Emergency Medical Center Locator iPhone App

December 4, 2011 | by

With a smartphone, it’s easy to find the nearest restaurant, hotel, coffee shop or bank. But what about the nearest medical care?

Enter the Emergency Medical Center Locator (EMCL) iPhone app, a free, public service app that helps you find the specialized emergency medical center closest to you — no matter where you are in the world. Featuring only the most advanced, state-of-the-art emergency care facilities with proven track records of stellar care, the app directs users to the closest medical center in one of six specialty areas, proving accurate, reliable information that can literally make the difference between life and death.

EMCL iPhone app

iglucose, Wireless Diabetes Management, Receives FDA Approval

December 1, 2011 | by

iglucose is a mobile health device and wireless communication system for diabetes management. Recently cleared by the FDA, iglucose simplifies disease management by automatically collecting, storing and transmiting blood glucose readings to create logbooks and trend reports.

iglucose

From the iglucose website:

iglucose is a diabetes management solution that provides a convenient way to collect, store and automatically transmit blood glucose readings from compatible glucometers in real time. iglucose easily connects to industry leading, data-capable glucometers. Once glucometer data is transmitted to a secure central database, logbooks and trend reports are automatically created and can be communicated to individuals, family members, caregivers and health care professionals in order to collaborate for better outcomes. iglucose is mobile: it can be used anytime, anywhere.

The iglucose is the first core product in a suite of diabetes management technologies from PositiveID Corporation.

Source: PRWeb

Folic Acid During Pregnancy Reduces Risk of Language Delay

December 1, 2011 | by

While prevention of neural tube defect — birth defects of the brain and spinal cord — is perhaps the most widely known reason for taking folic acid before and during pregnancy, recent research brings additional benefits of prenatal folic acid supplementation to light. A study published in the October issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association shows that use of folic acid supplements in early pregnancy significantly reduces the risk of severe language delay in children at 3 years of age [1].

Folic acid

Math Disability Linked to Problem Relating Quantities to Numerals

November 28, 2011 | by

Children who start elementary school with difficulty associating small exact quantities of items with the printed numerals that represent those quantities are more likely to develop a math-related learning disability than are their peers, according to a study supported by the National Institutes of Health.

The children in the study who appeared to have difficulty grasping the fundamental concept of exact numerical quantities — that the printed numeral 3, for example, represents three dots on a page — went on to be diagnosed with math learning disability by fifth grade.

Child with a math problem

Other early factors correlated with a math learning disability were difficulty recalling answers to single-digit addition problems, distractibility in class, and difficulty understanding that more complex math problems can be broken down into smaller problems that can be solved individually.

Tips for a Healthy Thanksgiving

November 22, 2011 | by

Thanksgiving often involves eating a big meal centered around turkey and then retiring to the easy chair or couch for a nap. Turkey contains tryptophan, an amino acid that is a chemical precursor to melatonin, a neurotransmitter known to induce sleepiness. However, while the holidays can be exhausting, scientists say it’s a misbelief to blame turkey for the post-meal nap.

Thanksgiving turkey

Research has shown that, following a large meal, less tryptophan will reach the brain than on an empty stomach. The real culprit is the types and quantity of food you’ve eaten. Blame your sleepiness instead on high-calorie, high glycemic index foods.

Here are a few easy science-based tips to ensure not only a delicious turkey but a healthy Thanksgiving.