Post on 22-Apr-2023
1. Introduction and Background
1.1 Introduction
One of the biggest problems to the learning that takes place
in the classroom is the short attention span of learners. An
attention span refers to the amount of time that is spent
focusing on a task without becoming distracted (Cornish and
Dukette, 2009: 73). Similarly, a study undertaken by the Royal
Free Hampstead Trust based in the United Kingdom found that
“Children who have attention difficulties immediately
compromise their ability to learn”. Furthermore, research
suggests that not only does a short concentration span deter
the child from learning at the current moment but instead
“children with attention – concentration problems seem
flighty, disorganized and inattentive, make careless mistakes,
can’t stay focused and get frustrated easily” (Zimmerman and
Christakis, 2007). In other words this frustration would make
it even harder for learners to catch up with the work that
they missed. More specifically, we find this to be a more
serious problem in a mathematics classroom. This may be due to
the fact that mathematics is a subject that demands more
attention when the general rules and methodology is explained.
1.2 Background
One of the causes of short attention span in the classroom
that has been researched many a time is a learning barrier
known as Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD).
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According to Swanson et al (2007), ADHD is “…is a medical term
given to children who exhibit a persistent, developmentally
inappropriate, and impairing pattern of behaviour such as
problems paying attention interrupting and intruding upon
others fidgeting [and] squirming in seat”. Various studies
show that this condition has multiple causes which include
genetics and environmental factors. According to Swanson et al
(2007) there are arguments that suggest that there is very
little link between ADHD and mathematic disability as
mathematics ability does not rely on hyperactivity as much as
it does on inattentiveness. However this argument is said to
lack statistical proof and therefore ADHD may still be a very
big factor that causes inattentiveness in a mathematics
classroom.
Another interesting factor that affects attention and
concentration in the classroom that has been deeply researched
is the notion of technology that learners are exposed to. What
I have often experienced myself as a school learner back then
is that at home I had a television and a computer which was
exciting, whilst at school you have to be subjected to a
blackboard. This is very much in line with the argument that
Brand presents in her thesis when she states that “students
want engagement at the same level they gain from computer
games in their learning. Present day students are more used to
absorbing information from the screen than from the printed
page, and they find teachers who use technology to be more
reliable and knowledgeable than those who don’t” (Brand 2010).
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Furthermore, Brand (2010) explains that she performed a
research experiment whereby a classroom was randomly divided
up into two groups. With the first group, she introduced a new
lesson using a video clip whilst with the second group; she
performed the same lesson but used no technology in the
introduction. The findings of the experiment was that “that
there is a significant difference between the average
achievements of a group of learners exposed to technology
during a lesson compared to a group not exposed to technology;
there is a significant difference between the average
attentions of a group of learners exposed to technology during
a lesson compared to a group not exposed to technology (Brand
2010, 107). One can therefore conclude that effective use of
technology in the classroom influences the attention span
positively and facilitates a better learning process.
Also, a very influential factor on attention spans on
learners in a classroom (especially adolescents), which is too
often overlooked is the role of opposite genders in one
classroom. During my teaching practice at school, one elderly
teacher told me that he has taught at all different types of
schools. However, what he has observed is that girls and boys
at single-gendered schools tend to be much more focused than
learners of a co-ed school. After asking, he explained that
because girls and boys have a natural attraction to each
other, them being together in the same classroom at an age,
where their hormones are extremely active, makes it hard for
them to focus on their school work.
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A major out-of-school cause of poor attention spans in the
classroom is socio-economic problems. One of the main socio
economic problems among high school is gangsterism. Mr Downs
who is a Mathematics teacher at Princeton High School in
Mitchells Plain says that when you have learners in a
classroom that belong to gangs, it is inevitable that there
will be some rivalry in the classroom. Thus, if there is gang
warfare taking place outside the school, learners bring that
with them to the classroom. If one learner knows that another
learner is from another gang, not only are the two of them
inattentive to what the teacher is saying. Rather, the whole
class knows what the scenario is and therefore, their focus is
not on the teacher but on what prospective of a fight they may
after school or interval.
When it comes to analysing the history of the problem, the
socio-political dimensions play an instrumental role.
According to Mr Downs, when he started his teaching carreer 40
years ago, the nature of schools was that the teacher was the
supreme authority in the classroom and thus, learners were too
terrified to try and disrupt the classroom whereas today
learners know what their rights are and as a result they feel
confident enough to undermine the teacher. However, this does
not mean that learners were automatically more attentive back
then. One must not forget that there were issues such as the
student riots whereby the learners boycotted schooling for
political reasons and so there even many learners sitting in
the classroom but their attention was somewhere else.
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Also, if we want to do a thorough study of the problem, we
cannot turn a blind eye and not ask what the government is
doing about the problem. According to Mr Downs, because the
standards of the national curriculum have always been dropped
and as a result, requirements to pass also being dropped,
majority learners of learners in the public schools feel that
as long as they score 40 per cent in their year mark, they are
satisfied. In such instance, the learners can go on not paying
attention in class and continue disturbing other learners who
are willing to pay attention and learn. With that being said,
the Department of Education have very little policy to counter
the problem.
Why Mathematics specifically? –Because mathematics is language
on its own unlike most content subjects. According to Mr
Downs, in learning areas such as history and geography, when
learners go home and think of their lesson, it will be
sufficient for them to remember the concept or word and they
will be able to relate that with the rest of what they have
learnt. On the other hand, with mathematics one cannot simply
remember the term for a formula and then apply it. Rather, it
requires constant practice.
In retrospect, poor attention spans in a classroom are
influenced by multiple factors that inlcude ADHD, use and
misuse of technology, same-gender classrooms as well as other
social problems in the learners home environment. These
factors, however, have an even bigger effect in a mathematics
classroom and therefore, it is an issue that requires much
research to be done.5
1.Research aims
The main research aim is stated below, followed by the
subsidiary research aims.
3.1 Main research aim
The main research aim is to explain the factors that influence
attention spans in a mathematics classroom in a Western Cape
public school.
3.2 Subsidiary research aims
1. To know what are the causes of short attention spans.
2. To understand the role that attention plays in the learning
area of Mathematics.
3. To understand the effects that background factors has in
the learning area of mathematics.
4. To understand how these factors are relevant specifically
to the public schools in the Western Cape.
2.Research Questions
4.1 Main research question
What are the factors that influence attention spans in a mathematics classroom in a Western Cape public school?
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4.2 Subsidiary research questions
1. What are the various causes of short attention spans among learners?
2. What role does attention play in the learning of Mathematics?
3. What effects do background factors have in the learning area of mathematics?
4. How do these factors relate specifically to public schools in the Western Cape?
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3.Research rationale and significance of the study
This study is extremely important because there has not been
any formal research done on this topic that focuses
specifically on public schools in the Western Cape. Instead of
the continuing trend in which many teachers jump to their own
different conclusions as to why learners find it hard to
remain focused and pay attention, this study will produce
scientific research which teachers can use to understand the
problem of the learners and to address it correctly to
facilitate more efficient learning.
Also, on a macro scale, the provincial education department
can review it and possibly use the findings of this study to
identify the various factors that impact on the attention span
of learners in the classroom at public schools, especially
mathematics as a target area. From there, the education
department could analyse the nature of these factors and set
up an intervention programme which will seek to eradicate
these factors so that teachers, parents, and learners
themselves will understand the nature of the problem and as a
result, improve their attention span so that the literacy and
numeracy of our learners will improve.
Furthermore, it has been scientifically proven by Brand (2010)
that the gap between the technologies that learners are
exposed to outside of school and that which is used in the
classroom impacts greatly on how long learners’ attention and
concentration lasts. If this study can be presented to the
Department of Education, they can initiate a project to
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acquire funds and then look into bridging the gap between the
learners’ exposure that the classroom use of technology by
upgrading the schools equipment. Also the Department could
then seek to provide some teachers, who are familiar with the
modern technology and who are not computer literate, with
training as how he or she can use modern technology in
teaching in order to make learning more attractive so that it
will have a positive impact on learners’ attention span.
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4.Literature Review
From the available literature that are available which deals
with one or aspects of my topic, I have read quite a few
articles to get a sense of what findings other researchers
have already come up with regarding this topic. I will,
therefore, review five of those literature, highlight the
findings of the authors/researchers, note the similarities and
contradictions and argue my stance on it.
According to a publication by Professor Susan Gathercole and
Dr Tracy Alloway, the main cause of poor attention spans is
poor ‘working memory’. In this publication ‘Understanding
Working Memory: A Classroom Guide’, the authors define the
term ‘working memory’, explain when working memory is used and
discuss its effects on attention in the classroom. Firstly,
the authors define working memory as “the ability we have to
hold in mind and mentally manipulate information over short
periods of time” (Gathercole and Alloway 2007). This concept
therefore becomes very much relevant to my study because it
speaks to the question of what causes learners to possess poor
attention spans.
Secondly, the authors then go on to explain that in no matter
which type of activity one performs, it does to some extent
require a degree of working memory. The problem with this
statement, however, is that it is not backed up by evidence to
make the reader understand which grounds the claim is based
on. It could be argued that the authors are specialists in
the study. However, in order for research to be adopted as a
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method, it has to be clear and understood. In other words, if
an argument like that is presented to the Western Cape
Education Department for which they are told that they should
implement a strategy around that, the Department will reject
it as it would be neither scientific nor convincing to them. I
would, therefore, research this claim and give scientific
evidence with my research.
Furthermore, the authors go on to explain how working memory
is used in mathematics for example; when a learner is busy
with a mathematical formula, he/she has to remember and
mentally maintain the previous calculations as he/she
progresses through the steps that follow in the equation. The
authors then also elaborate as to why ‘working memory’ is
crucial for the learners’ attention so that learning can take
place. The problem, however, is the conclusive stance that
makes it seems to the reader as if ‘working memory’ is the
sole reason for learners’ lack of attention in the classroom.
The authors do this by using case studies of learners who find
it hard to complete a mathematical equation and then list
symptoms of poor working memory. It is, therefore, my view
that either there are many other factors in addition to poor
working memory that hinders the learners’ attention span or I
would say that the article is not deep enough in the sense
that the authors do not describe the social factors that could
trigger poor working memory.
In contrast, other researchers, Streissguth et al (2004),
argue that a major factor that affects the attention spans of
children is a condition known as Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS).11
Streissguth et al (2004) defines FAS as “a birth defect caused
by pre-natal alcohol exposure”. In other words, this would be
something that the child is born with caused by the drinking
of the mother whilst she was pregnant. The authors then go on
to describe the various after birth conditions which the child
will suffer from in the infancy stage and then also the
secondary effects. One of the major secondary effects that the
authors elaborate on is that when children go to school, they
find problems concentrating and paying attention in the
classroom. Furthermore, the authors further argues that their
research findings brought them to the conclusion that 90% of
children, who are diagnosed with FAS, are likely to experience
learning disabilities in all school work especially
mathematics as it is a subject that requires lots of
concentration from the brain. Therefore, if the brain is
affected by FAS, it will most likely be incapable to deal with
the intense function of mathematics when the child goes to
school.
In essence, the research presented in this article ties in
with the factors that influence attention spans in a
classroom, which is one of the aspects which I intend to
address in my own research. One of the positives that I can
extract from it is that unlike many other factors that I have
researched, it shows that the influencing factors can also be
something that the learners are born with, not merely
something that is currently affecting the learner in his/her
capacity.
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Also, the research presented speaks to the question of what
role the factor plays specifically in mathematics. This
relates to almost every other factor that explain that because
mathematics is an intense subject that requires more attention
and concentration than other subjects, the factor is likely to
impact mathematics learning even more. Unfortunately, the
research was done in an American context and therefore, cannot
relate directly to the circumstances that we find in a South
African context. Although alcoholism is a problem in the
Western Cape too, the research must be specific to the Western
Cape in order for us to prove the scientific consequences
thereof.
The research, presented in an article by Grootenboer and
Hemmings (2007), focuses on the relationship between
background factors of learners and their performance in the
mathematics classroom. What the researchers explain in the
opening of this article is that due to all the unfounded
beliefs which teachers, learners, parents and other have
regarding the relationship mathematics and the background of
the learner, they attempt to research it in order to know its
validity.
The researchers address the notion of positive attitudes and
beliefs of mathematics versus the negative attitudes and their
effects on mathematics learning. They conclude that this is
often an not the determining factor to the outcome of the
learner because scholars collectively agree that majority of
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learners, when young, have positive attitudes and beliefs
towards working with numbers, yet so many of them lose
interest in the subject as time goes on.
Another background factor that the authors discuss in their
article is that of Socio-economic status of the learner.
Grootenboer and Hemmings basically use quantitative data which
was taken from Peard’s research (2002) in which he shows that
learners who attend schools, that are lower in socio-economic
status, achieve less in mathematics than those who attend the
more affluent schools. The problem with this finding in my
view is that it does not highlight the possible secondary
effects of low socio-economic effects such as drug abuse and
gangsterism which is a reality in those schools. Moreover,
what about learners who have parents that are, in fact, seen
as elite in wealth and status despite the learners attending
that ‘poor’ school? If they are underperforming, one cannot
blame his socio-economic background. However, one could assume
that the effects of other disruptive learners hinder the
learning of those who are willing to learn. Therefore, the
research presented does not justify why it is the socio-
economic condition that affects the Mathematics learning and
thus, socio-economic effects must be researched in more
specific detail
Sergiy Klymchuk (2010) presents a study that seeks to explain
the role of both teacher knowledge as well as learners’
attention in the learning and teaching of Mathematics. Whilst
there are many studies that emphasize each individually,
Klymchuk argues that regardless how strong the one is,14
Mathematics learning cannot take place without the other.
Moreover, the author strongly argues that because mathematics
teachers are the professionals, they should adopt the train of
thinking whereby they do not view teacher knowledge as one
thing and learner attention as another. Rather, a teacher’s
knowledge should be so broad that he/she is able to be in
control of a learner’s attention by not only encouraging
learners to pay attention in class but also understanding how
to help learners focus.
One of the very important aspects that the article highlights
with regards to attention is the notion of divided attention
in which a person can be partially focused on what he/she is
currently but his/her mind may also be lingering on what is
going to happen next and after that. Thus according to the
author, mathematics is not a subject that requires attention
from the learner while she is in class. Rather, it requires
complete undivided attention from both the learner and the
teacher. Moreover, the best way for learning and teaching to
take place is for the teacher to focus solely on one step when
explaining a calculation to learners. Likewise, learners must
be driven to a point whereby they only focus on the particular
step that is being taught. Once the teacher completes that,
they should move with the teacher to the next step and be
fully attentive to that. The views presented in this article
are very much in line with my own because it does not isolate
the role of attention to the learner. Instead, it speaks to
the idea of a dual role between learner and teacher.
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Naidoo et al (2014) presents research that evaluates how rife
crime, drugs, gangsterism and other socio-economic problems
are in Western Cape schools. Although the provincial
government spends lots of money each year on resources in
certain underperforming schools to try and improve the
learning outcomes and results of learners, the results have
not increased. Not only do the authors explain the effects of
poverty, drug and alcohol abuse at home on the learning in the
schools, they go to great depths to explain the history of
these factors and how they are different in various parts of
the Western Cape.
One of the aspects presented in this research is that due to
the Group Areas Act which divided people of a race unequally
into areas, as was instituted during the Apartheid regime, is
a major cause of these social ills that the Western Cape
suburbs and schools are facing. Moreover, if one looks at the
more upper-class suburbs which were given to whites, one does
not find this high rates of drugs and gangsterism compared to
the coloured and black townships where gang violence is
common. In my view, this explains why one does not find
gangsterism in the former model C’ schools as opposed to
public schools in the poorer townships. In the views of the
authors therefore, the former apartheid laws that governed
this country still plays a major role in the socio-economic
problems that contribute to other problems in Western Cape
public schools today.
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5.Research design and methodology
5.1 Design
The design which I intend to use to conduct the research is
the quantitative approach as my research aim is to explain the
factors that influence attention spans in a mathematics
classroom in a Western Cape public school.
The type of quantitative research that I will focus on will be
explanatory research as it aims to identify the causes and
effects of various factors on the attention spans of the
learners in one specific classroom. This type of approach is
therefore appropriate as the aim is, basically, to observe
trends from the learner and to compare it to what feedback we
get from them.
5.2 Data Collection
The data collection for this research will be done in the form
of questionnaires. Although Anderson (1998) has some concerns
regarding the validity and reliability of the data which
researchers extract through questionnaires, the questions that
learners will have to answer will be very simple and
straightforward. It will also be designed in such a way that
it will not be influenced by the mood of the learners when
they are dealing with it. Therefore, because we only want to
determine the cause and effect nature of the problem, I have
decided that a questionnaire is the best suited method.
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5.3 Population and Sampling
The study will be conducted within one grade 9 mathematics
classroom at a public school in the Western Cape. My sampling
will be 5 learners from the class, whom according to the
subject teacher, demonstrate a strong and consistent attention
span. Also I will make use of 5 learners from the class, whom
according to the subject teacher, demonstrate a weak and
inconsistent attention span and whose results are not up to
standard. The reason why I will choose both weak and strong
learners is so that I can monitor trends and patterns between
the backgrounds and habits of learners who tend to have weaker
attention spans and those who do not. Furthermore, the
learners that I will select from both groups will diversify in
terms of gender, religion as well as race. The reason for this
is so that I can get an overview as to how those variables
affect the problem in relation to the background factors that
was previously mentioned. Also, this will give me an idea of
how the problem is generally in Western Cape public schools.
5.4 Data Gathering
(See addendum A)
As previously discussed, the data will be collected in the
form of a questionairre. The questionairre is structured in a
manner that is straight forward and easy for the learner to
answer. However, we must acknowledge that there are various
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ethics that goes with data gathering. It is for that reason
that I must state that before the process can be initiated, I
will have to ask permission of the school principle. Also, the
details of the learner will be completely confidential and it
is for this reason that I have not included a space for
learners to write their names on the questionnaire forms that
I will submit a proof of the data that I have collected.
However, I will make a point of remembering whose form is
whose so that I may relate it to variables such as race,
gender etc. Furthermore, every question in the questionnairre
is based on the subsidiary questions and seeks to explain the
main research question.
5.5 Data Analysis
From all the questionnaires that I will have the learners
complete, I will compare both the learners with strong and
weak attention spans to see which patterns there exist among
the learners with who are from the middle class, the wealthy
as well as the poor household. Also, I will analyse the
general patterns which occur among other groups such as males
and females. This group data will give me a much clearer idea
as to how each factor affects the attention span of various
groups of learners.
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6.Conclusion
In retrospect, the attention span of a learner is one of the
vital things in his/her learning process. There are various
factors that affect the attention span of a learner in any
learning area but more specifically, a mathematics classroom.
From the research that had been done and publicised, there are
many scholars and academics that have proven the effect of one
or two factors on the attention span of a learner whilst
others may have conducted research on the importance of
attention in the learning area of mathematics. Also, we have
various research projects by the provincial government in the
Western Cape which seek to explain the effects of background
factors on learning in the public schools. Yet there has been
no formal reseearch done specifically explaining ‘Factors that
affect the attention span of learners in a mathematics
classroom in a Western Cape public school’. It is for this
very reason that I intend to undertake the research for this
topic.
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Addendum A
Age of
respondent:...............................................
1. Choose one of the following. How would you describe the
financial well being of your parents or guardians whom
you live with?
a. Poor
b. Middle Class
c. Wealthy?
2. Explain your reason for your answer in question 1.
.........................................................
.........................................................
........................
.........................................................
.........................................................
........................
.........................................................
.........................................................
........................
3. Do you feel that lack of money has ever made learning
difficult for you? Explain your answer.
.........................................................
.........................................................
........................
4. How many siblings do you have living with you?
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5. Explain if there is anyone in your surroundings that are
guilty of substance abuse. If there are, how does it make
you feel?
.........................................................
.........................................................
.........................................................
.........................................................
.........................................................
.........................................................
.........................................................
...............
6. How do you regard the subject of mathematics?
a. Important to you.
b. Not important to you
c. It does not matter.
d. Other.
7. Explain your answer in number 5.
.........................................................
.........................................................
.........................................................
.........................................................
................................................
8. Mention a few things that you find distracting in your
mathematics classroom.
.........................................................
.........................................................
.........................................................
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.........................................................
................................................
9. How often do these distractions occur?
.........................................................
.........................................................
........................
10. Mention a few things that distract you from doing
your mathematics homework.
.........................................................
.........................................................
........................
11. How often do these distractions occur?
.........................................................
.........................................................
........................
12. Do you find difficulty remembering numbers whilst
doing a mathematical equation? If yes, how often do you
experience this difficulty?
.........................................................
.........................................................
........................
13. What is the average time you go sleep at night?
.........................................................
.........................................................
........................
14. Do you suffer from insomnia (the inability to fall
asleep?) If yes, how often?
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.........................................................
.........................................................
........................
15. Do you have a cellphone? If yes, what social media
networks do you use and how much do you use it?
.........................................................
.........................................................
........................
16. Are you in a girlfriend/boyfriend relationship? If
yes, how often do you see each other?
.........................................................
.........................................................
........................
17. Do you prefer sitting next to a classmate of the
opposite or same gender? Explain your answer.
.........................................................
.........................................................
........................
18. Would you say that gangsterism is a problem at this
school? If yes how does it affect you?
.........................................................
.........................................................
........................
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Reference list:
Brand, L. M. 2010. The Effect of Technology on Attention and concentration within theclassroom context. South Africa: University of South Africa.
Cornish, D and Dukette, D, The Essential 20: Twenty Components of an Excellent Health Care Team, RoseDog Books, Pittsburgh, 2009, p.73
Gathercole, S and Alloway, T. 2007. Working Memory: A Classroom Guide. London: Harcourt Assessment.
Grootenboer, P and Hemmings, B. Mathematics Education Research Journal: Mathematics Performance and the Role Played by Affective and Background Factors. 2007: 19 (3), 3-20.
Klymchuk, S. 2010, The role of attention in the praxis of knowledge of schoolmathematics teachers. Aukland: Aukland University of Technology.
Naidoo, A. Van Eeden, A. & Munch, Z. South African Journal ofGeomatics: Spatial Variation in School Performance, a Local Analysis of Socio-economicFactors in Cape Town. 2014: 13 (1), 78-94.
Streissguth, A. Bookstein, F. Barr, H & Sampson, P. Risk Factors for Adverse Life Outcomes in Fetal Alcohol Syndrome and Fetal Alcohol Effects in Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics. 1997: 8(4), 228-239.
Swanson J.M., Castellanos F.X. & Murias. M, 1998. Cognitive neuroscience of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and hyperkinetic disorder. (8), 263–71.
Zimmerman, F. J. & Christakis, D. (2007). Associations Between Content Types of Early Media Exposure and Subsequent Attentional Problems. Pediatrics, 120 (5), 986-992.
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