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Access to health insurance top indicator for better outcomes among undocumented children

Undocumented children who have access to health insurance are healthier and more engaged in school than those without insurance, according to researchers at the Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California.

8 Sep 2011

Kids around smokers lose more school days than peers

A new study says that children whose parents smoke tend to miss more school than their classmates with non-smoking parents — possibly because of a higher rate of respiratory infections.

6 Sep 2011

Researchers reveal mechanism behind how cells communicate

Cell communication is essential for the development of any organism. Scientists know that cells have the power to "talk" to one another, sending signals through their membranes in order to "discuss" what kind of cell they will ultimately become - whether a neuron or a hair, bone, or muscle. And because cells continuously multiply, it's easy to imagine a cacophony of communication.

6 Sep 2011

Exposure to household smoke increases school absenteeism among children

Children who live in households where they are exposed to tobacco smoke miss more days of school than do children living in smoke-free homes, a new nationwide study confirms.

5 Sep 2011

Study: Growth hormone helps regenerate damaged hair cells in zebrafish ear

Loud noise, especially repeated loud noise, is known to cause irreversible damage to the hair cells inside the cochlea and eventually lead to deafness. In mammals this is irreversible, however both birds and fish are able to re-grow the damaged hair cells and restore hearing.

3 Sep 2011

Medtronic acquires PEAK and Salient

Medtronic, Inc. today announced that it has completed the acquisition of two privately-held companies, PEAK Surgical, Inc. and Salient Surgical Technologies, Inc. Both of the companies are focused on advanced energy surgical technologies and will broaden Medtronic Surgical Technologies' portfolio of innovative surgical products to meet customer and patient needs worldwide.

From Medtronic 2 Sep 2011

IRIDEX introduces new XP Module for IQ 532 ENT laser system

IRIDEX Corporation announced the introduction of its new XP Module - a high power factory installed option for the IRIDEX IQ 532 green laser system.

31 Aug 2011

Four-step plan for allergy sufferers to improve quality of life

While most of us acknowledge the need to see a doctor and take antibiotics for, say, strep throat, many of us attempt to power through when it comes to allergies. Whether we take pride in toughing it out, put off making a doctor's appointment, or simply assume allergies will go away quickly on their own, many of us suffer unnecessarily, a Saint Louis University allergist says.

31 Aug 2011

Latest Perspectives in General Physiology series examines sensory mechanisms

The latest Perspectives in General Physiology series examines the mechanisms of visual, aural, olfactory, and tactile processes that inform us about the environment. The series appears in the September 2011 issue of the Journal of General Physiology.

30 Aug 2011

AAO-HNSF's 2011 Annual Meeting & OTO EXPO to convene in San Francisco

The 2011 Annual Meeting & OTO EXPO of the American Academy of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery Foundation (AAO-HNSF), the largest meeting of ear, nose, and throat doctors in the world, will convene September 11-14, 2011, in San Francisco, CA.

29 Aug 2011

People with Down syndrome have diminished optokinetic, vestibular reflexes

A scientist investigating why those with Down syndrome often have poor balance and motor coordination has found that key eye reflexes are substantially altered.

25 Aug 2011

Measles exposure in Philadelphia and Lancaster counties

The Pennsylvania Department of Health and the Philadelphia Department of Public Health are advising the public of exposure to a case of measles in Lancaster and Philadelphia counties.

24 Aug 2011

One in three people listening to music with ear buds fail to cross streets safely

We were taught to look left, right, left again — to safely cross the street. But what if ur texting ur BFF? Or talking on the phone with mom? Or singing along with Lady GaGa? The latter, listening to music while crossing the street, is more hazardous than texting or talking on the phone, says new research from the University of Alabama at Birmingham that quantifies the dangers of distracting activities; the results surprised even the researchers.

22 Aug 2011

Automated navigation support reduces effort and injuries for surgeons

The Human Factors and Ergonomics Society congratulates Dietrich Manzey, Maria Luz, Stefan Mueller, Andreas Dietz, Juergen Meixensberger, and Gero Strauss on receiving the 2011 Human Factors Prize for their article, "Automation in Surgery: The Impact of Navigated-Control Assistance on Performance, Waorkload, Situation Awareness, and Acquisition of Surgical Skills."

20 Aug 2011

Seven research teams across the U.S. to develop new drugs for nervous system disorders

The National Institutes of Health has made awards to investigators across the United States for an ambitious set of projects seeking to develop new drugs for disorders of the nervous system.

19 Aug 2011

New role for harmonin protein in Usher syndrome

University of Iowa scientists have discovered a new role for a protein that is mutated in Usher syndrome, one of the most common forms of deaf-blindness in humans. The findings, which were published Aug. 8 in Nature Neuroscience, may help explain why this mutation causes the most severe form of the condition.

16 Aug 2011

House Research Institute's new campaign to raise funds of $65 million

House Research Institute announced today the 65 Faces Campaign to coincide with the 65th anniversary of the institute. The fundraising goal of the campaign is $65 million.

11 Aug 2011

New findings on human brain's photosensitivity

Valkee, inventor of the world's first bright-light headset, and scientists from the University of Oulu will present new findings on human brain's photosensitivity at the Scandinavian Physiology Society Annual Meeting 2011, August 12-14.

11 Aug 2011

HPV-related throat cancer cases increase sharply over the past 10 years

Forty-two-year-old Manahawkin, New Jersey resident David Caldarella can recite a long list of dates off the top of his head. The first one starts with the day he found a lump on the right side of his neck while shaving. It was March 23, 2010. Caldarella immediately called his physician.

8 Aug 2011

Tiny controlled-release antibiotic pellet can treat glue ear infection in children

A revolutionary biodegradable pellet which slowly releases antibiotics into the middle ear could transform the lives of thousands of children who suffer from glue ear.

3 Aug 2011