Language News and Research

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Language skills are essential to a child’s ability to communicate and develop. These skills enable children to engage with other people and learn from their surroundings and in the classroom.

First Edition: June 16, 2014

Today's headlines include more analysis of the events that led to a resolution of Virginia's budget impasse and Gov. Terry McAuliffe's hope to expand Medicaid.

16 Jun 2014

Virginia lawmakers pass budget with language to block Medicaid expansion

The two-year spending plan, which will prevent a state government shutdown, includes an amendment designed to prevent Democratic Gov. Terry McAuliffe from pursuing efforts to expand the low-income health insurance program without legislative approval.

16 Jun 2014

Researchers identify tremendous genetic diversity

In the most comprehensive genetic study of the Mexican population to date, researchers from UC San Francisco and Stanford University, along with Mexico's National Institute of Genomic Medicine (INMEGEN), have identified tremendous genetic diversity, reflecting thousands of years of separation among local populations and shedding light on a range of confounding aspects of Latino health.

13 Jun 2014

Fighting off illness causes sleep deprivation and affects memory

Sickness-induced insomnia is common because of link between brain and immune system. Fighting off illness- rather than the illness itself- causes sleep deprivation and affects memory, a new study has found.

13 Jun 2014

Virginia lawmakers to consider fast-track budget plan without Medicaid expansion

The $96 billion spending plan unveiled by state house leaders yesterday could break the logjam and prevent a looming state government shutdown after a partisan battle over Gov. Terry McAuliffe's plan to expand the low-income health insurance program was resolved earlier this week with the resignation of a Democratic senator.

13 Jun 2014

First Edition: June 12, 2014

Today's headlines include stories examining how Eric Cantor's primary defeat will change the House GOP leadership and the Republican strategy to replace the health law.

12 Jun 2014

PSPA welcomes FDA’s new advice on fish consumption

The Pacific Seafood Processors Association (PSPA), a leading nonprofit seafood industry trade association, is thrilled to see new advice from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) encouraging pregnant women and small children to eat more seafood.

11 Jun 2014

Study: Lifetime cost of supporting person with autism could be in millions

Researchers listed among the main factors contributing to this price tag were special education for children and residential care for adults as well as lost productivity for parents.

11 Jun 2014

Under health law, states serve as testing grounds for innovation

Media outlets report on a range of issues related to the measure's implementation, including how some states are finding opportunities in the overhaul to pursue their own health system changes.

10 Jun 2014

New technology improves quality of life for kids with severe developmental disabilities

A group of Kansas State University engineers and students is developing technology to improve the health and quality of life for children with severe developmental disabilities.

10 Jun 2014

First Edition: June 9, 2014

Today's headlines include reports about efforts on the state level and within the health care system to address health care costs and advance other system reforms.

9 Jun 2014

Researchers take step toward restoring natural, high-fidelity vision to blind people

In laboratory tests, researchers have used electrical stimulation of retinal cells to produce the same patterns of activity that occur when the retina sees a moving object. Although more work remains, this is a step toward restoring natural, high-fidelity vision to blind people, the researchers say.

6 Jun 2014

Physically fit children have faster neuro-electrical brain responses during reading

Children who are physically fit have faster and more robust neuro-electrical brain responses during reading than their less-fit peers, researchers report.

4 Jun 2014

Exposure to elevated levels of steroid hormones in the womb linked to later development of autism

Scientists from the University of Cambridge and the Statens Serum Institute in Copenhagen, Denmark have discovered that children who later develop autism are exposed to elevated levels of steroid hormones (for example testosterone, progesterone and cortisol) in the womb. The finding may help explain why autism is more common in males than females, but should not be used to screen for the condition.

3 Jun 2014

Medical errors most likely to occur among patients with limited proficiency in English

Despite widespread public and professional attention devoted to medical errors and ways to prevent them, few efforts have focused on addressing a leading cause of errors -- communication problems involving patients with limited proficiency in English.

3 Jun 2014

Individuals who speak more languages may slow down cognitive decline from aging

New research reveals that bilingualism has a positive effect on cognition later in life. Findings published in Annals of Neurology, a journal of the American Neurological Association and Child Neurology Society, show that individuals who speak two or more languages, even those who acquired the second language in adulthood, may slow down cognitive decline from aging.

2 Jun 2014

Early childhood development programs can greatly impact children’s ability to earn more in adulthood

In the Friday (May 30) edition of the journal Science, researchers find that early childhood development programs are particularly important for disadvantaged children in Jamaica and can greatly impact an individual's ability to earn more money as an adult.

30 May 2014

Food fight shaping up over school lunch waivers

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack says he could accept a Senate compromise on school lunch standards, but strongly opposes a House Appropriations Committee plan that would grant waivers to school districts that say they can't afford to comply with the Healthy Hunger-Free Kids Act.

30 May 2014

State highlights: Calif. tables immigrant health care bill; new La. hospital financing plan; Calif. insurance commissioner powers

Nearly 200 proposals were shelved in the Legislature on Friday, including controversial measures that would have provided health care coverage to people in the country illegally, imposed a tax on oil drilled from the ground and created a voluntary substance-abuse counseling program for doctors (McGreevy and Mason, 5/23).

28 May 2014

'Signglasses' system may help deaf literacy

Ordinarily, deaf students are left in the dark when they visit a planetarium. With the lights off, they can't see the ASL interpreter who narrates their tour of outer space. With the lights on, they can't see the constellations of stars projected overhead.

28 May 2014

Language News and Research

Further Reading

First Edition: June 16, 2014

Virginia lawmakers pass budget with language to block Medicaid expansion

Researchers identify tremendous genetic diversity

Fighting off illness causes sleep deprivation and affects memory

Virginia lawmakers to consider fast-track budget plan without Medicaid expansion

First Edition: June 12, 2014

PSPA welcomes FDA’s new advice on fish consumption

Study: Lifetime cost of supporting person with autism could be in millions

Under health law, states serve as testing grounds for innovation

New technology improves quality of life for kids with severe developmental disabilities

First Edition: June 9, 2014

Researchers take step toward restoring natural, high-fidelity vision to blind people

Physically fit children have faster neuro-electrical brain responses during reading

Exposure to elevated levels of steroid hormones in the womb linked to later development of autism

Medical errors most likely to occur among patients with limited proficiency in English

Individuals who speak more languages may slow down cognitive decline from aging

Early childhood development programs can greatly impact children’s ability to earn more in adulthood

Food fight shaping up over school lunch waivers

State highlights: Calif. tables immigrant health care bill; new La. hospital financing plan; Calif. insurance commissioner powers

'Signglasses' system may help deaf literacy

Bringing real-time analytics to downstream bioprocess monitoring

Designing fluidic architecture for scalable diagnostic platforms

Evaluating new approaches for rare disease genomics

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