LHC Update protons to lead ions in four days flat

 

November 8, 2010

Geneva

. Four days is all it took for the LHC operations team at CERN* to complete the transition from protons to lead ions in the LHC. After extracting the final proton beam of 2010 on 4 November, commissioning the lead-ion beam was underway by early afternoon. First collisions were recorded at 00:30 CET on 7 November, and stable running conditions marked the start of physics with heavy ions at 11:20 CET today.
"The speed of the transition to lead ions is a sign of the maturity of the LHC," said CERN Director General Rolf Heuer. "The machine is running like clockwork after just a few months of routine operation."

Operating the LHC with lead ions – lead atoms stripped of electrons - is completely different from operating the machine with protons. From the source to collisions, operational parameters have to be re-established for the new type of beam. For lead-ions, as for protons before them, the procedure started with threading a single beam round the ring in one direction and steadily increasing the number of laps before repeating the process for the other beam.

Once circulating beams had been established they could be accelerated to the full energy of 287 TeV per beam. This energy is much higher than for proton beams because lead ions contain 82 protons. Another period of careful adjustment was needed before lining the beams up for collision, and then finally declaring that nominal data taking conditions, known at CERN as stable beams, had been established. The three experiments recording data with lead ions, ALICE, ATLAS and CMS can now look forward to continuous lead-ion running until CERN's winter technical stop begins on 6 December.

"It's been very impressive to see how well the LHC has adapted to lead ions," said Jurgen Schukraft, spokesperson of the ALICE experiment. "The ALICE detector has been optimised to record the large number of tracks that emerge from ion collisions and has handled the first collisions very well, so we are all set to explore this new opportunity at LHC."

"After a very successful proton run, we're very excited to be moving to this new phase of LHC operation," said ATLAS spokesperson Fabiola Gianotti. "The ATLAS detector has recorded first spectacular heavy-ion events, and we are eager to study them in detail."

"We designed CMS as a multi-purpose detector," said Guido Tonelli, the collaboration's spokesperson, "and it's very rewarding to see how well it's adapting to this new kind of collision. Having data collected by the same detector in proton-proton and heavy-ion modes is a powerful tool to look for unambiguous signatures of new states of matter."
Lead-ion running opens up an entirely new avenue of exploration for the LHC programme, probing matter as it would have been in the first instants of the Universe's existence. One of the main objectives for lead-ion running is to produce tiny quantities of such matter, which is known as quark-gluon plasma, and to study its evolution into the kind of matter that makes up the Universe today. This exploration will shed further light on the properties of the strong interaction, which binds the particles called quarks, into bigger objects, such as protons and neutrons.
Following the winter technical stop, operation of the collider will start again with protons in February and physics runs will continue through 2011.

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*CERN, the European Organization for Nuclear Research, is the world's leading laboratory for particle physics. It has its headquarters in Geneva. At present, its Member States are Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the United Kingdom. India, Israel, Japan, the Russian Federation, the United States of America, Turkey, the European Commission and UNESCO have Observer status.

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Scientists trace nano particles' journey from the lungs to the body

November 8, 2010 
Boston
Naotechnology is attracting the attention of all types of specialists. Researchers hope that  their findings could help investigators develop agents for delivering drug in to lungs and provide key information for use in air pollution control.

Using a novel, real-time imaging system, scientists have tracked a group of near-infrared fluorescent nanoparticles from the airspaces of the lungs, into the body and out again, providing a description of the characteristics and behavior of these minute particles which could be used in developing therapeutic agents to treat pulmonary disease, as well as offering a greater understanding of the health effects of air pollution.
Led by investigators at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC) and the Harvard School of Public Health, the findings are described in the November 7 Advance Online issue of the journal Nature Biotechnology.
At a scale of one to 100 nanometers (nm) – one billionth of a meter – nanoparticles are too small to be visible through a traditional microscope. But this extremely small scale makes them potential candidates for targeted drug delivery, capable of precisely pinpointing disease sources with increased efficiency and minimal side effects to surrounding tissues.
"Nanoparticles hold promise as therapeutic agents for a number of diseases," explains co-senior author John V. Frangioni, MD, PhD, of the Division of Hematology/Oncology at BIDMC and Associate Professor of Medicine and of Radiology at Harvard Medical School (HMS), whose laboratory specializes in the development of imaging systems and of contrast agent development for molecular imaging. The anatomy of the lung, with its large surface area and minimal barriers limiting access to the body, makes this organ a particularly good target for nanoparticle drug delivery.
"We have been interested in the fate of small particles after they deposit deep in the gas exchange region of the lung," adds co-senior author Akira Tsuda, PhD, a research scientist in the Molecular and Integrative Physiological Sciences Program in the Department of Environmental Health at the Harvard School of Public Health. "Determining the physicochemical characteristics of inhaled nanoparticles on their ability to cross the [lungs'] alveolar epithelial surface is an important step in understanding the biological effects associated with exposure to these particles."
Previous work by Frangioni and first author Hak Soo Choi, PhD, an Instructor of Medicine at HMS, had established the characteristics of nanoparticles that regulate clearance from the body. "To be of value clinically, nanoparticles must be able to either biodegrade into biologically inert compounds, or be efficiently cleared from the body," says Choi, explaining that accumulation of nanoparticles can be toxic.
The aim of this new study was to determine the characteristics and parameters of inhaled nanoparticles that mediate their uptake into the body -- from the external environment, across the alveolar lung surface and into the lymphatic system and blood stream and eventually to other organs. To do this, the scientists made use of the FLARE™ (Fluorescence-Assisted Resection and Exploration) imaging system, systematically varying the chemical composition, size, shape and surface charge of a group of near-infrared fluorescent nanoparticles to compare the physiochemical properties of the various engineered particles. The investigators then tracked the movement of the varying nanoparticles in the lungs of rat models over a period of one hour, and also verified results using conventional radioactive tracers.
"The FLARE system enabled us to cut the number of experiments in half while performing direct comparisons of nanoparticles of different sizes, shapes and rigidities," explains Frangioni, whose laboratory developed the FLARE system for use in image-guided cancer surgery as well as other applications.
Their results established that non-positively charged nanoparticles, smaller than 34 nm in diameter, appeared in the lung-draining lymph nodes within 30 minutes. They also found that nanoparticles smaller than 6 nm in diameter with "zwitterionic" characteristics (equal positive and negative charge) traveled to the draining lymph nodes within just a few minutes, subsequently being cleared by the kidneys into urine.
"These new findings can be applied to design and optimize particles for drug delivery by inhalation therapy," notes Tsuda. "This research also guides us in the assessment of the health effects of various particulate pollutants, as the data suggest the importance of distinguishing specific subclasses of particles [based on surface chemistry and size] that can rapidly cross the alveolar epithelium and may disseminate in the body."
Adds Frangioni, "This study complements our earlier work in which we defined the characteristics of nanoparticles that regulate efficient clearance from the body. With these new findings, which define the characteristics that regulate uptake into the body, we've now described a complete 'cycle' of nanoparticle trafficking --from the environment, through the lungs, into the body, then out of the kidneys in urine and back to the environment."

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National study shows CT screening of former, current smokers reduces lung cancer deaths by 20 percent

This study has profound significance. It shows that low dose CT can identify lung cancers; annual screening helped to reduce cancer deaths by 20%

                                                     

                                                                                                         K S Parthaarathy

WASHINGTON, DC – A large national study finds that screening current or former heavy smokers with a CT scan can reduce deaths from lung cancers by 20 percent. One potential reason for the reduction is that the scan can pick up tumors at an early stage. The study was conducted by the National Cancer Institute at 33 centers around the country including Georgetown Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center, a part of Georgetown University Medical Center.

The National Lung Screening Trial (NLST) involved more than 53,000 current and former heavy smokers ages 55 to 74. More than 1,800 men and women participated through Lombardi. The study compared the effects of two screening procedures for lung cancer -- low-dose helical computed tomography (CT) and standard chest X-ray.

Under Lombardi's leadership, 1,800 men and women were recruited into the clinical trial at Georgetown University Hospital as well as two other Georgetown community screening locations.

"Overall this study provides strong evidence that older patients who are at high-risk of developing lung cancer could benefit from CT screening and that's a significant finding." says Claudine Isaacs, MD, lead investigator of the NLST study at Lombardi. "We are grateful to all the men and women who participated in this important study. Clinical trials are critical to making progress in medicine."

"These results are very encouraging," says Louis Weiner, MD, director of Lombardi. "Studies like these generate so much excitement, but clearly there is much more work to be done. Lombardi and other NCI-cancer centers continue to explore effective ways to reduce lung cancer deaths including prevention efforts and by conducting clinical trials with the newest available cancer fighting drugs."

The NLST study began enrolling participants in August 2002. Participants were required to have a smoking history of at least 30 pack-years and were either current or former smokers without signs, symptoms, or history of lung cancer. Pack-years are calculated by multiplying the average number of packs of cigarettes smoked per day by the number of years a person has smoked.

The men and women were randomly assigned to receive three annual screens with either low-dose helical CT (often referred to as spiral CT) or standard chest X-ray. Helical CT uses X-rays to obtain a multiple-image scan of the entire chest during a 7 to 15 second breath-hold. A standard chest X-ray requires only a sub-second breath-hold but produces a single image of the whole chest in which anatomic structures overlie one another. Previous efforts to demonstrate that standard chest X-ray examinations can reduce lung cancer mortality have been unsuccessful.

The trial participants received their screening tests at the time of enrollment and at the end of their first and second years on the trial. The participants were then followed for up to another five years; all deaths were documented, with special attention given to the verification of lung cancer as a cause of death. As of October 20, 2010, a total of 354 deaths from lung cancer had occurred among participants in the CT arm of the study, whereas a significantly larger 442 lung cancer deaths had occurred among those in the chest X-ray group. This represents a 20.3 percent reduction in lung cancer mortality offered by CT scans compared to the X-ray group.

"Potentially, we could save thousands of lives with CT screening, but keep in mind that because smoking causes many lung cancers, we could save hundreds of thousands more if people wouldn't smoke or quit if they do," Isaacs points out.

"We're proud to be a part of this important study designed to answer critical questions," says Howard J. Federoff, MD, PhD, executive vice president for health sciences at GUMC and executive dean of its School of Medicine. "Lombardi's leadership role in the effort to reduce the burden of cancer has an impact at the national and local levels, and benefits our community directly."

"This large and well-designed study used rigorous scientific methods to test ways to prevent death from lung cancer by screening patients at especially high risk," said Harold Varmus, M.D., NCI Director, in a press release issued today. "Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer mortality in the U.S. and throughout the world, so a validated approach that can reduce lung cancer mortality by even 20 percent has the potential to spare very significant numbers of people from the ravages of this disease."

The NCI notes that the possible disadvantages of helical CT include the cumulative effects of radiation from multiple CT scans; surgical and medical complications in patients who prove not to have lung cancer but who need additional testing to make that determination; and risks from additional diagnostic work-up for findings unrelated to potential lung cancer, such as liver or kidney disease. In addition, the screening process itself can generate suspicious findings that turn out not to be cancer in the vast majority of cases, producing significant anxiety and expense. These problems must, of course, be weighed against the advantage of a significant reduction in lung cancer mortality.

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The NLST was sponsored by NCI, a part of the National Institutes of Health, and conducted by the American College of Radiology Imaging Network (ACRIN) and the Lung Screening Study group

Beet juice promotes brain health in older adults

  Researchers have shown that daily doses of beet root juices help to increase the blood flow to brain. They  speculate that the increased  blood flow to brain could hold potential for combating the progression of dementia.
They carried out the study with 14 subjects. and proposed a mechanism which helps to increase the blood flow to brain. The subjects drank 16 ounces of beet root juice in the experiment. The researchers have approached a company to make the juice tastier and to market it as a beverage. This gives way their intention. The conflict of interest is obvious. They believe that if the drink is made tastier more people will drink it. They can go all the way laughing to the bank!   
 

The research findings are available online in Nitric Oxide: Biology and Chemistry, the peer-reviewed journal of the Nitric Oxide Society and will be available in print soon.


"There have been several very high-profile studies showing that drinking beet juice can lower blood pressure, but we wanted to show that drinking beet juice also increases perfusion, or blood flow, to the brain," said Daniel Kim-Shapiro, director of Wake Forest University's Translational Science Center; Fostering Independence in Aging. "There are areas in the brain that become poorly perfused as you age, and that's believed to be associated with dementia and poor cognition."

High concentrations of nitrates are found in beets, as well as in celery, cabbage and other leafy green vegetables like spinach and some lettuce. When you eat high-nitrate foods, good bacteria in the mouth turn nitrate into nitrite. Research has found that nitrites can help open up the blood vessels in the body, increasing blood flow and oxygen specifically to places that are lacking oxygen.

In this study, the first to find a link between consumption of nitrate-rich beet juice and increased blood flow to the brain, Translational Science Center researchers looked at how dietary nitrates affected 14 adults age 70 and older over a period of four days.

On the first day, the study subjects reported to the lab after a 10-hour fast, completed a health status report, and consumed either a high- or low-nitrate breakfast. The high-nitrate breakfast included 16 ounces of beet juice. They were sent home with lunch, dinner and snacks conforming to their assigned diets.

The next day, following another 10-hour fast, the subjects returned to the lab, where they ate their assigned breakfasts. One hour after breakfast, an MRI recorded the blood flow in each subject's brain. Blood tests before and after breakfast confirmed nitrite levels in the body.
For the third and fourth days of the study, the researchers switched the diets and repeated the process for each subject.

The MRIs showed that after eating a high-nitrate diet, the older adults had increased blood flow to the white matter of the frontal lobes – the areas of the brain commonly associated with degeneration that leads to dementia and other cognitive conditions.

"I think these results are consistent and encouraging – that good diet consisting of a lot of fruits and vegetables can contribute to overall good health," said Gary Miller, associate professor in the Department of Health and Exercise Science and one of the senior investigators on the project.The university is currently looking into ways of marketing the beverage.

The University has very noble intentions! The Center for Translational Science; Fostering Independence in Aging focuses on the promotion and maintenance of functional health as people age. Center researchers study how diet and exercise can change cognitive and physical function. The center's team involves medical staff, behavioral scientists and other scientists who develop research-based interventions to help both physical and cognitive health in aging populations.

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