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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.

Researchers develop tools to visualize how different cell populations of cells communicate

Using imaging mass spectrometry, researchers at the University of California, San Diego have developed tools that will enable scientists to visualize how different cell populations of cells communicate. Their study shows how bacteria talk to one another - an understanding that may lead to new therapeutic discoveries for diseases ranging from cancer to diabetes and allergies.

9 Nov 2009

Democrats' late-night abortion agreement opens door to vote on health bill

News outlets covered the late-night deal on abortion language in the House health care overhaul bill.

9 Nov 2009

Human fetuses become active listeners in the last trimester of the pregnancy: Study

In the first days of their lives, French infants already cry in a different way to German babies. This was the result of a study by researchers from the Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences in Leipzig, the Centre for Pre-language Development and Developmental Disorders (ZVES) at the University Clinic W-rzburg, and the Laboratory of Cognitive Sciences and Linguistics at the Ecole Normale Sup-rieure in Paris.

7 Nov 2009

Issues related to illegal immigrants could threaten health bill

The Hill reports that the "illegal immigration issue is emerging as the biggest threat to passing healthcare reform in the House." Members of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus are upset with a last-minute threat to "bolster the House bill's immigration restrictions to match those included in the Senate Finance bill."

6 Nov 2009

CNIB's Site Check program certifies Wellness Checkpoint health risk assessment software

InfoTech Inc. has successfully completed the certification requirements under CNIB's Site Check program to make Wellness Checkpoint(R) Version 10.1 health risk assessment software service compliant with internationally recognized accessibility guidelines.

6 Nov 2009

School district leaders plan for H1N1 pandemics using a four-step process

School district leaders planning for H1N1 pandemics should update emergency plans using a four-step process, according to the McGraw-Hill Education Urban Advisory Resource, a team of former educators and school administrators dedicated to serving the unique needs of large school districts.

6 Nov 2009

Pelosi says House will pass health bill; measure gains AARP, AMA backing

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., says she will have enough votes to pass Democratic health care legislation by Saturday. "The statement, however, is a tacit acknowledgement that she doesn't have them yet," The Hill reports.

6 Nov 2009

Saturday night vote set on house health reform

The Washington Post reports: "Democratic whips worked their rank and file, while House leaders tried to secure a momentum-building endorsement from the AARP, the nation's largest association of people over 50. President Obama, meanwhile, laid plans to visit Capitol Hill on Thursday or Friday to address House Democrats in a final push for his signature domestic initiative.

5 Nov 2009

Newborns' cries already bear the mark of their parents' language, reveals new study

From their very first days, newborns' cries already bear the mark of the language their parents speak, reveals a new study published online on November 5th in Current Biology, a Cell Press publication. The findings suggest that infants begin picking up elements of what will be their first language in the womb, and certainly long before their first babble or coo.

5 Nov 2009

Study finds oral dimercaptosuccinic acid effective in treating children with autism

Two studies published by the Southwest College of Naturopathic Medicine in the October issue of BMC Clinical Pharmacology investigated the use of oral dimercaptosuccinic acid (DMSA), a prescription medicine approved by the FDA for treating lead poisoning, and used off-label in these studies for treating heavy metal toxicity in children with autism.

5 Nov 2009

Food advertising aimed at children contributes to obesity

Childhood obesity in the United States is reaching epidemic proportions. With more than one fourth of advertising on daytime and prime time television devoted to foods and beverages and continuing questions about the role television plays in obesity, a study in the November/December issue of the Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior examines how food advertising aimed at children might be a large contributor to the problem.

5 Nov 2009

Literary Arabic is expressed in the brain of an Arabic speaker as a second language, says researcher

Literary Arabic is expressed in the brain of an Arabic speaker as a second language and not as a native language. This has been shown in a new study by Dr. Raphiq Ibrahim of the Edmond J. Safra Brain Research Center for the Study of Learning Disabilities at the University of Haifa's Department of Learning Disabilities. "The cognitive disparity between the two languages is similar to the difference between a native and a second language.

5 Nov 2009

House Dems unveil 'managers amendment,' setting stage for health bill votes

"House Democrats have cleared the way for a pivotal floor vote on health care overhaul as early as the weekend, after tweaking their 1,990-page bill to crack down harder on insurance companies," The Associated Press reports.

5 Nov 2009

Studies find U.S. children face health quality issues

U.S. News & World Report/HealthDay News reports: "Uninsured children in the United States are three times more likely to die from trauma injuries than children with private insurance, according to a new study.

5 Nov 2009

Cancer patients want strong relationship with their radiation oncologist

What do patients want from their radiation oncologists? The most significant preference is that more than one-third of female cancer patients (37 percent) prefer to have their hands held by their radiation oncologists during important office visits, compared to 12 percent of men, according to a randomized study presented November 4, 2009, at the 51st Annual Meeting of the American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO).

4 Nov 2009

Abortion continues to snag health reform legislation, divide lawmakers

The divisive issue of abortions, a lingering hurdle to health reform legislation, is plaguing both House and Senate Democratic leaders, the Los Angeles Times reports. "The delays in both houses reflect the fact that even though Democrats hold solid majorities, significant divisions exist below the surface.

4 Nov 2009

Learning is a two-way street

Learning to talk also changes the way speech sounds are heard, according to a new study published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences by scientists at Haskins Laboratories, a Yale-affiliated research laboratory. The findings could have a major impact on improving speech disorders.

4 Nov 2009

Democrats still face roadblocks to health reform: Abortion, immigration

Though House leaders say they'd like a health reform bill vote by Friday, some Democrats are threatening to block its passage over the issue of abortion.

3 Nov 2009

First Edition: November 3, 2009

Today's headlines focus on the the timing, politics, costs and contents of pending health overhaul bills, as well as a soon-to-be released GOP alternative.

3 Nov 2009

Patients dissatisfied with the way they receive results of radiology tests, wants more access to medical records

A new study by researchers at Wake Forest University School of Medicine suggests that many patients are dissatisfied with the way they receive results of radiology tests and want more access to information in their medical records, specifically, detailed, lay-language results from those tests.

3 Nov 2009