ScienceDaily: Top Health News

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• Combination of sensory signals draw mosquitoes in for a bite
• Spread of antibiotic resistance understood by unravelling bacterial secretion system
• Mutations in leukemia gene linked to new childhood growth disorder
• Blood test identifies those at-risk for cognitive decline, Alzheimer's within 3 years
• Can the blind 'hear; colors, shapes? Yes, show researchers
• Stem Cell Study Opens Door to Undiscovered World of Biology
• New tool to unravel mysteries of metastasis created
• New guidelines employ a team approach to autism diagnosis, care
• Education 'protects' poor women from fattening effects of rising wealth

Combination of sensory signals draw mosquitoes in for a bite Posted: 09 Mar 2014 02:24 PM PDT It may seem like mosquitoes will bite anything with a pulse, but they're actually quite strategic in picking their victims. A new study looked at the interaction of different sensory cues -- carbon dioxide, heat and odor -- that attract mosquitoes to humans, and found that it takes a combination of at least two of these to send the bugs biting.

Spread of antibiotic resistance understood by unravelling bacterial secretion system Posted: 09 Mar 2014 12:05 PM PDT The system that allows the sharing of genetic material between bacteria -- and therefore the spread of antibiotic resistance -- has been uncovered by a team of scientists. Understanding the structure of the secretion system will help scientists uncover the mechanism by which it moves substances across the inner and outer membranes. It could eventually help scientists develop new tools for the genetic modification of human cells, as the bacteria could act as a carrier for genetic material, which could then be secreted into cells.

Mutations in leukemia gene linked to new childhood growth disorder Posted: 09 Mar 2014 12:05 PM PDT Mutations in a gene associated with leukemia cause a newly described condition that affects growth and intellectual development in children, new research reports. A study identified mutations in the DNA methyltransferase gene, DNMT3A, in 13 children.

Blood test identifies those at-risk for cognitive decline, Alzheimer's within 3 years Posted: 09 Mar 2014 12:05 PM PDT A blood test that can predict with greater than 90 percent accuracy if a healthy person will develop mild cognitive impairment or Alzheimer's disease within three years has been discovered and validated.

Can the blind 'hear; colors, shapes? Yes, show researchers Posted: 09 Mar 2014 12:04 PM PDT What if you could "hear" colors? Or shapes? These features are normally perceived visually, but using sensory substitution devices (SSDs) they can now be conveyed to the brain noninvasively through other senses. SSDs are non-invasive sensory aids that provide visual information to the blind via their existing senses. For example, using a visual-to-auditory SSD in a clinical or everyday setting, users wear a miniature camera connected to a small computer (or smart phone) and stereo headphones. The images are converted into "soundscapes," using a predictable algorithm, allowing the user to listen to and then interpret the visual information coming from the camera.

Stem Cell Study Opens Door to Undiscovered World of Biology Posted: 09 Mar 2014 12:03 PM PDT For the first time, researchers have shown that an essential biological process known as protein synthesis can be studied in adult stem cells – something scientists have long struggled to accomplish. Many diseases, including degenerative diseases and certain types of cancers, are associated with mutations in the machinery that makes proteins. However, why this is the case has yet to be understood. Discoveries such as this raise the possibility that changes in protein synthesis are necessary for the development of those diseases.

New tool to unravel mysteries of metastasis created Posted: 09 Mar 2014 12:03 PM PDT Kinases are proteins that play vital roles in disease, but scientists have struggled to study how they interact in real time. A team of scientists has now developed a new technique to make these interactions occur and then watch them in real time to reveal some underlying causes of metastasis.

New guidelines employ a team approach to autism diagnosis, care Posted: 08 Mar 2014 06:55 AM PST Improving diagnosis and treatment for individuals with autism has been the focus of a growing body of research. New information from these studies led the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry to revise key parameters for evaluating and treating autism. Researchers have published the new practice parameters, which stress a team approach to managing the disease.

Education 'protects' poor women from fattening effects of rising wealth Posted: 08 Mar 2014 06:54 AM PST Obesity levels among women in low- and middle-income countries tend to rise in line with wealth as they purchase more energy-dense foods, but a new study suggests that more educated consumers make better food choices that mitigate this effect. The study showed that in middle-income countries, obesity levels among women with secondary or higher education are 14-19% lower than less-educated women of similar wealth. The study showed that in middle-income countries, obesity levels among women with secondary or higher education are 14-19 percent lower than less-educated women of similar wealth.

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