By KIM KOMANDO • Gannett • February 14, 2011
When Apple released the iPad, many wondered how they would use the tablet. We’ve since discovered that it’s great for reading, playing games and watching videos. Uses for the iPad are nearly limitless.
Restaurants are using the iPad in place of menus. Hyundai replaces the owner’s manual with an iPad for some car models. Here are some of the more specialized uses for the iPad. Find links to apps mentioned at www.komando.com/news.
Communication
The iPad is a valuable tool for parents of children with autism spectrum conditions. In fact, it can help anyone with a condition that affects language. At $190, the Proloquo2Go app isn’t cheap, but compared with similar solutions, it’s a bargain — even considering the cost of the iPad.
Proloquo2Go is designed to assist with communication. Users build sentences by tapping images on the screen. The app can conjugate verbs automatically. Then, the user simply taps to have the sentence read out loud. It has a built-in vocabulary of more than 7,000 items. Sentences can be stored for later use.
Credit card processing
The iPad can also be used as a point-of-sale system. Some stores and restaurants have developed their own apps. The apps allow them to replace cash registers with iPads. Now anyone can use the iPad to process credit card payments.
The Square app works with a dongle that reads credit cards. Both the app and the dongle are free. Square charges about 3 percent of sales. You can customize the app by adding products. Then, tap a product to add it to a sale. Or, simply enter the information manually.
Read in Full: http://www.courierpostonline.com/article/20110214/BUSINESS/102140324/What-can-t-the-iPad-do-Very-little-it-seems
Amanda Gefter, CultureLab editor
The Omega Theory, Mark Alpert’s Einstein-exploiting thriller, is an entertaining but formulaic parable of the perils of having a theory of everything
What if Einstein, who spent the last twenty years of his life fruitlessly searching for a unified “theory of everything” had in fact discovered such a theory, but decided to bury the ultimate equations forever, having seen the atomic horrors that his earlier discoveries wrought? This intriguing premise opens Mark Alpert’s new novel The Omega Theory, the sequel to his debut physics thriller, The Final Theory.
In reality, of course, Einstein was missing fundamental pieces of the cosmic puzzle, including two forces of nature (the strong and weak nuclear forces) that were discovered after his death – but nevertheless it is a fun counterfactual.
As The Omega Theory opens, Einstein’s great-great-grandson, an autistic teenager named Michael, has been kidnapped by religious zealots who believe they can use the lost equations etched into Michael’s remarkable memory to bring on the end of days and their entrance to God’s eternal kingdom.
Michael’s adoptive parents, the hapless science historian David Swift and his quantum physicist wife Monique, both of whom starred in Alpert’s earlier novel, must figure out the nature of reality – and quickly – to rescue Michael and save the universe. It’s a mission that takes them from quantum computing labs to the tunnels beneath Jerusalem’s Wailing Wall, and from secret Kabbalist meeting grounds to army bases on the borders of Iran.
Read in Full: http://www.newscientist.com/blogs/culturelab/2011/02/the-physicist-who-knew-too-much.html
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On Tuesday 8 February 2011, the Education Bill was debated for the first time in Westminster.
We briefed MPs on the Bill before it was debated and, as a result, the impact of the Bill on children with autism was raised a number of times during the debate.
Read the briefing we sent to MPs.
Exclusions
In particular, we had expressed concerns about the replacement of Independent Appeal Panels for exclusions with Review Panels, which would not have the power to reinstate children who had been permanently excluded.
A number of MPs highlighted the disproportionate number of children with autism who have been excluded. Conservative MP Richard Fuller said that the high number of exclusions of children with autism needed more attention.
Shadow Education Secretary Andy Burnham said: “Parents of children with disabilities and special needs already face a battle to get them a good education. With changes to admissions and exclusions, which will see schools become judge and jury, the Bill stacks the odds against those children even furtherâ€.
Education Minister Nick Gibb said that parents still had the right of appeal on exclusions.
Joined-up working
We are also particularly concerned that the Bill removes the duty on schools to co-operate with other local agencies. We also oppose the Government’s decision to remove the duty on local authorities to develop a Children and Young People’s Plan.
Liberal Democrat MP Annette Brooke stressed the importance of these plans and of joined-up working between education, health and social care, particularly for those with complex needs, such as autism.
We await the imminent publication of the Special Educational Needs (SEN) Green Paper to determine further how the Government intends its educational reforms to impact on children with SEN.
A Devon man suffering from Tourette’s Syndrome is to undergo a pioneering form of brain surgery.
Mike Sullivan, 32, from Exeter, will have deep brain stimulation to help reduce his involuntary tics.
It sends electrical impulses to control brain activity and has proved effective in treating Parkinson’s disease, cluster headaches and depression.
Tourette’s is a neurological disorder thought to occur if there is a problem with nerves communicating in the brain.
People suffering from Tourette’s usually have both motor and vocal tics.
Mr Sullivan, who was diagnosed with the condition at the age of 12, became the victim of bullying and teasing at school.
He opted for deep brain stimulation after his condition worsened and symptoms became more frequent.
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If it improves me even by 5% or 10%, it will make such a massive difference to my quality of life”
Mr Sullivan said he has to work hard to suppress the almost continual tics while working with the public at Exeter Register Office. He describes this experience as exhausting and mentally draining.
“I can, up to a point, control it… but I’m always looking for a way out if people are staring,” he told BBC News.
He has tried a number of different medications. None has relieved his symptoms but many have given him serious and unpleasant side effects.
For deep brain stimulation a local anaesthetic is used and electrodes are put into the brain through the skull.
These are linked to a pacemaker-type battery in the patient’s chest then electrical impulses are sent to the brain to block the damaging signals.
Mr Sullivan said he was aware of the risks involved in undergoing brain surgery, but if it led to any improvement in his condition it would be worth it.
‘Reasonably safe’
“Whilst I’m scared and it’s not something I’d choose to do, it’s more than worth the risk,” he said.
“If it improves me even by 5% or 10%, it will make such a massive difference to my quality of life.”
Doctors at the National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery in London are trialling the use of deep brain stimulation to treat not only Tourette’s Syndrome, but Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, which many Tourette’s patients including Mr Sullivan also suffer from.
Only a few procedures have so far been carried out worldwide, but Mr Sullivan has been recommended for treatment by Dr Tim Harrower, a consultant neurologist at the Royal Devon and Exeter Hospital.
“It’s reasonably safe, but still I think Mike’s being extremely brave to do this because it is pioneering and cutting edge,” Dr Harrower said.
Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-devon-12370954
First Published Feb 14, 2011.
PINK Floyd guitarist David Gilmour is paying for psychiatric treatment for Scots computer hacker Gary McKinnon, it has been revealed.
Glasgow-born McKinnon, who faces jail in the US for hacking into government computer systems, had his NHS funding suddenly withdrawn last month.
The 45-year-old, who has Asperger’s Syndrome, fell victim to cutbacks at the London NHS trust which had funded his treatment by Professor Jeremy Turk, an expert in the condition.
Gary’s family have been fighting a long campaign to stop him being extradited to the US.
He could face up to 60 years behind bars for breaking into Nasa and Pentagon computers in 2001 and 2002 while looking for evidence of UFOs.
And Prof Turk believes he will become a suicide risk if he is forced to go to America to face trial.
Gilmour, 64, has a long record of charitable work, including supporting mental health charities.
In 2003, he sold his house in Little Venice in London to Earl Spencer and donated the s3.6million proceeds to fund a housing project for the homeless.
His intervention comes at a crucial time for Gary, whose mum, Janis Sharp, has just revealed she has new evidence of mental illness in the family which could bolster the case against extradition.
Janis said yesterday: “When I heard about the funding for Gary’s psychiatrist being refused, I was shell-shocked.
“What will happen to other people with psychiatric problems if their funding is cut off? “I’m so grateful to David Gilmour for helping Gary at such a crucial time.”
Janis added that on her son’s 17th birthday she took him to a neurologist because she feared he might have a brain tumour.
Previous Articles
“Gary McKinnon Updates: UK-US Extradition Treaty To Be Reviewed”:
A systematic review carried out by a team at the Peninsula College of Medicine and Dentistry has analysed existing studies and concluded that there are benefits to mental and physical well-being from taking exercise in the natural environment. Their findings are published in the leading research journal Environmental Science and Technology.
The research team, supported by the NIHR Peninsula Collaboration in Leadership for Applied Health Research and Care (PenCLAHRC, part of the NIHR family of health and research initiatives) in collaboration with the European Centre for the Environment and Human Health (ECEHH), analysed data from a number of sources including 11 randomised and non-randomised control trials incorporating information from 833 adults.
Eligible trials were those that compared the effects of outdoor exercise initiatives with those conducted indoors and which reported at least one physical or mental well-being outcome in adults or children.
The study found that most trials showed an improvement in mental well-being: compared with exercising indoors, exercising in natural environments was associated with greater feelings of revitalisation, increased energy and positive engagement, together with decreases in tension, confusion, anger and depression. Participants also reported greater enjoyment and satisfaction with outdoor activity and stated that they were more likely to repeat the activity at a later date.
However, none of the identified studies measured the effects of physical activity on physical well-being, or the effect of natural environments on sticking to exercise.
On balance this review has identified some promising effects on self-reported mental well-being immediately following exercise in the natural environment, as opposed to those reported following exercise indoors. This is a first step towards vindicating the positive effects of programmes such as the Green Gym and Blue Gym, and innovative interventions by medical practitioners that include exercise outdoors as part of holistic treatments for those suffering from depression and similar psychological ailments.
Read in Full: http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/215794.php
Genes linked to the immune system can affect healthy people’s personality traits as well as the risk of developing mental illness and suicidal behaviour, reveals a thesis from the University of Gothenburg, Sweden.
Inflammation is part of the immune system and is responsible for defending humans against infection as well as fascilitating the healing of injuries, and is therefore vital for our survival. Research has demonstrated that inflammatory processes also have other roles to play as inflammatory substances produced by the body influence mechanisms in the brain involving learning and memory.
Inflammatory substances produced in moderate quantities in the brain can be beneficial during the formation of new brain cells, for example. However, an increase in the levels of these substances as is the case during illness, can result in damage to the brain.
“Previous studies have shown that individuals suffering from various mental illnesses have an increased peripheral inflammation, but the reason behind this increase is not known,” says Petra Suchankova Karlsson, who wrote the thesis. “It has been suggested that the stress that goes with mental illness activates the body’s immune system, but it is also possible that inflammation in the body affects the brain, which in turn results in mental illness.”
Previous studies have focused on how environmental and psychological factors affect the immune system’s impact on the brain. Suchankova’s thesis presents, for the first time, results that suggest that several different genes linked to the immune system are associated with healthy people’s personality traits. It also demonstrates that some of these genes are associated with an increased risk of developing schizophrenia or suicidal behaviour.
Read in Full: http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/215896.php
Feb
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Article Date: 22 Jan 2011 – 0:00 PST
Out of every 1000 patients, two at most wake up during their operation. Unintended awareness in the patient is thus classified as an occasional complication of anesthesia – but being aware of things happening during the operation, and being able to recall them later, can leave a patient with long-term psychological trauma.
How to avoid such awareness events, and what treatment is available for a patient who does experience awareness, is the subject of a report by Petra Bischoff of the Ruhr University in Bochum and Ingrid Rundshagen of the Charité Berlin in the current issue of Deutsches Ärzteblatt International (Dtsch Arztebl Int 2011; 108(1-2): 1-7).
The usual culprit in cases of unintended awareness during an operation is an inadequate depth of anesthesia. In addition, several risk factors exist that promote awareness events. For example, children have eight to ten times the risk of being aware under anesthesia. Long-term use of painkillers or misuse of medication can also make patients more liable to this kind of experience. The nature of the operation and the surrounding circumstances can also play a part: cesarean sections and emergency operations carry a higher risk of awareness than other kinds of surgery, and operations at night a higher risk than those carried out during the day.
Read in Full: http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/214434.php
I’m pleased to welcome you to Adventures of a Bipolar Mom with Beth Vandagriff. Beth is a 30-year-old wife and mother of 4 beautiful children. She was recently diagnosed with Ultra-Rapid Cycling Bipolar, Borderline Personality Disorder, PTSD, Anxiety and Paranoia. She joins us here to share her experiences with bipolar disorder and parenting — how it is to juggle all the demands of motherhood along with the demands of living with a combination of mental health concerns.
Bipolar disorder, also known by its older name “manic depression,†is a mental disorder that is characterized by constantly changing moods. A person with bipolar disorder experiences alternating highs (what clinicians call “mania“) and lows (also known as depression). Both the manic and depressive periods can be brief, from just a few hours (ultra-rapid cycling) to a few days, or longer, lasting up to several weeks or even months. The periods of mania and depression vary from person to person — many people may only experience very brief periods of these intense moods, and may not even be aware that they have bipolar disorder.
I’m looking forward to the insights and experiences Beth will share with us as both a mom and someone who struggles with these issues in her daily life on the new blog, Adventures of a Bipolar Mom. Please give her a warm Psych Central welcome over there!
Source: http://psychcentral.com/blog/archives/2011/02/10/introducing-adventures-of-a-bipolar-mom/
Reviewed by John M. Grohol, Psy.D. on February 10, 2011
Conclusive evidence that smoking cannabis is linked to an earlier age of onset for psychosis by up to 2.7 years has been delivered by a team of international researchers in the first ever meta-analysis of more than 20,000 individuals with mental illness.
“The study re-analyzed the results from 20,000 patients with schizophrenia or other psychotic illnesses from 83 previous studies. The study used meta-analysis — a modern statistical method — to show that an earlier onset of severe mental illness among substance users is a result of cannabis use, and cannot be explained by other factors such as alcohol use,†said  Dr. Matthew Large from the University of New South Wales (UNSW) School of Psychiatry and Sydney’s Prince of Wales Hospital.
The results are based on several decades of research, and so the finding is a critical breakthrough toward the understanding of the relationship between cannabis use and psychosis, said Large. He and the other researchers concluded that cannabis use hastens schizophrenia and other psychotic disorders, possibly through an interaction between genetic and environmental factors or by disrupting brain development.
Several previous studies have established that there is a link between the use of cannabis, alcohol and other psychoactive substances and psychosis. This study, however, was aimed at revealing the particular extent to which this is caused by cannabis use alone, he said.
â€Results of this study are conclusive and clarify previously conflicting evidence of a relationship between cannabis use and the earlier onset of a psychotic illness, with evidence supporting the theory that cannabis use plays a causal role in the development of psychosis in some patients,†said Large.
Read in Full: http://psychcentral.com/news/2011/02/10/cannabis-linked-to-earlier-onset-of-psychosis/23350.html