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One in three people listening to music with ear buds fail to cross streets safely

We were taught to look left, right, left again — to safely cross the street. But what if ur texting ur BFF? Or talking on the phone with mom? Or singing along with Lady GaGa? The latter, listening to music while crossing the street, is more hazardous than texting or talking on the phone, says new research from the University of Alabama at Birmingham that quantifies the dangers of distracting activities; the results surprised even the researchers.

22 Aug 2011

Employers predict big increases in health care costs

Based on responses to a survey conducted by the National Business Group on Health, large employers are bracing for cost increases and will likely pass the added burden on to their employees.

20 Aug 2011

First lower-limb prosthetic with powered knee and ankle joints

A new lower-limb prosthetic developed at Vanderbilt University allows amputees to walk without the leg-dragging gait characteristic of conventional artificial legs.

From PROTEOR 19 Aug 2011

State roundup: Opposition to Calif. health insurance regulation bill

Supporters of controversial legislation to give state regulators power to approve, deny or modify changes in health insurance rates have returned from their summer recess to find added opposition as they push for its passage before the session wraps up. Gov. Jerry Brown's finance officials came out against Assembly Bill 52 at a Senate Appropriations Committee hearing this week, raising concerns about the costs of the rate-regulation proposal.

19 Aug 2011

Online brain training reduces depression, improves cognitive functions

CogniFit brain fitness program can improve cognitive functions of everyday living in individuals with depression.

18 Aug 2011

Roundup: Rx discounts for Medicaid programs are increasing; deadline extended for Mich. Medigap verifications

Governors have complained repeatedly in recent months that spiraling Medicaid costs are crushing their budgets. But there's good news on at least one line item in the $370 billion program — prescription drug discounts are getting more generous. According to a new report from the Inspector General of the U.S. Health and Human Services Department, discounts under the federal-state Medicaid program have been growing since 2006, adding up to a 45 percent rebate for most brand name drugs by 2009.

18 Aug 2011

Study explores how some cognitive strategies and abilities boost self-efficacy

Sticking with an exercise routine means being able to overcome the obstacles that invariably arise. A key to success is having the confidence that you can do it, researchers report. A new study explores how some cognitive strategies and abilities increase this "situation-specific self-confidence," a quality the researchers call "self-efficacy."

16 Aug 2011

An hour of TV a day shortens lifespan by 22 minutes: Study

Researchers have found that watching too much TV is as dangerous as smoking or being overweight, and that the “ubiquitous sedentary behaviour” should be seen as a “public health problem”.

16 Aug 2011

Highlights: Appeals court upholds Ariz. abortion law; Ga. offers premium discount to workers in wellness programs

An Arizona appeals court ruled Thursday to allow key parts of a state law restricting abortions to take effect, including one that requires women to see a doctor in person the day before getting an abortion to hear about risks and alternatives.

12 Aug 2011

Polls and expectations for debt panel

Two new polls indicate that Americans want the 'super committee' to reach an accord that includes new taxes on the wealthy and major cuts in domestic spending. Public opinion appears cool, though, to proposals to make significant changes in Medicare.

11 Aug 2011

Higher protein intake helps postmenopausal obese women lose more weight

Dieting postmenopausal women who want to avoid losing muscle as they lose fat should pay attention to a new University of Illinois study. Adding protein throughout the day not only holds hunger pangs at bay so that dieters lose more weight, it keeps body composition-the amount of fat relative to muscle-in better proportion.

11 Aug 2011

Members of U.S. delegation to Horn of Africa discuss response efforts

The August 8 visit of a U.S. delegation to the drought-stricken Horn of Africa "was important in terms of shedding light on the important efforts that are under way and the importance of continued support from the international community," Assistant Secretary of State for Population, Refugees and Migration Eric Schwartz said on Tuesday during a briefing on the trip, IIP Digital reports.

11 Aug 2011

Scientists identify 29 new genetic variants linked to multiple sclerosis

Scientists have identified 29 new genetic variants linked to multiple sclerosis, providing key insights into the biology of a very debilitating neurological disease. Many of the genes -implicated in the study are relevant to the immune system, shedding light onto the immunological pathways that underlie the development of multiple sclerosis.

11 Aug 2011

First Edition: August 10, 2011

Today's headlines include reports about Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid's picks for the debt panel and what Americans -- according to two new polls -- expect the 'super committee' to accomplish.

10 Aug 2011

Acorda Therapeutics receives U.S. patent allowance for aminopyridine compositions

Acorda Therapeutics, Inc. today announced that the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) has allowed U.S. Patent Application No. 11/102,559 entitled "Method of Using Sustained Release Aminopyridine Compositions."

10 Aug 2011

Exactech's new Optetrak Logic knee implant effective for painful arthritis

Kevin Hindle, a 47-year-old manufacturing engineer at Exactech, Inc., a global orthopaedic device company, regained his active lifestyle with an innovative new knee implant that he helped develop.

9 Aug 2011

Walking around the ward shortens geriatric patients' stay

A new study from the University of Haifa has found that walking around the ward during hospitalization significantly reduces the length of the older patient's stay. "Given the over-occupancy of many hospitals, this finding can be of great importance," the researchers stated.

8 Aug 2011

New legislation allows physicians in Texas to treat chronic Lyme disease

Summertime, when kids and grown-ups abandon the confines of the indoors and head outside to camp, hike, fish and commune with nature -- and all of her friends. Flies, mosquitoes and ticks are just a few of the critters that go along with summer outdoors, and we all do our best to avoid the biting and stinging insects, but what happens if you are accosted by a tick? What are the myths behind Lyme disease and other tick-borne diseases in Texas?.

5 Aug 2011

Hemophilia Foundation of Michigan announces third annual fundraising walk at the Detroit Zoo

The Hemophilia Foundation of Michigan is pleased to announce: Walkin' on the Wild Side for Hemophilia, its third annual fundraising walk at the Detroit Zoo. Walkin' on the Wild Side for Hemophilia takes place on Sunday, August 28, 2011.

4 Aug 2011

Instituto Bioclon receives FDA approval for Anascorp to treat Centruroides scorpion sting

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today approved Anascorp, the first specific treatment for a scorpion sting by Centruroides scorpions in the United States.

4 Aug 2011