Abnormal Daily Temperature and Concern about Climate Change Across the United States

The relatively low level of concern about climate change among Americans has important implications for climate policy. While many studies have examined individual characteristics associated with climate change attitudes, fewer studies have considered the effects of environmental conditions on such attitudes. Here, we use two national samples of American adults to explore the impact of abnormal daily temperatures on levels of concern about climate change. We test the hypotheses that (1) abnormally warm temperatures, and (2) both abnormally warm and abnormally cool temperatures are associated with higher levels of concern. Using a generalized ordinal logit, we find that the quadratic form of deviation from mean temperature on the date of the survey is significantly associated with higher levels of concern, thus supporting the second hypothesis. We discuss several theoretical frameworks that may explain this result including availability bias, mental models, and implicit stimuli, and the implications for climate policy.     

Public Support for Climate Change Policy: Consistency in the Influence of Values and Attitudes Over Time and Across Specific Policy Alternatives

This study examines the factors that explain public preferences for a set of climate change policy alternatives. While scholarly work indicates a relationship between attitudes and values on views toward specific issues, the literature often examines general support for issues rather than specific policy proposals. Consequently, it is unclear the extent to which these attitudes and values affect specific policy considerations. This project examines public support for five climate change policy options in two national surveys taken three years apart. The empirical analysis reveals that time is a factor and that those who are liberal, have strong ecological values, report greater concern for climate change, and trust experts are consistently more supportive of the climate policy options considered here. The results shed new light on the nuanced views of the American public toward climate change.     

Public official associations and professionalism

Associations of public officials have been an important element of public professionalism in the United States since the reform era. This paper examines the ways in which associations of public officials are helping to redefine public professionalism. The focus on the paper is on the promotion of professionalism by association activities, the sense of professional identity fostered by association involvement, and the ways in which associations integrate issues of policy, management, and professional expertise to contribute to the development of true public professionalism. The paper examines ways that professional/specialist and political/generalist associations are converging on issues of policy, strategic thinking, and role effectiveness.     

Extra-judicial targeted killing

This paper asks fundamental questions about the legality of remote killings by drones outside combat zones. Despite the difficulty of obtaining accurate statistics from the Obama Administration, it argues that clear legal standards are being avoided and dangerous precedents are being established, including vaguely-defined licences to kill. It also criticises the US Administration's position justifying the use of such force, as identified by Harold Koh, the Legal Adviser to the State Department. The fundamental legal question of whether IHRL should apply is discussed.     

The Toxicology of Methadone‐Related Death in Infants Under 1 Year: Three Case Series and Review of the Literature

Methadone‐related fatalities occur rarely in infants under 1 year, with five confirmed cases in the literature. The interpretation of pediatric postmortem toxicology relies on adult data; however, infants have crucial physiological differences that may impact interpretation of results. Retrospective case review included scene investigation, interviews, autopsy, and NIH/CDC Sudden Unexplained Infant Death Investigation Reporting Form. Methadone levels were confirmed by liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry (LC‐MS/MS). The fatal blood methadone levels in this case series ranged from 69 to 700 ng/mL. This review of the literature adds toxicological findings of three methadone‐related infant fatalities and reviews the current literature on methadone‐related death in infants under 1 year. With opioid use on the rise in today's society, forensic experts should have a high index of suspicion for the possibility of intentional or unintentional poisoning in infants.     

(Bloßes) Festhalten der Mietzinsfälligkeit im Räumungsvergleich gerichtsgebührenunschädlich

Die Formulierung im gerichtlichen Vergleich "Festgehalten wird, dass der monatliche Bestandzins … bis einschlie?lich 31. 12. 1998 betr?gt" bzw "dass die Bestandzinse jeweils am 1. eines Monats bei fünft?gigem Respiro zur Zahlung f?llig sind" führen zum Anfall einer Erg?nzungspauschalgebühr ausgehend (blo?) vom Zeitpunkt des Vergleichsabschlusses bis zum Stichtag (hier 31. 12. 1998) und nicht etwa ausgehend von einer mit dem Zehnfachen des Jahreswertes des Mietzinses ermittelten Bemessungsgrundlage).     

Support for the environment post-transition? Material concerns and policy tradeoffs

Though many individuals are aware of the need to address environmental concerns, fewer are willing to pay for climate action or think the environment should be a priority for government spending. One compelling reason is that they prioritize using scarce resources to address immediate material concerns. This is particularly likely for individuals facing absolute material scarcity or for those who think they are relatively economically worse off, especially in contexts characterized by rapid transformation and volatility in the levels and quality of social welfare provision. To test these expectations, we analyze survey data from formerly Communist economies, which today find themselves with vastly different fortunes. Empirical findings suggest that absolute and relative material scarcity affect opinions regarding government spending on, and the willingness to pay more for, environmental action. However, willingness to pay more for government public services, inclusive of anti-poverty initiatives, has an impact on willingness to pay more for climate action, but in counter-intuitive ways. Overall, the results appear to suggest that explicitly addressing and relating individual living standards and inequality with environmental concerns may expand support for climate action.     

Detection of methadone in human hair by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry

Determination of methadone in human hair by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry was described. Helium as carrier gas, a 30-m bonded phase-fused silica DB-1 capillary column and splitless injection at 230 degree C temperature were used. The concentrations of methadone and its metabolites were measured in addition by radioimmunoassay (RIA). Both methods GC/MS and RIA showed the presence of methadone in human hair.     

Technology transfer: A taxonomic view

Interest in the notion of technology transfer has been gaining momentum during the last two decades. Technology transfer, however, has different meanings to different people. It may indeed have a variety of definitions to an individual. This paper is an attempt to define the field in its entirety and to delineate all its facets in a manner that is parsimonious yet discriminating. In other words it is an attempt to create a classification or taxonomy of technology transfer.