A single leaf rests upon memorial crosses at Westminster Abbey’s Field of Remembrance in London.LUKE MACGREGOR/Reuters
IN THE EYES OF BABES
Medical science can now identify autism in babies as young as two months old. The BBC recaps a recent study that analyzed how infants looked at faces from birth to age three. Conducted by Atlanta's Emory University School of Medicine, the study employed eye-tracking technology to measure how newborns observed and responded to social clues. Those infants later diagnosed with autism showed a steady decline in paying attention to the eyes of people on a video from the age of two months on. "It tells us for the first time that it is possible to detect some signs of autism in the first months of life," said lead researcher Dr. Warren Jones. "These are the earliest signs of autism ever observed."
MAKING THE GRADE
Although more Latino Americans are applying for college in California, an alarmingly low percentage are graduating. The Fresno Bee reports on a new study from the Campaign for College Opportunity that showed a meagre 11 per cent of Latino students end up receiving their degree. That's far removed from the graduate rate of 38 per cent for white students and 23 per cent for African-American students in California. Latinos comprise 38 per cent of the state's population but rank last among ethnic groups when it comes to obtaining a bachelor's degree. A big part of the problem is that Latino students often enter college unprepared for the academic experience. "Their testing is one or two degrees below collegiate-level preparedness in math and English," noted Bakersfield College's Amber Chiang.
SWITCHING LANGUAGES
Speaking more than one language could be a valuable ally in the battle against dementia. As reported by The South China Morning Post, a recent study indicated that multilingual individuals develop dementia 4 1/2 years later than those who speak only one language, even among illiterate people. Researchers tracked the medical histories of 648 people in Hyderabad, India, who had been diagnosed with dementia, of whom 391 were bilingual, speaking both the Telegu and Dakhini languages. The research suggested that switching from one language to another had resulted in better development of executive function abilities and tasks requiring focus and attention.
THOUGHT DU JOUR
Every child comes with the message that God is not yet discouraged of man.
Rabindranath Tagore, poet and author (1861-1941)