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This study examines how citizens' attitudes toward government are affected by verifying or correcting their prior knowledge of governmental policy concerning the COVID‐19 pandemic. Using a survey experiment, we asked respondents about their knowledge of the stimulus check provided by local governments in South Korea. We then provided the correct answer to half of the respondents at random. For outcome variables, we measured satisfaction with the stimulus check, trust in the government, and intention to pay extra taxes. We found that only verifying correct prior knowledge, not correcting incorrect knowledge, improved respondents' attitudes. Subgroup analysis revealed that the verification effect occurred specifically among those whose income remained stable during the pandemic, regardless of whether their political orientation was congruent with their local government. Our findings suggest that rather than publicly releasing policy‐related information to citizens indiscriminately, verifying the information through closer communication with well‐informed citizens can be a more effective strategy to improve citizens' policy efficacy and attitudes toward the government. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Privacy and confidentiality are often of great concern to respondents answering sensitive questions posed by interviewers. Using the 1993-2010 General Social Survey, we examined trends in the provision of social security numbers (SSNs) and correlates of those responses. Results indicate that the rate of SSN provision has declined over the past three decades, that is, from about 60% in 1993-1994 to 20% after 2004. Although younger, unmarried, and less-educated respondents are more likely to provide SSNs, an indicator of trust toward others is not a significant predictor of SSN provision. Further, those who refuse to report their income and who receive an incentive are less likely to provide their SSN. Our findings have implications for studies involving sensitive questions as well as privacy and confidentiality issues.

TGF-[beta] is considered a master switch in the pathogenesis of organ fibrosis. The primary mediators of this activity are the SMAD proteins, particularly SMAD3. In the current study, we have developed a cell-penetrating peptide (CPP) conjugate of the HIV TAT protein that is fused to an aminoterminal sequence of sorting nexin 9 (SNX9), which was previously shown to bind phosphorylated SMAD3 (pSMAD3). We determined that specifically preventingthe nuclear import of pSMAD3 using the TAT-SNX9 peptide inhibited profibrotic TGF-[beta] activity in murine cells and human lung fibroblasts as well as in vivo with no demonstrable toxicity. TGF-[beta] signaling mediated by pSMAD2, bone morphogenetic protein 4 (BMP4), EGF, or PDGF was unaffected bytheTAT-SNX9 peptide. Furthermore, while the TAT-SNX9 peptide prevented TGF-[beta]'s profibrotic activity in vitro as well as in 2 murine treatment models of pulmonary fibrosis, a 3-amino acid point mutant that was unable to bind pSMAD3 proved ineffective. These findings indicate that specifically targeting pSMAD3 can ameliorate both the direct and indirect fibroproliferative actions of TGF-[beta]., Introduction Normal cellular proliferation is a complex process that requires the coordinated integration of both stimulatory and inhibitory growth factors. TGF-[beta], a 25-kDa homodimer prototypic of a family of proteins [...]

Objectives. Faced with aging societies, there is an immense need to better understand the nature of volunteering outside advanced Western industrial countries. As a case of a rapidly aging society, we identify robust factors associated with elderly volunteering in Korea in terms of a resource framework. Methods. Data were derived from the Social Statistics Survey conducted by the Korea National Statistical Office in 1999 (N = 7,135) and 2003 (N = 8,371). We first determined overall and age-related volunteer rates for Korea compared to the United States. Using logistic regression, we then examined the effects of human, cultural, and social capital variables on volunteering. Results. Approximately 6% of Koreans aged 65 years and older participate in volunteer programs. All human capital variables are positively related with volunteering. For cultural capital, those who identify their religion as Buddhism or Catholicism are more likely to volunteer than those who have no religion. But surprisingly, Protestantism does not consistently promote volunteering across both years. For social capital, older adults who live alone or with a spouse are more likely to volunteer than those living with both a spouse and children. Discussion. In contrast to human capital, cultural and social capital on elderly volunteering appears to be contoured by social contexts.