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.

Scientists use new techniques to explore vocal learning at molecular level

You can learn a lot from an animal. By manipulating the DNA of mice, flies, frogs and worms, scientists have discovered a great deal about the genes and molecules behind many of life's essential processes. These basic functions often work about the same in people as they do in "model" animals.

30 Sep 2009

ASU receives $32 million as research grants

Arizona State University researchers to date have received more than $32 million in stimulus package research grants. For ASU, which has played a very active role in attracting this additional funding, much of these research funds have gone for projects that meet challenges currently confronting society.

30 Sep 2009

Aetna announces first-dollar coverage for H1N1 flu vaccine administration

Aetna announced today that it will provide first-dollar coverage for the administration of the H1N1 flu vaccine for all of its fully-insured health plan members, and for all members of self-funded plans unless directed otherwise by the plan sponsor. Aetna is offering this coverage even in instances where members’ plans do not include coverage for preventive care or have limits on such coverage.

30 Sep 2009

Pelosi tries to unite divided Democratic factions in House

Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., is facing a difficult task in the House: herding the different Democratic factions to fashion a single health care bill.

28 Sep 2009

Physicians should implement new measures while diagnosing prenatal Down syndrome

New prenatal tests for Down syndrome are soon to be offered to all pregnant women across the United States, yet telling an expectant couple that their child will be born with Down syndrome is a task very few physicians are trained for, claims research published in the American Journal of Medical Genetics.

28 Sep 2009

CBO scores on health bills raise questions

Various news outlets are examining the Congressional Budget Office's analysis of the cost of health bills.

25 Sep 2009

Senate Finance Panel rejects amendment to squeeze drug makers

"Senators rebuffed an attempt to squeeze more money from the drug industry Thursday after two Democrats warned it would undermine the fragile political coalition pushing a sweeping health care overhaul," The Associated Press reports.

25 Sep 2009

Procedural amendments take on political weight as Finance Committee debates health bill

Democrats on the Senate Finance Committee considered, and then rejected, a Republican amendment that would have required legislative language of a health reform bill be posted for three days before the panel could vote on the bill. Democrats will post conceptual language instead.

25 Sep 2009

Severe plagiocephaly in babies can lead to ear infections

The recommendation to lay babies on their backs to sleep has reduced sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), but has led to an increased number of infants with a skull deformity called deformational (or positional) plagiocephaly. Now new research suggests that infants with more severe plagiocephaly may have a higher rate of middle ear abnormalities associated with ear infections (otitis media), reports the September issue of The Journal of Craniofacial Surgery. The journal is published by Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, a part of Wolters Kluwer Health, a leading provider of information and business intelligence for students, professionals, and institutions in medicine, nursing, allied health, and pharmacy.

25 Sep 2009

MediciGlobal launches latest version of ADapt patient recruitment system

CROs and Pharmaceutical companies are speeding the process of study launch and accelerating patient recruitment. Such initiatives involve the adoption of new processes, technologies and organisational structure. One such initiative is MediciGlobal's unique and proprietary web-based system called ADapt, focused on launching patient recruitment programmes faster.

24 Sep 2009

RetireSafe calls for Senators to oppose the rationing of Medicare hospital benefits at physician hospitals

Today RetireSafe, representing 400,000 senior supporters across America, called on the U.S. Senate, starting with the Senate Finance Committee, to stop the proposed rationing of high-quality hospital care to Medicare patients.

24 Sep 2009

HSA: Cutting autism support by $3 million is not good for kids

"Government spin won't help autistic children and their families," HSA President Reid Johnson said today in response to a massive government cut in support for autistic children across British Columbia.

24 Sep 2009

Some states praise language to change Medicare pay formula

Some states such as Washington and Minnesota see benefit in changes to the Medicare pay formula.

24 Sep 2009

Finance senators debate issues of timing, transparency

The Finance Committee resumed its mark-up of a proposal authored by its chairman, Sen. Max Baucus, D-Mont., on Wednesday, with much of the debate gravitating to amendments concerning speed, timing and transparency. Republicans sought to delay the vote, while Democrats argued for a compromise that would bring the committee's deliberations to a swifter conclusion.

24 Sep 2009

MMI to provide sign language interpreters for deaf or hard-of-hearing patients

Under a voluntary resolution agreement reached with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), deaf or hard-of-hearing patients at the Mid-Maryland Musculoskeletal Institute (MMI) of Frederick, Md., will be screened and provided with sign language interpreters whenever interpreter services are necessary for effective communication. MMI is an 11-physician orthopedic practice with offices in Frederick and Hagerstown, Md., serving approximately 1,000 patients per month.

23 Sep 2009

Medical students post unprofessional content online

A majority of medical schools surveyed report they have experienced incidents of students posting unprofessional content online, including incidents involving violation of patient confidentiality, with few schools having policies to address these types of postings, according to a study in the September 23/30 issue of JAMA, a theme issue on medical education.

23 Sep 2009

CIGNA announces initial results of its multi-year strategy to improve customer's experience

CIGNA (NYSE:CI) today announced the initial results of its multi-year strategy that places an entirely new focus on improving customers’ experience. The effort has led to an improvement in customer understanding of their benefits in excess of 100 percent, a 50 percent reduction in the number of printed materials customers receive, and the use of simpler language that doesn’t rely on insurance jargon. It also led CIGNA to become the first in its industry to offer 24 hour-a-day, seven day-a-week customer service.

23 Sep 2009

The YAI Network launches new website to support people with disabilities

The YAI Network (YAI), one of America’s foremost non-profit organizations devoted to creating hope and opportunity for people with developmental and learning disabilities and their families, announced today the introduction of a new Web site at www.yai.org. The new site provides visitors with a crisp and clear presentation of the organization’s mission and opportunities to engage with the network to support people with disabilities as well as access services and information.

22 Sep 2009

Travel Force Staffing's rehabilitation jobs search tool for healthcare professionals

Leading travel therapy recruitment firm, Travel Force Staffing, provides specialized allied healthcare staffing services to hospitals, clinics, managed care and skilled nursing facilities nationwide.

22 Sep 2009

S2S translation systems for comunication between patients and doctors

Now, USC computer scientists, communication specialists and health professionals hope to create a cheap, robust and effective speech-to-speech (S2S) translation system for clinics, emergency rooms and even ambulances.

22 Sep 2009