New blood test could detect Alzheimer’s before symptoms appear: study

We still can’t diagnose diseases like Alzheimer’s with a blood test, despite decades of trying. But scientists are getting closer.

Researchers at the National University of Singapore (NUS) are working on a blood test called the APEX system, which took two years to develop, to detect an early-stage molecular marker of the brain-robbing disease — the aggregated amyloid beta (Aβ). Their findings were published in the journal Nature.

“There is currently no good blood-based method to effectively screen and monitor [Alzheimer’s Disease], and new tests that are under investigation have either poor accuracy or low sensitivity,” says Shao Huilin, assistant professor at the NUS Institute for Health Innovation & Technology, in a statement. “The APEX technology addresses both of these limitations.”

The buildup of amyloid beta proteins in the brain is a key marker of Alzheimer’s, according to the researchers. The APEX test is designed “to detect and analyze the earliest aggregated forms of [Aβ] proteins in blood samples, to enable detection of AD even before clinical symptoms appear and to accurately classify the disease stages,” they said. Click here to continue reading

When a Frequent Flier Dies . . .

...do all those fluent flier miles die as well?  Or can that mileage be converted, formally or otherwise, into tickets for heirs?

Rules vary from one airline to another, The Wall Street Journal warns.  And rules change. (Delta used to be heir friendly but now isn't.)

Some tips for increasing the odds of getting heirs into the air:

Premortem
The frequent flier's will should include explicit instructions.

Heirs should know how to access account info and passwords.

The FF should sign up for family pooling if the airline (JetBlue, for instance) offers it.

Postmortem
Act quickly! "The best move is to use the miles before an airline figures out the member has died."

Act promptly even if the airline knows it has lost a faithful passenger. The airline may require formal estate procedures to claim the miles, and there may be time limits.

 Be aggressive. Airline rules aren't always ironclad. Yelling or sobbing has been known to work.

Westport Library Ribbon-Cutting & Grand Reopening June 23

From the Westport Library: After nearly two years of construction, the Westport Library is delighted to invite the community to its ribbon-cutting and grand reopening Sunday, June 23, 2019. The ribbon cutting will take place at 11 a.m. on the steps of the new Jesup Green Staircase. Immediately following the ribbon cutting and opening ceremonies featuring the Library's Executive Director Bill Harmer, state and local officials and special guests, the Library will host an impressive lineup of fun, interactive activities and attractions for all ages including:

• Hartford Hot Several Brass Band
• New Media Artist Balam Soto 
• Coney Island Circus Sideshow Adam RealMan 
• A Seat at The Table Live Podcast hosted by Lori Cochran and Bill Taibe 
• A performance by world-renowned pianist Frederic Chiu
• Mary Ann Hall's Music for Children and Beyond
• Performance by Play with Your Food
• Podcasting in the Studio with Miggs & Trace Burroughs 
• Sybil Steinberg discusses her favorite books 
• Guitarist Glenn Roth plays acoustic favorites in the Café 
• A performance by the YMCA Family Dance Center 
• Performances by the Suzuki Music School 
• PLUS: Writing, art exhibits, demos in the MakerSpace and new recording studios, Children's activities in the new Children's Library, activities with our community partners like Earthplace, Westport Historical Society, Wakeman Town Farm and the Westport Garden Club and much more! 

See the full lineup at westportlibrary.org

In the event of inclement weather, the ribbon-cutting ceremony will take place inside the library.