Cyclophosphamide, methotrexate, and chronic oral tegafur modulated by folinic acid in the treatment of patients with advanced breast carcinoma

BACKGROUND/AIMS/METHODS: The distribution characteristics of a human colon carcinoma cell line, KM12-HX cells, were examined. After intraportal vein (i.p.v.) or intravenous (i.v.) injection into rats, almost all the injected tumor cells are distributed to liver or lung, respectively, both after 30 s and 30 min. Our previous kinetic analysis of the fate of tumor cells revealed that the cumulative amount of tumor cells distributed in the liver is a factor determining the degree of metastasis. Thus, we examined the mechanism of initial efficient trapping of tumor cells by the liver in more detail. RESULTS: Thirty minutes after tumor cells were injected into the left ventricle of the heart, the distribution of tumor cells was more restricted in several tissues (kidney, small intestine, large intestine and spleen), as compared with the distribution of microspheres undergoing 100% extraction, indicating that the first-pass extraction of KM12-HX cells is incomplete in these organs. The hepatic first-pass distribution of these tumor cells was unaffected by pretreatment of liposomes, such that the preinjected amount was sufficient to saturate the phagocytotic function of macrophages. Thus, the mechanism of initial distribution of the tumor cells to the liver is different from the mechanism of liposome uptake by macrophages. Considering that the diameter of microvessels in sinusoid and KM12-HX cells is approximately 7 and 12 microm, respectively, it is possible that these tumor cells are trapped physically in hepatic microvessels. In fact, after i.p.v. injection of microspheres 5 microm in diameter, only 20% of the dose was distributed to liver and the rest to other tissues. In contrast, almost 100% of microspheres 10 microm in diameter were distributed to the liver. CONCLUSIONS: These results support the hypothesis that the initial organ distribution of blood-borne tumor cells is determined by mechanical and physical properties of the cells.     

Assessment of mammography spectra using compton spectrometry techniques

The quality control of mammography units is necessary to reduce the dose imparted to women as much as possible. An accurate characterisation of the primary X-ray spectra is very useful for this purpose. Primary spectra can be obtained using Compton spectrometry techniques. In this work, a commercial spectrometer used to characterise a mammography X-ray tube has been simulated using the Monte Carlo method by means of the MCNP code. Using the developed model, a Response matrix is obtained. Owing to the fact that this matrix is ill-conditioned, the inversion is not a simple process. This problem has been solved using the truncated singular value decomposition method. Results obtained when this methodology was applied have been compared with theoretical X-ray spectra.     

Preservation of the endogenous antioxidant system of fish muscle by grape polyphenols during frozen storage

The capacity of a phenolic extract, OW, obtained from grape (Vitis vinifera) by-products, and of a purified fraction of procyanidins from OW, fraction IV, for preservation of endogenous antioxidants of fatty fish was investigated during frozen storage. They were used in muscle concentrations of 0.01% (w/w). Grape polyphenols were compared with propyl gallate, a synthetic antioxidant. The exogenous compounds were added to minced mackerel (Scomber scombrus) muscle and horse mackerel (Trauchurus trauchurus) fillets, before freezing at –10 °C. The results demonstrated that grape polyphenols and propyl gallate inhibit the depletion of endogenous -tocopherol, ubiquinone-10 and total glutathione. Grape polyphenols and propyl gallate showed similar efficiency for preservation of ubiquinone, in both minced and filleted muscle, and total glutathione, in minced muscle. Total glutathione in the fillets was better maintained by propyl gallate than grape polyphenols. The endogenous antioxidant more efficiently preserved by grape polyphenols and propyl gallate was -tocopherol. Its loss elapsed faster in the order control> OW>fraction IV>propyl gallate. The depletion of -tocopherol was highly correlated with the evolution of lipid oxidation. The development of lipid oxidation was repressed, while the concentration of -tocopherol was not reduced up to critical levels.     

Experimental study of precipitating systems; computerised analysis of the optical transmittance and associated noise

The change of the transmittance in a precipitant system has been measured by using a focused laser beam into a precipitation cell in which the precipitate was generated by an injection technique. We have monitored the evolution of the transmittance on several precipitation processes with different chemicals (PbI2, PbSO4, BaSO4 and BaC2O4) and quantities of precipitated mass (20.0, 17.5, 15.0, 12.5 and 10.0 mg). The noise associated to the transmittance signal has been obtained by a numerical procedure based on computer analysis, finding that it provides information about particle shape features and nucleation kinetics.     

GeoPGD: methodology for the design and development of geolocated pervasive games

Universal Access in the Information Society - The field of design and development of games that integrate virtual aspects in a real environment has grown in recent years. An example of such games...     

Fast monitoring of species-specific peptide biomarkers using high-intensity-focused-ultrasound-assisted tryptic digestion and selected MS/MS ion monitoring

A new strategy for the fast monitoring of peptide biomarkers is described. It is based on the use of accelerated in-solution trypsin digestions under an ultrasonic field provided by high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) and the monitoring of several peptides by selected MS/MS ion monitoring in a linear ion trap mass spectrometer. The performance of the method was established for the unequivocal identification of all commercial fish species belonging to the Merlucciidae family. Using a particular combination of only 11 peptides, resulting from the HIFU-assisted tryptic digestion of the thermostable proteins parvalbumins, the workflow allowed the unequivocal identification of these closely related fish species in any seafood product, including processed and precooked products, in less than 2 h. The present strategy constitutes the fastest method for peptide biomarker monitoring. Its application for food quality control provides to the authorities an effective and rapid method of food authentication and traceability to guarantee the quality and safety to the consumers.     

Effects of different sources of fat (calcium soap of palm oil vs. extruded linseed) in lactating ewes' diet on the fatty acid profile of their suckling lambs

The main objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of supplementing lactating ewe diets with extruded linseed on the fatty acid (FA) composition of intramuscular and subcutaneous fat depots of suckling lambs. Twenty-four pregnant Churra ewes were divided into two groups based on the milk production, age, body weight and parity, and assigned to one of two treatments. Each ewe of the Control treatment was supplemented with 70 g/day of FAs from a calcium soap of palm oil, while the other treatment group (Lin) was supplemented with 128 g/day of extruded linseed. All lambs were reared exclusively on milk and were slaughtered when they reached 11 kg live weight. FA profiles of ewe milk, lamb meat and subcutaneous adipose tissue were determined by GC. Lamb performance was not affected by the treatments. Muscle fat and adipose tissue from the Lin treatment showed higher proportions of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA). The percentages of α-linolenic (C18:3 n − 3), docosahexaenoic (C22:6 n − 3), vaccenic (trans-11 C18:1) and rumenic (cis-9, trans-11 C18:2) acids in both fat depots were higher in Lin than in Control suckling lambs. Furthermore, meat fat from Lin carcasses displayed a lower n − 6/n − 3 ratio than Control samples. Intramuscular depots clearly showed a greater content of PUFA, including cis-9, trans-11 C18:2, and a lower n − 6/n − 3 ratio than subcutaneous fat. The results from this study demonstrate that dietary extruded linseed supplementation of lactating ewes enhances the nutritional quality of suckling lamb fat depots such as intramuscular and subcutaneous fats.     

Environmental risk index: A tool to assess the safety of dams for leachate

Dams for leachate store very toxic substances that contain a large amount of organic material and, probably, heavy metals; they therefore constitute an important threat to the environment. Existing models of environmental risk assessment for landfills do not take into consideration the specific risk that leachate dams may represent for the environment. In this paper a methodology to improve the environmental safety is presented according to the parameters used in their construction and management. In order to do that, the following characteristics of the dam must be known: (1) geotechnical stability, (2) erosion of downstream slope, (3) type of sealing of the dam, (4) overtopping probability, (5) volume of leachate stored inside the dam and (6) pollution load of leachate. Once these parameters have been calculated, they are transformed by means of rating curves into homogeneous units, so as to make it possible to operate between them. From the study and analysis of these parameters an environmental risk index for a dam for leachate can be calculated. If the environmental risk index exceeds an established value then it involves a dam for leachate with high environmental risk, therefore preventive measures in its design, construction and management would be necessary.