• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.15 no.11
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• pp.4411-4416
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• 2014

Breast cancer is the most common cancer in females all over the world with approximately one million new cases each year as well as one of second leading causes of death among females. In Pakistan, the most frequently diagnosed cancer among females is also breast cancer, accounting for nearly one in nine female patients. Its incidence in Pakistan is 2.5 times higher than that in neighboring countries like Iran and India. The risk factors associated with breast cancer are age, family history, early menarche, intake of combined estrogen and progestin menopausal hormones, alcohol consumption, physical inactivity, low socioeconomic status and lack of awareness regarding the disease. This mini-review article aims to provide awareness about breast cancer as well as an updated knowledge about the prevalence, risk factors and disease knowledge of breast cancer in Pakistan.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.46 no.2
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• pp.82-88
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• 2013

Objectives: Unprotected leisure time exposure to ultraviolet radiation from the sun or artificial tanning beds is the most important environmental risk factor for melanoma, a malignant skin cancer with increasing incidences over the past decades. The aim of the present study was to assess the impact of skin health information provided by several sources and different publishing issues on knowledge, risk perception, and sun protective behavior of sunbathers. Methods: A cross-sectional questionnaire survey was conducted among Austrian residents (n=563) spending leisure time outdoors in August 2010. Results: Print media, television, and family were perceived as the most relevant sources of information on skin health, whereas the source physician was only ranked as fourth important source. Compared to other sources, information provided by doctors positively influenced participants' knowledge on skin risk and sun protective behavior resulting in higher scores in the knowledge test (p=0.009), higher risk perception (p<0.001), and more sun protection (p<0.001). Regarding gender differences, internet was more often used by males as health information source, whereas females were more familiar with printed information material in general. Conclusions: The results of this survey put emphasis on the demand for information provided by medical professionals in order to attain effective, long-lasting promotion of photoprotective habits.

• Management Science and Financial Engineering
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• v.10 no.1
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• pp.25-41
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• 2004

There have been many studies to build a model that can help investors construct optimal portfolio. Most of the previous models, however, are based upon the path-breaking Markowitz model (1959) which is a quantitative model. One of the most important problems with that kind of quantitative model is that, in reality, most of the investors use not only quantitative, but also qualitative information when they select their optimal portfolio. Since collecting both types of information from the markets are time consuming and expensive, making a set of target assets smaller, without suffering heavy loss in the rate of return, would attract investors. To extract only desired assets among all available assets, we need knowledge that identifies investors' preference for the risk of the assets. This study suggests two-layer decision-making rules capable of identifying an investor's risk preference and an architecture applying them to a quantitative portfolio model based on risk and expected return. Our knowledge-based portfolio system is to build an investor's preference-oriented portfolio. The empirical tests using the data from Korean capital markets show the results that our model contributes significantly to the construction of a better portfolio in the perspective of an investor's benefit/cost ratio than that produced by the existing portfolio models.

• Journal of Communications and Networks
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• v.11 no.4
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• pp.359-367
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• 2009

Trust-based solutions provide some form of payment to peers to encourage good behavior. The problem with trust management systems is that they require prior knowledge to work. In other words, peers are vulnerable to attack if they do not have knowledge or correct knowledge of other peers in a trust management system. Therefore, considering only trust is inadequate when a decision is made to identify the best set of peers to utilize. In order to solve the problem, we propose a distributed decision-making mechanism for wireless peer-to-peer (P2P) networks based on game theory and relevant trust mechanisms in which we incorporate the element of trust and risk into a single model. The main idea of our mechanism is to use utility function to express the relationship between benefits and costs of peers, and then make the decision based on expected utility as well as risk attitude in a fully distributed fashion. The unique feature of our mechanism is that it not only helps a peer to select its partners, but also mitigates vulnerabilities in trust-based mechanisms. Through analysis and experiments, we believe our approach is useful for peers to make the decision regarding who to interact with. In addition, it is also a good starting point for exploring tradeoffs among risk, trust and utility.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.37 no.3
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• pp.202-209
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• 2004

A case-control study was conducted in order to examine dietary behavioral factors associated with colorectal cancer risks. Data were collected from 128 cases with either colorectal cancer or large bowl adenomatous polyps and 129 controls regarding stages of dietary behavioral change, perceived barrier, self efficacy, nutrition knowledge, social support and food availability as well as body mass index and overall dietary quality. Cases showed less desirable behaviors with respect to fat reduction and vegetable intake compared with controls based on the analyses of the stages of dietary change. After adjustment of relevant covariates (age, gender and smoking), significant trends of increasing risk with higher level emerged for perceived barriers resulted from environmental conditions (OR = 1.6 - 2.0) and self-efficacy (OR = 2.2-2.3). No such relationships were found for nutrition knowledge and social support. The risk of colorectal cancer was associated with the kinds of foods available at home showing a borderline protective relation with milk (OR = 0.6) and respective significant and borderline direct associations for fresh meat (OR = 2.1) and soft drinks (OR = 0.6 when reversely scored). Within-group analyses presented best predictors of overall dietary quality as food availability for the case and self-efficacy and social support for the control. The findings of this study suggested a need for focusing on motivational and reinforcing factors in the development of nutrition education programs for colorectal cancer prevention.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.46 no.1
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• pp.11-26
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• 2014

The analyses carried out within the Seismic Probabilistic Risk Assessments (SPRAs) of Nuclear Power Plants (NPPs) are affected by significant aleatory and epistemic uncertainties. These uncertainties have to be represented and quantified coherently with the data, information and knowledge available, to provide reasonable assurance that related decisions can be taken robustly and with confidence. The amount of data, information and knowledge available for seismic risk assessment is typically limited, so that the analysis must strongly rely on expert judgments. In this paper, a Dempster-Shafer Theory (DST) framework for handling uncertainties in NPP SPRAs is proposed and applied to an example case study. The main contributions of this paper are two: (i) applying the complete DST framework to SPRA models, showing how to build the Dempster-Shafer structures of the uncertainty parameters based on industry generic data, and (ii) embedding Bayesian updating based on plant specific data into the framework. The results of the application to a case study show that the approach is feasible and effective in (i) describing and jointly propagating aleatory and epistemic uncertainties in SPRA models and (ii) providing 'conservative' bounds on the safety quantities of interest (i.e. Core Damage Frequency, CDF) that reflect the (limited) state of knowledge of the experts about the system of interest.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.13 no.10
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• pp.5195-5199
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• 2012

Objectives: Global cancer statistical data show that India has one of the highest incidence rates of oral cancer worldwide. Early detection is extremely important as it results in lower morbidity and death rates. The present study was undertaken to assess awareness of oral cancer and knowledge of its early signs and risk factors in the general public of the semi-urban Gorakhpur area of Uttar Pradesh (India). It was also intended to educate the same population for early detection by increasing their ability to recognize signs and risk factors. Method: A questionnaire-based household survey was conducted over a period of one month in different parts of Gorakhpur district, a region where tobacco use is apparently very high. A total of 2,093 persons participated in the survey. The collected data were analyzed using SPSS software to assess and associate oral cancer awareness with the prevalence, and abstract risk factors, as well as other confounding variables. Results: The general awareness, knowledge of signs and risk factors of oral cancer were found to be proportionate to the literacy level with the highest rate of awareness being among high school and graduates and lowest among illiterates. It was also observed that on most of these dimensions the younger age groups (<30 years) were significantly more knowledgeable. Conclusion: Overall, the awareness of oral cancer in the high-risk population of Gorakhpur was not satisfactory, pointing to a need for further dissemination of information on this issue and its associated risks. This is especially important for the youngsters, as this may possibly help them keep away from the deleterious habit of tobacco indulgence in any form. If necessary risk factor cessation counselling should be provided.

• Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing
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• v.28 no.1
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• pp.193-200
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• 1998

The purpose of this study was to identify how students majoring in nursing perceive causes of cancers and the effects of diet for preventing cancers. Data for the study were collected by 651 nursing students, who were registered in the second and third year in three technical colleges and third and fourth year in two universities. The Research instruments included items on general characteristics of subjects, items about the degree of perception of the frequency of cancer onset and items on the perception of mortality. risk factors. preventive diets, knowledge, and high risk factor for cancer in specific body areas. The findings of this study are as follows : 1. Almost all subjects(92.8%) reported that the frequency of cancer onset increases and that it is 93.9% for people over 40. Degree of perception about cancer mortality was low at 33.0%. 2. As far as the perception of risk factors for cancer onset was concerned, smoking, stress, heredity, family history, and alcohol were rated high, over 80.0%. Risk factor in. eluding virus, hormones. pesticides were rated as low. 3. As to the perception of risk factor for body area as associated with diet salted and scorched food were rated at 44.5% for stomach cancer, alcohol, 50.4% for liver cancer, smoking. 72.8% for lung cancer. pregnancy times. 25.3%, and marriage age, 23.0% for uterine cancer, and no delivery experience, 40.1% for breast cancer. 4. The knowledge score for cancer was between 12 and 36, with a mean score of 26.75(SD=4.13). There was a statistically significant difference between experience in raring for cancer patients during clinical practice and knowledge score(t=3.09. p=.002).

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.49 no.2
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• pp.442-449
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• 2017

Risk management of the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station decommissioning is a great challenge. In the present study, a risk management framework has been developed for the decommissioning work. It is applied to fuel assembly retrieval from Unit 3 spent fuel pool. Whole retrieval work is divided into three phases: preparation, retrieval, and transportation and storage. First of all, the end point has been established and the success path has been developed. Then, possible threats, which are internal/external and technical/societal/management, are identified and selected. "What can go wrong?" is a question about the failure scenario. The likelihoods and consequences for each scenario are roughly estimated. The whole decommissioning project will continue for several decades, i.e., long-term perspective is important. What should be emphasized is that we do not always have enough knowledge and experience of this kind. It is expected that the decommissioning can make steady and good progress in support of the proposed risk management framework. Thus, risk assessment and management are required, and the process needs to be updated in accordance with the most recent information and knowledge on the decommissioning works.

• Journal of the Korean Society of School Health
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• v.14 no.2
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• pp.215-225
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• 2001

The purpose of this study was to identify factors related to High School Students' Attitudes(prejudice) toward HIV-infected classmates. 980 self-administrated questions were completed by high school male students. Stepwise Multiple Regression Analysis was performed with the following independent variables: knowledge about HIV/AIDS transmission, prevention, and HIV-antibody, interests, preventive behaviors, predicting level to peer HIV-related risk behavior, knowledge about information sites, perceived susceptibility, perceived severity, self-efficacy to prevention, related to AIDS/HIV, thought about premarital sexual behavior and homosexuality. The Regression Model is significant(R2=.1719, F=33.517, p<0.05) The significant factors are knowledge about HIV/AIDS transmission, intention of the preventive behaviors, knowledge of information sites, perceived severity, ideas about homosexuality, predicting level of peer HIV-related risk behavior. The results of this study provide information for effective education program development and health policy about AIDS prevention and management.