Since 2014, seven U.S. municipal or county jurisdictions have adopted excise taxes to reduce the consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages, but no such taxes have been passed at the state or federal level. A new viewpoint evaluates reasons for success or failure and whether such local taxes are likely to spread.
A new study finds that U.S. dairy products are a significant source of the MK form of vitamin K and indicates that MK forms of the nutrient are more present in commonly-consumed foods than previously thought.
Changing natural electrical signaling in non-neural cells improves innate immune response to bacterial infections and injury. Tadpoles that received therapeutics, including those used in humans for other purposes, which depolarized their cells had higher survival rates when infected with E. coli than controls. The research has applications for treatment of emerging diseases and traumatic injury in humans.
Led by researchers at the Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging at Tufts University, a study in mice finds that development of age-related macular degeneration (AMD) could be arrested by switching from a high-glycemic to a low-glycemic diet.
Neuroscientists at Tufts have discovered a new signaling pathway that directly connects the brain’s NMDA and a7nACh receptors – both associated with learning and memory –– which has significance for development of drugs to treat schizophrenia. Astrocytes are the key elements that link the receptors.
Public health researchers from Tufts and colleagues conducted a spatial epidemiology study to identify hotspot clusters of hepatitis C infections in Massachusetts. The information may help to make the best use of funding for education, prevention, testing, and treatment.
Blind tadpoles were able to process visual information from eyes grafted onto their tails after being treated with a small molecule neurotransmitter drug that augmented innervation, integration, and function of the transplanted organs. The work, which used a pharmacological reagent already approved for use in humans, provides a potential road map for promoting innervation – the supply of nerves to a body part – in regenerative medicine.
Higher intake of foods containing isoflavones, estrogen-like compounds primarily found in soy, is associated with reduced all-cause mortality in women with hormone-receptor-negative breast cancer and women not treated with hormone therapy as part of cancer treatment.
Two weeks of voluntary wheel running induced higher expression of irisin—a fat-burning hormone released during exercise—in bone tissue in mice. In addition, systemic administration of irisin increased bone formation and thickness, mimicking the effects of exercise on the mouse skeletal system.
A new systematic review and meta-analysis finds that lowering the cost of healthy foods significantly increases their consumption, while raising the cost of unhealthy items significantly reduces their intake.
A new study suggests that civic engagement, in the form of community-based “Change Clubs,” engages Black/African American women to address nutrition and exercise concerns in their community and motivates them to change their individual behaviors, which may improve heart health.
A new study suggests that substituting whole grains for refined grains in the diet increases metabolism and calorie losses during digestion.
In a clinical trial, adults who consumed a diet rich in whole grains rather than refined grains had modest improvements in healthy gut microbiota and certain immune responses.
Oral administration of a cocktail of three viruses, all of which specifically kill cholera bacteria, protects against infection and prevents cholera-like symptoms in animal model experiments. The findings are the first to demonstrate the efficacy of a preventative, oral phage therapy.
For the first time, artificial intelligence has been used to discover the exact interventions needed to obtain a specific, previously unachievable result in vivo, providing new insight into the biophysics of cancer and raising broad implications for biomedicine.
A new laboratory model enables tests of how developing fetal mammary tissue is affected by exposure to estrogen and estrogen-like chemicals such as BPA. Previous animal model research has suggested changes in fetal mammary tissue may be linked to higher risk of breast cancer in adulthood.
Improving dietary resilience and better integration of nutrition in the health care system can promote healthy aging and may significantly reduce the financial and societal burden of the “silver tsunami.” Findings were published in Advances in Nutrition.
Tufts University engineers have invented a chip-sized, high-speed modulator that operates at terahertz (THz) frequencies and at room temperature at low voltages without consuming DC power. The discovery could help fill the “THz gap” that is limiting development of new and more powerful wireless devices that could transmit data at significantly higher speeds than currently possible.
Research from Tufts University used anonymous Facebook data from almost 17 million social connections in 55 countries to determine that the role of weak and strong ties in job searches is important around the world, but the value of a single strong tie is even more important for job seekers in countries with pronounced income inequality.
A new global study projects that a government-supported intervention to reduce national salt consumption by 10 percent over 10 years would be a highly cost-effective “best buy” for preventing cardiovascular disease across 183 countries worldwide.
Twenty-eight students from UMass Boston begin a three-week program at Tufts University School of Medicine to gain an intensive introduction to life as a physician or scientist. The TUSM/UMass Boston Enrichment Program is one of several TUSM and Sackler School pipeline programs.
Tufts University engineers have created a new format of solids made from silk protein that can be preprogrammed with biological, chemical, or optical functions, such as mechanical components that change color with strain, deliver drugs, or respond to light.
New research at Tufts University, in collaboration with MIT scientists, reveals the molecular composition of firefly "nuptial gifts", offering the first peek into the content of these special packages and shedding new light on post-mating sexual selection. The findings were published today in Scientific Reports.
Delivery of stem cells to damaged tooth roots using a collagen-derived biomaterial is effective at regenerating dental pulp-like tissue and shows promise as a potential therapy for restoring natural tooth function in a rodent model.
Investigators in veterinary and human medicine have uncovered long-term changes in the brains of adult female rats exposed to social stresses early in life, with the biggest impact on regions of the brain linked to social behavior, stress, emotion and depression. The findings will enable researchers to begin testing preventative measures and treatments for depression and anxiety.
Two legends in the Tufts and dental medicine communities will be honored with Dean’s Medals from Tufts University School of Dental Medicine at a ceremony today. Dr. Hilde Tillman and Dr. Esther Wilkins have provided decades of service to the Tufts and dental medicine and education communities.
Kelly M. Greenhill, Ph.D., a political science professor in the School of Arts and Sciences at Tufts University, has been awarded a National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) Fellowship to further her research on how rumors, conspiracy theories, myths, propaganda, and entertainment media influence the beliefs and decision-making of individuals and governments. The NEH, which announced the fellowship today, is one of the largest independent funders of humanities programs in the United States.
Researchers have discovered a possible explanation for a genetic error that causes over a dozen neuromuscular and neurodegenerative disorders.
High school girls with body image behavioral misperceptions are more likely to have had at least one alcoholic drink, as well as engaged in episodes of heavy drinking, than their peers without these misperceptions.
A new commentary cautions that the Food and Drug Administration’s ban on triclosan and 18 other biocidal chemicals that promote antibiotic resistance is only a starting point. Triclosan’s long-term impact, as well the risks substitute chemicals may pose, must also be addressed.
Learning by taking practice tests, a strategy known as retrieval practice, can protect memory against the negative effects of stress, report scientists from Tufts University in a new study published in Science on Nov. 25.
Tufts University School of Dental Medicine celebrates the 40th anniversary of the Tufts Dental Facilities, a network of clinics in Massachusetts that provides comprehensive oral health care for patients with disabilities.
An epidemiological analysis of data from 1,685 adult Americans finds that regular consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages, but not diet soda, is associated with increased risk of prediabetes and increased insulin resistance.
New study finds that beta-cryptoxanthin, a carotenoid primarily found in plants, reduces lung cancer development and invasiveness in mouse and cell models. The results support human epidemiological studies associating high beta-cryptoxanthin intake with lower risk of lung cancer in current smokers.
Silencing SIRT2, a member of the sirtuin family of enzymes, reduces the invasiveness of basal-like breast cancer cells in culture and inhibits tumor growth in mice, according to new research led by scientists from Tufts University School of Medicine.
David R. Walt, Ph.D., has been elected to the prestigious and exclusive National Academy of Medicine, one in a series of accolades from the national and international scientific communities in recognition of his stellar career as a chemist, engineer, innovator and entrepreneur.
Survivors of childhood cancer have poor adherence to federal dietary guidelines in adulthood, a new study finds. Diets lacking essential nutrients may exacerbate the chronic disease burden in a group already at an elevated risk for developing new conditions.
High folate (vitamin B9) consumption is associated with an increased risk for a nerve-damage disorder in older adults who have a common genetic variant linked to reduced cellular vitamin B12 availability
A new study finds that children and teens with autism spectrum disorder may be more likely to be obese and stay obese during adolescence than their peers without autism spectrum disorder.
Nikhil U. Nair, Ph.D., of Tufts University School of Engineering, has been honored with the 2016 National Institutes of Health Director's New Innovator Award for his work on engineering naturally-occurring, safe, gut bacteria to treat inborn errors of metabolism (IEMs), a relatively poorly-studied family of debilitating genetic disorders that affect patients from birth.
Structural virologist Ekaterina Heldwein of Tufts University School of Medicine will map out herpesviruses thanks to a five-year Faculty Scholars grant, a new program sponsored by the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, the Simons Foundation and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
A $15 million gift from the Jaharis Family Foundation will provide medical students at Tufts University School of Medicine with a new, state-of-the-art gross anatomy lab and scholarships for students focused on family medicine.
Tufts University researchers have discovered a new technique for generating rapidly-differentiating human neural stem cells for use in a variety of tissue engineering applications, including a three-dimensional model of the human brain, according to a paper published today in Stem Cell Reports.
A new analysis of 100 million Medicare records from US adults aged 65 and older reveals rising healthcare costs for infections associated with some disease-causing bacteria, such as Legionella, which can live inside drinking water distribution systems and household plumbing
The glycemic index value of a food can vary by 20 percent within an individual and 25 percent among individuals, according to the results of a controlled feeding trial in 63 healthy adults. The findings suggest glycemic index has limited value in predicting how foods affect blood sugar levels.
Hospitalizations for infective endocarditis, a heart valve infection often attributed to injection drug use, increased significantly among young adults, particularly whites and females. The findings shed light on the healthcare burdens and shifting demographics associated national opioid epidemic.
Starting dialysis treatment for end-stage renal disease (ESRD) should be a shared decision made by an informed patient based on discussions with a physician and family members. However, many older dialysis patients say they feel voiceless in the decision-making process and are unaware of more conservative management approaches that could help them avoid initiating a treatment that reduces their quality of life, according to a study led by Tufts University researchers.
RSS
Medicine keyboard_arrow_right
Sciencekeyboard_arrow_right
Life keyboard_arrow_right
Business keyboard_arrow_right
Journal News keyboard_arrow_right
By Location keyboard_arrow_right
Meetings, Grants, and Events keyboard_arrow_right