Colorectal cancer screening behavior and willingness:An outpatient survey in China

AIM： To identity the factors influencing colorectal cancer （CRC） screening behavior and willingness among Chinese outpatients.METHODS： An outpatient-based face-to-face survey was conducted from August 18 to September 7, 2010 in Changhai Hospital. A total of 1200 consecutive patients aged ≥ 18 years were recruited for interview. The patient＇s knowledge about CRC and screening was pre-measured as a predictor variable, and other pre- dictors included age, gender, educational level, month- ly household income and health insurance status. The relationship between these predictors and screening behavior, screening willingness and screening approach were examined using Pearson＇s 2 test and logistic regression analyses.RESULTS： Of these outpatients, 22.5% had undergone CRC screening prior to this study. Patients who had participated in the screening were more likely to have good knowledge about CRC and screening （OR： 5.299, 95% CI： 3.415-8.223）, have health insurance （OR： 1.996, 95% CI： 1.426-2.794） and older in age. Higher income, however, was found to be a barrier to the screening （OR： 0.633, 95% CI： 0.467-0.858）. An analysis of screening willingness showed that 37.5% of the patients would voluntarily participated in a screen at the recommended age, but 41.3% would do so under doctor＇s advice. Screening willingness was positively correlated with the patient＇s knowledge sta- tus. Patients with higher knowledge levels would like to participate in the screening （OR： 4.352, 95% CI： 3.008-6.298）, and they would select colonoscopy as a screening approach （OR： 3.513, 95% CI： 2.290-5.389）. However, higher income level was, again, a bar- rier to colonoscopic screening （OR： 0.667, 95% CI： 0.505-0.908）. CONCLUSION： Patient＇s level of knowledge and in-ome should be taken into consideration when conducting a feasible CRC screening.

Indomethacin for post-endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography pancreatitis prophylaxis:Is it the magic bullet?

Acute pancreatitis is a common complication of endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography(ERCP).Pancreatic duct stent insertion after ERCP has been widely accepted as the standard of care for the prevention of this complication in high-risk patients.Unfortunately,the placement of pancreatic stents requires higher level of endoscopic expertise and is not always feasible due to anatomic considerations.Therefore,effective non-invasive pharmacologic prophylaxis remains appealing,particularly if it is inexpensive,easily administered,has a low risk side effect profile and is widely available.There have been multiple studies evaluating potential pharmacologic candidates for post-ERCP pancreatitis(PEP) prophylaxis,most of them yielding disappointing results.A recently published large,multicenter,randomized controlled trial reported that in high risk patients a single dose of rectal indomethacin administered immediately after the ERCP significantly decreased the incidence of PEP compare to placebo.

The Balance Between the Transmitted and the Perceived Image of Luxury Fragrance Brands

The luxury market has experienced considerable growth over recent years, being one of the sectors that have been the most resistant to the current economic recession. Selective fragrances make up one of the primary categories of the so-called accessible luxury consumed by a middle class that is seeking to approach the upper classes by copying their lifestyle. Despite the importance of this market, there is relatively little literature existing in regards to the study of the image of luxury brands due to the complexity of the luxury phenomenon. This article presents the results of an initial qualitative study conducted on focus groups of luxury fragrance consumers, making it possible to identify the types of attributes to be considered when studying the brand image of said luxury products. Subsequently, a quantitative study was conducted in order to determine the perceived image of the principle luxury fragrance brands by consumers. Thanks to this study, it has been possible to determine the typical profile of each of the analyzed brands so that a subsequent comparison may be made with the advertising created by said brands in order to verify whether or not the image projected in their advertising corresponds with the perceived image of their target audience.

Updating of the hierarchical rock mass rating(HRMR) system and a new subsystem developed for weathered granite formations

The RMR system is still very much applied in rock mechanics engineering context. It is based on the evaluation of six weights to obtain a final rating. To obtain the final rating a considerable amount of information is needed concerning the rock mass which can be difficult to obtain in some projects or project stages at least with accuracy. In 2007 an alternative classification scheme based on the RMR, the Hierarchical Rock Mass Rating(HRMR) was presented. The main feature of this system was the adaptation to the level of knowledge existent about the rock mass to obtain the classification of the rock mass since it followed a decision tree approach. However, the HRMR was only valid for hard rock granites with low fracturing degrees. In this work, the database was enlarged with approximately 40% more cases considering other types of granite rock masses including weathered granites and based on this increased database the system was updated. Granite formations existent in the north of Portugal including Porto city are predominantly granites. Some years ago a light rail infrastructure was built in the city of Porto and surrounding municipalities which involved considerable challenges due to the high heterogeneity levels of the granite formations and the difficulties involved in their geomechanical characterization. In this work it is intended to provide also a contribution to improve the characterization of these formations with special emphasis to the weathered horizons. A specific subsystem applicable to the weathered formations was developed. The results of the validation of these systems are presented and show acceptable performances in identifying the correct class using less information than with the RMR system.

Power Control Algorithm of Cognitive Radio Based on Non-Cooperative Game Theory

This paper addresses the power con- trol problems of Cognitive Radio （CR） trader transmission power and interference tempera- ture constraints. First, we propose the interfer- ence constraint which ensures that the Quality of Service （QoS） standards for primary users is considered and a non-cooperative game power control model. Based on the proposed model, we developed a logical utility function based on the Signal-to-Interference-Noise Ratio （S/NR） and a novel algorithm network power control. that is suitable for CR Then, the existence and uniqueness of the Nash Equilibrium （NE） in our utility function are proved by the principle of game theory and the corresponding optimi- zations. Compared to traditional algorithms, the proposed one could converge to an NE in 3-5 iterative operations by setting an appropriate pricing factor. Finally, simulation results ver- ified the stability and superiority of the novel algorithm in flat-fading channel environments.

An Assessment of the Level of Knowledge of HIV-Infected Patients about Highly Active Antireteroviral Therapy and Waiting Times and Their Influence on Antiretroviral Therapy Adherence at a Primary Healthcare Centre of South Africa

Objectives： The study assessed if the level of knowledge of HIV-infected about HAART and waiting-times in the PHC （primary healthcare） clinic have an influence on antiretroviral adherence. Methods： A descriptive-cross-sectional study was conducted in South Africa. Data collected uses a standardized-questionnaire and face-to-face-exit interviews. Pill-count technique was performed and a value of≥ 95% acceptable. Data were analysed using SPSS. Univariate-factors associated with poor-adherence to knowledge about HAART and waiting times were assessed using ANOVA and p ≤ 0.05 considered statistically significant. Key findings： Of 86 enrolled, 63（73.3%） were females and 23（26.7%） males, with mean-age （± SD） of 35.6（±9.6） years and on HAART for 35.5（± 31.8） months ranging from 1-137. Of these, 27（31.40%） and 25（29.07%） were on WHO stages 2 and 3 respectively. Adherence-rates computed from 32 patients, 23（71.9%） revealed poor adherence-rates. The level of knowledge about HAART in terms of names of tablets, correct-dose, frequency, adverse-effects had no influence on ARV-adherence （p _〉 0.05）. Of 23 non-compliant, 10 （40%） gave the reason of drugs-unavailability, 7（30%） adverse-effects, 5（20%） drugs＇ complexity, and 1（10%） too busy to take them. Waiting areas associated with poor ARV-adherence were reception （p = 0.028）, doctors （p = 0.027）, while nurse＇s station （p = 0.29） and pharmacy （p = 0.43） revealed acceptable ARV-adherence.

Problems and Solutions Related to the Titles of Academic Papers

There are some problems related to the titles of academic papers, such as, titles incorresponding to the contents, and titles being too general or colloquial. It is imperative to increase the title quality of an academic paper through peer-review, or by checking grammar mistakes with computer tools. The editors should also aim to improve their academic level of knowledge.

Students and Retirement Saving Predictors

Over the past century, Americans have had significant increases in personal income yet personal savings has decreased. The researchers examine college students＇ habits and beliefs concerning saving for retirement. To our knowledge, no study has examined retirement savings among Americans in this age group. We try to determine whether a student＇s retirement savings beliefs and habits can be predicted. Using a unique survey, five indexes are constructed to assess students＇ risk-aversion level, financial background, general savings habits, financial literacy, and attitudes toward saving. This index is used to predict a similarly constructed index of retirement savings behavior. We find that our overall model is predictive of a student＇s beliefs and habits in regards to saving for retirement. In addition, the student＇s level of risk-aversion, savings beliefs and financial literacy were each independently predictive of retirement savings behavior. Various demographic influences on the constructed risk and savings variables as well as interactions are also investigated.

Socioeconomic Factors Influencing Levels of Knowledge in Soil Fertility Management in the Central Highlands of Kenya

This study aimed to first assess knowledge levels of the farmers in the use of manure, fertilizer and combinations of manure and fertilizer and secondly to identify the socioeconomic factors influencing the levels of knowledge in the use of animal manure, inorganic fertilizers and combination of animal manure and inorganic fertilizers in Meru South, Maara and Mbeere South districts of the central highlands of Kenya. Data were collected from a random sample of 300 households through face to face interviews using an interview schedule. The data was analyzed using descriptive statistics and binary logistic regression model. Results showed that 75% and 73% of the respondents had high levels of knowledge in use of manure and fertilizers, respectively, while 43% of the respondents had moderate levels of knowledge in the use of manure ＋ fertilizers. Age of the household head （HHH） training in the use of animal manure and group membership significantly influenced household levels of knowledge in use of animal manure. In regard to levels of knowledge on fertilizer use, group membership, age of the HHH and total farm size were important explanatory variables while gender of the HHH, household size, training on manure ＋ fertilizers, group membership and total farm size were important in influencing the levels of knowledge in use of manure ＋ fertilizers. The implication of these results is that training and belonging to a group enhances level of knowledge on soil fertility management and development, so workers should focus on these two aspects.

Using Sensewear armband and diet journal to promote adolescents' energy balance knowledge and motivation

Purpose： Educating adolescents about energy balance （EB） is essential for effective weight control. This study utilized the Sensewear （SWA） armband and a diet journal to promote adolescents＇ EB knowledge and motivation. Methods： Ninety sixth graders were randomly assigned into the experimental group （n = 46） who utilized SWA and diet journal for 7 consecutive days or the control group （n = 44） who did not. Both groups were pre- and post-measured on EB knowledge, situational interest, and weight. The experimental group was tracked on motivation effort, energy expenditure （EE）, and energy intake （EI）. Results： EB knowledge significantly increased and situational interest remained stable （except for total interest and enjoyment） over time, but these changes did not favor the experimental group. Situational interest and motivation effort were correlated with EE, EI, and/or EB. Conclusion： Tracking EB using the SWA and diet journal is motivating but has limited efficacy in promoting adolescents＇ EB knowledge. Using these two tools as educational technology in conjunction with a focused, systematic, and educational approach has the potential to leverage adolescents＇ EB knowledge, motivation, as well as behaviors for living an energy-balanced lifestyle.

Food Handler＇s Perception of Fresh Cut Products

The use of Fresh Cut Products （FCP） allows food service units to offer a greater variety of menus, reducing costs and minimizing cross contamination. Few food units in Portugal are adopting FCP, since these products are viewed as being more expensiveand are regarded as less natural and easily perishable.The present study aims to identify and analyze the level of awareness of food service operators in respect to FCP. Approximately 90% of food handlers referred the use of FCP at their workplace, pointing as the main advantages for using them the less time spent on preparation （58.6%）, the variety （55.9%） and the convenience （55.9%）. Reasons for not using them were doubtful origin （91.7%）, price （66.7%） and being a possible threat to their jobs （58.3%）. In spite of recognizing the advantages of using FCP, most of food handlers （77.2%） prefer traditional products. Traditional products were preferred by food handlers with lower educational level, working at schools and performing functions of kitchen helper. FCP were chosen by younger food handlers, with higher educational level. It seems necessary to promote a demystification of this category of products near food service managers and employees, explaining the best way and advantages of using FCP at institutional food services in terms of safety, cost and quality.

Knowledge levels and attitudes of health care professionals toward patients with hepatitis C infection

AIM:To study knowledge levels and attitudes of health care providers toward patients with hepatitis C virus infection in Guilan,a northern province of Iran.METHODS:This cross-sectional study was performed on 239 health care professionals from the Razi Hospital,including doctors,nurses,and operating room technicians.The questionnaires consisted of questions on demographic characteristics,knowledge levels,and attitudes toward hepatitis C patients.The questionnaire was tested in a pilot study and validated by Cronbach' s alpha coefficient.Data were analyzed using SPSS16 software.RESULTS:The mean ± SD knowledge score was 17.43 ± 2.65(from a total of 22).51.9% of the participants achieved scores higher than the mean.There was a significant relationship between knowledge score and age(P = 0.001),gender(P = 0.0001),occupational history(P = 0.0001),and educational history(P = 0.027).There was also a significant relationship between attitude level and age(P = 0.002),gender(P = 0.0001),occupational history(P = 0.0001),and educational history(P = 0.035).Physicians were significantly more knowledgeable and showed more positive attitudes.There was a positive correlation between knowledge and attitude scores(P = 0.02).CONCLUSION:Discriminatory attitudes are common among health care providers toward hepatitis C patients.It is therefore necessary to improve their knowledge level and attitude toward this disease.

Skill Analysis of Highly Skilled Worker in Optical Fiber Fusion Splicing

In this study, information related to optical fiber fusion splicing skills is consolidated by extracting explicit knowledge of the proficiency levels of skilled technicians in two ways. The first is to visually capture and quantify those skills by identifying differences in the skill levels of a nationally certified technician and a highly skilled expert technician using motion capture software, the other is to explore the relevance of the operation and thinking processes by interviewing the expert technician and then attempt to quantify empirical tacit knowledge by an analysis of mobile tracking views using motion capture software. The results show that a technician＇s ability to engage in ＂sensory thinking＂, such as the proper management of visual and tactile cues, is the most important component of his or her proficiency during optical fiber fusion splicing operations, and it was clear that operations were complemented when work path movements were reduced.

Matched Filter Based Spectrum Sensing When Primary User Has Multiple Power Levels

In this paper,we investigate the matched filter based spectrum sensing in a more reasonable cognitive radio(CR) scenario when the primary user(PU) has more than one transmit power levels,as regulated in most standards,i.e.,IEEE 802.11 Series,GSM,LTE,LTE-A,etc.This new multiple primary transmit power(MPTP) scenario is specialized by two different targets:detecting the presence of PU and identifying the power level.Compared to the traditional binary sensing where only the presence of PU is checked,SU may attain more information about the primary network(making CR more "intelligent") and design the subsequent optimization strategy.The key technology is the multiple hypothesis testing as opposed to the traditional binary hypothesis testing.We discuss two situations under whether the channel phase is known or not,and we derive the closed form solutions for decision regions and several performance metrics,from which some interesting phenomenons are observed and the related discussions are presented.Numerical examples are provided to corroborate the proposed studies.

Constraints in Using Manufactured Sands in Concrete Pavements in Australia

Due to the shortages of natural sands along the east coast of Australia in particular and the need to fully utilise fines produced in quarry operations, progress has been made in utilising blends of manufactured sands and natural sands in concrete pavements. This paper documents some of the constraints in utilising larger proportions of manufactured sands in concrete pavements. These constraints are mainly caused by the current level of knowledge regarding the impact of manufactured sands on skid and abrasion resistance of concrete pavements. This paper presents a brief review of literature on this subject in the USA, France and UK. It also briefly documents work recently carried out in Australia by CCAA （Cement Concrete and Aggregates Australia）, referring to the skid and abrasion resistance of concrete pavements using manufactured sands. The paper concludes that there is no relationship between the free silica content and the skid resistance. With regard to the abrasion resistance, it is rather the curing conditions and the compressive strength that are more important in achieving good results.

The Problems and Reform and Development of Universities for Audit Teaching

With the development of audit and the main problems of audit education are mainly： large differences in teaching methods, teacher＇ s knowledge structure is incomplete, teachers generally lack practical experience, teachers have not yet formed Auditing echelon teaching case information, and the systematic audit case is difficult to get. Auditing teaching has the following measures： establish research and teaching which reflects both the teacher evaluation system and teacher training active auditing team, there are a variety of ways to improve the operational practice of auditing courses, organizational strength phased development of the system of teaching cases audit system. Audit teaching reform measures are set by the three levels to practice, namely cognitive level of knowledge, knowledge into ability levels and levels of knowledge and innovation.

Construction and Implementation of Knowledge System and Knowledge Management Platform of Software Enterprise

As a typical knowledge-intensive enterprise, knowledge has become the most important capital of the software enterprise, and the accumulation of knowledge, which makes the accumulation of knowledge especially important. Implementing knowledge management can integrate dispersed and unordered knowledge into organic and organizational knowledge system. Effective application and continuous enhancement of organizational knowledge system can from the core competence of software enterprise. For the characteristic that the software enterprise gives priority to software development, the paper uses the knowledge in the process of software development as the core （it is limited to time and energy and doesn＇ t involve the knowledge of the other departments）, and develops the research on the construction of knowledge system of software enterprise. For the knowledge system, the paper constructs and implements a knowledge management platform supporting the operation and management.

Treatment of cholecystitis with Chinese herbal medicines:A systematic review of the literature

AIM:To analyze the literature on the use of Chinese herbal medicines for the treatment of cholecystitis.METHODS:The literature on treatment of cholecystitis with traditional Chinese medicines(TCM) was analyzed based on the principles and methods described by evidence-based medicine(EBM).Eight databases including MEDLINE,EMbase,Cochrane Central(CCTR),four Chinese databases(China Biological MedicineDatabase,Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure Database,Database of Chinese Science and Technology Periodicals,Database of Chinese Ministry of Science and Technology) and Chinese Clinical Registry Center,were searched.Full text articles or abstracts concerning TCM treatment of cholecystitis were selected,categorized according to study design,the strength of evidence,the first author's hospital type,and analyzed statistically.RESULTS:A search of the literature published from 1977 through 2009 yielded 1468 articles in Chinese and 9 in other languages;and 93.92% of the articles focused on clinical studies.No article was of levelⅠevidence,and 9.26% were of level Ⅱ evidence.The literature cited by Science Citation Index(SCI),MEDLINE and core Chinese medical journals accounted for 0.41%,0.68% and 7.29%,respectively.Typically,the articles featured in case reports of illness,examined from the perspective of EBM,were weak in both quality and evidence level,which inconsistently conflicted with the fact that most of the papers were by authors from Level-3 hospitals,the highest possible level evaluated based on their comprehensive quality and academic authenticity in China.CONCLUSION:The published literature on TCM treatment of cholecystitis is of low quality and based on low evidence,and cognitive medicine may functions as a useful supplementary framework for the evaluation.

Cumulative prospect theory-based user equilibrium model with stochastic perception errors

The cumulative prospect theory(CPT) is applied to study travelers' route choice behavior in a degradable transport network. A cumulative prospect theory-based user equilibrium(CPT-UE) model considering stochastic perception error(SPE) within travelers' route choice decision process is developed. The SPE is conditionally dependent on the actual travel time distribution, which is different from the deterministic perception error used in the traditional logit-based stochastic user equilibrium. The CPT-UE model is formulated as a variational inequality problem and solved by a heuristic solution algorithm. Numerical examples are provided to illustrate the application of the proposed model and efficiency of the solution algorithm. The effects of SPE on the reference point determination, cumulative prospect value estimation, route choice decision and network performance evaluation are investigated.

The functional analysis of state-owned enterprise human resource management in supporting culture construction

With the development of technology and people＇ s knowledge level, and the evolution of the economic model, human resources has become the most important resource in the development of enterprise and economy, its importance has been recognized by the society and more and more enterprises. How to make human resource management an important role and how to motivate staffs＇ spirit of dedication, has become an important task in the modem enterprise management. In this paper, by studying the function of enterprise culture construction and its relationship with human resource management, this article put forward a new model which enterprise human resource management should be equipped with under the new economic conditions.