Devon Carrow attends school through the robot VGo. ( David Duprey/AP Photo)
Devon Carrow spends his days like many other second grade students: He goes to school, says hello to friends in the hallway and practices his multiplication tables. But to do this safely, Devon cannot be in the classroom.
The 7-year-old from West Seneca, N.Y., has life-threatening allergies and the only way he can safely attend school is via a four-foot tall remote-controlled robot named VGo.
?[It's] really improved him and his quality of life and his self-esteem,? said Devon?s mother, Rene Carrow. ?There?s some kinks here and there along the way [but] it?s the best thing that he?s been able to participate in.?
During school hours Devon remains in his bedroom at home, but his face is transmitted to a screen on top of VGo. Teachers can ask him questions, he can raise his hand or even share a joke with a classmate.
Between classes Devon can remotely navigate the robot through hallways and greet friends on his way to the next class. The only time he signs off is for lunch and gym class or during the occasional dead zone when the wireless internet signal goes out.
In June, Devon will wrap up his first full year attending school, even though he?s never set foot in the building.
Before Devon was able to go to school remotely, Carrow said the local school district provided him with a tutor for about an hour each day. But by attending school, even remotely, Carrow said Devon spends more time in class and has more interaction with his peers.? Devon said his favorite part of school is math class, ?because of multiplications.?
?He wants to do algebra,? said Carrow. ?[He'll say,] ?Oh, math homework, awesome.?? Devon is joined by a teacher?s aide, who sits with him and can provide one-on-one attention if he needs it. His older brother picks up his assignments and delivers his homework to teachers each morning.
?It?s given him a purpose,? said Carrow of Devon. ?He sets goals, and when he achieves them he feels awesome.?
Carrow says Devon is allergic to peanuts, dairy, eggs? and other food products. He is so allergic to nuts that even if his school banned all nut products, Carrow says, he could still be at risk for anaphylactic shock.
?If someone had peanut oil on their hands and touched him or if someone ate a peanut butter sandwich and breathed on him ? it would be a death sentence,? said Carrow.
Complicating Devon?s health is that his reaction to certain allergens have shifted over time. He can now eat soy products after previously being allergic to them, but he had to stop eating dairy products after having a bad reaction.
Carrow also avoids laundry detergent or soap with fragrances since they can irritate the respiratory system; she said there are specific detergents that cause his throat to close up.
Dr. Neil Kao, an allergist for the Allergic Disease and Asthma Center, said young children not only have the highest incidents of allergies, but their immune systems are still developing, meaning that some children develop dangerous reactions to foods they previously could eat without problems.
?At this stage [with] their immune system being dysfunctional, sometimes not being in the school is the lesser of two evils,? said Kao, who has not worked with Devon.
As a result of these restrictions, Carrow said it is difficult to let Devon do normal activities like go on sleepovers or visit friends.
?The little risks I take are what other people take for granted,? said Carrow. ?Like when I take him out [for an? Icee.]?
Carrow said that even though Devon attends school remotely, he has quickly integrated into the environment. He has had school friends come over to his home and often ?hangs out? with other kids in the hallway at school.
?He visualizes himself that he?s actually there,? says Devon?s mom.
Ongoing effort shows promise in reducing stress in the workplace through cost-effective online tools
EMBARGOED UNTIL 12:01 A.M. ET, Tuesday, April 30, 2013, Cleveland: The use of Internet-based stress management programs (ISM) effectively reduce stress for a sustainable period, according to a Cleveland Clinic study published recently in Annals of Behavioral Medicine.
Online stress management programs aim to increase accessibility for individuals affected by chronic stress at a lesser cost than traditional methods. Data suggests that stress reduction using ISM is comparable to face-to-face stress management.
Three-hundred study participants completed an eight-week ISM program where they received online relaxation practice materials, strategies to help cope with life's stressors, stress assessments at the beginning and end of the program, and daily topics to inspire participants to continue the meditation and relaxation techniques.
Program participants, who were compared with a control group, showed a significant decrease in perceived stress from high levels to average, as well as greatly improved emotional wellbeing, compared with the pre-program results and to participants of the control group. Results confirmed a positive correlation between the number of meditations completed per week and perceived stress reduction.
"Our recent findings provide individuals and employers with a new option to consider for themselves or their employees' stress management," said Michael Roizen, MD, Chief Wellness Officer at Cleveland Clinic. "Unmanaged stress causes some of the highest healthcare costs for employers and has a lasting impact on everyone; this study implies such health effect may be readily reduced."
Using Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) to measure a person's perception of stress, individual results were based on a 0 (best) to 40 scale. Study participants' stress levels prior to ISM averaged 23.05, much higher than the U.S. norm, 13.7 for females and 12.1 for males. Relative to a control group, active participants demonstrated a substantial stress score improvement of 4.04. Individuals who completed five meditations per week were likely to experience a 6.12 decrease in perceived stress scores vs. practicing once per week.
Chronic stress is a major public health issue and is associated with increased health risk and chronic disease. Comparable to smoking, psychological distress is more significant in terms of health risks to blood pressure, obesity, and diabetes. A national survey from the American Psychological Association (Stress in America) showed that 75 percent of American adults continue to report high levels of stress despite an improving economy, with little accessibility to a feasible stress management program. Most Americans cite work as being the most stressful component in their lives.
Face-to-face stress management programs often include massage therapy, exercise, diet modification, acupuncture, and meditation, whereas ISM focuses heavily on achieving a state of mindfulness through relaxation and meditation, and guided imagery. To compare the two types of programs, standard outcome measures including the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS), Mindfulness Attention Awareness Scale, Adult Self-Transcendence Inventory, among others, were observed and recorded throughout the 12-week study.
The feasibility study was a joint effort with GE (NYSE: GE), which offered the ISM program to employees in three of its sites as part of the trial.
"Understanding consumer behavior related to health and healthcare is critical to advancing care delivery," said Mitch Higashi, chief economist for GE Healthcare. "In this case, demonstrating how workplace stress management programs could be delivered effectively in online formats provides important insights for future innovation."
The stress management program used for the research, Stress Free Now (SFN), was designed by Cleveland Clinic experts and is sold at Cleveland Clinic's Wellness site. On-going research continues in order to improve workplace wellbeing and quality of life using ISM programs. SFN has been modified following the results of this study, allowing for increased likelihood of program completion, and simpler implementation within the workplace with the purpose of improving stress in a corporate environment.
###
The Wellness Institute at Cleveland Clinic directs research designed to help with the prevention and treatment of lifestyle-related chronic disease. Current areas of focus include helping people eliminate tobacco usage, and to better care for or reverse pre-diabetes, weight gain, psychological stress, and insomnia. Studies aim to understand the effect of behavioral modification programs or web-based interventions on these states.
About Cleveland Clinic
Cleveland Clinic is a nonprofit multispecialty academic medical center that integrates clinical and hospital care with research and education. Located in Cleveland, Ohio, it was founded in 1921 by four renowned physicians with a vision of providing outstanding patient care based upon the principles of cooperation, compassion and innovation. Cleveland Clinic has pioneered many medical breakthroughs, including coronary artery bypass surgery and the first face transplant in the United States. U.S.News & World Report consistently names Cleveland Clinic as one of the nation's best hospitals in its annual "America's Best Hospitals" survey. About 2,800 full-time salaried physicians and researchers and 11,000 nurses represent 120 medical specialties and subspecialties. Cleveland Clinic Health System includes a main campus near downtown Cleveland, eight community hospitals and 18 Family Health Centers in Northeast Ohio, Cleveland Clinic Florida, the Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health in Las Vegas, Cleveland Clinic Canada, and, currently under construction, Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi. In 2010, there were 4 million visits throughout the Cleveland Clinic health system and 167,000 hospital admissions. Patients came for treatment from every state and from more than 100 countries. Visit us at http://www.clevelandclinic.org. Follow us at http://www.twitter.com/ClevelandClinic.
Editor's Note: Cleveland Clinic News Service is available to provide broadcast-quality interviews and B-roll upon request.
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Cleveland Clinic research shows Internet-based program effective in reducing stressPublic release date: 30-Apr-2013 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Ongoing effort shows promise in reducing stress in the workplace through cost-effective online tools
EMBARGOED UNTIL 12:01 A.M. ET, Tuesday, April 30, 2013, Cleveland: The use of Internet-based stress management programs (ISM) effectively reduce stress for a sustainable period, according to a Cleveland Clinic study published recently in Annals of Behavioral Medicine.
Online stress management programs aim to increase accessibility for individuals affected by chronic stress at a lesser cost than traditional methods. Data suggests that stress reduction using ISM is comparable to face-to-face stress management.
Three-hundred study participants completed an eight-week ISM program where they received online relaxation practice materials, strategies to help cope with life's stressors, stress assessments at the beginning and end of the program, and daily topics to inspire participants to continue the meditation and relaxation techniques.
Program participants, who were compared with a control group, showed a significant decrease in perceived stress from high levels to average, as well as greatly improved emotional wellbeing, compared with the pre-program results and to participants of the control group. Results confirmed a positive correlation between the number of meditations completed per week and perceived stress reduction.
"Our recent findings provide individuals and employers with a new option to consider for themselves or their employees' stress management," said Michael Roizen, MD, Chief Wellness Officer at Cleveland Clinic. "Unmanaged stress causes some of the highest healthcare costs for employers and has a lasting impact on everyone; this study implies such health effect may be readily reduced."
Using Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) to measure a person's perception of stress, individual results were based on a 0 (best) to 40 scale. Study participants' stress levels prior to ISM averaged 23.05, much higher than the U.S. norm, 13.7 for females and 12.1 for males. Relative to a control group, active participants demonstrated a substantial stress score improvement of 4.04. Individuals who completed five meditations per week were likely to experience a 6.12 decrease in perceived stress scores vs. practicing once per week.
Chronic stress is a major public health issue and is associated with increased health risk and chronic disease. Comparable to smoking, psychological distress is more significant in terms of health risks to blood pressure, obesity, and diabetes. A national survey from the American Psychological Association (Stress in America) showed that 75 percent of American adults continue to report high levels of stress despite an improving economy, with little accessibility to a feasible stress management program. Most Americans cite work as being the most stressful component in their lives.
Face-to-face stress management programs often include massage therapy, exercise, diet modification, acupuncture, and meditation, whereas ISM focuses heavily on achieving a state of mindfulness through relaxation and meditation, and guided imagery. To compare the two types of programs, standard outcome measures including the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS), Mindfulness Attention Awareness Scale, Adult Self-Transcendence Inventory, among others, were observed and recorded throughout the 12-week study.
The feasibility study was a joint effort with GE (NYSE: GE), which offered the ISM program to employees in three of its sites as part of the trial.
"Understanding consumer behavior related to health and healthcare is critical to advancing care delivery," said Mitch Higashi, chief economist for GE Healthcare. "In this case, demonstrating how workplace stress management programs could be delivered effectively in online formats provides important insights for future innovation."
The stress management program used for the research, Stress Free Now (SFN), was designed by Cleveland Clinic experts and is sold at Cleveland Clinic's Wellness site. On-going research continues in order to improve workplace wellbeing and quality of life using ISM programs. SFN has been modified following the results of this study, allowing for increased likelihood of program completion, and simpler implementation within the workplace with the purpose of improving stress in a corporate environment.
###
The Wellness Institute at Cleveland Clinic directs research designed to help with the prevention and treatment of lifestyle-related chronic disease. Current areas of focus include helping people eliminate tobacco usage, and to better care for or reverse pre-diabetes, weight gain, psychological stress, and insomnia. Studies aim to understand the effect of behavioral modification programs or web-based interventions on these states.
About Cleveland Clinic
Cleveland Clinic is a nonprofit multispecialty academic medical center that integrates clinical and hospital care with research and education. Located in Cleveland, Ohio, it was founded in 1921 by four renowned physicians with a vision of providing outstanding patient care based upon the principles of cooperation, compassion and innovation. Cleveland Clinic has pioneered many medical breakthroughs, including coronary artery bypass surgery and the first face transplant in the United States. U.S.News & World Report consistently names Cleveland Clinic as one of the nation's best hospitals in its annual "America's Best Hospitals" survey. About 2,800 full-time salaried physicians and researchers and 11,000 nurses represent 120 medical specialties and subspecialties. Cleveland Clinic Health System includes a main campus near downtown Cleveland, eight community hospitals and 18 Family Health Centers in Northeast Ohio, Cleveland Clinic Florida, the Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health in Las Vegas, Cleveland Clinic Canada, and, currently under construction, Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi. In 2010, there were 4 million visits throughout the Cleveland Clinic health system and 167,000 hospital admissions. Patients came for treatment from every state and from more than 100 countries. Visit us at http://www.clevelandclinic.org. Follow us at http://www.twitter.com/ClevelandClinic.
Editor's Note: Cleveland Clinic News Service is available to provide broadcast-quality interviews and B-roll upon request.
[ | E-mail | Share ]
?
AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.
If you're looking to buy your first Bluetooth headset, you're probably not looking for a pricey, top-of-the-line model with a ton of features you never even knew existed. Chances are you're looking for something more like the $29.99 (list) Jabra Talk. It's easy to set up and use, and you can find it out there for well under its list price, which makes it about as much of an investment as a large pepperoni pizza. But let's make this clear: The Jabra Talk?isn't a great headset. The fit could be better, and noise cancellation is pretty poor. Still, if you're new to Bluetooth, it sounds pretty good and is a reasonably priced entry point.
Design, Fit, and Pairing The Jabra Talk looks like your run-of-the-mill Bluetooth headset. It measures 0.95 by 2.1 by 0.65 inches (HWD) and weighs 0.35 ounces. It's made mostly of matte black plastic, with a silver plastic line that runs along the outer edge, and a chunky strip that separates the front of the headset's face from the button on the other side. Controls are sparse. There's a power switch on the inside of the headset, right next to the earpiece. Two hidden LED lights indicate Bluetooth connectivity and battery life. Volume control is located on the bottom of the headset, and is easy to toggle while you're on a call. A multifunction Call button is located right next to your ear, and can be used to answer and end calls, redial numbers, and trigger voice dialing.
The headset uses an in-ear design and comes with three different size silicone ear buds and two different plastic hooks. I'm not a fan of the hook, even though they do make the fit more secure. I wasn't thrilled with the fit of any of the ear buds, either, but I found the middle size the most comfortable to wear without needing to hook myself in. Luckily, because the headset is light, once I established the proper fit I practically forgot it was there.
The Talk is automatically set to pairing mode the first time you turn it on. For subsequent pairings, all you have to do is hold down the Call button for a few seconds until the Bluetooth indicator begins to flash. From there, simply follow the instructions on your device for a standard Bluetooth pairing procedure. For this review, I had no trouble pairing the Talk with an Apple iPhone 4S?and a Sony Xperia ZL.
Sound Quality, Noise Cancellation, and Conclusions Once paired, you can initiate voice dialing by holding down the Call button for a couple of seconds. It will initiate whatever voice control you use, like Google Voice or Siri. I had no trouble making calls, asking Siri to play some music, or having Google Voice open up the calendar app. You can tap the Call button once to answer or end a call, and twice to redial the last number you were connected to.
Call quality is mixed. With the Talk in your ear, voices can sound a little digitized, with some fuzz around the edge, but overall volume goes loud and calls sound clear enough that you won't have trouble understanding anyone. But on the other end, calls made with the Talk have very low volume and sound a bit muffled. Even worse is that it sounds like there is next to no noise cancellation, so it's easy for your voice to get lost if you're calling from a noisy place. Calls made indoors were mostly fine, but this isn't the right headset for you if you plan to use it a lot while on the go.
The Jabra Talk doesn't have many additional features, but it supports A2DP, so you can use it to listen to streaming media like apps, audiobooks, music, and podcasts. The headset gets pretty loud, so volume isn't a problem, but for music, bass is basically nonexistent. Still, it sounds fine for podcasts, and most people don't use mono headsets for music anyway.
Range was fine; I was able to clear the standard 20 feet before sound started to break up. And battery life is okay, at 5 hours and 21 minutes. Jabra claims the headset can last up to eight days on standby.
The Jabra Talk doesn't have a ton of cool features or bar-setting performance. And if you plan to use it outdoors, its lousy noise cancellation means you should probably look for a different headset. But for just over $20, depending on where you buy it, I don't want to knock the Talk too hard. It's still a perfectly decent headset, especially if this is your first time using Bluetooth. It's actually a better choice than the similarly priced Samsung HM1800, since that headset lacks A2DP.
But if you're willing to spend a little more, the Plantronics M55?is our Editors' Choice for budget Bluetooth headsets. It costs nearly twice the price, but it has better call quality and noise cancellation, much longer battery life, and a sleeker design. The Plantronics Marque 2 M165?is another good option, while the Sony SBH20?gets you a unique clip-on design, along with excellent stereo sound quality through a pair of wired earbuds.
Stability fixes, as well as Zoe, camera, Betas Audio and location service tweaks in first OTA
After a limited roll-out in some European countries this past week, the update to software version 1.29.401.12 is now live for unlocked HTC One users in the UK. The update includes stability improvements and bug fixes, in addition to tweaks to the location service, HTC Zoe, camera "parameter tuning" and Beats Audio.
Upon first inspection we're not noticing any significant differences between this and the previous 1.28 firmware, but we'll take HTC at its word that it's been busy on improvements throughout the firmware. The update weighs in at a substantial 229MB, suggesting an abundance of new stuff has made its way into the code base.
The firmware is still based on Android 4.1.2, so it looks like the HTC One will have to wait some more for its 4.2 update.
To grab the new firmware on your unlocked UK HTC One, simply head to Settings > About > Software updates and hit the button. As always, carrier-branded devices may have to wait a little longer for their update to start rolling out. Be sure to hit the comments if you've spotted any significant changes in the new firmware.
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Public release date: 30-Apr-2013
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