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Prior research suggests that collectivism predicts international consumers' compliance with COVID-19 preventive behaviors. However, across two cross-sectional studies, we demonstrated that Chinese consumers were more likely to wear face masks and stay at home; while U.S. consumers were more likely to wash hands and keep a social distance. Indeed, when U.S. consumers perceived the pandemic to be more severe and were more health-conscious, they were more likely to comply with COVID-19 preventive behaviors than the Chinese. Adopting a multifactorial model, we offer a holistic view of consumer responses to COVID-19. We also provide insights for marketers and policymakers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For the preparation of thermoresponsive copolymers, for e.g., tissue engineering scaffolds or drug carriers, a precise control of the synthesis parameters to set the lower critical solution temperature (LCST) is required. However, the correlations between molecular parameters and LCST are partially unknown and, furthermore, LCST is defined as an exact temperature, which oversimplifies the real situation. Here, random N-isopropylacrylamide (NIPAM)/dopamine methacrylamide (DMA) copolymers were prepared under a systematical variation of molecular weight and comonomer amount and their LCST in water studied by calorimetry, turbidimetry, and rheology. Structural information was deduced from observed transitions clarifying the contributions of molecular weight, comonomer content, end-group effect or polymerization degree on LCST, which were then statistically modeled. This proved that the LCST can be predicted through molecular structure and conditions of the solutions. While the hydrophobic DMA lowers the LCST especially the onset, polymerization degree has an important but smaller influence over all the whole LCST range.