Measuring the shielding properties of flexible or rigid enclosures for portable electronics

Heaviside, in volume 1 of Electromagnetic theory, considered shielding of conducting materials in the form of attenuation. This treatment is still significant in the understanding of shielding effectiveness. He also considered propagation of electromagnetic waves in free-space. What Heaviside (1850-1925) could never have imagined is that 125 years later, there would be devices we know as mobile phones (or cell phones, handies, etc.) with capabilities beyond the dreams of the great science fiction writers of the day like H. G. Wells (1866-1949) or Jules Verne (1828-1905). More than this, that there would be a need for law enforcement agencies, among others, to use electromagnetically shielded enclosures to protect electronic equipment from communicating with the 'outside world'. Nevertheless, Heaviside's work is still fundamental to the developments discussed here. This paper provides a review of Heaviside's view of shielding and propagation provided in volume 1 of Electromagnetic theory and develops that to the design of new experiments to test the shielding of these portable enclosures in a mode-stirred reverberation chamber, a test environment that relies entirely on reflections from conducting surfaces for its operation.This article is part of the theme issue 'Celebrating 125 years of Oliver Heaviside's 'Electromagnetic Theory''.

Gestalt Therapy and Eastern Philosophies

The purpose of this bibliography is to provide the reader with resources to explore the relationship between Gestalt therapy and Eastern philosophies. Items are included only if they contain explicit reference to this relationship and describe it. For the reader's convenience, attempts have been made to classify the material in a way that reflects the significance of the item with regard to its discussion of the relationship. The bibliography begins with those items that are considered primary, followed by reference considered secondary and tertiary in nature. The annotations are meant to summarize the content of the article, chapter, or book, without distorting the original author's intent. The bibliography contains 52 items. These included books (12), chapters (21), and journal articles (19) published in English during 1947 to 1979. Dissertations, theses, and unpublished material have not been included.

Assessing cognitive function in adults during or following chemotherapy: a scoping review

PURPOSE

The purpose of this scoping review was to determine the feasibility of conducting a systematic review of approaches for screening or assessing cognitive function that were comprehensive and that could be incorporated into clinical settings.

METHODS

Using the scoping review approach developed by Arksey and O'Malley, we searched Ovid Embase 1980-, Ovid PsycINFO 1806-, Ovid Health and Psychosocial Instruments 1985-, EBSCOhost CINAHL, ISI Web of Science (Science Citation Index 1900-), Social Sciences Citation Index 1900-, Conference Proceedings Citation Index -Science 1990-, Conference Proceedings Citation Index -Social Science & Humanities 1990-, Scopus 1960-, with no language restrictions. Searches were conducted in April 2009 and updated in February 2013. Studies of adults treated with chemotherapy that included at least seven of the eight domains of cognition were included.

RESULTS

Eleven studies met inclusion criteria. No screening tools suitable for inclusion in a clinic were identified. The studies reviewed varied by inclusion/exclusion criteria, design, and instruments for assessing cognitive function, and thus, there are not yet enough studies to warrant a systematic review on this topic.

Evaluation of cancer patient education and services

On their first visit to the Regional Cancer Program, all patients are provided with the "Information for Patients and Families" binder that was designed by an interdisciplinary cancer patient education team. Patients were asked to complete a survey to evaluate the usefulness of this binder. Timely delivery of the "Information for Patients and Families" binder validates a higher level of satisfaction with oncology services because patients are better informed and this translates into a reduction of psychosocial problems. As a result of this study, a decision was made to provide the binder earlier in the patient's journey (e.g., post surgery for thoracic and brain tumor patients).

Travelling for radiation cancer treatment: Patient satisfaction

This study was conducted for the purpose of describing cancer patients' satisfaction with their care when they had to travel unexpectedly away from home for treatment. Ontario initiated a rereferral program for cancer patients who needed radiation therapy when the waiting lists in southern Ontario became lengthy. Patients travelled to the United States or northern Ontario for their care. A standardized survey containing 25 items with five-point Likert scale responses was mailed to all patients who participated in the rereferral program, following completion of their treatment. Items covered patient experiences before leaving home, in preparing for travel, and staying at the cancer facilities away from home. A total of 466 (55.8%) patients returned the survey. Overall, patients were satisfied with their care. However, there were a number of areas identified by patients where improvements could be made. These areas included access to support prior to leaving home, access to information about supportive care services while away from home, and sensitivity to personal needs in making arrangements for travel. Provision of information and support are important to cancer patients having to travel for cancer treatment.

Travelling for radiation cancer treatment: Patient perspectives

Radiation treatment for cancer requires patients to receive frequent administrations and attend the treatment facility on a daily basis for several weeks. Travelling for radiation treatment has the potential to add to the distress an individual may be feeling. This study utilized in-depth interviews to capture 118 patients' perspectives about travelling for cancer treatment. Four themes emerged during the analysis of the data: (1) waiting was the most difficult part of the experience; (2) the idea of travelling for treatment was distressing; (3) travelling for treatment was tiring and posed difficulties for patients; and (4) being away from home had both benefits and drawbacks. Given the inevitability of travelling for radiation treatment, and the issues that arises for patients, supportive strategies need to be designed and implemented.

The use of cognitive-behavioral treatment including hypnosis for claustrophobia in cancer patients

Two case studies are reported to illustrate the use of a comprehensive cognitive-behavioral approach to treat claustrophobia in cancer patients undergoing external beam radiation therapy. Hypnosis was an essential component of the cognitive-behavioral approach. Both patients responded favorably to the psychological intervention and completed the required external beam radiation therapy.

Psychological distress associated with organized breast cancer screening

Regular breast cancer screening with the use of mammography for asymptomatic women is the most effective method for the early detection of breast cancer. Although the health and economic implications of breast cancer screening have received a great deal of attention, the psychological consequences of attending a breast screening program that includes mammography have been largely ignored. This article briefly reviews 10 studies that have examined the psychological distress associated with organized breast cancer screening. Anxiety appears to be the most prevalent consequence of mammography and seems to affect certain subgroups, with the most significant effects being among those women requiring further investigation because of abnormal results. The results of these studies, the research methods used and future directions in this area are discussed.

The experience and satisfaction of women attending breast cancer screening

PURPOSE/OBJECTIVES

To determine women's satisfaction and experience with breast cancer screening and associated factors.

DESIGN

Exploratory, descriptive design.

SETTING

One center of the Ontario Breast Screening Program, a province-wide breast cancer screening program.

SAMPLE

Nonprobability sample of 315 asymptomatic women, age 50 years or older, with no previous history of breast malignancy.

METHODS

Data were collected from the entire sample of 315 women immediately postscreening using a self-report questionnaire and from a subgroup of 256 women by telephone interview at three weeks post-screening.

MAIN RESEARCH VARIABLES

Satisfaction with and intentions and anxiety regarding breast cancer screening.

FINDINGS

Overall, women reported a high level of satisfaction with their screening experience, including respect for privacy, encouragement to ask questions, and provision of information. Two areas of concern that participants identified were mammogram discomfort and fear about radiation risks. At the postscreening interview, women reported that breast screening had relatively little impact on social or physical aspects of their lives, but it did have a positive effect on certain emotional issues, such as their feelings of reassurance, well-being, and relaxation.

CONCLUSION

Since the degree of satisfaction that participants in health services report has been shown to influence attendance patterns, assessing breast screening programs from the perspective of attendees is necessary. Such assessment can identify areas of satisfaction and concern and, thus, provide information for developing interventions aimed at promoting recruitment and retention.

IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING PRACTICE

As health educators, nurses play an important role in providing breast cancer screening information to women. As well as being knowledgeable about screening guidelines and the benefits of screening, nurses also must recognize women's concerns about radiation risks and pain or discomfort with the procedure and be prepared to provide teaching and support for these women.

Hypnosis and cancer: an annotated bibliography 1985-1995

The purpose of this annotated bibliography is to provide the reader with resources to explore the relationship between hypnosis and cancer. Items are included only if they contain explicit reference to this relationship and describe it in some detail. This bibliography includes 91 items published in English from 1985 to 1995, inclusive. For the reader's convenience, the annotations are organized into three categories: general discussions; case reports or case studies; and experimental and nonexperimental group designs.

Hypnosis for children and adolescents with cancer: an annotated bibliography, 1985-1995

This annotated bibliography reviews the professional literature published in English, from 1985 to 1995 inclusive, on the subject of the use of hypnosis with pediatric cancer patients. Books, chapters, and journal articles are included; dissertation, theses, and unpublished material are not. This bibliography contains 37 items organized into three categories: (1) General Discussions; (2) Case Reports or Case Studies: and (3) Experimental and Nonexperimental Group Designs. The brief annotations provided are not intended to be reviews or to be evaluative, but, rather, to inform the reader about the content and focus of the publication. This is an update of a previously published annotated bibliography, also presented in this Journal, which explored the relationship between hypnosis and pediatric cancer in journal articles published from 1960 to 1985.