JAMA : the journal of the American Medical Association
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For centuries, opposition has been directed against the use of animals for the benefit of humans. For more than four centuries in Europe, and for more than a century in the United States, this opposition has targeted scientific research that involves animals. More recent movements in support of animal rights have arisen in an attempt to impede, if not prohibit, the use of animals in scientific experimentation. ⋯ The American Medical Association has long been a defender of humane research that employs animals, and it is very concerned about the efforts of animal rights and welfare groups to interfere with research. Recently, the Association prepared a detailed analysis of the controversy over the use of animals in research, and the consequences for research and clinical medicine if the philosophy of animal rights activists were to prevail in society. This article is a condensation of the Association's analysis.
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Two clusters of teenage suicides occurred in Texas between February 1983 and October 1984. The eight suicides from the first cluster and the six from the second were investigated together in a case-control study using a closed-response questionnaire administered to parents. Three control teenagers were matched with each case subject on the basis of school district, grade, race, and sex. ⋯ Case subjects were more likely to have broken up with their girlfriends or boyfriends recently. They also had moved more often than control subjects, attended more schools, and lived with more parent figures. Identification of high-risk youths through knowledge of relevant risk factors can help to direct preventive services to those young people most susceptible to suicide.