A new species of Hysterothylacium (Ascaridoidea, Anisakidae) parasitic in Zenopsis conchifer (Zeiformes, Zeidae) from Argentinean waters

A new species of parasitic nematode, Hysterothylacium spirale sp. nov. (Ascaridoidea, Anisakidae), is described based on specimens collected from the intestine and pyloric caeca of the silvery john dory Zenopsis conchifer (Lowe) (Zeiformes, Zeidae), from the Argentinean Shelf (35°05´-40°46´S, 53°03´-58°07´W). Among the 66 valid species described so far in the genus, the new species most closely resembles H. zenis (Baylis, 1929). Both species, apparently specific for fishes of the family Zeidae, share the shape of the dorsal lip, the long expanded lateral alae originating from subventral interlabia and the ornamentation of the tail tip, as well as general morphometry. The combination of these shared features distinguishes both species from all congeners so far known. However, the new species is distinguishable from H. zenis by having shorter interlabia, and consequently the lateral alae originating more posteriorly, shorter spicules, a smaller number of postcloacal papillae and the presence of two pairs of double postcloacal papillae.Fil: Rossin, Maria Alejandra. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Mar del Plata. Instituto de Investigaciones Marinas y Costeras. Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Instituto de Investigaciones Marinas y Costeras; ArgentinaFil: Datri, Luciana L.. Instituto Nacional de Investigaciones y Desarrollo Pesquero; ArgentinaFil: Incorvaia, Inés Silvia. Instituto Nacional de Investigaciones y Desarrollo Pesquero; ArgentinaFil: Timi, Juan Tomas. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Mar del Plata. Instituto de Investigaciones Marinas y Costeras. Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Instituto de Investigaciones Marinas y Costeras; Argentin

Misuse and Artifact in Factor Analytic Research

The theory of factor analysis has been developed for incorporating mathematical　statistical theories such as the maximum likelihood method and asymptotic methods. However, there have been several instances of misuse while employing procedures for factor analysis studies. In several studies, factor analysis has been performed by deleting items exhibiting the ceiling effect or floor effect. The number of samples required for factor analysis is not well known. Kaiser-Guttman criterion cannot be applied for determining the number of factors. Furthermore, various studies have employed Scree Graphs and Parallel Analysis for the said purpose, but no definitive method exists for the same. Orthogonal rotation methods such as Varimax cannot be considered as a conclusive solution. However, Geomin has been considered as a better rotation method not only for simple structure but also for more complex factor configuration. Simple structure and bifactor structure are discussed in connection to factor rotation problem. Although there are various artifacts associated with the usage of factor analysis, this issue can be addressed by verifying factorial invariance through multi-group simultaneous analysis incorporated by SEM programs such as Mplus and R Package.因子分析の理論は、最尤法と漸近的方法のような数理統計学的理論を組み込んだ形で発展してきた。しかしながら、因子分析研究の手順にはまだ誤用がみられる。いくつかの研究において、天井効果や床効果を示す項目を削除して因子分析が行われている。因子分析に必要なサンプル数は明確ではない。因子の数を決定するためにKaiser-Guttman 基準は使うことはできない。そして、この目的でScree Graph とParallel Analysis を使用している研究は数多くあるが、そのための決定的な方法はない。Varimax のような直交回転は最終的な解と考えることはできない。しかしながら、Geomin は単純構造だけでなくより複雑な因子の布置に対しても優れた回転方法と考えられている。因子回転問題を考慮した単純構造とbifactor 構造について議論した。因子分析の使い方には多くのartifacts があるが、この問題は、Mplus やR Package などのSEMプログラムによって組み込まれた複数集団の同時分析によって因子的不変性を検証することによって対処することができる

Tetrazine-Triggered Release of Carboxylic-Acid-Containing Molecules for Activation of an Anti-inflammatory Drug.

In addition to its use for the study of biomolecules in living systems, bioorthogonal chemistry has emerged as a promising strategy to enable protein or drug activation in a spatially and temporally controlled manner. This study demonstrates the application of a bioorthogonal inverse electron-demand Diels-Alder (iEDDA) reaction to cleave trans-cyclooctene (TCO) and vinyl protecting groups from carboxylic acid-containing molecules. The tetrazine-mediated decaging reaction proceeded under biocompatible conditions with fast reaction kinetics (<2 min). The anti-inflammatory activity of ketoprofen was successfully reinstated after decaging of the nontoxic TCOprodrug in live macrophages. Overall, this work expands the scope of functional groups and the application of decaging reactions to a new class of drugs

Chemical functionalization of carbon nanomaterials: Bridging the gap between simple carriers and smart (metalfree) catalysts

© 2017 Swiss Chemical Society. The last few years have witnessed a wonderful technological renaissance that boosted the development of carbon-based nanomaterials (CNMs) doped with light heteroelements and featuring hierarchical porous architectures as valuable metal-free catalysts for a number of key industrial transformations. To date, several approaches to their synthesis have been developed, although many of them lack any real control of the final doping and composition. In contrast, chemical functionalization offers a unique and powerful tool to tailor CNMs' chemical and electronic surface properties as a function of their downstream application in catalysis. Different catalytic processes (hydrolysis/esterification/transesterification reactions, C-C bond forming reactions, CO2 derivatization into products of added value and electrochemical oxygen reduction reactions (ORR)) can be conveniently promoted by these materials. In addition, selected examples from this series offer a valuable platform for the in-depth comprehension of the underlying reaction mechanisms. This perspective article offers an overview on the main examples of ad hoc chemically decorated CNMs successfully exploited as metal-free catalysts, highlighting at the same time the importance of the surface chemistry control for the design of more active, metal-free and single-phase heterogeneous catalysts

Metal-Organic Frameworks as Heterogeneous Catalysts in Hydrogen Production from Lightweight Inorganic Hydrides

© 2017 American Chemical Society. Ammonia-borane (NH 3 ·BH 3 , AB), hydrazine (NH 2 NH 2 ), lithium borohydride (Li(BH 4 )), and sodium alanate (Na(AlH 4 )) are popular chemical hydrogen storage inorganic solid materials featuring high gravimetric hydrogen contents (H wt %) and remarkable stability under ambient conditions. Ultrapure H 2 is formed from these compounds either via pyrolysis (i.e., a simple material heating) or via hydrolysis (chemical reaction with water). In both cases, a series of homogeneous and heterogeneous catalysts have been designed to assist the process. Among the latter, metal-organic frameworks (MOFs, crystalline 3D porous lattices made of metallic nodes and organic polytopic linkers) have rapidly emerged as versatile candidates for this role. The nanoconfinement of lightweight hydrides in MOFs produces a "hydride@MOF" composite material. Hydride coordination to MOF exposed metal sites or its reaction with functional groups on the organic linkers facilitates the thermal decomposition, lowering the hydrogen release temperature and increasing the hydrogen production rate. For hydrolysis, MOFs are used as templates for the preparation of metal(0) nanoparticles (NPs) uniformly distributed in their inner cavities through a preliminary impregnation with a solution containing a metal salt followed by reduction. The "NPs@MOF" are the real active species that catalyze the reaction between the hydride and water, with concomitant H 2 evolution. This perspective highlights the most representative literature examples of MOFs as heterogeneous catalysts (or catalyst supports) for H 2 production from inorganic lightweight hydrides. Future trends in the field will also be discussed. (Figure Presented)

A Thermo-Hydraulic Tool for Automatic Virtual Hazop Evaluation

Abstract Development of complex lubrication systems in the Oil&Gas industry has reached high levels of competitiveness in terms of requested performances and reliability. In particular, the use of HazOp (acronym of Hazard and Operability) analysis represents a decisive factor to evaluate safety and reliability of plants. The HazOp analysis is a structured and systematic examination of a planned or existing operation in order to identify and evaluate problems that may represent risks to personnel or equipment. In particular, P&ID schemes (acronym of Piping and Instrument Diagram according to regulation in force ISO 14617) are used to evaluate the design of the plant in order to increase its safety and reliability in different operating conditions. The use of a simulation tool can drastically increase speed, efficiency and reliability of the design process. In this work, a tool, called TTH lib (acronym of Transient Thermal Hydraulic Library) for the 1-D simulation of thermal hydraulic plants is presented. The proposed tool is applied to the analysis of safety relevant components of compressor and pumping units, such as lubrication circuits. Opposed to the known commercial products, TTH lib has been customized in order to ease simulation of complex interactions with digital logic components and plant controllers including their sensors and measurement systems. In particular, the proposed tool is optimized for fixed step execution and fast prototyping of Real Time code both for testing and production purposes. TTH lib can be used as a standard SimScape-Simulink library of components optimized and specifically designed in accordance with the P&ID definitions. Finally, an automatic code generation procedure has been developed, so TTH simulation models can be directly assembled from the P&ID schemes and technical documentation including detailed informations of sensor and measurement system

Survey of variation in human transcription factors reveals prevalent DNA binding changes

Published in final edited form as: Science. 2016 Mar 25; 351(6280): 1450–1454. Published online 2016 Mar 24. doi: 10.1126/science.aad2257Sequencing of exomes and genomes has revealed abundant genetic variation affecting the coding sequences of human transcription factors (TFs), but the consequences of such variation remain largely unexplored. We developed a computational, structure-based approach to evaluate TF variants for their impact on DNA binding activity and used universal protein-binding microarrays to assay sequence-specific DNA binding activity across 41 reference and 117 variant alleles found in individuals of diverse ancestries and families with Mendelian diseases. We found 77 variants in 28 genes that affect DNA binding affinity or specificity and identified thousands of rare alleles likely to alter the DNA binding activity of human sequence-specific TFs. Our results suggest that most individuals have unique repertoires of TF DNA binding activities, which may contribute to phenotypic variation.National Institutes of Health; NHGRI R01 HG003985; P50 HG004233; A*STAR National Science Scholarship; National Science Foundatio