April 5, 2012, New York, NY—Consumers nationwide would have received an estimated $2 billion in rebates from health insurers if the new medical loss ratio (MLR) rules enacted as part of the Affordable Care Act had been in effect in 2010, according to a new study from The Commonwealth Fund. The MLR rules, which went into effect in 2011, aim to control private insurance costs for consumers and government by requiring a minimum percentage of premium dollars to be spent on medical care and health care quality improvement, as opposed to administrative costs and corporate profits. ...

The discovery of how a vital immune cell recognises dead and damaged body cells could modernise vaccine technology by 'tricking' cells into launching an immune response, leading to next-generation vaccines that are more specific, more effective and have fewer side-effects. Scientists from the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute have identified, for the first time, how a protein found on the surface of immune cells called dendritic cells recognises dangerous damage and trauma that could signify infection. Dendritic cells are critical for raising the alarm about the presence ...

Internet users from countries with a higher per capita gross domestic product (GDP) are more likely to search for information about the future than information about the past, a quantitative analysis of Google search queries has shown. The findings, published today in the journal Scientific Reports, suggest there may be a link between online behaviour and real-world economic indicators. "The Internet is becoming ever more deeply interwoven into the fabric of global society", said Helen Susannah Moat, research associate in UCL's Department of Mathematics and one of ...

- Yale researchers show in detail how three genes within human embryonic stem cells regulate development, a finding that increases understanding of how to grow these cells for therapeutic purposes. This process, described in the April 6 issue of the journal Cell Stem Cell, is different in humans than in mice, highlighting the importance of research using human embryonic stem cells. "It is difficult to deduce from the mouse how these cells work in humans," said Natalia Ivanova, assistant professor of genetics in the Yale Stem Cell Center and senior author of the study. ...

Harvard scientists are helping to paint the fullest picture yet of how a handful of factors, particularly world-wide increases in atmospheric carbon dioxide, combined to end the last ice age approximately 20,000 to 10,000 years ago. As described in a paper published April 5 in Nature, researchers compiled ice and sedimentary core samples collected from dozens of locations around the world, and found evidence that while changes in Earth's orbit may have touched off a warming trend, increases in CO2 played a far more important role in pushing the planet out of the ice ...

University of British Columbia researchers have identified a gene in balsam fir trees that could facilitate cheaper and more sustainable production of plant-based fixatives and scents used in the fragrance industry and reduce the need for ambergris, a substance harvested from whale barf. When sperm whales consume sharp objects, such as seashells and fish bones, their gut produces a sticky substance to protect their digestive organs. They then regurgitate the mixture – much like cats throwing up fur balls – and the vomit, reacting with seawater, turns into rock-like objects ...

WELLESLEY, Mass.—New research reveals the surprising economics behind the high U.S. teen birth rates, and why Texas teens are giving birth at triple the rate of Massachusetts youth: high income inequality and low opportunity cost. For the first time, Wellesley College economist Phillip B. Levine and University of Maryland economist Melissa Schettini Kearney conducted a large-scale empirical investigation to study the role that income inequality plays in determining early, non-marital childbearing. Using econometric analysis of large-scale data sets, Levine and Kearney ...

International scientists have shown that a dramatic sea-level rise occurred at the onset of the first warm period of the last deglaciation, known as the Bølling warming, approximately 14,600 years ago. This event, referred to as Melt-Water Pulse 1A (MWP-1A), corresponds to a rapid collapse of massive ice sheets 14,600 years ago and resulted in global sea-level rise of ~14 m. These findings are published in the 29 March 2012 issue of the journal Nature (Volume 483, Issue 7391). Collaboration between CEREGE (UMR Aix-Marseille Univ. - CNRS - IRD - College de France) and ...

People who are diagnosed with cancer have a markedly increased risk of suicide and cardiovascular death during the period immediately after being given the diagnosis. This has been shown in a new study from Karolinska Institutet in Sweden, published in the prestigious scientific journal The New England Journal of Medicine. Being diagnosed and living with a life-threatening illness such as cancer inevitably causes great distress and may result in other health problems in addition to the disease itself. Previous studies have shown that cancer patients are at higher risk ...

To further inform patients of important dental health care information, Dr. Shervin Louie, Los Angeles cosmetic dentist, is pleased to offer his patients a new educational blog via his interactive website. The information-rich blog is full of valuable dental health care information, including tips on managing oral hygiene and steps to a better smile. "Having an online blog allows me to share important information with my patients. A lot of times, my patients will have similar questions. To better serve my patients, the blog allows me to post important dental information ...

Measuring what are known as executive functions, which reflect the cognitive ability to deal with sudden problems, may make it possible to predict how good an elite soccer player will become in the future. This has been shown by a new study from Karolinska Institutet in Sweden. Scientists believe for the first time that they have found the scientific key to what has previously been described as 'game intelligence' in successful soccer players. It has long been known that physical ability and ball sense are not enough to become really good at soccer (European football). ...

One of the satellite's first observations following its launch on 1 March 2002 was of break-up of a main section of the Larsen B ice shelf in Antarctica – when 3200 sq km of ice disintegrated within a few days due to mechanical instabilities of the ice masses triggered by climate warming. Now, with ten years of observations using its Advanced Synthetic Aperture Radar (ASAR), Envisat has mapped an additional loss in Larsen B's area of 1790 sq km over the past decade. The Larsen Ice Shelf is a series of three shelves – A (the smallest), B and C (the largest) – that ...

Houston Foot and Ankle Care is dedicated to delivering quality care to informed patients in a comfortable and convenient setting. To further expand on this priority, Dr. Gabriel Maislos, podiatrist in Houston, is pleased to announce the launch of Houston Foot and Ankle Care's ever-growing social network - Facebook and Twitter. Patients can easily access the practice's Facebook and Twitter pages through the homepage of Houston Foot and Ankle Care. To be "in-the-know," patients can "like" the Facebook page, or "follow" the practice on Twitter. ...

Jena (Germany) Are you having trouble with the dishwasher? Or with a computer, that doesn't work as it should do? Or with an incomprehensible instruction manual for the new book shelf? No problem – there is a service hotline for cases like these after all. But if you call them, in most cases you won't be able to talk to someone close by, but you will be transferred to a call center abroad instead. To cut costs many companies have not only moved their production units, but also their customer services departments to cheaper offshore locations. But the question is: what ...

Leading voucher codes and daily deals specialist DiscountVouchers.co.uk has reported signing a new strategic partnership with one of the international deals market's leading name suppliers. The company has teamed up with Berlin-based specialist Dealgecco. The new strategic partnership was announced at the DD Summit Europe in London recently, at which DiscountVouchers.co.uk was a title sponsor. The agreement will see DiscountVouchers.co.uk offer Dealgecco deals to users to help them save. Gerard Doyle, CEO of DiscountVouchers.co.uk, said: "At DiscountVouchers.co.uk ...

In a joint study, researchers at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and Arizona State University found evidence suggesting that a class of antibiotics previously banned by the U.S. government for poultry production is still in use. Results of the study were published March 21 in Environmental Science & Technology. The study, conducted by the Bloomberg School's Center for a Livable Future and Arizona State's Biodesign Institute, looked for drugs and other residues in feather meal, a common additive to chicken, swine, cattle and fish feed. The most important ...

Martha Stokes, C.M.T. joins TC2000 in White Plains, New York April 27th and 28th! Join us for BOTH days of training! Friday: "Hybrid Indicators: How to Create a Trading Platform with Leading Indicators" with Martha Stokes C.M.T. Saturday: "Fast Track Your Trading with Trigger Signals" with Martha Stokes C.M.T. The New York, TC2000 Seminars with Martha Stokes CMT will be hands on sessions for both Friday and Saturday. Download your work booklets now and bring it with you to the conference. Martha Stokes and Howard Johnson COO of TechniTrader ...

Almost every winter, news about reduced gas deliveries from Siberia to Europe makes the headlines. Regardless of the political reasons for a shortage, operating pipelines in severe winters is very challenging. Because if the gas in the pipes cools off too sharply, it partly liquefies and can no longer flow as swiftly. To maintain the temperature of the gases within a certain range consistently, a complex system of compressors, pre-heaters, coolers and other elements is needed. Systems operators constantly monitor the condition of their pipelines and plan ahead for reactions ...

Tafamidis meglumine (trade name: Vyndaqel®) was approved in November 2011 for the treatment of transthyretin amyloidosis in adults. This rare disorder ("orphan disease") is caused by a defective gene and is associated with progressive nerve damage (neurological degeneration) that tafamidis is supposed to delay. According to § 35a SGB (Social Code Book) V, an added benefit is regarded as proven if a drug for a rare disease - known as an orphan drug - has been approved. The German Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Health Care (IQWiG) has assessed tafamidis at the request ...

EAST LANSING, Mich. — American students need a dramatically new approach to improve how they learn science, says a noted group of scientists and educators led by Michigan State University professor William Schmidt. After six years of work, the group has proposed a solution. The 8+1 Science concept calls for a radical overhaul in K-12 schools that moves away from memorizing scientific facts and focuses on helping students understand eight fundamental science concepts. The "plus one" is the importance of inquiry, the practice of asking why things happen around us – and ...

To address increasing industry demand for critical care professionals, Health Education Solutions, a leading provider of advanced cardiac life support (ACLS) and pediatric advanced life support (PALS) online certifications, today released a Medical Intensive Care Unit (Medical ICU) special section. This collection of informational articles is designed to help the growing ranks of professionals who provide care in ICU, medical, hospital and critical care settings prepare for certification success and career advancement. "For professionals who work in intensive care ...

UK tourists who need to get as much as possible for their budgets when heading to Florida for a spring holiday this year can get online right now and save through new prices sourced by comparison specialist Comparecarhire.co.uk. Families headed for Disney World or the Everglades can use the latest cheap car hire prices to save money on their trip to Orlando. Comparecarhire.co.uk reviews and updates deals on its site at all times from more than 40 of the sector's top name companies, meaning travellers can access the very latest deals. With many people choosing to fly ...

ADDY award-winning Boost Studio has been hired to create a new Longboat Key Chamber of Commerce website. Boost is developing a site that offers separate yet cohesive channels to meet the needs of those who rely on the Chamber for information and resources: businesses, and local residents and visitors. Each area will have a distinct look and will function independently, yet they will work together to provide information where, when and to whom it is most useful. "The primary goal for LBK chamber is to make the sites intuitive and easy to use," says Boost ...

PROVIDENCE, R.I. [Brown University] — This week, as tens of millions of Americans awaited the baseball season's first pitches, Brown University psychologist Fiery Cushman was watching more warily for the first beanballs. As someone who studies moral judgment, Cushman recognizes that the intentional targeting of an innocent player to avenge a hit batsman could be a telling exception within American culture, even if the rest of the game is a national institution. Cushman and collaborators A.J. Durwin of Hofstra Univeristy and Chaz Lively of Boston University put the question ...

CAMBRIDGE, Mass. -- Sand in an hourglass might seem simple and straightforward, but such granular materials are actually tricky to model. From far away, flowing sand resembles a liquid, streaming down the center of an hourglass like water from a faucet. But up close, one can make out individual grains that slide against each other, forming a mound at the base that holds its shape, much like a solid. Sand's curious behavior — part fluid, part solid — has made it difficult for researchers to predict how it and other granular materials flow under various conditions. A ...