Role of consumers' environmental views on purchases at wineries

The purpose of this research is to explore how winery consumers' sustainability attitudes and subjective norms influence their intentions to purchase wines from wineries which have adopted an environmental management program. We collected data in the naturalistic setting of winery tasting rooms. The wineries we researched receive a large number of visitors and a significant portion of total sales volume results from direct sales to consumers in their tasting rooms. Our findings indicate that both sustainability attitudes and subjective norms are significant predictors of intentions explaining over half of the variation in behavioral intentions to purchase wine from a winery participating in an environmental management program. In addition, environmental organization members were found to have higher levels of these antecedents to behavioral intentions and were more interested in receiving information about the environmental activities of wine producers.     

Invited review: Sustainability: Different perspectives,inherent conflict

Consumer definitions of sustainability are largely uninformed by scientific research and may not align with industry definitions. Furthermore, consumers themselves have varied perceptions, definitions, and opinions of sustainability that vary between categories and products within the dairy category. Understanding these differences and developing marketing messaging aligned with consumer sustainability definitions offer an advantage to dairy product producers when strategically positioning their products in a changing marketplace. This review outlines the factors that may affect consumer sustainability perceptions to provide a basis for future marketing and scientific work. Consumer trends and desires for sustainability are explored, including how they are reflected in the rapid growth of plant-based alternatives. Factors that may influence consumer perception of dairy as sustainable are covered in detail, including packaging, labeling, animal welfare, organic status, grass-fed or pasture-raised feeding systems, and local and clean label perceptions. Finally, a discussion of the challenges of marketing dairy foods with sustainability messages is addressed.     

Labeling of Vanilla Type Affects Consumer Perception of Vanilla Ice Cream

The effects of labeling vanilla type on consumer liking of vanilla ice cream were evaluated. Three experiments with 144 to 150 panelists using 4 commercial ice creams were done where the samples were initially not labeled with the type of vanilla flavoring, then labeled, and finally labeled either correctly or incorrectly. Three experiments (116 to 150 panelists) then were conducted similarly for 3 laboratory‐made ice creams. When the 4 commercial samples were not labeled, a natural vanilla‐flavored sample was liked less (P < 0.05) than mixed‐flavored samples overall; when labeled, the naturally flavored and 1 of the mixed‐flavor ice creams were liked equally overall (P > 0.05). Products labeled “natural” (correctly or incorrectly) were liked more (P < 0.05) overall than products with other labels. When laboratory‐made ice creams (natural, artificial, mixed flavored) were evaluated, the labeled, naturally flavored sample was liked more than the unlabeled sample overall; when labeled, the artificially flavored ice cream was liked less than the unlabeled sample. Labeling was shown to affect consumer liking.     

Liking of Ground Beef Patties is Not Affected by Irradiation

ABSTRACT: Our objectives were to determine the acceptability of irradiated fresh ground beef and to determine whether the acceptability was affected by information about benefits or by identifying the samples. The 218 subjects were separated into 4 groups comprising a 2 × 2 design of benefits and information. All subjects tasted 4 patties: 2 irradiated and 2 control. Ratings of overall liking, toughness, and flavor and texture liking were equal for both. Subjects rated the irradiated beef patties juicier than the nonirradiated. Benefit information and sample identification increased the liking ratings of the patties-because the group with no benefit information and no sample identification generally rated all samples lower.     

关于专业评酒员在白酒专业界定与消费者爱好的认知差异和关系

随着白酒行业的变化，主、客体之间的关系也发生较大的变化，作为企业和消费者间的白酒评酒员的职能也发生了变化。其承担的责任更多，必须保持专业的界定标准和适应市场消费爱好和趋向。白酒评酒员除知晓和提高专业知识外，还必须了解行业发展动态和市场消费动态。（孙悟）     

基于“分层-汇集”模型的短期电力负荷预测

针对目前短期电力负荷预测方法未充分利用电力用户用电特征,以及预测精度不高等问题,提出了"分层-汇集"模型。首先,对电力用户按用电特征"分层",得到表征不同类型电力用户用电特征的层负荷特性曲线,并将层负荷特性曲线作为构造总负荷曲线的属性因子;之后,"汇集"不同日的层负荷特性曲线,结合实时负荷训练模型;最后,进行回归预测。以某区域实际电力负荷数据为算例,基于所提出的预测方法进行负荷预测。结果显示,基于"分层-汇集"模型的短期电力负荷预测在平均百分误差(mean absolute percentage error,MAPE)、均方根误差(root-mean-square error,RM SE)以及Pearson(皮尔逊)相关系数3项评价指标上均优于一般的回归预测方法,验证了模型的有效性;在"分层"和"汇集"阶段采用不同算法组合,"分层-汇集"模型均具有较好的预测效果,验证了模型的鲁棒性。使用"分层-汇集"模型可以提高负荷预测的精度,为短期电力负荷预测提供了一种新思路。     

REACTIVE POWER COMPENSATION FOR INDUSTRIAL CONSUMERS: A NEW APPROACH

ABSTRACT

In this paper an attempt is made to obtain optimum reactive power compensation of industrial consumers by minimizing an objective function which is based on power loss saving, energy saving, maximum KVA demand saving and capacitor capacity requiements. It is also shown that how utilities as well as industrial consumers will be benefitted due to reactive power compensation.     

考虑大用户直购电的动态环境经济调度

动态环境经济调度在环境经济调度的基础上考虑发电机组的爬坡约束,增强了调度时段内各时段间机组出力的强耦合约束,如何有效地解决此类问题至关重要。另外,大用户直购电如何影响电网动态环境经济运行调度也具有一定研究价值。为此,对考虑大用户直购电的动态环境经济调度问题进行建模,并采用内点法多约束处理策略改进多目标细菌群体趋药性(MOBCC)优化算法进行求解,旨在从系统发电成本的角度研究大用户直购电对经济调度的影响。最后,通过仿真验证明所提方法的有效性,并对仿真结果进行分析总结,说明所采用方法对大用户直购电策略、电网调度影响分析具有一定指导意义。     

Enduring involvement with wine: predictive model and measurement

This exploratory study identifies the dimensions of enduring involvement with wine. This article outlines the conceptualisation and measurement of enduring involvement of consumers with wine in regard to its value order in the hierarchy of needs. A convenience sample yielded 140 useable surveys after questionnaires were administered to pre-qualified consumer respondents. Data were analysed using the Predictive Analytics SoftWare statistical software package and its add-on feature, AMOS 18. It was found that wine consumers exhibit varying dimensions of enduring involvement according to the characteristics of the hierarchical order of need. The dimensions of enduring involvement identified to be associated with wine as a social and esteem value order product were: pleasure/interest, wine-related lifestyle/enjoyment and self-image/sign value. We conclude that enduring involvement is the more important of the two variants (situational and enduring) of the involvement paradigm. When harnessed by wine marketers, this may therefore boost sales and customer loyalty. Marketers need to know the drivers of wine consumers in relation to the product they buy. This will help in communicating the best strategies to adopt for consumers and how they are applied.