Perceptions of scientific consensus predict later beliefs about the reality of climate change using cross-lagged panel analysis: A response to Kerr and Wilson (2018)

In a recent study, Kerr and Wilson (2018) claim to provide a failed test of the Gateway Belief Model (GBM) using a cross-lagged panel analysis with 356 college students. Although we applaud the authors’ effort to extend scholarly work on the GBM, we point out several mischaracterizations of our work and present evidence that contradicts their findings

Skin Permeability In Vivo: Comparison in Rat, Rabbit, Pig and Man

A comparative study was undertaken in rats, rabbits, miniature swine and man, in which the percutaneous absorption of the following compounds, labeled with 14C or 35S, were studied: haloprogin, N-acetylcysteine, cortisone, testosterone, caffeine and butter yellow. The amount of radioactivity excreted in urine for 5 days following application of the test compound to the skin was employed as the index for quantifying skin penetration. A special nonocclusive foam pad device for rabbits and miniature swine was developed to prevent artifacts resulting from transfer of drug to the urine by any route other than percutaneous absorption. The dose was 4 μg/cm2 of skin surface. The excretion data obtained from the topical studies were adjusted for recovery of radioactivity following intravenous administration of the radioactive drug. The results obtained in this study indicated that skin permeability decreases in the following order: rabbit, rat, pig and man. Overall, skin of miniature swine has the closest permeability characteristics to that of human skin with this series of compounds

Impact of 3-Cyanopropionic Acid Methyl Ester on the Electrochemical Performance of ZnMn₂O₄ as Negative Electrode for Li-Ion Batteries

Due to their high theoretical capacity, transition metal oxide compounds are promising electrode materials for lithium-ion batteries. However, one drawback is associated with relevant capacity fluctuations during cycling, widely observed in the literature. Such strong capacity variation can result in practical problems when positive and negative electrode materials have to be matched in a full cell. Herein, the study of ZnMn2O4 (ZMO) in a nonconventional electrolyte based on 3-cyanopropionic acid methyl ester (CPAME) solvent and LiPF6 salt is reported for the first time. Although ZMO in LiPF6/CPAME electrolyte displays a dramatic capacity decay during the first cycles, it shows promising cycling ability and a suppressed capacity fluctuation when vinylene carbonate (VC) is used as an additive to the CPAME-based electrolyte. To understand the nature of the solid electrolyte interphase (SEI), the electrochemical study is correlated to ex situ X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS)

Perceived Social Consensus Can Reduce Ideological Biases on Climate Change

It is well established that conservatives in the United States are substantially less likely than liberals to accept that climate change is happening and is human caused and are less supportive of policies to limit climate change. However, it is likely that ideological differences in climate change beliefs, attitudes, and policy preferences are smaller when people have close friends and family members who care about climate change. Here, we use nine nationally representative survey samples (total N = 16,168) to evaluate this claim and test if perceived social consensus predicts a smaller difference in climate change beliefs between liberals and conservatives. We find that social consensus plays an important role in climate change beliefs, attitudes, and policy preferences for people across the ideological spectrum, but especially among conservatives. These findings provide important insights on how to bridge ideological divides in large social dilemmas such as climate change. </jats:p

Polymer Coated Polymeric (PCP) microneedles for sampling of drugs and biomarkers from tissues

The Polymer Coated Polymeric (PCP) microneedles were fabricated using PVP K30 in the core and ethyl cellulose in the coating. The PCP microneedles do not disintegrate in the tissue upon insertion and rather stays intact and allows diffusion of drugs and analytes across the membrane both inward and outward. In this project the potential use of PCP microneedles for sampling analytes from the dermal tissue was explored. The amount of analyte sampled depended on the concentration in the tissue, physicochemical properties of the analyte and duration of insertion of the array in the tissue. Further, an advanced type of PCP microneedle array was fabricated by entrapping absorbent beads in the core microneedles. The adsorbent enabled the PCP microneedles to recover significantly higher amount of analyte from the tissue

Potentials in Li-Ion Batteries Probed by Operando Ambient Pressure Photoelectron Spectroscopy

The important electrochemical processes in a battery happen at the solid/liquid interfaces. Operando ambient pressure photoelectron spectroscopy (APPES) is one tool to study these processes with chemical specificity. However, accessing this crucial interface and identifying the interface signal are not trivial. Therefore, we present a measurement setup, together with a suggested model, exemplifying how APPES can be used to probe potential differences over the electrode/electrolyte interface, even without direct access to the interface. Both the change in electron electrochemical potential over the solid/liquid interface, and the change in Li chemical potential of the working electrode (WE) surface at Li-ion equilibrium can be probed. Using a Li4Ti5O12 composite as a WE, our results show that the shifts in kinetic energy of the electrolyte measured by APPES can be correlated to the electrochemical reactions occurring at the WE/electrolyte interface. Different shifts in kinetic energy are seen depending on if a phase transition reaction occurs or if a single phase is lithiated. The developed methodology can be used to evaluate charge transfer over the WE/electrolyte interface as well as the lithiation/delithiation mechanism of the WE

Conceptualizing the Multidimensional Nature of Self-Efficacy: Assessment of Situational Context and Level of Behavioral Challenge to Maintain Safer Sex

A. Bandura (1991) argued that self-efficacy measurement should be specific both to the situation in which the behavior occurs and level of challenge in that situation. Measures consistent with the 2 dimensions were developed with graded challenge levels and differing gender-appropriate situations. Participants were 1,496 controls in the National Institute of Mental Health Multisite HIV Prevention Trial recruited from STD clinics and health service centers (925 women and 571 men). The authors tested 4 separate-sex confirmatory factor analysis models as follows: (a) Condom negotiation efficacy as a unitary construct across situations and gradation of difficulty; (b) situation as preeminent, which transfers across skills whatever the gradation of difficulty; (c) skill as predominant, irrespective of situation; and (d) a multidimensional design that simultaneously accounts for both situation and graded difficulty. Consistent with Bandura's theory, the multidimensional model provided the best fit for both samples

Cryptococcus gattii Meningoencephalitis in an Immunocompetent Person 13 Months after Exposure

Abstract : A 53-year old immunocompetent Swiss female is described who developed severe meningoencephalitis due to infection with Cryptococcus gattii 13 months following exposure on Vancouver Island, Canada. Diagnosis was based on cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) examination, i.e., positive India-ink staining, positive latex particle agglutination, and positive culture. Species identification was performed by growth on L-canavanine-glycine-bromthymol blue medium and by sequencing of the intergenic and internal transcribed spacer regions of the rRNA genes. After initial therapy with fluconazole by which the patient did not improve, therapy was changed to amphotericin B and flucytosine and later to high-dose fluconazole and amphotericin B. Despite long-term treatment and external drainage of the CSF, the patient's condition improved only slowly. The patient was discharged after 132 days of hospitalizatio