THURSDAY, JANUARY 16, 2003
NEWS
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN = 5A
Newsoftware schedules smokes
By Eddie Yang
eyang@kansan.com
Kansan staff writer
If your New Year's resolution is to quit smoking, a PalmPilot might be able to help control nicotine urges — along with your daily appointments.
Researchers at the University of Kansas are developing software to be used in personal data assistants that will put smokers on a reduced smoking schedule prior to quitting.
With two separate grants totaling $142,285 from the National Institute on Drug Abuse, James Grobe, assistant professor of psychology, and Delwyn Catley, assistant professor of preventative medicine and public health at the KU Medical Center, are conducting a study with 25 smokers in the Lawrence area. The smokers are given PalmPilots with software that tells them when they can smoke.
"We have some situations where people can smoke when they want, and they record their smoking," said Grobe. "We have
other situations where the computer is going to beep them and tell them when to smoke."
Grobe says one reason the scheduled smoking routine is successful is it disrupts old habits and forces smokers to develop coping skills.
"If you typically smoke with coffee, the computer may not schedule the cigarette with coffee. That forces you then to cope with the situation," he said.
The technique also works because it makes cigarettes less pleasurable when smokers are alerted to smoke when they don't want to smoke. Grobe says.
Following a smoking schedule also increases the confidence of a smoker in the ability to quit. The schedule also allows smokers to experience minimal withdrawal symptoms and stress.
Grobe has applied for a $750,000 grant from National Institute of Health to develop better software.
Currently Grobe said he and his colleagues were more concerned with determining the basic science behind the reduced
smoking schedule.
Grobe's software will not be ready to enter the market for a few years.
"There are existing products on the market, but we're trying to figure how this works so we can better design it." he said.
Damon Parker, Lawrence resident and former smoker, said the program seemed impractical.
"I would suggest using the patch to quit smoking," said Parker. "I went on it for a week and never looked back.
Though research has shown success in the reduced smoking schedule technique, Grobe said, it isn't for all smokers.
Grobe agrees that different approaches can be effective for different people.
"Don't give up if one approach doesn't work," Grobe said. "Try them and see which works best for you, and then go with that one. And by doing that choice procedure,you actually increase the overall chance of success."
— Edited by Brandon Gay
Kyou connects Web site services
By Vonna Keomanyvong
vkeomanyvong@kansan.com
Kansan staff writer
A new service gives KU students and faculty a one-stop spot on the Internet.
Two months ago, the University put up a prototype of Kyou, a Web portal that would allow students and faculty to access e-mail, grades and class schedules by logging in one time at students.ku.edu.
The difference between a portal and a Web site is that a portal
recognizes users when they log in and a Web site only includes information or links.
Although the final version will not be up until Summer or Fall 2003, the prototype was released early so students and faculty could comment on what they want to see, said Julie Loats, Web administrator.
"We have so many online services, why not quickly tie those services together?" Loats said.
Kathryn Huxtable, applied programming supervisor, said the finished version would allow students to customize their page to
directly connect to links within the portal.
Ryan King, Kansas City, Kan. sophomore, said he visited the site about three times during break to check his grades.
"It's helpful because I didn't know what site to go to look at grades, so I logged into Kyou," he said.
At 3:30 p.m. Feb. 10 and Feb. 11 at Alderson Auditorium in the Kansan Union, KU officials will have an open forum to discuss the portal.
- Edited by Leah Shaffer
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