bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
What Is the Willingness to Receive Vaccination Against COVID-19 Among the Elderly in Italy? Data From the PASSI d'Argento Surveillance System
Authors: Contoli Benedetta , Possenti Valentina , Minardi Valentina , Binkin Nancy J. , Ramigni Mauro , Carrozzi Giuliano , Masocco Maria 
Published: November 2021

Introduction: Italy was one of the earliest countries to experience a severe COVID-19 epidemic and vaccinating the elderly, who constitute 23% of the population and have experienced the highest mortality rates, is a top priority. Estimating prevalences and understanding risk factors for COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy or refusal are important for development of targeted interventions.Methods: We used data from a specially developed COVID-19 module of PASSI D'Argento, an ongoing surveillance system of residents 65+ years of age to measure the prevalence and identify risk factors for hesitancy and refusal to receive the COVID-19 vaccine. We calculated multinomial regression relative risk ratios to examine the association between demographic characteristics, health status, COVID-19 attitudes and experiences and likely vaccine hesitancy and refusal.Results: Of the 1876 respondents, 55% reported they would accept vaccination and 16% would likely refuse; the remaining 29% were categorized as hesitant. Compared with the acceptance group, we identified several risk factors in common between the hesitancy group and the refusal group, including not having received vaccination against influenza during the previous flu season (hesitancy: RRR = 2.0; 95% CI 1.4–2.9; refusal: RRR = 12.1; 95%CI 7.6–19.4) and lower risk of having had a death from COVID-19 among family or friends (hesitancy: RRR = 4.8; 95%CI 2.0–11.4; refusal: RRR = 15.4; 95%CI 3.7–64.5). The hesitancy group was significantly more likely being worried and they did not know if consequences of the disease would be serious for them.Conclusion: Our findings show the importance of establishing and maintaining active contact between the preventive services, primary care providers and the population because trust is difficult to establish during an emergency like the COVID-19 pandemic. Italian public health is based on a capillary network of general practitioners and having them reach out to their patients who have not previously received influenza vaccine may be a useful strategy for targeting efforts to further encourage uptake of COVID-19 vaccination.
Disparities in Hepatocellular Carcinoma Survival by Insurance Status: A Population-Based Study in China
Authors: Wu Jing , Liu Chengyu , Wang Fengmei 
Published: November 2021

Objective: Health disparities related to basic medical insurance in China have not been sufficiently examined, particularly among patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). This study aims to investigate the disparities in HCC survival by insurance status in Tianjin, China.Methods: This retrospective analysis used data from the Tianjin Basic Medical Insurance claims database, which consists of enrollees covered by Urban Employee Basic Medical Insurance (UEBMI) and Urban and Rural Resident Basic Medical Insurance (URRBMI). Adult patients newly diagnosed with HCC between 2011 and 2016 were identified and followed until death from any cause, withdrawal from UEBMI or URRBMI, or the latest data in the dataset (censoring as of December 31st 2017), whichever occurred first. Patients' overall survival during the follow-up was assessed using Kaplan-Meier and extrapolated by six parametric models. The hazard ratio (HR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were calculated with the adjusted Cox proportional hazards model including age at diagnosis, sex, baseline comorbidities and complications, baseline healthcare resources utilization and medical costs, tumor metastasis at diagnosis, the initial treatment after diagnosis and antiviral therapy during the follow-up.Results: Two thousand sixty eight patients covered by UEBMI (N = 1,468) and URRBMI (N = 570) were included (mean age: 60.6 vs. 60.9, p = 0.667; female: 31.8 vs. 27.7%, p = 0.074). The median survival time for patients within the UEBMI and URRBMI were 37.8 and 12.2 months, and the 1-, 3-, 5-, 10-year overall survival rates were 63.8, 50.2, 51.0, 33.4, and 44.4, 22.8, 31.5, 13.1%, respectively. Compared with UEBMI, patients covered by URRBMI had 72% (HR: 1.72; 95% CI: 1.47–2.00) higher risk of death after adjustments for measured confounders above. The survival difference was still statistically significant (HR: 1.49; 95% CI: 1.21–1.83) in sensitivity analysis based on propensity score matching.Conclusions: This study reveals that HCC patients covered by URRBMI may have worse survival than patients covered by UEBMI. Further efforts are warranted to understand healthcare disparities for patients covered by different basic medical insurance in China.
Can Dog-Assisted Intervention Decrease Anxiety Level and Autonomic Agitation in Patients with Anxiety Disorders?
Authors: Wołyńczyk-Gmaj Dorota , Ziółkowska Aleksandra , Rogala Piotr , Ścigała Dawid , Bryła Ludwik , Gmaj Bartłomiej , Wojnar Marcin 
Published: November 2021

Few studies have explored the influence of an Animal-Assisted Intervention on patients with mental disorders. We investigated it’s impact on anxiety symptoms. We divided 51 patients with anxiety symptoms into two groups—treatment group, that went for a short 15–20 min’ walk with a dog, his handler and a researcher and control group, that went for a walk only with a researcher. We used State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI), Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) of fear, Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), Ford Insomnia Response to Stress (FIRST), Brief symptom Inventory (BSI) and VAS of satisfaction after trial to assess. We also checked the resting blood pressure and resting heart rate before and after performing psychological tests while sitting. We have obtained full data of 21 people from the research group and 26 people from the control group. After the intervention, the treatment group reported lower anxiety levels as a state (Mean (M) = 34.35; Standard Deviation (SD) = 6.9 vs. M = 40.94; SD = 8.6) and fear (M = 1.05; SD = 1.0 vs. M = 2.04; SD = 2.2) than the control group. After a walk with a dog, trait anxiety (M = 34.35; SD = 6.9 vs. M = 46.3; SD = 9.6), state anxiety (M = 48.9; SD = 7.2 vs. M = 53.9; SD = 7.8), fear (M = 1.05; SD= 1.0 vs. M = 2.57; SD = 2.3) and resting heart rate (M = 71.05; SD = 12.3 vs. M = 73.67; SD = 13.1) decreased significantly, while walking without a dog only reduced state anxiety (M = 47.24; SD = 11.0 vs. M = 40.94; SD = 8.6). Multivariate analysis of variance showed that after the walk, state anxiety was significantly lower in the treatment group than in the control group, F(1.35) = 6.706, p <0.05, η2 = 0.161. Among those who walked with a dog, the intervention also led to significant decreases in fear and resting heart rate, F(1.44) = 11.694, p < 0.01, η2 = 0.210 and F(1.45) = 8.503; p < 0.01; η2 = 0.159, respectively. For anxious patients, a short walk with a dog is more beneficial than a walk without one. We found significant positive effects of a dog’s company on vegetative arousal and mental comfort. This is another study confirming the possible therapeutic effect of the animal on anxiety symptoms. Further research is required, especially in the large groups of patients, as recommendations on the use of Animal Assisted Interventions (AAI) are needed.
Gamma-Ray Protection Properties of Bismuth-Silicate Glasses against Some Diagnostic Nuclear Medicine Radioisotopes: A Comprehensive Study
Authors: ALMisned Ghada , Zakaly Hesham M. H. , Issa Shams A. M. , Ene Antoaneta , Kilic Gokhan , Bawazeer Omemh , Almatar Albandari , Shamsi Dalal , Rabaa Elaf , Sideig Zuhal , Tekin Huseyin O. 
Published: November 2021

This study aimed to perform an investigation for the potential implementation of bismuth silicate glasses as novel shield equipment instead of ordinary shields in nuclear medicine facilities. Accordingly, a group of Bi2O3 reinforced silicate glass system were investigated and compared with ordinary shields in terms of their gamma-ray attenuation properties in diagnostic nuclear medicine radioisotope energies emitted from 99mTc, 111In, 67Ga, 123I, 131I, 81mKr, 201Tl, 133Xe. Mass attenuation coefficient (μm) results for glass samples were calculated comparatively with the XCOM program and MCNPX code. The gamma-ray attenuation parameters such as half value layer (HVL), tenth value layer (TVL), mean free path (MFP), effective atomic number (Zeff) were obtained in the diagnostic gamma ray energy range from 75 to 336 keV. To confirm the attenuation performance of superior sample, obtained results were extensively compared with ordinary shielding materials. According to the results obtained, BISI6 glass sample with the highest Bi2O3 additive has an excellent gamma-ray protection.
Potential Antioxidant and Anticancer Activities of Secondary Metabolites of Nostoc linckia Cultivated under Zn and Cu Stress Conditions
Authors: Ramadan Khaled M. A. , El-Beltagi Hossam S. , Shanab Sanaa M. M. , El-fayoumy Eman A. , Shalaby Emad A. , Bendary Eslam S. A. 
Published: November 2021

The objective of the present study is to determine the antioxidant and anticancer activities of Nostoc linckia extracts cultivated under heavy metal stress conditions (0.44, 0.88, and 1.76 mg/L for zinc and 0.158, 0.316, 0.632 mg/L for copper). Phycobiliprotein, phenolic compounds, flavonoids, and tannins were measured. Active ingredients of extracts were evaluated by GC-mass spectroscopy. The obtained results revealed that higher zinc and copper concentrations showed growth inhibition while 0.22 mg/L (Zn) and 0.079 mg/L (Cu) enhanced growth, reaching its maximum on the 25th day. Increases in catalase, lipids peroxidation, and antioxidants, as well as tannins and flavonoids, have been induced by integration of 0.88 mg/L (Zn) and 0.316 mg/L (Cu). Elevation of Zn concentration induced augmentation of antioxidant activity of crude extract (DPPH or ABTS), with superior activity at 0.44 mg/L zinc concentration (81.22%). The anticancer activity of Nostoc linckia extract (0.44 mg/L Zn) tested against four cancer cell lines: A549, Hela, HCT 116, and MCF-7. The extract at 500 µg/mL appeared the lowest cell viability of tested cell lines. The promising extract (0.44 mg/L Zn) recorded the lowest cell viability of 25.57% in cervical cell line, 29.74% in breast cell line, 33.10% in lung cell line and 34.53% in the colon cell line. The antioxidant active extract showed significant stability against pH with attributed increase in antioxidant activity in the range between 8–12. The extract can be used effectively as a natural antioxidant and anticancer after progressive testing.
The Schott Energy and the Reactive Energy in Electromagnetic Radiation and Mutual Couplings
Authors: Xiao Gaobiao 
Published: November 2021

<p>A revised version. The main derivation is reorganized, some denotations are changed.</p>
<p><br></p>
<p>In the proposed theory for analyzing the electromagnetic radiation and electromagnetic mutual couplings in vacuum, the electromagnetic energy associated with a source is separated into three parts: a Coulomb-velocity energy, a radiative energy and a macroscopic Schott energy. At the instant that the sources disappear, the Coulomb-velocity energy disappers simultaneously; a short time later, the total macroscopic Schott energy becomes zero, while the radiative energy keeps propagating and the total radiative energy becomes constant. By applying the Lienard-Wiechert potentials to a moving charge, this paper illustrates that the macroscopic Schott energy is corresponding to the Schott energy in the charged particle theory.</p>
Construyendo ciudadanía en la universidad: Una propuesta para la convivencia y resolución de conflictos
Authors: Chávez Ponce Daniel Fernando , Norzagaray Benitez Claudia Cecilia 
Published: November 2021

Las Instituciones de Educación Superior tienen el compromiso de formar integralmente al estudiantado, por lo que no es posible aludir a una educación de calidad si no se contempla la formación de competencias ciudadanas. Estas se agrupan en tres ámbitos: convivencia y paz, participación y responsabilidad democrática y pluralidad, identidad y valoración de diferencias. Dado que el conflicto es inevitable que se presente en la interacción de los individuos, es relevante desarrollar habilidades emocionales que permitan resolverlos de manera pacífica. Por ello, el presente trabajo presenta una propuesta para promover competencias ciudadanas a través de la convivencia y paz, enseñando la resolución de conflictos a partir de la promoción de habilidades para la colaboración. La propuesta se estructuró en un enfoque constructivista, teniendo como método el aprendizaje colaborativo de las que se derivan estrategias didácticas creativas, significativas e integradoras. Tiene por objetivo el desarrollo de habilidades para resolver conflictos de manera colaborativa, el manejo de las emociones, la mejora de las relaciones interpersonales y asumir el rol de liderazgo sin autoritarismo, aspecto fundamental para el desempeño del estudiante y su futuro rol en la sociedad.
Ecotourism in Times of Covid-19: A Systematic Review from the Five Continents on How This Activity is Being Carried Out and What Proposals They Have for the Near Future
Authors: Fernández-Bedoya Víctor Hugo , Meneses-La-Riva Monica Elisa , Suyo-Vega Josefina Amanda 
Published: November 2021

The emergence of the covid-19 virus has prompted governments in several countries to close their international borders, close transportation routes and decree quarantines as a public health measure to prevent the spread of the virus among the population. Globally, essential businesses have continued to operate, while others such as tourism must wait. Ecotourism is a sustainable activity that attracts tourists concerned about the environment and local culture, which generates income for the locals. In order to have a broader picture of how the ecotourism sector is dealing with covid-19, a systematic review was conducted to identify Scopus records detailing such evidence disclosed from 2020 to the first quarter of 2021. As results, records were identified in the five continents, which agree that the pandemic has negatively affected the income of local people, who have been forced to close their businesses and even perform illegal acts; however, there are also encouraging proposals of economic reactivation plans presented by villagers, who expect the opening of this activity to operate keeping all the health safety measures decreed by their governments.

Received: 6 May 2021 / Accepted: 27 September 2021 / Published: 5 November 2021
Motivation of Taking Distance-Learning and Online Programmes: A Case Study in a TAFE Institution in Australia
Authors: Dos Santos Luis M. 
Published: November 2021

The distance-learning and online courses and programmes are popular during the COVID-19 Pandemic due to the recommendation of social distancing and closure of borders in Australia. The purpose of this study is to explore and understand the motivation and decision-making processes of international students who continue their academic courses and programmes using online distance-learning platforms under the COVID-19 Pandemic. With the case study design, the researcher recruited 20 international students who are currently completing their academic courses and programmes through distance-learning from a Technical and Future Education (TAFE) institution in Australia. Based on the Social Cognitive Career and Motivation Theory, the researcher categorised that the educational achievements and career goals, the achievements of education and career goals, and interests in career development drove the factors of their motivation and career-decision-making process. The results of this study will provide a blueprint for school leaders, department heads, government agencies, policymakers, and researchers to reform and upgrade the current curriculum for technologically-assisted teaching and learning strategies and international students’ experiences.

Received: 16 June 2021 / Accepted: 11 August 2021 / Published: 5 November 2021
Promoting Qur'anic Verses That Reject Violence
Authors: Baidowi Ahmad , Abdullah Irwan , Zuhri Qudsy Saifuddin , Najwah Nurun 
Published: November 2021

This article highlights the mistaken paradigms that underpin the use of Islam to justify violence and terrorism. Its exploration of the Qur'an shows that Islam emphasizes peaceful values and promotes non-violent approaches; this study, thus, differs from previous ones that have argued Islam's emphasis on peace based on a deconstruction of verses with violent implications, thereby challenging religious violence and violence perpetrated in religion's name. This study analyses the content of the Quranic verses that emphasize Islam's openness and friendliness, prohibit acts of violence and narrate the peaceful resolution of problems as well as mitigating conflict. The analysis of these patterns of Quranic verses shows Islam's alignment with the values ​​of peace and, conversely, disapproval of violence. This exploration of the non-violent values offered by the Qur'an thus offers an important complement to the existing literature on peace and Islam. This study, thus, emphasizes the strategies to promote non-violence which are universal values ​​of the Qur’an.

Received: 26 July 2021 / Accepted: 20 September 2021 / Published: 5 November 2021
Investor Reaction to the Discovery of Accounting Fraud: The Period from the Discovery of the Fraud to the Completion of the Correction
Authors: Ahmad Syed Raziuddin , Senan Nabil Ahmed Mareai , Ali Ijaz , Ali Kashif , Khan Imran Ahmad , Baig Asif 
Published: November 2021

This paper examines the period from the discovery of accounting fraud to the completion of correction and examines the reaction of investors on the date of the first news release suggesting accounting manipulation, the date of the subsequent release of information related to the amount of profit correction that was not disclosed on the date of the first news release, and the date of the submission of the correction report. The verification results show that the stock price falls sharply on the day of the first news release and the day when the information about the amount of profit revision is disclosed, that when the amount of profit revision is large and it takes time to disclose information about the amount of profit revision, there is a rebound in the stock price on the day when the correction report is submitted because investors like the resolution of uncertainty, and that there is a relationship between the amount of profit revision and the size of stock price decline. However, when there is no information about the amount of correction on the first day of the news release, investors react uniformly, and the reaction to a large (small) amount of correction is underreaction (overreaction). These results indicate that investors were misled by the misstatements until the fraud was discovered and made decisions based on overestimates of future cash flows, so they suffered unexpected losses when the fraud was discovered, and during the period from the fraud discovery to the completion of correction.

Received: 3 August 2021 / Accepted: 6 October 2021 / Published: 5 November 2021
A Critical Analysis on the Refutation of Innate Ideas in John Locke’s Philosophical Thoughts
Authors: Jeganathan Somasundaram , Shanmugam Thanigaivelan 
Published: November 2021

Epistemology is an attempt to understand the role of knowledge, its origin, development and validity. The scientists, psychologists, educationalists, moral philosophers – all are analyzing the importance of epistemology in the knowledge process. Epistemology is considered one of the branches of knowledge, and it supports logic by emphasizing the interrelation between the two. While explaining the significance of epistemology R.M. Chisholm says that it deals with issues like the distinction between knowledge and true opinion and the relation between conditions of truth and criteria of evidence. Such issues constitute the subject matter of the theory of knowledge. In the history of Western philosophy, the modern period is significant because, during this period, there were two schools of thought regarding the validity of knowledge and emerged. One is Rationalism, and the other is Empiricism. Rationalism emphasizes that the source of knowledge is the reason. However, the Empiricism emphasizes experience as the basis for knowledge. In both movements, namely, rationalism and empiricism, epistemology has been attempting to find the answers to some questions: What do we know? How do we know? What are the sources of knowledge? What is the difference between belief and knowledge? Furthermore, is it possible to get valid knowledge? The prominent empiricist John Locke read the writings of Descartes. He rejected Descartes' innate ideas logically, and he has elaborately explained the source of knowledge, the limit of knowledge, validity of knowledge, and its kinds in his Essay Concerning Human Understanding. His empiricism received much criticism from the latest philosophers because he adapted some philosophical ideas from the pioneers. This article aims to justify whether John Locke’s epistemology is neutral by explaining the basic characteristic of empiricism and its critiques. This study as a qualitative approach depends both on the primary as well as secondary sources related to the study as books. This study attempts to understand Locke from a critical standpoint. In the end, an attempt is made to show how Locke's central and bias philosophy has relevance even today.

Received: 15 July 2021 / Accepted: 28 September 2021 / Published: 5 November 2021
Dynamics of Customary Land Rights and Its Impact on the Agronomic Choices for Small Farmers in the South Kivu province, Eastern DR Congo
Authors: Shamamba Dieudonné Bahati , Basengere Espoir Bisimwa , Lebailly Philippe 
Published: November 2021

In Africa, there is still observed a land related legal plurality despite innovations undertaken since colonial times. In DR Congo, while by law land remains the property of the State, it remains difficult to manage rural lands, ignoring customary practices. In fact, alongside the “modern” land administration, the majority of rural lands are covered by customary contracts. Meanwhile, these contracts have evolved due to different socio-political issues in the DRC and particularly in its eastern part. This study aimed at understanding these changes and thus the impact resulted in agricultural activities, especially the small farmers’ technology choice. The study is based on households’ surveys in the Mbinga Sud zone as well as from other stakeholders on land in the Kalehe territory, South Kivu province, eastern DRC. Through this study, it is noted that customary land contracts have sufficiently evolved due to the population growth, innovations taken in land administration in the country, the wars that occurred in the eastern DR Congo, the attractiveness of rural land by elites and rich businessmen leading to land concentration etc. Given this situation, some practices such as purchase and lease of land were thus developed to cope with weak customary land acquisition mechanisms, the land scarcity and / or land depletion and the fear of land grabbing by the strongest. These changes also have an impact on some agricultural practices, including the fertilization of farms, the choice of crops and varieties to grow as well as many other cultivation techniques.

Received: 3 June 2021 / Accepted: 4 September 2021 / Published: 5 November 2021