Assay of aflatoxin in peanuts and peanut products using acetone-hexane-water for extraction

A quantitative method is described for the assay of aflatoxin in peanut products. The procedure involves extraction of aflatoxin from the sample with a homogeneous acetone-hexane-water solvent mixture followed by purification of the extract by phasic extraction of the aflatoxin with aqueous sodium chloride and then with chloroform. The purified chloroform extract is analyzed by thin-layer chromatography by comparison of the intensity of fluorescence of any aflatoxin with the intensity of a known standard. The aflatoxin analyses of peanuts were found to be very variable due to sampling, and this variability has been greatly reduced by finely grinding and thoroughly mixing 2 kg of the sample before removal of an aliquot for assay. The method is sensitive to approximately 2 parts per billion. Honorable mention, Bond Award competition. Presented at AOCS Meeting, Chicago, Illinois, October, 1964. So. Reg. Res. Lab., New Orleans, Louisiana, one of the laboratories of the So. Utiliz. Res. and Dev. Div., ARS, USDA.     

Dynamic tensile testing of fabric–cement composites

Dynamic tensile tests were conducted using a high speed servo-hydraulic testing machine on three types of fabric reinforced cement composites. The high speed testing procedure and data processing method are presented. Quasi-static tests were also conducted on the composites. Effects of strain rate on the mechanical properties of fabric–cement composites are noted. A good correlation was found between the properties of the fabrics and the composites, with the carbon fabric exhibiting the highest strength and ductility performance in high speed tensile tests. The differences in tensile behavior of the various composites were correlated with the differences in the role of the fabric materials. Composites tested under high speed loading exhibited different responses as compared to similar composites tested under quasi-static condition.     

Phenol and catechol biodegradation by the haloalkaliphile Halomonas campisalis: influence of pH and salinity

Removal of aromatic compounds from alkaline and/or saline industrial wastewater is an environmental concern for industry. In addition, aromatics may be accumulating in soda lakes, unique natural systems, where the fate and toxicity of these contaminants is unknown. To determine the feasibility of aromatic compound biodegradation in saline and alkaline conditions, the effect of pH and salinity on the biodegradation of phenol as a model aromatic waste compound by the haloalkaliphilic bacterium Halomonas campisalis was examined. Phenol was degraded as a source of carbon and energy at pH 8-11 and 0-150 g/L NaCl. Metabolic intermediates catechol, cis,cis-muconate, and (+)-muconolactone were identified, thus indicating that phenol was degraded via the beta-ketoadipate metabolic pathway. Although phenol and catechol were completely degraded in all cases, small amounts of cis,cis-muconate accumulated proportionally to increases in pH. There was no noticeable influence of salinity on cis,cis-muconate accumulation except at 0 g/L NaCl where it was completely degraded. These results indicate that it may be feasible to use haloalkaliphiles forthe treatment of aromatics present in saline and/or alkaline systems. This is the first report of phenol and catechol biodegradation under combined saline and alkaline conditions.     

Determination of aflatoxins in individual peanuts and peanut sections

Subsamples of a given lot of peanuts may vary greatly in aflatoxin content due to extreme variability in the degree of contamination of individual kernels. A micro method, adapted from the aqueous acetone procedure recently proposed by Pons and Goldblatt for the determination of aflatoxins in cottonseed products, was developed to permit accurate determination of aflatoxins in individual kernels and kernel sections. Use of this procedure permitted the topographic distribution of aflatoxins within single kernels to be mapped and indicated that the toxins are not uniformly distributed within contaminated kernels, even when the kernel contains a high level of aflatoxins. Although wrinkling or discoloration sometimes indicated that a kernel was contaminated, this type of physical damage was not found to be a reliable indication of aflatoxin content. Also it was noted that a few apparently sound and mature kernels contained high levels of aflatoxins. Presented at the AOCS Meeting, Houston, April 1965. Honorable Mention Bond Award Competition. So. Utiliz. Res. Dev. Div., ARS, USDA.     

Improved objective fluorodensitometric determination of aflatoxins in cottonseed products

Modifications in the extraction solvent, lead acetate, and silica gel extract purification steps, and the TLC development conditions of the aqueous acetone procedure of Pons et al. [JAOAC49, 554–562 (1966)] for the estimation of aflatoxins in cottonseed products, provides an improved method with essentially quantitative recovery of aflatoxins added to typical cottonseed materials. Both the accuracy and precision of aflatoxin estimates are significantly improved by the incorporation of an objective fluorodensitometric measurement of aflatoxins on TLC plates. Presented at Joint AOCS-AACC Meeting, Washington, D.C., March 31–April 4, 1968. So. Utiliz. Res. Dev. Div., ARS, USDA.     

Targeted Therapies for Brain Metastases from Breast Cancer

The discovery of various driver pathways and targeted small molecule agents/antibodies have revolutionized the management of metastatic breast cancer. Currently, the major targets of clinical utility in breast cancer include the human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) and epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) receptor, mechanistic target of rapamycin (mTOR) pathway, and the cyclin-dependent kinase 4/6 (CDK-4/6) pathway. Brain metastasis, however, remains a thorn in the flesh, leading to morbidity, neuro-cognitive decline, and interruptions in the management of systemic disease. Approximately 20%–30% of patients with metastatic breast cancer develop brain metastases. Surgery, whole brain radiation therapy, and stereotactic radiosurgery are the traditional treatment options for patients with brain metastases. The therapeutic paradigm is changing due to better understanding of the blood brain barrier and the advent of tyrosine kinase inhibitors and monoclonal antibodies. Several of these agents are in clinical practice and several others are in early stage clinical trials. In this article, we will review the common targetable pathways in the management of breast cancer patients with brain metastases, and the current state of the clinical development of drugs against these pathways.     

On the pH-Dependence of Greducing in the Radiation Chemistry of Aqueous Solutions

Alkaline N₂O-saturated solutions of 2-D-2-propanol and ferri-ferrocyanide mixtures were irradiated. The results indicate that G_red, which is the sum of G_eaq + G_H = 3.3, is pH-independent in the range 11 – 14. The results do not indicate that G_eaq and G_H are pH-dependent.     

Specification and Verification using Message Sequence Charts

Message sequence charts is a notation used in practice by protocol designers and system engineers. In this survey, some of the recent results related to this notation, in the context of specification and automatic verification of communication protocols, are presented.