The paper investigates the relations between Schwartz’s values and beliefs which may reflect skepticism toward science – specifically vaccine rejection, climate change denial and creationism. Recent research on the causes of anti-science indicates that they may be motivational, pertaining to ideologies, worldviews, and one’s moral codes. Therefore, we postulated that value priority hierarchies hierarchies may be predictors of anti-science. Results (N = 509) indicated that Conservation metatype values were positively associated with anti-science, while Self-Transcendence and Openness to change metatypes were connected with support for science. We also found significant differences in value profiles between participants with lower vs. higher anti-scientific beliefs. We discuss the possible motivational underpinnings of these results.

Synthetic refrigerants are being phased out gradually in accordance with international environmental protection protocols because of global warming and ozone layer depletion. Adopting R290/R600 refrigerant, an environmentally friendly refrigerant, to replace R134a, a high global warming potential refrigerant, provides one of the solutions. In this study, exergy analysis of R134a and TiO₂ suspended with lubricant and R290/R600 with a composition of 60% R290 and 40% R600 (60:40) was investigated in vapour compression system (VCRS) using R290/ R600 in TiO₂ nanomixture lubricant and compared with R134a and R290/ R600 in pure lubricant. At the inlets and outlets, the main components of the VCRS are connected to temperature and pressure sensors to measure the inlet and outlet temperatures and pressures. The results obtained were used to analyses the exergy losses at various VCRS components (compressor, condenser, evaporator, expansion valve) were investigated to determine the refrigerator’s total exergy destruction (E·x_dest.Total) and efficiency (η_ex). The E·x_dest.Total of R290/R600 in pure lubricant and R290/R600 TiO₂ nanomixture lubricant was reduced by 26.9% and 42.3%, respectively, and system η_ex increased by 27.7% and 38.9% respectively when compared to R134a in the system. Hence, TiO₂ suspended with R290/R600 is potential a substitute for R134a.

Many business offices around the world are organized as open plan offices. Therefore, studies about the acoustic comfort of the people who work in them have become increasingly important. The focus of this work is the acoustic evaluation of an open plan office combining several architectural characteristics and levels of ambient noise. This evaluation was performed through a computational model calibrated from a real office. The rate of spatial decay of sound pressure levels per distance doubling (DL2) and the speech transmission index (STI) were simulated for the acoustic evaluation of the office, allowing for the determination of the radius of distraction (rD). These parameters were simulated for 6 situations using different floor and ceiling covering materials and inserting or withdrawing screens between workstations. In addition, STI and rD were simulated under two conditions of ambient noise. The results indicated that the DL2 and rD are adequate acoustic parameters for the acoustic evaluation and improvement of an open plan office. The DL2 was strongly influenced by the presence or absence of screens between workstations and by the ceiling covering material. The rD was more sensitive to changes in ambient noise.