Lund University

Early detection of Alzheimer’s disease

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A method for detecting early signs of Alzheimer’s disease using amyloid PET imaging works as well as the previously used cerebrospinal fluid sample method. This is the conclusion of a new Lund University study – the most thorough and extensive undertaken in the field so far.

The most commonly used tools for investigating early signs of Alzheimer’s disease in Swedish public healthcare are various cognitive memory tests and computed tomography. For several years it has also been possible to carry out an analysis of a cerebrospinal fluid sample which increases the chances of early detection. So far, however, only patients in memory clinics have been offered the test.

Recently, a method known as amyloid PET was approved for clinical use in Sweden. A special substance which binds to a protein in the brain, β-amyloid, is administered to the patient. This amyloid is a marker for Alzheimer’s changes, which are then mapped with PET imaging.

Opinions have long been divided as to whether cerebrospinal fluid samples or PET imaging are the best tools for detecting early-stage Alzheimer’s disease.

“In the study, both the cerebrospinal fluid sample and the amyloid PET scans were able to identify approximately 90 per cent of the patients who would be diagnosed with Alzheimer’s later on. Our conclusion is therefore that the two methods work equally well to achieve this aim. One can thus choose the method on the basis of cost, expertise or patient preference”, says Sebastian Palmqvist, MD, PhD, at Lund University.

Both methods are also good at identifying which individuals are healthy and unlikely to develop Alzheimer’s disease within the next ten years. However, when the diagnosis is reached without reference to a cerebrospinal fluid sample or amyloid PET imaging, its accuracy can drop to 60-70 per cent.

Late detection of Alzheimer’s disease is not only a problem for today’s healthcare, but also for the development of future treatments.

“Previous drug trials to evaluate new treatments for the presence of amyloid in Alzheimer’s cases failed, partly because treatment began too late in the course of the disease. With two accurate tools for early diagnosis, we can identify suitable participants at an early stage of Alzheimer’s disease. This will considerably increase the chances of being able to prove a positive effect for new drugs”, concludes Oskar Hansson, associate professor and neurologist at Lund University.

The research data originates from the Swedish BioFINDER study. 122 healthy elderly participants and 34 patients with mild cognitive impairment who developed Alzheimer’s disease within three years were investigated in the article. The study was then repeated in an American population group of 210 individuals. The new findings are presented in the American journalNeurology.

New Dangerous Strain Of HIV Discovered

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Researchers have discovered a new, more aggressive strain of the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) that develops into AIDS much more quickly than other strains, Medical News Today reported.

In a new study published in the Journal of Infectious Diseases, scientists detailed the new strain as a “recombinant” virus – a hybrid of two virus strains. Called A3/02 – a cross between the 02AG and A3 viruses – the strain can develop into AIDS in just five years after first infection – one of the shortest time periods for HIV-1 types.

“Recombinants seem to be more vigorous and more aggressive than the strains from which they developed,” said first author Angelica Palm, a doctoral candidate at Lund University in Sweden.

So far, the A3/02 strain has only been seen in Guinea-Bissau, West Africa, but other studies have shown that recombinants are spreading more quickly across the globe.

“HIV is an extremely dynamic and variable virus. New subtypes and recombinant forms of HIV-1 have been introduced to our part of the world, and it is highly likely that there are a large number of circulating recombinants of which we know little or nothing,” said senior author Patrik Medstran, professor of clinical virology at Lund University. “We therefore need to be aware of how the HIV-1 epidemic changes over time.”

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Study says new element 115, ununpentium, does exist.

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One more element may soon be added to the Periodic Table. On September 10, 2013, an international team of scientists working at the GSI Helmholtz Center for Heavy Ion Research in Darmstadt, Germany reported that they have acquired new evidence supporting the existence of element 115. The new evidence will be reviewed by the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemists (IUPAC), and if confirmed, element 115 will likely be given a new name and added to the Periodic Table of Elements. Its temporary name, which is being used as a placeholder, is ununpentium.

Element 115 is one of a number of superheavy elements—elements with an atomic number greater than 104—that are so short-lived, they can’t be detected in nature. Scientists can, however, synthesize these elements in a laboratory by smashing atoms together.

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In 2004, scientists from the United States and Russia first reported the discovery of element 115. Unfortunately, the evidence from that research and a few more studies that followed was not enough to confirm the existence of a new element.

Now, scientists are developing new techniques to detect the presence of superheavy elements. In an experiment conducted at the GSI Helmholtz Center for Heavy Ion Research in Darmstadt, Germany, scientists successfully bombarded a thin layer of americium (atomic number 95) with calcium (atomic number 20) to produce ununpentium (atomic number 115). Ununpentium was observed with a new type of detector system that measured the photons that were released from the reaction. The unique photon energy profile for ununpentium can be thought of as the element’s fingerprint, the scientists say.

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Dirk Rudolph, lead author of the new study and Professor at the Division of Nuclear Physics at Lund University in Sweden, commented on the findings in a press release. He said:

This can be regarded as one of the most important experiments in the field in recent years, because at last it is clear that even the heaviest elements’ fingerprints can be taken. The result gives high confidence to previous reports. It also lays the basis for future measurements of this kind.

Presently, there are 114 elements in the Periodic Table of Elements. Two new elements, flerovium (atomic number 114) and livermorium (atomic number 116), were added to the Periodic Table in 2012. While elements 113 and 118 are also thought to exist, their presence has not yet been confirmed.

The next step for element 115 will be for the IUPAC to review all of the evidence to date and make a decision as to whether more experiments are needed or if the current evidence is sufficient to support the discovery of a new element. If the latter occurs, the scientists who first discovered element 115 will be asked to formally submit a new name for the element. Then, the new name will be released for scientific review and public comment. If approved, the element along with its new name will be added to the Periodic Table of Elements. Element 115 is currently called ununpentium, which is just a placeholder until its formal name is established.

The research was supported by ENSAR (European Nuclear Science and Applications Research), the Royal Physiographic Society in Lund, the Swedish Research Council, the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research, the US Department of Energy and the UK Science and Technology Facilities Council.

Bottom line: On September 10, 2013, an international team of scientists working at the GSI Helmholtz Center for Heavy Ion Research in Darmstadt, Germany reported that they have acquired new evidence that supports the existence of element 115 (ununpentium). The research was published on September 10, 2013 in the journal Physical Review Letters. After the IUPAC reviews and confirms the evidence, element 115 will likely be given a new name and added to the Periodic Table of Elements.

Evidence for new periodic table element boosted.

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Scientists have presented new evidence for the existence of an unconfirmed element with atomic number 115.

Th_69501617_a1500360-periodic_tablee element is highly radioactive and exists for less than a second before decaying into lighter atoms.

First proposed by Russian scientists in 2004, the super-heavy element has yet to be verified by the governing body of chemistry and physics.

The new evidence by a Swedish team is published in the journal Physical Review Letters.

“This was a very successful experiment and is one of the most important in the field in recent years”, said Dirk Rudolph, professor at the division of atomic physics at Lund University, who led the research.

After the discovery of element 115, independent confirmation to measure the exact proton number was required, Prof Rudolph told BBC News.

He said the finding “goes beyond the standard measurement” which had been observed previously. A new isotope of a potential new element was produced, which transformed into other particles via a radioactive process named alpha decay.

The researchers also gained access to data that they say gives them a deeper insight into the structure and properties of super-heavy atomic nuclei.

The team bombarded a thin film of the element americium with calcium ions, which allowed them to measure photons in connection with the new element’s alpha decay.

Certain energies of the photons (light particles) agreed with the expected energies for X-ray radiation, which acts as a “fingerprint” of a given element.

The experiment was conducted at the GSI research facility in Germany, where scientists have previously discovered six other new elements.

The potential new element will now be reviewed by a committee which consists of members of the international unions of pure and applied physics and chemistry.

They will decide whether to recommend further experiments before the discovery of the new element is acknowledged.