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U.S. healthcare inflation seems to be leveling off

The cost of medical care for people in employer-sponsored health plans rose at an annualized rate of 3.8 percent in the first quarter of 2011, according to the Thomson Reuters Healthcare Spending Index for Private Insurance.

22 Jul 2011

State news: Florida effort could cost consumers $60 million in rebates

The JMH Health Plan, the insurance wing of the Jackson Health System, has become a huge money-loser that must be fixed quickly, board members were told Thursday. So far this year, the plan has lost $30.4 million — almost half of the $71.7 million that Jackson Health System has lost for the entire fiscal year.

22 Jul 2011

Prolonged viewing of mobile devices leads to visual discomfort, fatigue and headaches

Several reports indicate that prolonged viewing of mobile devices and other stereo 3D devices leads to visual discomfort, fatigue and even headaches. According to a new Journal of Vision study, the root cause may be the demand on our eyes to focus on the screen and simultaneously adjust to the distance of the content.

22 Jul 2011

Research roundup: Restricting Medigap coverage; Hospital-acquired infections

Increases In Mortality, Length Of Stay, And Cost Associated With Hospital-Acquired Infections In Trauma Patients -- This study explores the clinical and economic burden of hospital-acquired infections, the most common complication in hospitalized patients, for trauma patients.

22 Jul 2011

Health care company settles class action lawsuit after Katrina deaths

A New Orleans judge gave preliminary approval today to a settlement agreement that would end a class-action lawsuit against one of the nation's largest publicly owned health care companies.

22 Jul 2011

Exchanges: HHS official offers insights on state deadline, insurer roles

During a news briefing in Washington, D.C., Steve Larsen, deputy administrator and director of the Center for Consumer Information and Insurance Oversight at the CMS, discussed certain issues related to the establishment of state health exchanges.

22 Jul 2011

Elite task force provides insights and guidance on deep brain stimulation for dystonia

Neurologist Michele Tagliati, MD, director of the Movement Disorders Program at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, served on an elite international task force commissioned by the Movement Disorder Society to provide insights and guidance on deep brain stimulation for dystonia, an uncommon condition that causes sustained, sometimes crippling muscle contractions.

22 Jul 2011

Discovery challenges current thinking on origin of malaria parasite

The agent of malaria has been found in the greater spot-nosed monkey, also known as putty-nosed monkey (Cercopithecus nictitans), a small African primate derived from a line different to that of humans, gorillas and chimpanzees.

22 Jul 2011

Deficit-reduction talks: Progress or stalemate?

As President Barack Obama and House Speaker John Boehner continue trying to move toward an ambitious $4 trillion grand bargain, reports indicate that wide differences remain. Still in the mix are cuts to Medicare, Medicaid and other government programs that would be combined with revenue increases resulting from a tax code revamp.

22 Jul 2011

Myelin regulates key protein involved in sending long-distance signals

The development of a new cell-culture system that mimics how specific nerve cell fibers in the brain become coated with protective myelin opens up new avenues of research about multiple sclerosis. Initial findings suggest that myelin regulates a key protein involved in sending long-distance signals.

22 Jul 2011

Researchers dissociate beneficial and detrimental impacts of maternal regulatory T cells

A normal but concerning consequence of pregnancy is the fact that pregnant women are more susceptible to infection. University of Minnesota Medical School researchers have identified the underlying mechanisms for this physiologic immune suppression that may lead to new therapies to help ward off infections during pregnancy.

22 Jul 2011

Analyzing the impact of default worries on Medicare, Medicaid

News outlets report on the potential impact that the possibility of debt default is having on Medicare, Medicaid and state budgets.

22 Jul 2011

Effects of refusal and delay in childhood vaccination

Alison M. Buttenheim, PhD, MBA, assistant professor at Penn Nursing answers parents' questions about childhood vaccines. Dr. Buttenheim is a public health researcher and social demographer who studies parent behavior and child health.

22 Jul 2011

First Edition: July 22, 2011

Even as the debt talks continue, some news outlets explore the impact of this uncertainty on Medicare, Medicaid and state budgets.

22 Jul 2011

Advancements in use of zinc finger nucleases to produce genetically modified pigs

Sangamo BioSciences, Inc. announced the publication of a study demonstrating the use of zinc finger nucleases (ZFNs) to produce genetically modified pigs. The study, which was published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), represents a significant advancement in the development of improved, less immunogenic animal tissue as a source for transplant into humans.

22 Jul 2011

U.N. increases humanitarian aid need to $4.9B for 2011

The U.N. on Wednesday said during a donor meeting in Geneva that "it needs $7.9 billion this year, $500 million more than it had originally sought, to fund relief operations in the face of spreading humanitarian crises in Africa and Asia," Reuters reports (7/20).

22 Jul 2011

OCD introduces VITROS 4600 Chemistry System for high-volume laboratories

Ortho Clinical Diagnostics (OCD) today announced the launch of the VITROS® 4600 Chemistry System, a state-of-the-art analyzer that delivers high-quality, reliable test results for mid- to high-volume laboratories using the same core technologies that drive reliability and efficiency throughout OCD's portfolio of products.

From Ortho-Clinical Diagnostics, Inc. 22 Jul 2011

Somali President issues appeal for famine assistance

Somali President Sheikh Sharif Ahmed on Wednesday "issued an urgent appeal for international aid" for famine assistance in his country during an exclusive interview with CNN at his residence in Mogadishu. "The situation is very severe. The conditions are very harsh," he said (7/21).

22 Jul 2011

Grand bargains, fall-back plans and short-term deals — debt talk status checks

The status of ongoing negotiations to raise the debt ceiling changes daily, and news outlets report on the political and policy dynamics in play.

22 Jul 2011

Combination of strategies reduces more than half the number of tiger mosquitos

The combination of three complementary measures to eradicate tiger mosquitos - avoid having stagnant water, using insecticides to eliminate larvae and adults, and removing rubbish - reduces more than half the number of tiger mosquitos, according to a research coordinated by researchers at Universitat Autonoma de Barcelona.

22 Jul 2011