The impact of muscle relaxation techniques on the quality of life of cancer patients, as measured by the FACT-G questionnaire

Introduction Patients with cancer frequently suffer from emotional distress, characterized by psychological symptoms such as anxiety or depression. The presence of psychological symptoms combined with the complex nature of oncology processes can negatively impact patients' quality of life. We aimed to determine the impact of a relaxation protocol on improving quality of life in a sample of oncological patients treated in the Spanish National Public Health System. Materials and methods We conducted a multicenter interventional study without a control group. In total, 272 patients with different oncologic pathologies and showing symptoms of anxiety were recruited from 10 Spanish public hospitals. The intervention comprised abbreviated progressive muscle relaxation training, according to Bernstein and Borkovec. This was followed by weekly telephone calls to each patient over a 1-month period. We collected sociodemographic variables related to the disease process, including information about mental health and the intervention. Patients' quality of life was assessed using the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-General (FACT-G) questionnaire. Bivariate and univariate analyses were performed, along with an analysis of multiple correspondences to identify subgroups of patients with similar variations on the FACT-G. Results Patients showed statistically significant improvements on the FACT-G overall score (W = 16806; p<0.001), with an initial mean score of 55.33±10.42 and a final mean score of 64.49±7.70. We also found significant improvements for all subscales: emotional wellbeing (W = 13118; p<0.001), functional wellbeing (W = 16155.5; p<0.001), physical wellbeing (W = 8885.5; p<0.001), and social and family context (W = ?1840; p = 0.037). Conclusions Patients with cancer who learned and practiced abbreviated progressive muscle relaxation experienced improvement in their perceived quality of life as measured by the FACT-G. Our findings support a previous assumption that complementary techniques (including relaxation techniques) are effective in improving the quality of life of patients with cancer

The CSCE as a Model to Transform Western Relations with the Greater Middle East. ZEI Discussion Paper C 137, 2004

[Table of Contents]. Kühnhardt, Ludger. "System-opening and Cooperative Transformation of the Greater Middle East. A New Transatlantic Project and a Joint Euro-Atlantic-Arab Task"; Laschet, Armin. "Euro-Mediterranean Partnership: Beyond the Iraq crisis"; Lothar Rühl, Lothar. "Can the CSCE be a Role-Model to Frame the Political Processes of the Greater Middle East with Europe and the United States?"; Alnawwab, Nabil. "Conflict of Mythologies: The Debate on Reform of the Greater Middle East"; Masala, Carlo. "Is the Model of the Baskets Applicable to the Greater Middle East?"; Fröhlich, Stefan. "How much Regional Differentiation is Necessary to Establish a Successful CSCE-analogous Process?"; Baðci, Hüseyin. "The Greater Middle East Project and Turkey’s Attitude towards it"; Voskanian, Ashot. "South Caucasus within the Perspective of Contemporary Integration Processes"; Magen, Amichai. "Building Democratic Peace in the Eastern Mediterranean: An Inevitably Ambitious Agenda"; Posch, Walter. "What Preconditions for a CSCE-like Approach for the Region?"; Hitti, Nassif. "The Fantasies of a Middle Eastern OSCE"; Lesser, Ian O. "Institutional Issues Surrounding a CSCE-like Approach to the Middle East"

Reliable online social network data collection

Large quantities of information are shared through online social networks, making them attractive sources of data for social network research. When studying the usage of online social networks, these data may not describe properly users’ behaviours. For instance, the data collected often include content shared by the users only, or content accessible to the researchers, hence obfuscating a large amount of data that would help understanding users’ behaviours and privacy concerns. Moreover, the data collection methods employed in experiments may also have an effect on data reliability when participants self-report inacurrate information or are observed while using a simulated application. Understanding the effects of these collection methods on data reliability is paramount for the study of social networks; for understanding user behaviour; for designing socially-aware applications and services; and for mining data collected from such social networks and applications. This chapter reviews previous research which has looked at social network data collection and user behaviour in these networks. We highlight shortcomings in the methods used in these studies, and introduce our own methodology and user study based on the Experience Sampling Method; we claim our methodology leads to the collection of more reliable data by capturing both those data which are shared and not shared. We conclude with suggestions for collecting and mining data from online social networks.Postprin