Amifostine (WR-2721) shortens the engraftment period of 4-hydroperoxycyclophosphamide-purged bone marrow in breast cancer patients receiving high-dose chemotherapy with autologous bone marrow support

4-Hydroperoxycyclophosphamide (4-HC), a commonly used marrow-purging agent, is active against many tumors, but is also toxic to normal marrow progenitors. Amifostine (WR-2721) is a sulfhydryl compound with chemoprotectant activity. Preclinical studies using suspensions of bone marrow and breast cancer cells demonstrated that ex vivo treatment with amifostine followed by 4-HC resulted in protection of marrow progenitors, with no compromise in the antitumor effect of 4-HC. This fact stimulated the development of a clinical trial. Bone marrow was harvested from 15 poor-prognosis breast cancer patients and randomly assigned to ex vivo treatment with amifostine followed by 4-HC (amifostine + 4-HC), or treatment with 4-HC alone. High-dose chemotherapy was then administered followed by infusion of the purged autologous bone marrow support (ABMS). Leukocyte engraftment, defined as a white blood cell count > or = 1 x 10(9)/L, was achieved in an average of 26 days for patients whose marrow was purged with amifostine + 4-HC versus 36 days for patients whose marrow was purged with 4-HC alone (P = .032). The average number of platelet transfusions (12 v 29; P = .017) and days of antibiotic therapy (28 v 40; P = .012) were significantly less for patients whose marrow was exposed to amifostine + 4-HC, compared with 4-HC alone. Unpurged backup marrow fractions were infused into three patients whose marrow was purged with 4-HC alone, because of inadequate marrow recovery. None of the patients who received amifostine + 4-HC-purged marrow required a backup marrow fraction. Complete remissions were achieved in 83% of patients with measurable disease, with no difference between the two cohorts. Forty-three percent of patients remained alive and progression-free at a mean of 13 months posttransplant. There was no significant difference in the rate or pattern of relapse for patients whose marrow was purged with amifostine + 4-HC compared with those whose marrow was purged with 4-HC alone. Ex vivo treatment of marrow with amifostine significantly shortens the time to marrow recovery, thereby reducing the risk of myelosuppressive complications in breast cancer patients receiving high-dose chemotherapy and 4-HC-purged ABMS. Since supportive care requirements are also significantly decreased, amifostine may reduce the cost of such therapy.     

Parallel feedforward class-AB control circuits for low-voltage bipolar rail-to-rail output stages of operational amplifiers

A new family of class-AB control circuits for bipolar rail-to-rail output stages of operational amplifiers is presented. Step by step, we report the development of five simple class-AB control circuits showing the advantages of using parallel feedforward. The circuits have been designed in such a way that temperature, supply voltage and process parameters have little influence. To test the output stages, one of them has been implemented in a very simple two-stage operational amplifier on a semi-custom chip. Measurements show a bandwidth of 2.5 MHz, a gain of 40 dB, a quiescent current of 23µA and a maximum output current of 250µA. Simulation results of three other simple operational amplifiers with the new class-AB control circuits are shown, which have a higher gain and maximum output current.     

Application of Laminated Edible Films to Potato Chip Packaging

The effects of various stearic-palmitic acid blend concentrations in films, storage temperatures and storage times on potato chip quality were evaluated using Response Surface Methodology. Storage temperature and time affected the quality of potato chips. The maximum storage times for acceptable potato chip quality were: 30 to 43 days, 23 to 25 days, and 11 to 12 days for storage temperatures of 15, 25 and 35°C, respectively. Results were independent of stearic-palmitic acid blend concentrations.     

MODELING the VIBRATIONAL RESPONSE of PLANTAIN FRUITS

Plantain fruits of the plantain subgroup ( Musa AAB Group) were obtained at a green stage and used in this study. the fruits were labelled for identification, and stored in a chamber maintained at a temperature of 20C and relative humidity of 90 ± 4%. On daily basis, for a period of 14 days, the fruits were removed from the storage chamber and each was weighed to record the mass. They were vibrated vertically on a vibration exciter through a range of frequencies from 10 to 2000 Hz. the frequency response was modeled by a single-degree-of-freedom Kelvin model. the mass of the fruit, the stiffness, the natural frequency and the critical damping all decreased significantly (p < 0.01) with storage time. There was no significant change (p > 0.05) in the damping coefficient of the fruit. the damping ratio decreased significantly (p < 0.01) with storage time. the models that described the changes in these parameters with storage time were obtained by stepwise regression, and are also presented. It was concluded that a single degree-of-freedom model provides satisfactory results of the vibrational characteristics of intact plantain fruit.     

DECOMPOSITION OF TURMERIC CURCUMINOIDS AS AFFECTED BY LIGHT,SOLVENT AND OXYGEN1

Turmeric curcuminoids are important natural pigments but their instability limits their use in many foods. This study was conducted to examine light-induced degradation of turmeric curcumin as affected by solvent system and oxygen. The rate constants and half-lives were determined for purified curcumin, demethoxycurcumin and bis-demethoxycurcumin exposed to 1450 lux using reversed-phase HPLC. Rates of degradation of each pigment followed first-order kinetics. Differences in rate constants and half-lives between the individual pigments were minor in an acetic acid-NaCl solution; however, in methanol, large differences in stability to light of the individual pigment were observed. Stability of all the pigments to light was several fold greater in methanol than in acid brine. In methanol sparged with air, stability to photooxidation was curcumin > demethoxycurcumin > bis-demethoxycurcumin. In methanol, curcumin was more stable than the other curcuminoids when sparged with air than when sparged with nitrogen. In methanol sparged with nitrogen, demethoxycurcumin was the most stable pigment. All of the pigments were stable in the dark.     

THE EFFECT OF LYSOZYME AND BUTYLATED HYDROXYANIZOLE ON SPOILAGE AND PATHOGENIC BACTERIA ASSOCIATED WITH FOODS

The effect of pH (5 to 7), NaCl concentration (0.5 to 5%) and chelating agents on the antibacterial activity of lysozyme and butylated hydroxyanizole (BHA) was investigated by the Spiral Gradient End Point test. Of all the bacteria tested (including 7 Gram-positive and 8 Gram-negative organisms), lysozyme was active only against Lactococcus lactis NCK 400. When EDTA was added, lysozyme was inhibitory for all of the Gram-positive and 4 of the Gram-negative species. Butylated hydroxyanizole was active against all the organisms tested, except for 2 pseudomonads, but these were inhibited when EDTA was added. The inhibition effected by lysozyme and BHA, both in the presence and absence of EDTA, was greatest at low pH and high NaCl concentrations. The inhibition by lysozyme was unaffected by other chelators (sodium citrate and monoglycerol citrate). However, sodium citrate promoted the inhibitory effect of BHA towards Gram-negative bacteria and monoglycerol citrate lowered the minimum inhibitory concentration required by BHA to inhibit 5 of the 7 Gram-positive bacteria by 10%.     

A system for the exposure of small laboratory animals to a 25-mT60-Hz alternating or traveling magnetic field

A versatile exposure system which can be used to investigate the effects of a 60-Hz alternating magnetic field or traveling magnetic field on small laboratory animals is described. Special attention was given to the design of the electric circuit to simplify the supply requirements and to keep the overall current to a minimum. A magnetic field having a flux density up to 30 mT (300 G) can be generated, and a traveling magnetic field is obtained by reconnecting the coils to a three-phase supply. The total magnetic field due to the currents in the three coils used in the exposure system is analyzed. A computer program was written to evaluate the magnetic field in the region where the animals are located. The difference observed between measured and computed values is attributed to the representation of the multiturn, multilayer coils by equivalent single-turn coils