Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Numerical Analysis of the Reliability of Cu/low-k Bond Pad Interconnections Under Wire Pull Test: Application of a 3D Energy Based Failure Criterion

Due to size reduction in die manufacturing and introduction of brittle dielectric materials, crack related failures occur currently, mainly in interconnect levels. By means of Finite Element (FE) simulations, an energy based failure criterion named Nodal Release Energy (NRE) Method, inspired by the so-called Area Release Energy (ARE) one developed by Philips Applied Technologies, is used to numerically predict the mechanical related failures. More precisely, the failure index is applied to investigate wire bonding induced peeling. In this paper, the NRE method is presented and its added value to forecast delamination failures in a typical microelectronics stack is demonstrated. The NRE method is related to fracture mechanics and founded on propagation approach. Two FE calculations are used to evaluate the energy quantity: an uncracked and cracked one. In the latter model, a virtual crack is inserted. Aiming to compare the NRE values with known physical quantities experimentally measured such as critical adhesion energy, a relation bridging the gap from NRE to the Energy Release Rate is given. This relation is based on the crack extension method and relates to Griffith theory. The accuracy of the NRE method is investigated through comparisons with 2D and 3D analytical cases. Results show that the method provides a good approximation. The NRE behaviour with respect to key numerical parameters will be studied. At last, a typical bond pad structure under a wire pull test is simulated. Both stress and energy based analyses are carried out. The critical interface is investigated with both post processing methods. Results based on the energy criterion show that delamination interface is in agreement with experimental observations, in contrast to stress based values. However, it is also shown that simulation results can depend on the prescribed crack length, suggesting a accurate definition of the cracked model. The main assumptions done in this study are discussed, trying to define the associated uncertainties, particularly residual stress and crack morphology features. Finally, the added insights provided by NRE method and its ability to help in design and process development for advanced IC technologies are demonstrated.
Behaviorally Measuring Mindfulness: Evaluating Effort as an Index of Emotional Acceptance

Mindfulness has received an increasingly large amount of attention in academic research. While the benefits of mindfulness are often cited, certain methodological issues significantly limit interpretation across findings. Here, we seek to address this concern through the development of a behavioral measure of emotional acceptance (i.e., a fundamental component of mindfulness). Drawing on behavioral economics, we attempt to develop a measure of emotion regulation choice behavior called the Willingness to Experience Task (WILTEX) in which participants make a series of binary choices between accepting emotion or engaging it with an alternative strategy. Across 5 studies, we demonstrate that individuals are no less likely to avoid emotional acceptance than they are to avoid other emotion regulation strategies. Implications for conceptualizing and measuring mindfulness are discussed. iii Table of
Development and Validation of a Self-Report Measure of Mentalizing: The Reflective Functioning Questionnaire

Reflective functioning or mentalizing is the capacity to interpret both the self and others in terms of internal mental states such as feelings, wishes, goals, desires, and attitudes. This paper is part of a series of papers outlining the development and psychometric features of a new self-report measure, the Reflective Functioning Questionnaire (RFQ), designed to provide an easy to administer self-report measure of mentalizing. We describe the development and initial validation of the RFQ in three studies. Study 1 focuses on the development of the RFQ, its factor structure and construct validity in a sample of patients with Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) and Eating Disorder (ED) (n = 108) and normal controls (n = 295). Study 2 aims to replicate these findings in a fresh sample of 129 patients with personality disorder and 281 normal controls. Study 3 addresses the relationship between the RFQ, parental reflective functioning and infant attachment status as assessed with the Strange Situation Procedure (SSP) in a sample of 136 community mothers and their infants. In both Study 1 and 2, confirmatory factor analyses yielded two factors assessing Certainty (RFQ_C) and Uncertainty (RFQ_U) about the mental states of self and others. These two factors were relatively distinct, invariant across clinical and non-clinical samples, had satisfactory internal consistency and test–retest stability, and were largely unrelated to demographic features. The scales discriminated between patients and controls, and were significantly and in theoretically predicted ways correlated with measures of empathy, mindfulness and perspective-taking, and with both self-reported and clinician-reported measures of borderline personality features and other indices of maladaptive personality functioning. Furthermore, the RFQ scales were associated with levels of parental reflective functioning, which in turn predicted infant attachment status in the SSP. Overall, this study lends preliminary support for the RFQ as a screening measure of reflective functioning. Further research is needed, however, to investigate in more detail the psychometric qualities of the RFQ.
The challenges and potential of end-user gesture customization

The vast majority of work on understanding and supporting the gesture creation process has focused on professional designers. In contrast, gesture customization by end users' - which may offer better memorability, efficiency and accessibility than pre-defined gestures - has received little attention. To understand the end-user gesture creation process, we conducted a study where 20 participants were asked to: (1) exhaustively create new gestures for an open-ended use case; (2) exhaustively create new gestures for 12 specific use cases; (3) judge the saliency of different touchscreen gesture features. Our findings showed that even when asked to create novel gestures, participants tended to focus on the familiar. Misconceptions about the gesture recognizer's abilities were also evident, and in some cases constrained the range of gestures that participants created. Finally, as a calibration point for future research, we used a simple gesture recognizer ($N) to analyze recognition accuracy of the participants' custom gesture sets: accuracy was 68-88% on average, depending on the amount of training and the customization scenario. We conclude with implications for the design of a mixed-initiative approach to support custom gesture creation.
Impact of Student-Led Instruction vs. Professor-Led Instruction on Course Performance and Student Perceptions of Learning

This study examines the difference in student performance when exposed to either student-led or professor-led instruction on Faith and Work topics, and whether the difference in instruction method has an impact on student beliefs about their learning and their perceptions about student-led instruction. Quiz scores and post-course survey results indicate that there was no difference in student performance based on instruction method, but student perceptions about learning varied. The results suggest that the process of creating student presentations positively influences learning, but that learning content from peers is not viewed as having a positive impact on learning.
Alexithymia, reward sensitivity and risky drinking: the role of internal drinking motives

Abstract Two personality dimensions, alexithymia and reward sensitivity, are known risk factors for problematic alcohol consumption. Internal or mood-change motives of drinking to cope with negative mood, as well as drinking to enhance positive mood (“get high”), have also been implicated as risk factors. The present study sought to determine whether the association between alexithymia and risky drinking is mediated by the motive of drinking to cope with negative mood, and whether the association between reward sensitivity and risky drinking is mediated by the motive of drinking to enhance positive mood. Social drinkers aged 18–45 years were recruited from an Australian university and the local community, with the final sample consisting of 155 participants (80 females, 75 males). They completed an online questionnaire battery that included the Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS-20), Depression Anxiety Stress Scales 21 (DASS-21), Drinking Motives Questionnaire – Revised (DMQ-R), Sensitivity to Punishment and Sensitivity to Reward Questionnaire (SPSRQ), and Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT). The positive relationship between TAS-20 alexithymia and AUDIT index of risky drinking was mediated by coping motives for drinking, with the relationship of TAS-20 to the latter mediated by negative mood as indexed by DASS-21. Further, the positive relationship between SPSRQ sensitivity to reward scores and AUDIT was mediated by enhancement motives for drinking. Although results were obtained in a non-clinical sample, they are consistent with the differential drinking motives said to characterize Type I versus Type II alcoholism and suggest distinct trajectories from inherent personality traits to problematic drinking.
Central Memory CD4+ T Cells Are Responsible for the Recombinant Bacillus Calmette-Guérin ΔureC::hly Vaccine's Superior Protection Against Tuberculosis

Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) has been used for vaccination against tuberculosis for nearly a century. Here, we analyze immunity induced by a live tuberculosis vaccine candidate, recombinant BCG ΔureC::hly vaccine (rBCG), with proven preclinical and clinical safety and immunogenicity. We pursue in-depth analysis of the endogenous mycobacteria-specific CD4+ T-cell population, comparing the more efficacious rBCG with canonical BCG to determine which T-cell memory responses are prerequisites for superior protection against tuberculosis. rBCG induced higher numbers and proportions of antigen-specific memory CD4+ T cells than BCG, with a CXCR5+CCR7+ phenotype and low expression of the effector transcription factors T-bet and Bcl-6. We found that the superior protection of rBCG, compared with BCG, correlated with higher proportions and numbers of these central memory T cells and of T follicular helper cells associated with specific antibody responses. Adoptive transfer of mycobacteria-specific central memory T cells validated their critical role in protection against pulmonary tuberculosis.
Cryopreserved Reticulocytes Derived from Hematopoietic Stem Cells Can Be Invaded by Cryopreserved Plasmodium vivax Isolates

The development of a system for the continuous culture of Plasmodium vivax in vitro would benefit from the use of reticulocytes derived from differentiated hematopoietic stem cells (HCS). At present, the need to use both fresh reticulocytes and fresh P. vivax isolates represents a major obstacle towards this goal, particularly for laboratories located in non-endemic countries. Here, we describe a new method for the cryopreservation of HSC-derived reticulocytes to be used for both P. falciparum and P. vivax invasion tests. Cryopreserved P. falciparum and P. vivax isolates could invade both fresh and cryopreserved HSC-derived reticulocytes with similar efficiency. This new technique allows the storage of HSC-derived reticulocytes which can be used for later invasion tests and represents an important step towards the establishment of a continuous P. vivax culture.
Monetary policy analysis in an inflation targeting framework in emerging economies: The case of India

Monetary policy in India has moved towards an increasingly flexible exchange rate regime without any explicit framework for an alternative nominal anchor. The failure of monetary policy to anchor inflationary expectations of agents, coupled with negative supply shocks has kept inflation above the acceptable range of 5-5.5 percent for last five years in India. In this paper we present a model for policy analysis for India that provides insights in the setting of an inflation targeting framework to anchor inflationary expectations. The model offers an understanding of the extent to which various shocks, including the post-global crisis fiscal stimulus, accommodative monetary policy and ensuing decline in global demand, explain growth and inflation in India.
Prevalence of missing and impacted third molars in adults aged 25 years and above

Purpose The purpose of this study was to determine the prevalence of missing and impacted third molars in people aged 25 years and above. Materials and Methods The study sample of 3,799 patients was chosen randomly from patients who visited Pusan National University Dental Hospital and had panoramic radiographs taken. The data collected included presence and impaction state, angulation, and depth of impaction of third molars, and radiographically detected lesions of third molars and adjacent second molars. Results A greater percentage of men than women retained at least one third molar. The incidence of third molars decreased with increasing age. The incidence of partially impacted third molars greatly declined after the age of 30. Vertically impacted maxillary third molars and horizontally impacted mandibular third molars were most frequent in all age groups. Among the maxillary third molars, those impacted below the cervical line of the second molar were most frequent in all age groups, and among the mandibular third molars, deeply impacted third molars were most frequent in those aged over 40. Dental caries was the most common radiographic lesion of the third molars. Mesioangularly impacted third molars showed radiographic lesions in 13 (9.5%) adjacent maxillary second molars and 117 (27.4%) mandibular second molars. Conclusion The number of remaining third molars decreased and the percentage of Class C depth increased with age. Caries was the most frequent lesion in third molars. Partially impacted mesioangular third molars showed a high incidence of caries or periodontal bone loss of the adjacent second molar. Regular oral examination will be essential to keep asymptomatic third molars in good health.
Simple analytical model for entire turbulent boundary layer over flat plane: from viscous and mixing layers to turbulent logarithmic region

We discuss a simple analytical model of the turbulent boundary layer (TBL) over flat plane. The model offers an analytical description of the profiles of mean velocity and turbulent activity in the entire boundary region, from the viscous sub-layer, through the buffer layer further into the log-law turbulent region. In contrast to various existing interpolation formulas the model allows one to generalize the description of simple TBL of a Newtonian fluid for more complicated flows of turbulent suspensions laden with heavy particles, bubbles, long-chain polymers, to include the gravity acceleration, etc.
Romantic attachment and mate retention behavior: The mediating role of perceived risk of partner infidelity

Previous research indicates that the romantic attachment dimensions of anxiety and avoidance are associated with performance frequency of Benefit-Provisioning and Cost-Inflicting domains of mate retention. The current research aimed to replicate previous findings in a non-Western sample (Iran, Study 1) and to extend this research by investigating the mediating role of perceived risk of partner infidelity (Study 2). Studies 1 and 2 tested the hypotheses that attachment anxiety is positively associated with mate retention and that attachment avoidance is negatively associated with mate retention. Study 2 tested the hypothesis perceived risk of partner infidelity mediate the association between attachment dimensions and mate retention domains. Results of Studies 1 and 2 replicated previous research and also revealed that perceived risk of partner infidelity mediated the association between attachment anxiety, specifically, and mate retention. The current research advances our understanding of romantic attachment from an evolutionary psychological perspective.
IIB nine-branes

We calculate the tensions of all half-supersymmetric nine-branes in IIB string theory. In particular, we point out the existence of a solitonic IIB nine-brane. We find that the D9-brane and its duality transformations parametrize a two-dimensional surface in a four-dimensional space.
A simple method to estimate threshold friction velocity of wind erosion in the field

This study provides a fast and easy‐to‐apply method to estimate threshold friction velocity (TFV) of wind erosion in the field. Wind tunnel experiments and a variety of ground measurements including air gun, pocket penetrometer, torvane, and roughness chain were conducted in Moab, Utah and cross‐validated in the Mojave Desert, California. Patterns between TFV and ground measurements were examined to identify the optimum method for estimating TFV. The results show that TFVs were best predicted using the air gun and penetrometer measurements in the Moab sites. This empirical method, however, systematically underestimated TFVs in the Mojave Desert sites. Further analysis showed that TFVs in the Mojave sites can be satisfactorily estimated with a correction for rock cover, which is presumably the main cause of the underestimation of TFVs. The proposed method may be also applied to estimate TFVs in environments where other non‐erodible elements such as postharvest residuals are found.
The 24 h pattern of arterial pressure in mice is determined mainly by heart rate‐driven variation in cardiac output

Few studies have systematically investigated whether daily patterns of arterial blood pressure over 24 h are mediated by changes in cardiac output, peripheral resistance, or both. Understanding the hemodynamic mechanisms that determine the 24 h patterns of blood pressure may lead to a better understanding of how such patterns become disturbed in hypertension and influence risk for cardiovascular events. In conscious, unrestrained C57BL/6J mice, we investigated whether the 24 h pattern of arterial blood pressure is determined by variation in cardiac output, systemic vascular resistance, or both and also whether variations in cardiac output are mediated by variations in heart rate and or stroke volume. As expected, arterial pressure and locomotor activity were significantly (P < 0.05) higher during the nighttime period compared with the daytime period when mice are typically sleeping (+12.5 ± 1.0 mmHg, [13%] and +7.7 ± 1.3 activity counts, [254%], respectively). The higher arterial pressure during the nighttime period was mediated by higher cardiac output (+2.6 ± 0.3 mL/min, [26%], P < 0.05) in association with lower peripheral resistance (−1.5 ± 0.3 mmHg/mL/min, [−13%] P < 0.05). The increased cardiac output during the nighttime was mainly mediated by increased heart rate (+80.0 ± 16.5 beats/min, [18%] P < 0.05), as stroke volume increased minimally at night (+1.6 ± 0.5 μL per beat, [6%] P < 0.05). These results indicate that in C57BL/6J mice, the 24 h pattern of blood pressure is hemodynamically mediated primarily by the 24 h pattern of cardiac output which is almost entirely determined by the 24 h pattern of heart rate. These findings suggest that the differences in blood pressure between nighttime and daytime are mainly driven by differences in heart rate which are strongly correlated with differences in locomotor activity.
Should the Cost-of-living Index Provide the Conceptual Framework for a Consumer Price Index?

In some countries, the cost-of-living (COL) index serves as the conceptual framework for the CPI, but it has been rejected in others. This paper reviews issues that have arisen in the statistical agency debate and in the economics literature on the COL index, including rhetorical matters which have influenced the debate. I contend that COL theory is useful as a decision-making framework in estimating components of the CPI, and that COL index theory provides appropriate guidance for measuring consumer inflation, contrary to the view that has been adopted for the European HICP and expressed by an advisory committee for the RPI.
Twitter Sentiment Analysis Applied to Finance: A Case Study in the Retail Industry

This paper presents a financial analysis over Twitter sentiment analytics extracted from listed retail brands. We investigate whether there is statistically-significant information between the Twitter sentiment and volume, and stock returns and volatility. Traditional newswires are also considered as a proxy for the market sentiment for comparative purpose. The results suggest that social media is indeed a valuable source in the analysis of the financial dynamics in the retail sector even when compared to mainstream news such as the Wall Street Journal and Dow Jones Newswires.
Strong Non-Interference and Type-Directed Higher-Order Masking

Differential power analysis (DPA) is a side-channel attack in which an adversary retrieves cryptographic material by measuring and analyzing the power consumption of the device on which the cryptographic algorithm under attack executes. An effective countermeasure against DPA is to mask secrets by probabilistically encoding them over a set of shares, and to run masked algorithms that compute on these encodings. Masked algorithms are often expected to provide, at least, a certain level of probing security. Leveraging the deep connections between probabilistic information flow and probing security, we develop a precise, scalable, and fully automated methodology to verify the probing security of masked algorithms, and generate them from unprotected descriptions of the algorithm. Our methodology relies on several contributions of independent interest, including a stronger notion of probing security that supports compositional reasoning, and a type system for enforcing an expressive class of probing policies. Finally, we validate our methodology on examples that go significantly beyond the state-of-the-art.