• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.15 no.14
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• pp.5927-5936
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• 2014

Introduction: Breast cancer is the most common cancer among Jordanians. Breast cancer patients suffer from several negative consequences after treatment and these include pain, fatigue, sexual problems, appearance and body image concerns, with psychological dysfunction. This could affect the patient quality of life and psychological well-being. To the best of our knowledge, there is no published quantitative data on the quality of life and psychological well-being of breast cancer patients in Jordan. The objective of this study was to obtain such data and assess predictors with calculated scores. Methods: In this cross-sectional study conducted among breast cancer patients in Jordan diagnosed in 2009 and 2010, assessment was performed using the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire (EORTC QLQ-C30), the Breast Module (QLQ-BR23) and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS). Clinical, demographic and psychosocial indicators that could predict patient quality of life scores were collected. Results: The number of patients interviewed was 236 (mean age=$50.7{\pm}10.7$ years). The mean Global Health score for the QLQ-C30 was $63.7{\pm}20.2$ SD. Among functional scales, "social functioning" scored the highest ($mean=78.1{\pm}28.6$ SD), whereas "emotional functioning" scored the lowest ($mean=59.0{\pm}SD\;33.5$). For the QLQ-BR23, the worst scores within the functional scales were for "body image" ($mean=52.1{\pm}36.8$ SD) and "future perspective" ($mean=52.9{\pm}38.5$ SD). The worst symptom was "upset by hair loss" ($mean=69.8{\pm}43.0$). The mean HADS scores was $18.{\pm}9.0$ SD. Out of study participants, 53% scored abnormal on the anxiety scale and 45% on the depression scale. Severe depression and severe anxiety were detected among 8% and 14% of study participants, respectively. Statistically significant predictors for individual scores were similar to those reported in published studies, such as the presence of recurrence since baseline, family history of cancer, low educational status, current social problems, extent of the disease, presence of financial difficulties, and employment status. Conclusions and Recommendations: Breast cancer survivors in Jordan have overall good quality of life scores when compared with patients from Western countries. However, their psychological wellbeing is more impaired. There is an urgent need for psychosocial support programs and psychological screening and consultation for breast cancer patients at hospitals of the Ministry of Health in Jordan.

• Korean Journal of Ornithology
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• v.25 no.2
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• pp.69-76
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• 2018

Sexual dimorphism in birds refers to male-female differences in body size, plumage, color and/or behavior. In general, many seabirds, including the family of Laridae, are monomorphic in plumage-color, which makes the determination of sex difficult in the field because both parents also tend to share a great portion of parental care. The development of an inexpensive sexing tool facilitates understanding the degree of sex-specific parental care in the evolution of the life history. Here, we developed a non-invasive method for the determination of sex using the bill-head morphometric of known captive pairs and applied this tool to wild pairs to document factors underlying male-female parental care during the incubation period of Saunders's gulls (Saundersilarus saundersi). Males exhibited relatively larger bill-head ratios than their mates within naturally formed pairs in captivity, resulting in the determination of sex in12 wild pairs at the nest during the incubation period. Males and females equally shared the incubation role during the daytime, attending the nest at a high rate of 95%. However, the male's proportion of nest attentiveness greatly increased with time towards sunset, presumably reflecting the male duty for nighttime incubation. The present study provides a non-invasive method for the determination of sex in a monomorphic seagull species and highlights how male-female incubation behavior is associated with time of the day, rather than other ecological conditions.

• International Journal of Industrial Entomology and Biomaterials
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• v.34 no.2
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• pp.23-31
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• 2017

Bumblebees, more efficient than honeybees, provide important services for pollination especially in tomato, pepper, cucumber, strawberries and other crops grown under tunnel farming or glasshouse conditions to yield maximization. These bees require pollen and nectar to meet their dietary needs and maintain their colony structure, development and reproduction. Keeping in view their economic importance, the effect of five concentrations of sugar and honey solutions (1:1, 1:1.5, 1:2, 2:1,1.5:1) each as alternative to nectar were used to observe their effect on life history parameters of Bombus terrestris. The 1:1 ratio of sugar solution was found most effective followed by 1.5:1, 1:1.5, 1:2 and 2:1 and also more effective of all five concentrations of honey solutions on all three stages of colony development i.e., at colony initiation, colony development and colony maturation stages. At colony initiation stage, early pre-oviposition period ($6.40{\pm}0.97$ days), early emergence of first worker in the first batch ($25.40{\pm}1.21$ days) and maximum numbers of workers ($6.20{\pm}0.24$) emergence in the first batch were observed at 1:1 ratio of sugar solution. Colonies reared on 1:1 ratio of sugar solution reached earlier ($52.13{\pm}1.28$ days) at colony foundation stage with minimum mortality ($3.27{\pm}0.54$ workers). At colony maturation stage, maximum numbers of workers, sexual (males, queens) and maximum mother queen longevity was observed at the same 1:1 ratio of sugar solution. It can be suggested from present study that sugar solution as alternative of nectar at 1:1 ratio was better than other sugar concentration levels and also from those of honey solution.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Costume
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• v.56 no.7 s.107
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• pp.142-151
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• 2006

Bikini, a brief two-piece bathing suit revealing the wearer's navel, was first introduced in Paris, in 1946. However, it was not until the late 1950s that Americans were ready to adopt bikinis. Therefore, I focused on the following research questions to understand the popularization process of bikinis in the United States, from 1946 to the 1960s: 1. Why were Americans initially hesitant to adopt the bikini? 2. What were the factors that influenced the popularization of the bikini among Americans in the late 1950s? Primary sources including Bazaar. Madmoiselle, Vogue, The New York Times, and Life were reviewed. I referred to secondary sources on the history of fashion and American popular culture to interpret primary sources. According to the primary sources, Americans were hesitant to adopt the bikini, partly due to the excessive demand on the wearer's figure. However, the conservative social atmosphere during Cold War would not accept immorality and obscenity which would threaten America's future. Therefore, the campaigns against the sex industry, which developed prominently after WWII, predominated American society during the 1950s. Under this atmosphere, a small number of pictures and articles on bikinis appeared in the primary sources. Bikinis were only found in advertisements including sun lotions and hair removers. However, American society had to accept the change in sexual mores by the end of the 1930s. Body-revealing fashions including miniskirts, hot pants, and see-through material reflected the change in social convention. By the end of the 1950s, the number of pictures and articles on bikinis also began to increase in the primary sources. More Americans adopted bikinis with the increasing number of private pools and European trips. The vogue of sun-tanning and movies featuring bikinis further contributed to their popularity in the late 1930s and into the 1960s.

• Korean Journal of Adult Nursing
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• v.12 no.1
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• pp.77-87
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• 2000

This study tried to suggest the basic materials that can be efficiently applied in clinical cases by understanding problems through a content analysis of an adult nursing assessment tool and opinion agreement about nurse's practical usage presently used in the hospital. The study was carried out in 36 attached hospitals in nationwide universities from May to December, 1999, the two hundred and twenty five reports were for analysis. The contents of the collected nursing assessment tool were analyzed. It was found that the tool had been used with various names and content and there were instances of partial omission of a number of items, such as documentation and time records. Other results revealed that they mostly had a systematic classification of items, formation of details a form of a check list, and the effect of saving time. In spite of the adult nursing assessment tool, it was suggested that its style be subdivided according to the specialized of a department and that standardized style be amended and supplemented. The respondents also answered that there had to be education about continuous and sufficient health assessment skills on the physical examination record. The most frequently suggested items to be added were: past history, marital status, patient and caregiver's address and telephone number. It was found that a patient's education career, economic status, religion, hygienic practice, sexual life and hobby were the most frequently omitted items on record. The reason given wes because the items were associated with his/her privacy. These results highlight the importance of analyzing the content with an complete data collection, supplying basic content for a more accurate nursing record, computerization, sharing information and standardization of the form.

• Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing
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• v.44 no.5
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• pp.552-562
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• 2014

Purpose: This study was done to identify the patterns and significant predictors influencing hospitalization of Korean men for alcohol use disorder. Methods: A descriptive study design was utilized. Data were collected using self-report questionnaires from 143 inpatients who met the DSM-5 alcohol use disorder criteria and were receiving treatment and 157 social drinkers living in the community. The questionnaires included Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT), Alcohol Problems, Alcohol Expectancy Questionnaire (AEQ), Life Position, and The Korean version of the Children of Alcoholics Screening Test (CAST-K). Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, t-test, ${\chi}^2$-test, F-test, Pearson correlation coefficients, and logistic regression with forward stepwise. Results: AUDIT had significant correlations with alcohol problems, alcohol expectancy, and parents' alcoholism. In logistic regression, factors significantly affecting hospitalization were divorced (OR=4.18, 95% CI: 1.28-13.71), graduation from elementary school (OR=28.50, 95% CI: 8.07-100.69), middle school (OR=6.66, 95% CI: 2.21-20.09), high school (OR=6.31, 95% CI: 2.59-15.36), drinking alone (OR=9.07, 95% CI: 1.78-46.17), family history of alcoholism (OR=2.41, 95% CI: 1.11-5.25), interpersonal relationship problems (OR=1.28, 95% CI:1.17-1.41), and sexual enhancement of alcohol expectancy (OR=0.83, 95% CI: 0.72-0.94), which accounted for 53% of the variance. Conclusion: Results suggest that interpersonal relationship programs and customized cognitive programs for social drinkers in the community are needed to decreased alcohol related hospitalization in Korean men.

• Korean Journal of Health Education and Promotion
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• v.3 no.1
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• pp.63-73
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• 1985

Ratio of physically and mentally handicapped people among the total population is about 3∼4%. Regardless of the extent of seriousness of handicaps, they have to sustain various difficulties in their life time and pose challenging problems to their homes, community and nation. In the spectrum of their problems, measures such as treatment, rehabilitation and welfare work all occupied important part but most significant measure is the prevention. Such handicaps items from health care of maternal and child, mostly causes throughout the process of pregnancy, delivery and upbringing. And then this study is focused on the pregnant history of the mothers with handicapped children. The objective of this study is to identify the basic factors which can create a handicapped child during pregnancy and is to prevent the birth of such a child. For this study, 301 mothers who have handicapped children were selected, now receiving various training at 5 rehabilitation and educational facilities. And questionnaires distributed to them during the period of Oct, 1983 to Dec, 14. The collected responses have been analized in terms of significant numbers, percentage and metic average. Their related results are as follows: 1. The sexual ratio between the male and female was 58.5% compare 41.5%. The average age of the handicapped children was 10.1 years old and that of mothers at the time of the children's birth was 28.9 old years. They were born as 2.14th in their family, the ratio of antenatal care for pregnant mothers was 36.2% and 22.9% were abnormally delivered. 37.9% out of the total were born from mothers with ages above 35 years and as their first baby. 2. The time of confirming the handicapped nature of children was during babyhood by 97.1% and discovery of these misfortunes were made by chance. As for causes of those-handicapped status 20.9% disease from complication, 15.3% from difficulties experience at the time of delivery, 11.3% from heredity and 10% were results of drug abuse during pregnancy, and 49.8% of the handicapped children were mentally retarded.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Costume
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• v.63 no.5
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• pp.151-166
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• 2013

In order to create a national myth and be able to control international society, America with her short national history, used popular culture to accomplish these goals. The medium fit this purpose the best was the use of superhero characters based on comics. Born and developed from the 1930s through the 1960s, which could be seen as America's national crisis era, superhero characters were thorough advocates of American justice and was perfect for the role of spreading the legitimacy of American ideology. From the 1970s, superhero characters became part of movies and became even more influential through the Hollywood's massive film industry and the box office success. American ideology in superhero characters symbolically appeared in movie costumes. Starting with Superman and Batman, the very first and typical superhero characters' costumes work as metaphors for realization of American justice. After the 1980s, superheroes were newly developed through a genre called graphic novel and the most representative piece of this genre is Alan Moore's Watchmen. In the Watchmen, which was also turn into a movie in 2009, six changed superhero characters appear ranging from a non-human superhero, villain superhero, superhero with mental disorder and superhero with sexual impotency, the characters were never-seen-before superheroes with different aspects that connote introspection and philosophical ideology. The changed type of heroes and ideology became another form of heroes, and this brought changes to character costumes that were never considered before. The superhero costumes that used to symbolize America now express different types of superhero by borrowing exotic mythical elements, undressing, pastiche and daily life clothes. The superhero characters and their changes in costumes from Watchmen imply American popular culture's introspective tendency. Amongst these changes, we need to raise our critical vision towards popular culture.

• The Journal of Korean Obstetrics and Gynecology
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• v.36 no.3
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• pp.173-195
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• 2023

Objectives: To investigate and analyze the assessment indicators and tools used in clinical practice to assess Korean medicine (KM) treatment for infertility, and to establish a basis for assessment tools to diagnose and assess infertility. Methods: Relevant studies published until March 2023 were extracted from Pubmed, Research Information Sharing Service, and National Digital Science Library databases. Results: Sixty-four studies comprising 4,105 patients were included. We investigated pregnancy outcomes, and assessed pregnancy- and childbirth-related factors, overall health, reproductive health, and mental health. Pregnancy result was most common primary outcome. Ongoing pregnancy, stillbirth, miscarriage, and ectopic pregnancy rates were suggested as indicators of pregnancy and childbirth-related assessment. Overall health was most commonly assessed with Likert and Visual analogue scale (VAS). Among reproductive health variables, menstrual history was most frequently assessed. Moreover, indicators such as reproductive function, sexual intercourse, and gynecological disease were assessed. The Infertility Stress Scale and the Fertility Quality of Life tool (FertiQoL) were used to assess mental health. Conclusions: Subjective scales and objective assessment tools, such as the Likert scale and blood tests/ultrasonography, respectively, are used to assess KM infertility treatment. Inconsistent assessment tools make quantitative analyses more challenging. The development of a standardized mental and physical function assessment questionnaire with confirmed reliability and validity ensure the effectiveness of KM infertility treatment, and promote future studies on infertility treatment.

• Cross-Cultural Studies
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• v.42
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• pp.69-106
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• 2016

Early marriage in contemporary society has brought about many problems. The practice is encouraged by gender inequality, poverty and social norms. It reproduces social power imbalances including increased economic vulnerability of women, low educational attainment of girls, gender inequality at home and in the labor market, physical and sexual violence against women and their health problems. The Ethiopian government increased the minimum legal age of marriage for women from 15 to 18 years, by revising its family code in 2000 and newly adopting a criminal law in 2005 that includes punishment against any harmful tradition. Nonetheless, early marriage is still widely practiced in many parts of rural Ethiopia. This is because the practice has long been embedded and deeply rooted in the lives of the people. Earlier literature on early marriage in Ethiopia tends to focus only on women's experiences and regard that all early-married people, particularly women, are unhappy with their lives. This paper attempts to explore the issue of early marriage through voices of people with diverse socioeconomic backgrounds, in order to address the limitations of the previous literature. This article aims at examining why early marriage has occurred in Ethiopia and how it has affected family life and women's educational attainment, focusing on the case of Meki town. As seen from this study, it is true that early marriage generally had negative influences on the lives of women. However, it is equally true that some men are also victims of the practice while some women have improved their lives by means of it. This implies that we need to listen to the voices of diverse people when we examine early marriage.