Alzheimer’s Blood Test Could Soon Replace Invasive Spinal Taps and Brain Scans

A study by researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis (WUSM, St. Louis, MO, USA) and Lund University (Lund, Sweden) has demonstrated that a blood test can diagnose Alzheimer’s disease pathology as accurately as cerebrospinal fluid tests and brain scans. This is true even for patients with mild symptoms and can detect molecular signs of Alzheimer’s in the brain before symptoms appear. This groundbreaking blood test could potentially replace more costly and invasive methods like brain scans and spinal taps for identifying Alzheimer’s indications in the brain.

Developed by researchers at Washington University, this blood test employs a highly sensitive technique to measure Alzheimer’s protein levels in the blood. It works by using mass spectrometry to assess the ratio of two amyloid forms in the blood and was granted Breakthrough Device designation by the FDA in 2019.

Potash price rise undermines global food security’ warning

Lack of affordable potash is contributing to increased potassium deficiency in farming soil. Potassium is essential for plant growth that aids photosynthesis and respiration, and thus crop yields, potash or fertiliser potassium is spread on fields to replenish missing potassium. The inability to replace lost minerals is creating a replenishment deficit with an estimated one fifth of all global farmland in the ‘severe’ deprivation category, warn the scientists.

However, said the Nature Food study, in some areas the problem is markedly worse. The percentage rises to nearly half (44) in South-East Asia, with Latin America well over a third (39%) and Sub-Saharan Africa on 30%.
Another study found seven distinct symptoms, adding hair loss, chest and joint pain, dyspnea, and obesity to the list.

Surrey makes history with two pinches of salt

Charged particles drift through liquid when a single type of salt is dissolved into it, moving from the most to the least concentrated areas. However, adding a second kind of salt can give instant rise to an electrical current throughout the liquid.

Until now, the process, known as non-local diffusiophoresis, has never previously been observed, said Dr Richard Sear, from the university’s School of Mathematics and Physics:

“This is a truly exciting discovery – the first time we’ve ever seen remote diffusiophoresis. Our research is at a very early stage, and we don’t yet know how strong these currents could ultimately become. But the possibilities are tantalising.”