A theorem on the order of automorphisms of finite p-groups

N. Blackburn proved the following: Let G be a finite p-group and let E be a subgroup which is abelian of exponent at most p^n \u3e 2 and is maximal subject to these restrictions. Let a be an automorphism of G which leaves each element of E invariant. Then the order of a is a power of p. This paper is concerned with presenting a detailed proof of this result by Blackburn. Supporting lemmas nad definitions are included in this paper. Results by W. Feit, J. Thompson and B. Huppert are presented as immediate consequences of Blackburn\u27s theorem

Method and System for Diagnosis of \u3cem\u3eLawsonia Intracellularis\u3c/em\u3e

A method, system, and kit are provided for diagnosing L. intracellularis infection or exposure in a subject. The method includes purifying whole L. intracellularis from host cells and host debris produced in or on a suitable medium and adhering the purified whole L. intracellularis on a suitable material to form an antigen substrate for determining whether a subject produces L. intracellularis-specific antibodies against the antigen to thereby indicate L. intracellularis exposure or infection in the subject. The kit includes purified whole L. intracellularis produced from host cells and host debris adhered to a suitable material to form an antigen substrate adapted for screening serum from a subject. A method for diagnosing L. intracellularis exposure or infection in a subject includes acquiring a serum sample from a subject, introducing the serum sample to an antigen substrate followed by detecting a presence of L. intracellularis-specific antibodies in the serum

Oxidative Stress-Induced JNK/AP-1 Signaling is a Major Pathway Involved in Selective Apoptosis of Myelodysplastic Syndrome Cells by Withaferin-A

Myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) are a diverse group of malignant clonal hematopoietic stem cell disorders characterized by ineffective hematopoiesis, dysplastic cell morphology in one or more hematopoietic lineages, and a risk of progression to acute myeloid leukemia (AML). Approximately 50% of MDS patients respond to current FDA-approved drug therapies but a majority of responders relapse within 2-3 years. There is therefore a compelling need to identify potential new therapies for MDS treatment. We utilized the MDS-L cell line to investigate the anticancer potential and mechanisms of action of a plant-derived compound, Withaferin A (WFA), in MDS. WFA was potently cytotoxic to MDS-L cells but had no significant effect on the viability of normal human primary bone marrow cells. WFA also significantly reduced engraftment of MDS-L cells in a xenotransplantation model. Through transcriptome analysis, we identified reactive oxygen species (ROS)-activated JNK/AP-1 signaling as a major pathway mediating apoptosis of MDS-L cells by WFA. We conclude that the molecular mechanism mediating selective cytotoxicity of WFA on MDS-L cells is strongly associated with induction of ROS. Therefore, pharmacologic manipulation of redox biology could be exploited as a selective therapeutic target in MDS

6-Shogaol reduced chronic inflammatory response in the knees of rats treated with complete Freund's adjuvant

BACKGROUND: 6-Shogaol is one of the major compounds in the ginger rhizome that may contribute to its anti-inflammatory properties. Confirmation of this contribution was sought in this study in Sprague- Dawley rats (200–250 g) treated with a single injection (0.5 ml of 1 mg/ml) of a commercial preparation of complete Freund's Adjuvant (CFA) to induce monoarthritis in the right knee over a period of 28 days. During this development of arthritis, each rat received a daily oral dose of either peanut oil (0.2 ml-control) or 6-shogaol (6.2 mg/Kg in 0.2 ml peanut oil). RESULTS: Within 2 days of CFA injection, the control group produced maximum edematous swelling of the knee that was sustained up to the end of the investigation period. But, in the 6-shogaol treated group, significantly lower magnitudes of unsustained swelling of the knees (from 5.1 ± 0.2 mm to 1.0 ± 0.2 mm, p < 0.002, n = 6) were produced during the investigation period. Unsustained swelling of the knees (from 3.2 ± 0.6 mm to 0.8 ± 1.1 mm, p < 0.00008, n = 6) was also produced after 3 days of treatment with indomethacin (2 mg/Kg/day) as a standard anti-inflammatory drug, but during the first 2 days of drug treatment swelling of the knees was significantly larger (11.6 ± 2.0 mm, p < 0.0002, n = 6) than either the controls or the 6-shogaol treated group of rats. This exaggerated effect in the early stage of indomethacin treatment was inhibited by montelukast, a cysteinyl leukotriene receptor antagonist. Also, 6-shogaol and indomethacin were most effective in reducing swelling of the knees on day 28 when the controls still had maximum swelling. The effect of 6-shogaol compared to the controls was associated with significantly lower concentration of soluble vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (VCAM-1) in the blood and infiltration of leukocytes, including lymphocytes and monocytes/macrophages, into the synovial cavity of the knee. There was also preservation of the morphological integrity of the cartilage lining the femur compared to damage to this tissue in the peanut oil treated control group of rats. CONCLUSION: From these results, it is concluded that 6-shogaol reduced the inflammatory response and protected the femoral cartilage from damage produced in a CFA monoarthritic model of the knee joint of rats

Antivenoms for the treatment of snakebite envenomings: The road ahead

The parenteral administration of antivenoms is the cornerstone of snakebite envenoming therapy. Efforts are made to ensure that antivenoms of adequate efficacy and safety are available world-wide. We address the main issues to be considered for the development and manufacture of improved antivenoms. Those include: (a) A knowledge-based composition design of venom mixtures used for immunization, based on biochemical, immunological, toxicological, taxonomic, clinical and epidemiological data; (b) a careful selection and adequate management of animals used for immunization; (c) well-designed immunization protocols; (d) sound innovations in plasma fractionation protocols to improve recovery, tolerability and stability of antivenoms; (e) the use of recombinant toxins as immunogens to generate antivenoms and the synthesis of engineered antibodies to substitute for animal-derived antivenoms; (f) scientific studies of the contribution of existing manufacturing steps to the inactivation or removal of viruses and other zoonotic pathogens; (g) the introduction of novel quality control tests; (h) the development of in vitro assays in substitution of in vivo tests to assess antivenom potency; and (i) scientifically-sound pre-clinical and clinical assessments of antivenoms. These tasks demand cooperative efforts at all main stages of antivenom development and production, and need concerted international partnerships between key stakeholders.Universidad de Costa Rica//UCR/Costa RicaInternational Foundation for Science//IFS/SueciaCiencia y Tecnología para el Desarrollo//CYTED/EspañaConsejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas//CRUSA-CSIC/EspañaUCR::Vicerrectoría de Investigación::Unidades de Investigación::Ciencias de la Salud::Instituto Clodomiro Picado (ICP

Language Sample Length Effects on Various Lexical Diversity Measures: An Analysis of Spanish Language Samples from Children

Purpose: various studies have assessed whether lexical diversity in language samples is a useful clinical tool for assessing language abilities. However, not all studies used the same measure of lexical diversity indices or sample demographic. Therefore it is unclear which lexical diversity indices work best when analyzing Spanish language samples. The current study aimed to compare validity evidence for five lexical diversity measures based on Spanish language samples. Specifically it assessed how changes in language-sample length influenced each measure. The most accurate lexical diversity measures were expected to yield similar estimates for a given child across language samples that differed in length. Method: sixty monolingual Spanish-speaking children from Mexico participated in the study. The five lexical diversity measures evaluated included TTR, MATTR, MTLD, HDD, and Maas. Each lexical diversity measure was estimated at language-sample lengths of 50, 100 and 200 words for each child to assess whether the estimates changed across different lengths. The coding program R was used to truncate the language samples and estimate the lexical diversity indices. To determine whether variation in language-sample length yielded differences in lexical diversity estimates, we analyzed scores from each index using a repeated measure ANOVA with three levels (50 Words, 100 Words, and 200 Words). Results: results suggested that Maas and MTLD were the most effective measures of lexical diversity in the Spanish language, followed by HDD. The least effective measures were MATTR and TTR

Cría de larvas "Rhinchophorum palmarum L." (Curculionidae), sobre substrato de "Saccharum officinarum L"

A día de hoy en el Ecuador, se sigue practicando la ingesta del picudo de la palmera Rhynchoporus palmarum L. en estado de larva. Su consumo se encontraba localizado principalmente en la amazonia pero a día de hoy ya existe una demanda considerable,forma de cultivo ancestral ha sido sustentable hasta hoy en día para cubrir las necesidades de los nativos, pero que si se quiere satisfacer a todo el país, la demanda será superior y conllevará problemas ambientales debido a la alteración que se produce en el ecosistema amazónico para la obtención de estas. Objetivo general 1. Establecer el comportamiento productivo de las larvas de Rhynchophorus palmarum L criadas en un substrato de Saccharum officinarum L.Calatayud Blasco, S. (2012). Cría de larvas "Rhinchophorum palmarum L." (Curculionidae), sobre substrato de "Saccharum officinarum L". Universitat Politècnica de València. http://hdl.handle.net/10251/27637Archivo delegad