Amyloid imaging with (18)F-florbetaben in Alzheimer disease and other dementias.

UNLABELLED: Amyloid imaging with (18)F-labeled radiotracers will allow widespread use, facilitating research, diagnosis, and therapeutic development for Alzheimer disease. The purpose of the study program was to compare cortical amyloid deposition using (18)F-florbetaben and PET in controls and subjects with mild cognitive impairment (MCI), frontotemporal lobar degeneration (FTLD), dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB), vascular dementia (VaD), Parkinson disease (PD), and Alzheimer disease (AD). METHODS: One hundred nine subjects in 3 clinical studies at Austin Health were reviewed: 32 controls, 20 subjects with MCI, and 30 patients with AD, 11 with FTLD, 7 with DLB, 5 with PD, and 4 with VaD underwent PET after intravenous injection of 300 MBq of (18)F-florbetaben. Standardized uptake value ratios (SUVR) using the cerebellar cortex as a reference region were calculated between 90 and 110 min after injection. RESULTS: When compared with the other groups, AD patients demonstrated significantly higher SUVRs (P < 0.0001) in neocortical areas. Most AD patients (96%) and 60% of MCI subjects showed diffuse cortical (18)F-florbetaben retention. In contrast, only 9% of FTLD, 25% of VaD, 29% of DLB, and no PD patients and 16% of controls showed cortical binding. Although there was a correlation between Mini Mental State Examination and ß-amyloid burden in the MCI group, no correlation was observed in controls, FTLD or AD. CONCLUSION: (18)F-florbetaben had high sensitivity for AD, clearly distinguished patients with FTLD from AD, and provided results comparable to those reported with (11)C-Pittsburgh Compound B in a variety of neurodegenerative diseases.

Miniaturized, high-power diode-pumped, Q-switched Nd:YAG laser oscillator-amplifier.

A miniaturized, passively Q-switched Nd:YAG laser oscillator-power amplifier is reported, which is axially pumped by a compact, fiber-coupled, high-power, quasi-cw diode laser module. The pumping intensity of the oscillator crystal can be adjusted independently of the pumping intensity of the amplifier. This ensures that the oscillator pulse enters the amplifier when its maximum population density is reached. Furthermore, pulse bursts can be generated with a definite, adjustable number of single pulses. Maximum pulse energies of 8.4 and 22 mJ were achieved for a single pulse and for a pulse burst, respectively, at a pumping power of 470 W. The pulse widths were 2 ns, whereas the beam quality corresponded to M2<1.5. The laser is appropriate for scaling the power to the 10 MW range. Operation by using a 100 m pumping fiber was demonstrated.

Radiation dosimetry of beta-amyloid tracers 11C-PiB and 18F-BAY94-9172.

UNLABELLED: Beta-amyloid (Abeta) imaging has great potential to aid in the diagnosis of Alzheimer disease and the development of therapeutics. The radiation dosimetry of Abeta radioligands may influence their application; therefore, we calculated and compared the effective doses (EDs) of 11C-PiB and a new 18F-labeled ligand, 18F-BAY94-9172. METHODS: Attenuation-corrected whole-body scans were performed at 0, 15, 30, 45, and 60 min after injection of 350+/-28 MBq (mean+/-SD) of 11C-PiB in 6 subjects and at 0, 20, 60, 120, and 180 min after injection of 319+/-27 MBq of 18F-BAY94-9172 in 3 subjects. Coregistered CT was used to define volumes of interest (VOIs) on the PET images. The source organs were the brain, lungs, liver, kidneys, spleen, and vertebrae. The VOIs for the contents of the gallbladder, urinary bladder, lower large intestine, upper large intestine, and small intestine were also defined. Total activity in each organ at each time point was calculated by use of reference organ volumes. The resultant time-activity curves were fitted with constrained exponential fits, and cumulated activities were determined. A dynamic bladder voiding model was used. The OLINDA/EXM program was used to calculate the whole-body EDs from the acquired data. RESULTS: For 11C-PiB, the highest absorbed doses were in the gallbladder wall (44.80+/-29.30 microGy/MBq), urinary bladder wall (26.30+/-8.50 microGy/MBq), liver (19.88+/-3.58 microGy/MBq), and kidneys (12.92+/-3.37 microGy/MBq). The ED was 5.29+/-0.66 microSv/MBq. For 18F-BAY94-9172, the highest doses were also in the gallbladder wall (132.40+/-43.40 microGy/MBq), urinary bladder wall (24.77+/-7.36 microGy/MBq), and liver (39.07+/-8.31 microGy/MBq). The ED was 14.67+/-1.39 microSv/MBq. CONCLUSION: The estimated organ doses for 11C-PiB were comparable to those reported in earlier research. With the doses used in published studies (300-700 MBq), the EDs would range from 1.6 to 3.7 mSv. The ED of 18F-BAY94-9172 was 30% lower than that of 18F-FDG and, at the published dose of 300 MBq, would yield an ED of 4.4 mSv. The dosimetry of both Abeta radioligands is suitable for clinical and research applications.

Imaging of amyloid beta in Alzheimer's disease with 18F-BAY94-9172, a novel PET tracer: proof of mechanism.

BACKGROUND: Amyloid-beta (Abeta) plaque formation is a hallmark of Alzheimer's disease (AD) and precedes the onset of dementia. Abeta imaging should allow earlier diagnosis, but clinical application is hindered by the short decay half-life of current Abeta-specific ligands. (18)F-BAY94-9172 is an Abeta ligand that, due to the half-life of (18)F, is suitable for clinical use. We thus studied the effectiveness of this ligand in identifying patients with AD. METHODS: 15 patients with mild AD, 15 healthy elderly controls, and five individuals with frontotemporal lobar degeneration (FTLD) were studied. (18)F-BAY94-9172 binding was quantified by use of the standardised uptake value ratio (SUVR), which was calculated for the neocortex by use of the cerebellum as reference region. SUVR images were visually rated as normal or AD. FINDINGS: (18)F-BAY94-9172 binding matched the reported post-mortem distribution of Abeta plaques. All AD patients showed widespread neocortical binding, which was greater in the precuneus/posterior cingulate and frontal cortex than in the lateral temporal and parietal cortex. There was relative sparing of sensorimotor, occipital, and medial temporal cortex. Healthy controls and FTLD patients showed only white-matter binding, although three controls and one FTLD patient had mild uptake in frontal and precuneus cortex. At 90-120 min after injection, higher neocortical SUVR was observed in AD patients (2.0 [SD 0.3]) than in healthy controls (1.3 [SD 0.2]; p<0.0001) or FTLD patients (1.2 [SD 0.2]; p=0.009). Visual interpretation was 100% sensitive and 90% specific for detection of AD. INTERPRETATION: (18)F-BAY94-9172 PET discriminates between AD and FTLD or healthy controls and might facilitate integration of Abeta imaging into clinical practice.

Fiber-optic laser sensor for mine detection and verification.

What we believe to be a new optical approach for the identification of mines and explosives by analyzing the surface materials and not only bulk is developed. A conventional manually operated mine prodder is upgraded by laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS). In situ and real-time information of materials that are in front of the prodder are obtained during the demining process in order to optimize the security aspects and the speed of demining. A Cr4+:Nd3+:YAG microchip laser is used as a seed laser for an ytterbium-fiber amplifier to generate high-power laser pulses at 1064 nm with pulse powers up to E(p) = 1 mJ, a repetition rate of f(rep.) = 2-20 kHz and a pulse duration of t(p) = 620 ps. The recorded LIBS signals are analyzed by applying neural networks for the data analysis.

Derivatives of 1,5-diamino-1H-tetrazole: a new family of energetic heterocyclic-based salts.

1,5-Diamino-1H-tetrazole (2, DAT) can easily be protonated by reaction with strong mineral acids, yielding the poorly investigated 1,5-diaminotetrazolium nitrate (2a) and perchlorate (2b). A new synthesis for 2 is introduced that avoids lead azide as a hazardous byproduct. The reaction of 1,5-diamino-1H-tetrazole with iodomethane (7a) followed by the metathesis of the iodide (7a) with silver nitrate (7b), silver dinitramide (7c), or silver azide (7d) leads to a new family of heterocyclic-based salts. In all cases, stable salts were obtained and fully characterized by vibrational (IR, Raman) spectroscopy, multinuclear NMR spectroscopy, mass spectrometry, elemental analysis, X-ray structure determination, and initial safety testing (impact and friction sensitivity). Most of the salts exhibit good thermal stabilities, and both the perchlorate (2b) and the dinitramide (7c) have melting points well below 100 degrees C, yet high decomposition onsets, defining them as new (7c), highly energetic ionic liquids. Preliminary sensitivity testing of the crystalline compounds indicates rather low impact sensitivities for all compounds, the highest being that of the perchlorate (2b) and the dinitramide (7c) with a value of 7 J. In contrast, the friction sensitivities of the perchlorate (2b, 60 N) and the dinitramide (7c, 24 N) are relatively high. The enthalpies of combustion (Delta(c)H degrees ) of 7b-d were determined experimentally using oxygen bomb calorimetry: Delta(c)H degrees (7b) = -2456 cal g(-)(1), Delta(c)H degrees (7c) = -2135 cal g(-)(1), and Delta(c)H degrees (7d) = -3594 cal g(-)(1). The standard enthalpies of formation (Delta(f)H degrees ) of 7b-d were obtained on the basis of quantum chemical computations using the G2 (G3) method: Delta(f)H degrees (7b) = 41.7 (41.2) kcal mol(-)(1), Delta(f)H degrees (7c) = 92.1 (91.1) kcal mol(-)(1), and Delta(f)H degrees (7d) = 161.6 (161.5) kcal mol(-)(1). The detonation velocities (D) and detonation pressures (P) of 2b and 7b-d were calculated using the empirical equations of Kamlet and Jacobs: D(2b) = 8383 m s(-)(1), P(2b) = 32.2 GPa; D(7b) = 7682 m s(-)(1), P(7b) = 23.4 GPa; D(7c) = 8827 m s(-)(1), P(7c) = 33.6 GPa; and D(7d) = 7405 m s(-)(1), P(7d) = 20.8 GPa. For all compounds, a structure determination by single-crystal X-ray diffraction was performed. 2a and 2b crystallize in the monoclinic space groups C2/c and P2(1)/n, respectively. The salts of 7 crystallize in the orthorhombic space groups Pna2(1) (7a, 7d) and Fdd2 (7b). The hydrogen-bonded ring motifs are discussed in the formalism of graph-set analysis of hydrogen-bond patterns and compared in the case of 2a, 2b, and 7b.

Synthesis and structures of trifluoromethyl-, fluoro-, and azido-substituted hexabenzylhexaazaisowurtzitanes and isolation of a novel hexaazaisowurtzitane-based polycycle.

The first hexabenzylhexaazaisowurtzitane cage compounds with trifluoromethyl and azide groups, as well as those with fluorine atoms in the 3- and 4-positions, have been prepared and fully characterized. A study of the substituent influence on the benzene ring regarding the formation of the hexaazaisowurtzitane polycycle in either the 2- or 4-position with CF(3), F, and N(3) revealed an interesting difference. In all cases with CF(3), F, and N(3) substituents in the 4-position, the corresponding hexabenzylhexaazaisowurtzitanes were isolated. The corresponding hexabenzylhexaazaisowurtzitanes were also formed when these substituents were in the 2-position; however, in addition with azide in 2-position a novel type of polycycle was isolated and identified. (15)N NMR data and crystal structures of hexabenzylhexaazaisowurtzitane derivatives were obtained and are discussed in detail.

4,10-Dinitro-2,6,8,12-tetraoxa-4,10-diazaisowurtzitane (TEX): a nitramine with an exceptionally high density.

The title compound (systematic name: 4,10-dinitro-2,6,8,12-tetraoxa-4,10-diazatetracyclo[5.5.0.0(3,11).0(5,9)]dodecane), C(6)H(6)N(4)O(8), exhibits the highest density among known N-nitramines, due to its close-packed crystal structure. It may be regarded as consisting of a distorted hexagonal close-packed lattice formed by the isowurtzitane cages, with the nitro groups occupying the free space between the cages.