charm,and use their expertise on live streaming platforms to guide consumers by recommending live content.They can also interact with their audiences and potentially influence them to purchase the recommended goods.It is evident that the attributes of anchors in live streaming rooms significantly impact consumers’online behavior.Therefore,researching how platform contextual factors regulate consumers’online behavior is of great practical significance.This study employs multilevel regression analysis to support its hypotheses using data.The findings indicate that contextual factors of the platform significantly influence online behavior,enhancing the positive relationship between user attachment and online activities.

Consumers’experiences and preferences for plant-based meat food:Evidence from a choice experiment in four cities of China

This paper examined consumers’experiences in and preferences for plant-based meat(PBM)food and their respective correlates,based on data from an online survey of 579 consumers in four major cities in China in early 2021.We first described consumers’experiences in consuming and purchasing PBM food and their correlates,and then analyzed consumer preferences using hypothetical choice experiment.The experiment offered consumers various options to purchase burgers made from PBM or animal-based meat(ABM),combined with different countries of origin(COO),taste labels,and prices.Our data showed that respondents hold overall positive attitudes toward PBM food;85 and 82%of respondents reported experience in eating and purchasing PBM food,respectively.More than half of them ate PBM food because they wanted to try new food(58%),or were interested in healthy food(56%).Income,religion,and dietary restrictions were significantly correlated with consumers’experiences in PBM food consumption.Results from the Random Parameter Logit Model based on the hypothetical choice experiment data showed that 79%of respondents chose PBM burgers and were willing to pay an average of 88 CNY for a PBM burger.We also found that 99.8 and 83%of respondents are willing to buy burgers made in China and those with a taste label,with a willingness to pay(WTP)of 208 and 120 CNY,respectively.The heterogeneity test revealed that females and those with at least a bachelor’s degree,higher income,religious beliefs,and dietary restrictions are more likely to buy PBM burgers than their counterparts.

A Study on The Factors Influencing the Facial Apparent Age of Chinese Cosmetic Consumers

To investigate the apparent age of Chinese cosmetic consumers and its influencing factors.The subjects’skin conditions in all dimensions were collected using professional instruments and clinical expert assessment,subjects’lifestyles,skin care and makeup habits were obtained through questionnaire.The apparent age of the subjects was obtained based on the visual perception of photos judged by observers and then averaged.The association between apparent age and skin characteristics,the association between the difference between apparent age and actual age and the subjects'lifestyle and its difference among cities were investigated.The results showed that apparent age had a high correlation with skin tone and severity of skin problems.The model of multiple regression analysis obtained a high resolution(R2=0.704).The use of skin care products may help to delay the apparent aging of the skin.The results of the study have some guiding significance for the development of anti-aging products and the evaluation of anti-aging efficacy and is informative for lifestyle choices to maintain youthfulness.

A Study on Emotional Design for Vitamin C Dietary Supplements(Chinese Market,Generation Z Consumers)

China,recognized as the world’s largest developing nation,displays considerably lower per capita consumption of dietary supplements in comparison to Asian nations such as Japan and South Korea.However,in recent years,there has been a substantial surge in health consciousness among the Chinese populace.This trend is not confined to the middle-aged and elderly;even younger consumer demographics are exhibiting increased health awareness.Consequently,the target demographic for dietary supplements is transitioning towards a younger demographic.Within the Chinese dietary supplement industry,vitamin C has consistently held the largest market share,commanding a broad consumer base.This underscores the substantial role of vitamin C in the dietary supplement sector.In response to the trend towards a younger target demographic in the dietary supplement industry,adjustments are required to accommodate the preferences of this younger consumer group.This research,guided by Norman’s emotional design framework,executed a survey of over 200 respondents to investigate the preferences of Generation Z consumers in China.The research encompassed packaging,product forms,and brand imagery,corresponding to the emotional design’s visceral,behavioral,and reflective layers,with a primary focus on optimally meeting the emotional needs of Generation Z.The findings indicated that consumers favor products in capsule form,packaged in zip-lock.The predominant color scheme is clean white,accented by vibrant orange elements,while emphasizing the product’s health and scientific attributes.This study offers valuable insights for the continued evolution of the vitamin C dietary supplement market in China.

Consumer Culture in The Great Gatsby

F.Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby successfully portrays the“Jazz Age”.In the early 20th century,the United States transitioned from a production-based society to a consumer-based society,leading to an era of unparalleled prosperity.However,in the context of consumer culture,individuals often transition from being masters of their possessions to becoming enslaved by them.As a result,their behaviours and values become increasingly associated with extravagance and consumption.This paper uses Baudrillard’s theory of consumer society and textual analysis to explore the impact of consumer culture on human beings through the symbolization of men and objectification of women in The Great Gatsby.The meanings embedded in the novel are revealed from a different perspective.

The Prediction for the Consumer Price Index of Residents in Perspective of Time Series Method in Case of Chongqing

The consumer price index (CPI) measures the relative number of changes in the price level of consumer goods and services over time, reflecting the trend and degree of changes in the price level of goods and services purchased by residents. This article uses the ARMA model to analyze the fluctuation trend of the CPI (taking Chongqing as an example) and make short-term predictions. To test the predictive performance of the model, the observation values from January to December 2023 were retained as the reference object for evaluating the predictive accuracy of the model. Finally, through trial predictions of the data from May to August 2023, it was found that the constructed model had good fitting performance.

Trust beyond Technology Algorithms: A Theoretical Exploration of Consumer Trust and Behavior in Technological Consumption and AI Projects

In an era dominated by artificial intelligence (AI), establishing customer confidence is crucial for the integration and acceptance of AI technologies. This interdisciplinary study examines factors influencing customer trust in AI systems through a mixed-methods approach, blending quantitative analysis with qualitative insights to create a comprehensive conceptual framework. Quantitatively, the study analyzes responses from 1248 participants using structural equation modeling (SEM), exploring interactions between technological factors like perceived usefulness and transparency, psychological factors including perceived risk and domain expertise, and organizational factors such as leadership support and ethical accountability. The results confirm the model, showing significant impacts of these factors on consumer trust and AI adoption attitudes. Qualitatively, the study includes 35 semi-structured interviews and five case studies, providing deeper insight into the dynamics shaping trust. Key themes identified include the necessity of explainability, domain competence, corporate culture, and stakeholder engagement in fostering trust. The qualitative findings complement the quantitative data, highlighting the complex interplay between technology capabilities, human perceptions, and organizational practices in establishing trust in AI. By integrating these findings, the study proposes a novel conceptual model that elucidates how various elements collectively influence consumer trust in AI. This model not only advances theoretical understanding but also offers practical implications for businesses and policymakers. The research contributes to the discourse on trust creation and decision-making in technology, emphasizing the need for interdisciplinary efforts to address societal challenges associated with technological advancements. It lays the groundwork for future research, including longitudinal, cross-cultural, and industry-specific studies, to further explore consumer trust in AI.

A Study on the Factors Influencing Consumer Purchase Decision Under the Live-Streaming Sales Model

In recent years,with the rapid development and popularization of Internet information technology,many new media platforms have risen rapidly,and major e-commerce companies have begun to explore the mode of livestreaming.Especially during the COVID-19 pandemic,due to the lockdown,live-streaming has become an important means of economic development in many places.Owing to its remarkable characteristics of timeliness,entertainment,and interactivity,it has become the latest and trendiest sales mode of e-commerce channels,reflecting huge economic potential and commercial value.This article analyzes two models and their characteristics of live-streaming sales from a practical perspective.Based on this,it outlines consumer purchasing decisions and the factors that affect consumer purchasing decisions under the live-streaming sales model.Finally,it discusses targeted suggestions for using the live-streaming sales model to expand the consumer market,hoping to promote the healthy and steady development of the live-streaming sales industry.

Consumer Psychology in the Digital Age:How Online Environments Shape Purchasing Habits

The advent of the digital age has profoundly changed consumers’mindsets and habits.The rapid development of e-commerce and the widespread use of mobile applications have created enormous demand for individual recommendation systems based on mass data.This system not only increases the convenience of purchases and conversions but also alters the purchasing behavior of consumers,leading them to make choices subconsciously.Potential risks associated with large-scale data sharing and usage have heightened consumer concerns regarding privacy,thereby weakening the foundational trust in platforms and deterring them from shopping.Additionally,the rapid growth of e-commerce in the digital age,coupled with changing market circumstances,has intensified psychological pressure on consumers,making their decision-making processes more complex and difficult.Furthermore,the program will explore issues related to improving customer experience,developing individual marketing strategies,and designing customer loyalty plans.It will also address questions of privacy in a digital environment,the dilemmas of excessive or disruptive consumption behavior,and the complexity and diversity of consumer behavior in the face of digital change.The objective of this study is to develop a fear study that will enable a better understanding of the impact of online shopping on consumer behavior and provide a strategic guide for retailers to meet the challenges and opportunities presented by the digital age.

Optimal targeted advertising strategies based on consumers' value attributes

To evaluate the effects of consumers＇ value attributes on a firm＇s marketing strategies with targeted advertising, each consumer＇s value is measured according to the consumer＇s consuming behavior and consumption features. The baseline model in which a firm sends targeted advertising to myopic consumers with constant valuations is established. The results showthat, when a firm sells products to consumers with distinct values using the strategies of targeted advertising and discriminative price, the firm＇s equilibrium profit with targeted advertising may not always be higher than that using mass advertising, which depends on the ratio of high-value and low-value consumers. Then, three extension models are constructed.First, the firm sends targeted advertising to consumers with different targeting precisions. Secondly, the firm invests in the targeting precision of targeted advertising. Finally, the deliberation cost of rational consumers accepting the discriminative price and targeted advertising is considered. The results indicate that it is profitable for a firm to send targeted advertising to consumers with different value attributes.

Educated consumers don't believe artificial meat is the solution to the problems with the meat industry

The production of in vitro meat by cell culture has been suggested by some scientists as one solution to address the major challenges facing our society. Firstly, consumers would like the meat industry to reduce potential discomfort of animals on modern farms, or even to avoid killing animals to eat them. Secondly, citizens would like meat producers to reduce potential environmental deterioration by livestock and finally, there is a need to reduce world hunger by increasing protein resources while the global population is predicted to grow rapidly. According to its promoters, artificial meat has a potential to make eating animals unnecessary, to reduce carbon footprint of meat production and to satisfy all the nutritional needs and desires of consumers and citizens. To check these assumptions, a total of 817 educated people（mainly scientists and students） were interviewed worldwide by internet in addition to 865 French educated people. We also interviewed 208 persons（mainly scientists） after an oral presentation regarding artificial meat. Results of the three surveys were similar, but differed between males and females. More than half of the respondents believed that ＂artificial meat＂ was feasible and realistic. However, there was no majority to think that artificial meat will be healthy and tasty, except respondents who were in favour of artificial meat. A large majority of the respondents believed that the meat industry is facing important problems related to the protection of the environment, animal welfare or inefficient meat production to feed humanity. However, respondents did not believe that artificial meat will be the solution to solve the mentioned problems with the meat industry, especially respondents who were against artificial meat. The vast majority of consumers wished to continue to eat meat even they would accept to consume less meat in a context of increasing food needs. Only a minority of respondents（from 5 to 11%） would recommend or accept to eat in vitro meat instead of meat produced from farm animals. Despite these limitations, 38 to 47% of the respondents would continue to support research on artificial meat, but a majority of them believed that artificial meat will not be accepted by consumers in the future, except for respondents who were in favour of artificial meat. We speculated that the apparent contradictory answers to this survey expressed the fact that people trust scientists whoare supposed to continuously discover new technologies potentially useful in a long term future for the human beings, but people also expressed concern for their health and were not convinced that artificial meat will be tasty, safe and healthy enough to be accepted by consumers.

Consumers' perceptions on GM food safety in urban China

The debate about the safety of genetically modified （GM） food has attracted public attention in concurrence with the rapid development of agricultural biotechnology. This paper examines the consumers＇ perceptions on the safety of GM food in China. Based on a unique survey dataset, this study shows that consumers in urban China have significantly changed their perceptions on GM food safety. The percentage of consumers who perceived such food as unsafe for consumption increased by more than 30% in the 2002-2012 period. Approximately half of the consumers did not have an opinion on this issue. Major shifts have been occurred after 2010, likely because of the increasing influence of negative media reports on GM technology in recent years. Several individual and household＇s characteristics are shown to significantly affect consumers＇ perceptions on GM food safety, such as gender, education, food allergy experience and resident city size. The paper concludes with policy implications.

Consumer confidence and consumers’ preferences for infant formulas in China

A series of safety incidents related to domestically-produced infant formulas(DIFs) almost destroyed Chinese consumer confidence in domestic dairy products. Understanding consumer confidence and its effect on consumption behavior is important to restore consumer confidence and enhance the competitiveness of domestic dairy industry. This article first measures Chinese consumer confidence in DIFs safety using a two-dimension scale(optimism and pessimism) and then investigates its effect on consumers’ preferences for DIFs through a choice experiment. Involving 450 consumers residing in Beijing, Tianjin and Shijiazhuang, the experiment elicited information on their preferences for DIFs with six attributes(organic raw milk, farm-to-table traceability, region of origin, quality certification, animal welfare, and price). Our analysis yields four findings. First, Chinese consumers still lack confidence in DIFs safety. Second, quality certification is the most preferred product characteristic, followed by organic raw milk and farm-to-table traceability. Third, serving as a signal of high quality, price exerts a positive impact on choices of DIFs for pessimistic consumers. Finally, consumer preferences for farm-to-table traceability and region of origin are significantly influenced by consumer confidence.

Welfare and Market Impacts of Food Safety Measures in China: Results from Urban Consumers' Valuation of Product Attributes

This study provides an economics assessment of various food safety measures in China. A choice experiment approach is used to elicit Chinese consumer preferences for various food safety attributes using data from a 2008 urban consumer survey. An alternative welfare calculation is used to model aggregate market impacts of select food safety measures. Our results show that the largest welfare gains are found in the current government-run certiifcation program. The implementation of a third-party certiifcation system, a traceability network and a product label would generate signiifcant value and would help reduce current system inefifciencies in China. This study builds on previous research and provides an alternative approach for calculating consumer valuation of safety and quality attributes that can be used to estimate aggregate economic and welfare impacts.

Consumers＇ Perceptions about Food Quality Attributes and Their Incidence in Argentinean Organic Choices

The objective of this paper is to analyze consumers＇ perceptions about risk and quality attributes of food consumption; and to evaluate the incidence of these factors when buying organic products in the Argentinean domestic market. Data derives from a food consumption survey on organic and non-organic consumers conducted in Buenos Aires City, Argentina, in April 2005.The Lancaster model （1966） provided the theoretical basis. The results yielded by the estimated logistic model suggest that consumers with higher educational level, who eat healthy food, and consider food control organisms as ＂inefficient＂ are more likely to buy organic products. A high percentage of consumers read and trust label information in Argentina. This has interesting policy implications to promote differentiated and high value products, and to reduce information asymmetries.

Analysis of Consumers' Willingness to Pay for Traceable Fresh Fruits in Shanghai City and Countermeasures

By the survey of consumers' behaviour of purchasing fresh fruits, this paper researches the group characteristics of people who consume traceable fresh fruits, and analyses the main factors influencing consumers' willingness to purchase. Based on this, corresponding proposals are put forward as follows: first, the government should not only focus on supervision and regulation over food security, but also strengthen the education of food security knowledge, publicity and promotion of traceable system; second, the government and related enterprise should particularly pay attention to the impact of consumers' individual characteristics on willingness to purchase and purchase behaviours, and work out feasible strategy of traceable food marketing, according to consumers' preferences, consumers' attention to health, consumers' attention to the healthy growth of children and other factors; finally, when implementing the system, the state and the government should take into full account the average income level of consumers, give full play to the effect of scale merit, and work out the reasonable price that can be accepted by most of consumers.

Modelling the Roles of Cewebrity Trust and Platform Trust in Consumers’Propensity of Live-Streaming:An Extended TAM Method

Live streaming is a booming industry in China,involving an increasing number of Internet users.Previous studies show that trust is a cornerstone to develop ecommerce.Trust in the streaming industry is different from that of other e-commerce areas.There are two major dimensions of trust in the live streaming context:platform trust and cewebrity trust,which are both important for customers to adopt and reuse a specific live streaming service.We collected questionnaire data from 520 participates who have used live streaming services in China.We model the collected data and identified factors that can influence users’propensity by an extended technology acceptance model(TAM)method.According to our analysis,both cewebrity trust and platform trust will greatly influence users’intention to reuse a certain platform.Moreover,results also indicate that cewebrity trust is far more important than platform trust.These findings can lead to several management strategies to improve the adherence of users to streaming platforms.