bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
On the Test Accuracy and Effective Control of the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Case Study in Singapore
Authors: Cheng Guang , Gao Sarah Yini , Yuan Yancheng , Zhang Chenxiao , Zheng Zhichao 
Published: March 2022

This study examines the impact of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) test accuracy (i.e., sensitivity and specificity) on the progression of the pandemic under two scenarios of limited and unlimited test capacity. We extend the classic susceptible– exposed–infectious–recovered model to incorporate test accuracy and compare the progression of the pandemic under various sensitivities and specificities. We find that high-sensitivity tests effectively reduce the total number of infections only with sufficient testing capacity. Nevertheless, with limited test capacity and a relatively high cross-infection rate, the total number of infected cases may increase when sensitivity is above a certain threshold. Despite the potential for higher sensitivity tests to identify more infected individuals, more false positive cases occur, which wastes limited testing capacity, slowing down the detection of infected cases. Our findings reveal that improving test sensitivity alone does not always lead to effective pandemic control, indicating that policymakers should balance the trade-off between high sensitivity and high false positive rates when designing containment measures for infectious diseases, such as COVID-19, particularly when navigating limited test capacity. History: This paper was refereed. This article has been selected for inclusion in the Special Issue on Analytics Remedies to COVID-19.
The effects of music & auditory beat stimulation on anxiety: A randomized clinical trial
Authors: Mallik Adiel , Russo Frank A. 
Published: March 2022

Background and objectives
Music and auditory beat stimulation (ABS) in the theta frequency range (4–7 Hz) are sound-based anxiety treatments that have been independently investigated in prior studies. Here, the anxiety-reducing potential of calm music combined with theta ABS was examined in a large sample of participants.

Methods
An open-label randomized controlled trial was conducted with participants taking anxiolytics (n = 163). Participants were randomly assigned using the Qualtrics randomizer algorithm, to a single session of sound-based treatment in one of four parallel arms: combined (music & ABS; n = 39), music-alone (n = 36), ABS-alone (n = 41), or pink noise (control; n = 47). Pre- and post-intervention somatic and cognitive state anxiety measures were collected along with trait anxiety, personality measures and musical preferences. The study was completed online using a custom application.

Results
Based on trait anxiety scores participants were separated into moderate and high trait anxiety sub-groups. Among participants with moderate trait anxiety, we observed reductions in somatic anxiety that were greater in combined and music-alone conditions than in the pink noise condition; and reductions in cognitive state anxiety that were greater in the combined condition than in the music-alone, ABS-alone, and pink noise conditions. While we also observed reductions in somatic and cognitive state anxiety in participants with high trait anxiety, the conditions were not well differentiated.

Conclusions
Sound-based treatments are effective in reducing somatic and cognitive state anxiety. For participants with moderate trait anxiety, combined conditions were most efficacious.
Outcomes of a controlled trial with visiting therapy dog teams on pain in adults in an emergency department
Authors: Carey Ben , Dell Colleen Anne , Stempien James , Tupper Susan , Rohr Betty , Carr Eloise , Cruz Maria , Acoose Sharon , Butt Peter , Broberg Lindsey , Collard Lisa , Fele-Slaferek Logan , Fornssler Cathie , Goodridge Donna , Gunderson Janet , McKenzie Holly , Rubin Joe , Shand Jason , Smith Jane , Trask Jason , Ukrainetz Kerry , Meier Simona 
Published: March 2022

ContextPain is a primary reason individuals attend an Emergency Department (ED), and its management is a concern.ObjectivesChange in symptoms and physiologic variables at 3 time points pre-post a ten-minute St. John Ambulance therapy dog team visit compared to no visit in ED patients who experienced pain.Design, setting and participantsUsing a controlled clinical trial design, pain, anxiety, depression and well-being were measured with the Edmonton Symptom Assessment System (revised version) (ESAS-r) 11-point rating scales before, immediately after, and 20 minutes post- therapy dog team visit with Royal University Hospital ED patients participating in the study (n = 97). Blood pressure and heart rate were recorded at the time points. Control data was gathered twice (30 minutes apart) for comparison (n = 101). There were no group differences in age, gender or ethnicity among the control and intervention groups (respectively mean age 59.5/57.2, ethnicity 77.2% Caucasian/87.6%, female 43.6% /39.2%, male 56.4%/60.8%,).Intervention10 minute therapy dog team visit in addition to usual care.Main outcome measuresChange in reported pain from pre and post therapy dog team visit and comparison with a control group.ResultsA two-way ANOVA was conducted to compare group effects. Significant pre- post-intervention differences were noted in pain for the intervention (mean changeint.= -0.9, SD = 2.05, p = .004, 95% confidence interval [CI] = [0.42, 1.32], ηp2= 04) but not the control group. Anxiety (mean changeint.= -1.13, SD = 2.80, p = .005, 95% CI = [0.56, 1.64], ηp2= .04), depression (mean changeint.= -0.72, SD = 1.71, p = .002, 95% CI = [0.39, 1.11], ηp2= .047), and well-being ratings (mean changeint.= -0.87, SD = 1.84, p < .001, 95% CI = [0.49, 1.25], ηp2= .07) similarly improved for the intervention group only. There were no pre-post intervention differences in blood pressure or heart rate for either group. Strong responders to the intervention (i.e. >50% reduction) were observed for pain (43%), anxiety (48%), depression (46%), and well-being (41%).ConclusionsClinically significant changes in pain as well as significant changes in anxiety, depression and well-being were observed in the therapy dog intervention compared to control. The findings of this novel study contribute important knowledge towards the potential value of ED therapy dogs to affect patients’ experience of pain, and related measures of anxiety, depression and well-being.Trial registrationThis controlled clinical trial is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, registration numberNCT04727749.
Attitude of health professionals towards COVID-19 vaccination and associated factors among health professionals, Western Ethiopia: A cross-sectional survey
Authors: Tolossa Tadesse , Wakuma Bizuneh , Turi Ebisa , Mulisa Diriba , Ayala Diriba , Fetensa Getahun , Mengist Belayneh , Abera Gebeyehu , Merdassa Atomssa Emiru , Seyoum Dejene , Shibiru Tesfaye , Getahun Ayantu 
Published: March 2022

Introduction
Even though people of the world were eagerly waiting for the hope of vaccine development, vaccine hesitancy is becoming the top concern in both developed and developing countries. However, there is no adequate evidence regarding the attitude and perception of health professionals towards the COVID 19 vaccine in resource-limited settings like Ethiopia. The aim of this study was to assess health professionals’ attitudes and perceptions towards COVID 19 vaccine in Western Ethiopia.

Methods
An institution-based cross-sectional study was conducted among health care workers found in Nekemte town from April 14–21, 2021. A total of 439 health professionals present on duty during the study period was included in the study. The data were collected by using self-administered questionnaire. Epidata version 3.2 was used for data entry, and STATA version 14 was used for data analysis. The binary logistic regression model was employed to determine factors associated with the attitude towards COVID-19 vaccination. Adjusted Odds Ratio (AOR) with 95% confidence intervals was computed and statistical significance was declared at a 5% level (p-value < 0.05).

Result
A total of 431 health professionals participated in the study yielding a response rate of 98.1%. The results indicated that 51.28% (95%CI: 45.12%, 57.34%) of health professionals had a favorable attitude towards COVID-19 vaccination. Having good knowledge about the COVID-19 vaccine (AOR = 0.38, 95%CI: 0.22, 0.64, P-value <0.001) was negatively associated with unfavorable attitude towards COVID-19 vaccine, whereas age less than 30 years (AOR = 2.14, 95%CI:1.25,3.67, P-value <0.001), working in a private clinic (AOR = 7.77, 95% CI: 2.19, 27.58, P-value <0.001) and health center (AOR = 2.45, 95%CI: 1.01, 5.92, P-value = 0.045) were positively associated with unfavorable attitude towards COVID-19 vaccine.

Conclusion and recommendation
In general, the attitude and perception of health care professionals toward the COVID-19 vaccine in the study area were unsatisfactory. Knowledge about the COVID-19 vaccine, age of health care workers, and place of work are the factors which affects attitude towards COVID-19 vaccine. Thus, we recommend the media outlets and concerned bodies to work to develop trust among the public by disseminating accurate and consistent information about the vaccine.
Reflexões teórico-práticas sobre o ensino de variação linguística em língua portuguesa
Authors: Peres Gilberto Antonio , Floripi Simone Azevedo 
Published: March 2022

Este artigo traz uma reflexão sobre o fenômeno da variação e normas linguísticas empregadas na sociedade a partir de embasamento teórico da pedagogia da variação linguística e norteada pelas orientações de documentos oficiais brasileiros atuais, como os Parâmetros Curriculares Nacionais (BRASIL, 1998) e a Base Nacional Comum Curricular (BRASIL, 2017) com relação às perspectivas associadas. A discussão está embasada em uma proposta de ensino efetivamente realizada em que alunos do 8º ano do Ensino Fundamental, a partir do contato com os conceitos de variação linguística, se apropriaram desses conhecimentos e produziram tiras, incorporando vivências de interação social em suas produções textuais. Os personagens escolhidos para a elaboração e aplicação da proposta são da Turma do Xaxado, de Antônio Cedraz. Para o desenvolvimento das atividades foram adotados os procedimentos da pesquisa- ação (THIOLLENT, 1986) cuja metodologia articula a produção de conhecimentos com a ação educativa. O objetivo deste trabalho é evidenciar uma proposta de ensino efetiva que aborde a língua como um fenômeno variável por meio do gênero tiras. Para isso, fundamentamo-nos em pesquisas científicas que enfocam um ensino de base sociolinguística, tais como Bortoni-Ricardo (2004, 2005), Faraco (2008), Bagno (2007, 2013); Coelho et al. (2015) e Silva (2001). Ao analisar as tiras produzidas pelos discentes, objetivamos evidenciar suas percepções em relação à língua como um fenômeno heterogêneo e corroborar a eficácia de propostas de ensino pautadas na perspectiva científica da sociolinguística educacional.
Documentary linguists and risk communication: views from the virALLanguages project experience
Authors: Di Carlo Pierpaolo , Lukschy Leonore , Rey Sydney , Vita Vasiliki 
Published: March 2022

Abstract
Linguists are seldom, if ever, engaged in work aimed at communicating risk to the general public. The COVID-19 global pandemic and its associated infodemic may change this state of affairs, at least for documentary linguists. Documenting languages may bring researchers in direct contact with communities speaking minority or marginalized languages and gain key insights into their communicative ecologies. By being both immersed in local networks and more or less knowledgeable about the community’s communicative habits, documentary linguists appear to be placed in a unique position to contribute to communicating risk in ways that are better tailored to the community and, therefore, potentially quite effective locally. Furthermore, adding work in risk communication to their agenda may also stimulate documentary linguists to find new models for “giving back” to the communities they work with. In order to provide a concrete example of how all this may play out in concrete terms, we illustrate the virALLanguages project.
A comparative corpus stylistic analysis of thematization and characterization in Gordimer’s My Son’s Story and Coetzee’s Disgrace
Authors: Moustafa Basant S. M. 
Published: March 2022

Abstract

My Son’s Story and Disgrace are two novels written by two South African Noble laureates – Nadine Gordimer and J. M. Coetzee, respectively. The current study attempts to comparatively uncover the thematic foci as well as characterization aspects and interpersonal relations between characters in the two novels by dint of corpus linguistic tools, i.e., keywords and key clusters. Thus, using Sketch Engine online interface, the study presents a comparative thematic categorization of the two novels – a categorization which proves congruent with the thematization provided by previous critical literary studies of each novel. Both novels are found to revolve around racial tensions and illicit relationships in South Africa. However, although My Son’s Story is set during the apartheid and Disgrace is set after the apartheid is supposedly over, comparative corpus-driven investigation of the two novels reveals that the South Africa promised in My Son’s Story is betrayed in Disgrace, since racial violence and cross-race sexual dissipation persist. Quantitatively, using the notion of local textual functions, the associations between the use of key clusters, their repercussions on characters’ depiction, and their interpersonal relationships are uncovered. Clear affinities between the two protagonists, Sonny and David, are discerned, e.g., their love for music and literature, their sexual whims, their unsettled relationships with their children, etc. Empirically, the father–son/daughter turbulences, husband–wife vicissitudes, landlord–farmer intricacies, and love affairs’ intricacies are fathomed.
Numerical solution for two-dimensional partial differential equations using SM’s method
Authors: Mastoi Sanaullah , Ganie Abdul Hamid , Saeed Abdulkafi Mohammed , Ali Umair , Rajput Umair Ahmed , Mior Othman Wan Ainun 
Published: March 2022

AbstractIn this research paper, the authors aim to establish a novel algorithm in the finite difference method (FDM). The novel idea is proposed in the mesh generation process, the process to generate random grids. The FDM over a randomly generated grid enables fast convergence and improves the accuracy of the solution for a given problem; it also enhances the quality of precision by minimizing the error. The FDM involves uniform grids, which are commonly used in solving the partial differential equation (PDE) and the fractional partial differential equation. However, it requires a higher number of iterations to reach convergence. In addition, there is still no definite principle for the discretization of the model to generate the mesh. The newly proposed method, which is the SM method, employed randomly generated grids for mesh generation. This method is compared with the uniform grid method to check the validity and potential in minimizing the computational time and error. The comparative study is conducted for the first time by generating meshes of different cell sizes,i.e.,10×10,20×20,30×30,40×4010\times 10,\hspace{.25em}20\times 20,\hspace{.25em}30\times 30,\hspace{.25em}40\times 40using MATLAB and ANSYS programs. The two-dimensional PDEs are solved over uniform and random grids. A significant reduction in the computational time is also noticed. Thus, this method is recommended to be used in solving the PDEs.
Mechanical and wear behaviour of PEEK, PTFE and PU: review and experimental study
Authors: Natarajan Elango , Santhosh M. S. , Markandan Kalaimani , Sasikumar R. , Saravanakumar N. , Dilip A. Anto 
Published: March 2022

Abstract
Soft polymers such as polyether ether ketone (PEEK), polyurethane (PU) and polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) have gained significant research interest in the last few decades owing to their excellent material properties which can be harnessed to meet the demands of various applications such as biomedical implants and accessories, insulation panels to cooking utensils, inner coating material for non-stick cookware etc. In the present study, we provide a comprehensive review on the mechanical and tribological behaviour of PEEK, PU and PTFE polymers. Samples of these materials were also fabricated and the experimentally obtained tensile strength, flexural strength, wear rate and coefficient of frictions were ascertained with values reported in literature. It is highlighted that coefficient of friction of polymers were highly dependent on the surface texture of the polymer’s surface; where an uneven surface exhibited higher coefficient of friction. Perspectives for future progress are also highlighted in this paper.
mRNA editing of kainate receptor subunits: what do we know so far?
Authors: Gaidin Sergei G. , Kosenkov Artem M. 
Published: March 2022

Abstract
Kainate receptors (KARs) are considered one of the key modulators of synaptic activity in the mammalian central nervous system. These receptors were discovered more than 30 years ago, but their role in brain functioning remains unclear due to some peculiarities. One such feature of these receptors is the editing of pre-mRNAs encoding GluK1 and GluK2 subunits. Despite the long history of studying this phenomenon, numerous questions remain unanswered. This review summarizes the current data about the mechanism and role of pre-mRNA editing of KAR subunits in the mammalian brain and proposes a perspective of future investigations.
Doped TiO2slabs for water splitting: a DFT study
Authors: Khan Muhammad Isa , Khan Wahid Ullah , Majid Abdul 
Published: March 2022

AbstractThe realization of water splitting at a commercial scale is one of the major obstacles to the development of a viable and long-term hydrogen economy. In this regard 3d-transition metals (TMs) doped anatase TiO2slabs are investigated to understand the role of magnetism in water splitting using density functional theory (DFT). The structural stability of various 3d-TMs (V, Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, and Cu) doped in TiO2ultrathin films have been investigated. The electronic band structures show that the doping of 3d-TMs makes the bandgap of TiO2narrow which leads to the improvement of photo-reactivity as well as maintains the strong redox potential. The large magnetic moment of Fe- and Mn-doped slabs indicates that high charge transfer to water molecules with low adsorption energy. The results demonstrate that V, Fe, and Co doping makes the slabs ferromagnetic (FM), whereas Cr, Mn, Ni, and Cu doping makes the slabs non-magnetic. The water molecule is placed on each FM slab and their splitting behavior has been analyzed thoroughly. It was concluded that magnetism does not affect water splitting.
The Dimensions of Territorial Embeddedness of the Business Services Sector in Central and Eastern Europe
Authors: Geodecki Tomasz 
Published: March 2022

Objective: The purpose of this article is, first, to propose a range of measures of territorial embeddedness in order to describe the phenomenon in question, and, second, to use the se measures to determine the level and dynamics of the embeddedness of the Business Services Sector (BSS) in Central and Eastern European (CEE) economies.
Research design & Methods: In the debate about the future of the BSS in these low-cost economies, two challenges have been identified. The first one involves the threat of relocation. The other one is associated with linkages between service companies and local customers/suppliers weaker than that of in Western Europe. These two challenges can be addressed by tackling the third one, namely the increasing of process efficiency. In consequence, even an increased share of foreign contractors does not have to reduce the scale of cooperation with local entities. In the empirical part of this paper, changes in these three areas that make up territorial embeddedness are explored in depth. Eight divisions covering the BSS in the CEE-11 countries were compared with their Western European counterparts (the EU-17) at two points in time, i.e. in 2000 and in 2014. The study relies on basic statistical data and calculations with the use of the World Input-Output Tables.
Findings: It was found that due to productivity growth, the cost competitiveness of the BSS in CEE countries was
maintained in the period of interest. Moreover, despite the growing internationalisation of the sector, the scale
of cooperation of the BSS with local actors has increased. The rapidly improving skills of employees in the Central European BSS – as well as the growing importance of knowledge-intensive services (KIS) in the structure of value added – can further contribute to the importance of CEE as a location for business services in Europe.
Implications/Recommendations: The studied period saw an improvement in the structure of value added, as an increasing share of it was accounted for by knowledge-based services. This implies a high probability of further productivity growth of the BSS in CEE, and bodes well for the degree of territorial embeddedness both in terms of decreasing the likelihood of relocation and amplifying the capacity of local actors to act as the suppliers and the recipients of state-of-the-art services.
Contribution/Value Added: I have recognised that when service provision is subject to massive offshoring, it is not so much the intensity of service provision (exports) as the intensity of value added creation in the local economy that is of significance. Moreover, the relative gains in this respect should determine the scale of territorial embeddedness, the competitiveness of individual sectors, as well as their growth prospects.