Ear News and Research

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High-powered magnets continue to be a safety risk to children

An increasing number of incident reports to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) indicate that high-powered magnets continue to be a safety risk to children. From toddlers to teens, children are swallowing these magnets and the consequences are severe.

10 Nov 2011

Finger nails on chalkboard - why so disturbing

The frequency of the screechy, scratchy sound ranges between 2000 and 4000 Hz, a frequency most sensitive to the human ear. “Some frequencies are amplified due to the anatomy of the ear canal,” write musicologists Christoph Reuter, of the University of Vienna, and Michael Oehler, of the Macromedia University for Media and Communication in Cologne, Germany.

7 Nov 2011

Super committee progress appears to be at 'impasse'

As the clock ticks toward the panel's Thanksgiving deadline, the question of raising taxes continues to be a sticking point. Republicans and Democrats appear to be trying to "horsetrade" revenue increases for entitlement program cuts. In the background, 33 Republican senators sent a letter to the committee insisting on "no net tax increase."

5 Nov 2011

Heidelberg scientists identify single protein responsible for varicose veins

Dr. Thomas Korff and his group at the Division of Cardiovascular Physiology of Heidelberg University's Institute of Physiology and Pathophysiology have now shown that the pathological remodeling processes causing varicose veins are mediated by a single protein.

5 Nov 2011

First Edition: November 4, 2011

In today's headlines, reports about the super committee's apparent impasse, and details on Mitt Romney's plan to cut the deficit.

4 Nov 2011

University of Nebraska to honor UT Dallas director for communication research

The University of Nebraska will honor Dr. Thomas Campbell, executive director of the UT Dallas Callier Center for Communication Disorders, for a long record of research and academic achievement at the university's annual Alumni Masters Week.

4 Nov 2011

Final results from Vertex KALYDECO second of two Phase 3 studies on CF

Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated today announced final results from the ENVISION study, the second of two pivotal Phase 3 studies of KALYDECO, a medicine in development that targets the defective protein that causes cystic fibrosis.

4 Nov 2011

Neutralization approach appears to prevent proliferative vitreoretinopathy

Proliferative vitreoretinopathy (PVR), or the formation of scar tissue within the eye, is a serious, sight-threatening complication in patients recovering surgical repair of retinal detachment. A new study conducted by investigators at the Schepens Eye Research Institute, the Department of Ophthalmology at Harvard Medical School, and the Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary in Boston, published in the December issue of the American Journal of Pathology, suggests that a cocktail containing reagents to neutralize a relatively small subset of vitreal growth factors and cytokines may be an effective treatment.

31 Oct 2011

HMS, EPFL to collaborate on 6 pioneering neuroengineering projects

Two of the world's leading universities are joining forces to combine neuroscience and engineering in order to alleviate human suffering caused by such neurological disabilities as paralysis and deafness. Scientists, engineers, and clinicians at Harvard Medical School (HMS) and Ecole Polytechnique F-d-rale de Lausanne (EPFL) will collaborate on six pioneering neuroengineering projects made possible thanks to a $3.6 million grant from the Bertarelli Foundation.

24 Oct 2011

U.S. News ranks Meridian Health among 2011-2012 Best Hospitals

Jersey Shore University Medical Center, Ocean Medical Center and Riverview Medical Center, all members of Meridian Health, are included in the 2011-2012 Best Hospitals metro area rankings released by U.S. News & World Report.

19 Oct 2011

Specific MIF gene variant plays a crucial role against bacterial infections

Why are some people prone to severe infections, while others handle them with less difficulty? A new research report appearing online in the FASEB Journal (http://www.fasebj.org) attempts to answer this question by shedding light on the genetic differences that influence our ability to fight off bacterial infections.

13 Oct 2011

FDA grant to foster development of novel pediatric medical devices

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has awarded the Georgia Institute of Technology, Children's Healthcare of Atlanta, Emory University and Saint Joseph's Translational Research Institute (SJTRI) a two-year, $1.8 million grant to foster the development of medical devices focused on the special needs of children.

13 Oct 2011

ASHG to honor U of U geneticist with William Allan Award

As a teenager just moved to Iowa from war-ravaged Germany in 1951, John M. Opitz, M.D., wanted to study developmental biology, but his "very Prussian" mother insisted he go to medical school instead.

12 Oct 2011

Awards showcase Australia’s promising future in bio-sciences

The six state winners of the AusBiotech/GSK Student Excellence Awards, announced today, will next week compete for the national biosciences research award at AusBiotech 2011.

10 Oct 2011

New method employs Doppler ultrasound sensor to diagnose sinusitis

A new method of diagnosing sinusitis is presented in a new thesis from Lund University. The results offer the potential to reduce the use of antibiotics and the costs of the disease to society.

7 Oct 2011

General anesthesia linked to learning disabilities in children

Every year millions of babies and toddlers receive general anesthesia for procedures ranging from hernia repair to ear surgery. Now, researchers at Mayo Clinic in Rochester have found a link among children undergoing multiple surgeries requiring general anesthesia before age 2 and learning disabilities later in childhood.

3 Oct 2011

Researchers identify set of proteins that affect development of varicose veins

A new discovery published in the October 2011 print issue of The FASEB Journal explains for the first time what kicks off the process that causes varicose veins.

30 Sep 2011

Positive new data from Otonomy's OTO-104 Phase 1b study on Meniere's disease

Otonomy, Inc., a clinical stage biopharmaceutical company developing innovative therapeutics for diseases and disorders of the inner and middle ear, today announced that researchers presented positive new data from a Phase 1b study of the company's lead product candidate, OTO-104, in patients with Meniere's disease.

29 Sep 2011

Scientists discover mechanism behind MRI-induced vertigo

A team of researchers says it has discovered why so many people undergoing magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), especially in newer high-strength machines, get vertigo, or the dizzy sensation of free-falling, while inside or when coming out of the tunnel-like machine.

23 Sep 2011

NYU Langone creates new Joan H. Tisch Center for Women's Health in New York City

NYU Langone Medical Center announced the establishment of its new Joan H. Tisch Center for Women's Health on the Upper East Side of Manhattan in New York City.

20 Sep 2011