What factors are associated with suicide in Texas high school students?

In recent years, suicide has become one of the leading causes of death for adolescents and young adults nationally. Texas is no exception to this trend, with a significant increase in suicide deaths over the past decade. Depression, which affects millions of American adolescents, has long been associated with a higher risk for suicide. However, there are other factors that may be linked to suicidal thoughts and actions that could serve as predictors to alert caregivers, clinicians and others when an intervention might be needed.

Potential treatment target for rare form of infant epilepsy identified

New research from Tufts University School of Medicine and the Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences suggests that the timing of the death of certain inhibitory neurons in the brain shortly after birth may be at least partly to blame for infantile spasms syndrome (ISS), a rare but devastating form of epilepsy that develops most frequently between four and eight months of age but can emerge within weeks of birth until ages 4 or 5.

Study supports links between bovine meat and milk factor protein expression, inflammation as cause of colorectal cancer

Bovine meat and milk factors (BMMFs)—initially identified by de Villiers et al. in 2014—represent a class of infectious agents in beef and cow’s milk that have been linked to the development of cancer. New research published in Molecular Oncology suggests that monitoring the presence and rate of expression of a BMMF-encoded replication protein (Rep) in inflammatory sites of the tissues may help identify individuals at risk for developing colorectal cancer subsequently after decades-long latency periods.

Study finds strong performance of autism screener when used as intended

With one in 44 children in the United States having autism, early detection and intervention are integral to improving outcomes. Because autism is diagnosed based on behavior, and there are not yet reliable biomarkers to detect the likelihood of autism, there is a need for standardized screening to identify children at high likelihood for autism and to refer them for diagnostic and intervention services at as young an age as possible.

Evaluating the effect of manuka honey on collagen scaffolds

The bones of the face and skull can be affected due to a wide range of conditions, including cleft palate defects, traumatic injuries, cancer, and bone loss from dentures. Although bone replacements are routinely used to regenerate the missing tissue, they are vulnerable to bacterial infection. In a new study, researchers investigated whether manuka honey, made from tea trees, can be used to resist bacterial infection and promote bone growth.