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Researchers report that echoes, fluctuations in volume help in judging sound distance

Mammals are good at figuring out which direction a sound is coming from, whether it's a rabbit with a predator breathing down its neck or a baby crying for its mother. But how we judge how far away that sound is was a mystery until now. Researchers from UConn Health report in the 1 April issue of the Journal of Neuroscience that echoes and fluctuations in volume (amplitude modulation) are the cues we use to figure the distance between us and the source of a noise.

2 Apr 2015

NIH awards $2.1 million grant to counter antibiotic resistance in Gram-negative bacteria

The National Institutes of Health has awarded Dr. Walter Fast, associate professor of medicinal chemistry at The University of Texas at Austin's College of Pharmacy, a four-year $2.1 million grant to develop small-molecules that counter antibiotic resistance in Gram-negative bacteria. If successful, the research could lead to new drugs for treating bacterial infections that are resistant to most antibiotics.

1 Apr 2015

UT Arlington electrical engineer developing low-power integrated circuit for directional hearing aids

A University of Texas at Arlington electrical engineering researcher is developing a more efficient, low-power integrated circuit for directional hearing aids that will lead to a better quality of life for hearing impaired people.

1 Apr 2015

Jacoti releases first FDA-registered medical device hearing aid application for smartphones

Jacoti bvba announced today the US release of Jacoti ListenApp, the first FDA registered and CE certified medical device hearing aid application for smartphones. Indicated for mild to moderate hearing loss, ListenApp precisely adjusts the sound of an iOS device to the user's audiogram, transforming the device into a sophisticated, flexible and very affordable hearing instrument with extremely high sound quality.

31 Mar 2015

Only few studies demonstrate the effectiveness of marijuana

While many states have pushed for new laws to legalize the use of marijuana for medical reasons, there are few well-controlled studies that demonstrate its effectiveness.

25 Mar 2015

GenVec reports record financial results for Q4 and fiscal year 2014

GenVec, Inc. today reported financial results for the fourth quarter and year ended December 31, 2014. For the year ended December 31, 2014, the company reported a net loss of $2.5 million, or $0.16 per share, compared with a net loss of $10.0 million, or $0.77 per share, for the year ended December 31, 2013.

24 Mar 2015

Harris Health System uses sign language video technology to communicate with hearing-impaired patients

Harris Health System is now using sign language video technology to better communicate with its hearing-impaired and hard-of-hearing patients.

24 Mar 2015

Nottingham student announced winner in Dragon’s Den style contest dedicated to improve bus journeys for disabled

Transport Minister Baroness Kramer unveiled the winning entry – a vibrating wrist band - in a competition challenging tech-savvy students to improve travel for disabled bus passengers (Friday 13 March).

18 Mar 2015

TRUFFLE study evaluates monitoring techniques to identify babies with poor growth in the womb

Babies that grow poorly in the womb could have better outcomes if a method for the timing of delivery was used more widely, a study suggests.

11 Mar 2015

In-car alarm could reduce crashes for young and old drivers

An in-car alarm that sounds when sensors on the vehicle detect an imminent crash could cut crash rates from 1 in 5 to 1 in 10 for drivers over the of 60 suffering tiredness on long journeys, according to a study published in the International Journal of Human Factors and Ergonomics.

11 Mar 2015

Neuroscientists reveal how olfaction is encoded in the brain

In a study that helps to deconstruct how olfaction is encoded in the brain, neuroscientists at University of California, San Diego School of Medicine have identified a type of neuron that appears to help tune, amplify and dampen neuronal responses to chemosensory inputs from the nasal cavity.

10 Mar 2015

The Brain Prize awarded to four scientists for development of two-photon microscopy

The world's most valuable (€1m) neuroscience prize, The Brain Prize has been awarded, to four scientists, Winfried Denk and Arthur Konnerth (Germany), and Karel Svoboda and David Tank (USA), for the invention and development of two-photon microscopy, a transformative tool in brain research.

9 Mar 2015

Babies treated for CMV infection for six months have better developmental outcomes

Babies treated for symptomatic cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection for six months, instead of the standard six weeks, have better hearing and developmental outcomes, according to a new study from the University of Alabama at Birmingham.

5 Mar 2015

MPFI researcher awarded NIH grant to study mechanisms involved in early stages of hearing

Samuel Young, Jr., PhD at the Max Planck Florida Institute for Neuroscience has been awarded a $2.4 million, five-year grant from the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders to investigate how synaptic vesicle activity modulates the transfer of auditory information and ultimately how this impacts our ability to discern sounds.

4 Mar 2015

Brain scientists map changes in communication between nerve cells in rats

Lights, sound, action: we are constantly learning how to incorporate outside sensations into our reactions in specific situations. In a new study, brain scientists have mapped changes in communication between nerve cells as rats learned to make specific decisions in response to particular sounds. The team then used this map to accurately predict the rats' reactions. These results add to our understanding of how the brain processes sensations and forms memories to inform behavior.

3 Mar 2015

Existing drug could help treat MS, other neurological diseases

Damage to myelin, the fatty insulator that enables communication between nerve cells, characterizes multiple sclerosis (MS) and other devastating neurological diseases.

3 Mar 2015

SK Telecom unveils consumer-centric smart devices at Mobile World Congress 2015

SK Telecom has unveiled a variety of consumer-centric smart devices, or 'Lifeware*', at the Mobile World Congress 2015 with the aim to create opportunities in the global market for the Internet of Things (IoT).

2 Mar 2015

ASL Services selected as finalist in Bright House Networks Regional Business Awards

ASL Services Inc., announced today that it has been named a finalist in the first annual Bright House Networks Regional Business Awards in Central Florida. ASL Services Inc. was named a finalist in the large business category for the awards, which honor the companies, organizations and people who have impacted, with their products, services, and thought leadership, the Central Florida community.

28 Feb 2015

WHO: 1.1 billion young people at risk of hearing loss due to unsafe use of personal audio devices

Some 1.1 billion teenagers and young adults are at risk of hearing loss due to the unsafe use of personal audio devices, including smartphones, and exposure to damaging levels of sound at noisy entertainment venues such as nightclubs, bars and sporting events, according to WHO. Hearing loss has potentially devastating consequences for physical and mental health, education and employment.

27 Feb 2015

Researchers find that people with disabilities have unmet medical needs, poorer overall health

People with disabilities have unmet medical needs and poorer overall health throughout their lives, and as a result should be recognized as a health disparity group so more attention can be directed to improving their quality of life, a team of policy researchers has found.

26 Feb 2015