The emerging emphasis on disaster risk reduction has broadened the range of experts whose knowledge must be garnered to resolve complex socio-technical challenges. This paper examines the role and position of the construction sector for addressing these concerns. Specifically, it examines the recursive nature of practices within the built environment, which can be seen as deeply ingraining frag...

Absolute pitch (AP)--the ability to name a musical note in the absence of a reference note--is a rare ability whose relevance to musical proficiency has so far been unclear. Sixty trained musicians--thirty who self-reported AP and thirty with equivalent age of onset and duration of musical training--were administered a test for AP and also a musical dictation test not requiring AP. Performance ...

Risk behaviors and responses to risk communications are complex and multifaceted. Two target articles (1,2) conclude that little longitudinal evidence shows that risk perceptions predict precautionary behaviors. This paper focuses on several questions raised by these perplexing findings that have implications for future research on risk communications. A pressing need exists to understand how p...

There is a cascade of risks associated with a hazard evolving into a disaster that consists of the risk that: (1) a hazard will produce an event; (2) an event will cause structural damage; (3) structural damage will create functional damages and needs; (4) needs will create an emergency (require use of the local response capacity); and (5) the needs will overwhelm the local response capacity an...

OBJECTIVE We reviewed epidemiological studies on breastfeeding and breast cancer among Japanese women. This report is part of a series of articles written by our research group, whose aim was to evaluate the existing evidence concerning the association between health-related lifestyles and cancer. METHODS Original data were obtained from MEDLINE searches using PubMed or from searches of the I...

The Risk Management Index, RMI, brings together a group of indicators that measure risk management performance and effectiveness. These indicators reflect the organizational, development, capacity and institutional actions taken to reduce vulnerability and losses, to prepare for crisis and to recover efficiently from disasters. This index was designed to assess risk management “performance”. It...

Although young, sexually-active heterosexuals have always been at risk for contracting sexually transmitted diseases, the recent appearance of Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS) has increased the possible peril of sexual experimentation. Currently, behaviors to reduce the risk of contracting AIDS are being widely advocated. The present study examines predictors of self-reported risk redu...

Using a contingent valuation survey, people’s willingness to pay for a given risk reduction is found to be much larger when traveling by air compared to by taxi. Follow-up questions revealed that an important reason for this discrepancy is that many experience a higher mental suffering from flying, and that they are willing to pay to reduce this suffering. It was also consistently found that pe...

introduction accurate estimation of the skin-absorbed dose in external radiation therapy is essential to estimating the probability of secondary carcinogenesis induction materials and methods electron contamination in prostate radiotherapy was investigated using the monte carlo (mc) code calculation. in addition, field size dependence of the skin dose was assessed. excess cancer risk induced by...