Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Reliability assessment using modified energy based model for WLCSP solder joints

The reliability life assessment of electronic packages is a key issue to ensure the mass production quality of packaging components. To meet the time-to-market and long term reliability requirements, using finite element to predict a precise life cycle of solder joints becomes the main trend of electronic packaging product development. Thermal cycling test is a standard test and has been widely used for testing long term reliability of packaging components, however, many cases shown the ramp rate will affect the reliability life of solder joint, therefore, the strain rate and creep effect should take into account for life prediction in finite element simulation. Our previous results found the life prediction is not accurate enough when using Darveaux energy based model for solder joint's life prediction. In this research, based on the optimal mesh size, we modify the energy based model to a simplified form based on our wafer level chip-scale packaging (WLCSP) study results, and this modified empirical solution can provide a better reliability life prediction than conventional energy based model. If the dwell time and ramp rate are fixed, the effect of time dependent creep behavior become inconspicuous. Based on our optimal mesh size, Coffin-Manson strain based model can also predict a precise lifetime and even with less computing time.
Is proprioception important for the timing of motor activities?

This study tested whether a deafferented patient demonstrates impaired timing ability compared with four control subjects. By comparing normal subjects with the deafferented patient, some insight was expected on the importance of proprioception in timing of motor behavior. The protocol was set to enhance the strategy of the subjects in using feedbacks. Subjects had to synchronize finger taps with a sound produced at regular intervals. Once synchronized, the bips were muted and the subjects had to continue the tapping at the same pace. Interresponse interval (IRI) variability was measured under two feedback conditions: with and without vision and auditory feedback. The Wing and Kristofferson model (A.M. Wing and A.B. Kristofferson. Percept. Psychophys. 13(3): 455-460, 1973) was used to segment IRI variance into separate components: a central clock and a peripheral motor delay. When the deafferented patient saw and heard the outcome of her tapping movements, there was a greater variability in successive intervals between taps than when vison and hearing were blocked. We interpret this variability as indicating that the subject used auditory and visual feedback to maintain a correct overall rhythm. The patient may easily substitute visual and (or) auditory feedback for her defective proprioception for movement timing. However, this substitution proved to be inefficient in the limited training period provided in this experiment. The results suggest that the proprioceptive contribution to the time-keeping mechanism presumably depends on the presence of an efference copy signal.
Intake of fruits and vegetables and risk of breast cancer: a pooled analysis of cohort studies.

CONTEXT Some epidemiologic studies suggest that elevated fruit and vegetable consumption is associated with a reduced risk of breast cancer. However, most have been case-control studies in which recall and selection bias may influence the results. Additionally, publication bias may have influenced the literature on associations for specific fruit and vegetable subgroups. OBJECTIVE To examine the association between breast cancer and total and specific fruit and vegetable group intakes using standardized exposure definitions. DATA SOURCES/STUDY SELECTION Eight prospective studies that had at least 200 incident breast cancer cases, assessed usual dietary intake, and completed a validation study of the diet assessment method or a closely related instrument were included in these analyses. DATA EXTRACTION Using the primary data from each of the studies, we calculated study-specific relative risks (RRs) that were combined using a random-effects model. DATA SYNTHESIS The studies included 7377 incident invasive breast cancer cases occurring among 351 825 women whose diet was analyzed at baseline. For comparisons of the highest vs lowest quartiles of intake, weak, nonsignificant associations were observed for total fruits (pooled multivariate RR, 0.93; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.86-1.00; P for trend =.08), total vegetables (RR, 0.96; 95% CI, 0.89-1.04; P for trend =.54), and total fruits and vegetables (RR, 0.93; 95% CI, 0.86-1.00; P for trend =.12). No additional benefit was apparent in comparisons of the highest and lowest deciles of intake. No associations were observed for green leafy vegetables, 8 botanical groups, and 17 specific fruits and vegetables. CONCLUSION These results suggest that fruit and vegetable consumption during adulthood is not significantly associated with reduced breast cancer risk.
Lipopolysaccharide-Binding Protein- and CD14-Dependent Activation of Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase p38 by Lipopolysaccharide in Human Neutrophils Is Associated with Priming of Respiratory Burst

ABSTRACT Neutrophil (PMN) functions can be primed for greatly increased oxidative radical release by exposure to certain agents such as lipopolysaccharide (LPS). Although a variety of signaling pathways involving both tyrosine kinases and mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinases may be operative, the mechanisms of PMN priming are still not understood. We found that PMN priming was not achieved by treatment of cells with a very low concentration (5 ng/ml) of LPS unless additional “helper” factors were present in plasma (5%). Under these conditions, LPS induced tyrosine phosphorylation of a 38-kDa protein, which was coincident with the MAP kinase p38 action in this situation. LPS-mediated activation of p38 in human PMNs was dependent on the presence of LPS binding protein from plasma and CD14 on the surfaces of the cells. Phosphorylation of p38 was highly correlated with LPS priming of a formyl-methionyl-leucyl-phenylalanine (fMLP)-stimulated PMN respiratory burst. Treatment of PMN with the p38-specific inhibitor SB203580 significantly attenuated the respiratory burst in cells primed by LPS and stimulated by fMLP. These results suggest that the LPS signaling pathway leading to p38 activation may be an important mechanism in regulation of PMN priming. The mediator(s) linking CD14 to p38 involves proteins that are functionally sensitive to genistein but insensitive to tyrphostin AG126 and to Src- and Syk-family kinase, protein kinase C, and phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase inhibitors. Elucidating this pathway will provide insight into possible regulation of PMN priming by LPS.
Agency for International Development.

I am pleased to inform you that the Secretary-General of the UN Conference on the Application of Science and Technology for the Benefit of Less Developed Areas has advised us that~our abstract has been acce ted b the UN. One hundred fifty-three abstracts were accepted from the United States and the UN Secretariat has informed us that they were quite impressed by the generally high quality of the U. S. submission.
The anti-inflammatory effect of bradykinin preconditioning in coronary artery bypass grafting (bradykinin and preconditioning)

Objective. The present study was designed to investigate the cardioprotective effect of exogenous administration of bradykinin (BK) in cardiac surgery. Methods. Forty-one patients who were scheduled for isolated coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) were randomized into Control group and BK group. BK patients received 25 µg bradykinin infusion for 7 minutes before the cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB). Release of cardiac specific troponin I (TnI) and creatine kinase cardiac isoenzyme (CK-MB) was recorded. Perioperative circulating cytokine interleukin (IL)-6, 8 and 10 were measured. Results. There was no significant difference in TnI between groups. However, BK patients released significantly less CK-MB than the controls (p =0.043). Systemic plasma levels of IL-6, IL-8 and IL-10 increased significantly after reperfusion in both groups as compared with baseline (p <0.05). The ratio of IL-8 to IL-10 was significantly lower in BK groups than in controls (p =0.03). Conclusions. We conclude that exogenous administration of BK prior to CPB in CABG patients attenuates ischemic myocardial injury. It also shifts the circulating inflammatory cytokine balance towards the anti-inflammatory direction.
ASIC design of low-power reconfigurable FFT processor

An improved ASIC design of a low-power reconfigurable FFT processor for handling high speed digital signal is proposed. Radix 2-4-4-8-8 pipeline structure is chosen to achieve low complexity of hardware and high reconfigurable flexibility. The improved data access makes pipeline architecture be reconfigured as 64,128,256,512,1024 or 2048 points computation. By optimizing the pipeline of complex multiplication and power consumption, the method based on CORDIC algorithm are adopted to achieve a low-power FFT processor and results in a substantial savings in hardware resources and the amount of delay elements. The ASIC design is synthesized, placed and routed using Synopsys with SMIC CMOS 0.18 mum library. Compared to other designs, this design succeeds in arriving at the goal of high speed, low power and reconfigurablility.
Statin Use and Calcific Uremic Arteriolopathy: A Matched Case-Control Study

Background: Calcific uremic arteriolopathy (CUA), also known as calciphylaxis, is characterized by vascular calcification, thrombosis and intense inflammation. Prior research has shown that statins have anticalcification, antithrombotic and antiinflammatory properties; however, the association between statin use and CUA has not been investigated. Methods: This matched case-control study included 62 adult maintenance hemodialysis (HD) patients with biopsy-confirmed CUA diagnosed between the years 2002 and 2011 (cases). All cases were hospitalized at the time of diagnosis. Controls (n = 124) were hospitalized maintenance HD patients without CUA (matched to cases by gender and timing of hospitalization). Univariate and multivariable logistic regression models were applied to compute odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) for CUA in statin users, and also to examine previously described associations. -Results: The mean age of cases was 58 years. Most were females (68%), and of white race (64%). Statin use was more common in controls than in cases (39 vs. 19%, p < 0.01). Statin use was associated with lower odds of CUA in unadjusted (OR 0.38, 95% CI 0.18-0.79) and adjusted (OR 0.20, 95% CI 0.05-0.88) analyses. Hypercalcemia (OR 2.25, 95% CI 1.14-4.43), hypoalbuminemia (OR 5.73, 95% CI 2.79-11.77), calcitriol use (OR 5.69, 95% CI 1.02-31.77) and warfarin use (OR 4.30, 95% CI 1.57-11.74) were positively associated with CUA in adjusted analyses whereas paricalcitol and doxercalciferol were not (OR 1.33, 95% CI 0.54-3.27). Conclusion: Statin use may be negatively associated with odds of CUA. Further large prospective studies with attention to potential confounders are needed to confirm these findings.
Correlations among heavy metals in blood and urine and their relations to depressive symptoms in Parkinson's disease patients.

OBJECTIVES From our previous results, manganese (Mn) and iron (Fe) in the blood of Parkinson's disease (PD) patients without depression were higher than those of both the PD patients with depression and controls, the hypothesis that "two types of PD exist-PD without depression and affected by Mn and Fe, and PD with depression and unaffected by Mn or Fe" was induced. To investigate the hypothesis, correlations among blood and urine metals were compared in the subjects. METHODS Subjects comprised PD patients with depression, PD patients without depression and controls recruited from an outpatient clinic in China. Morning blood and urine samples were used to measure concentrations of metals. RESULTS In the controls, Mn, Fe and zinc (Zn) levels in blood strongly correlated with each other. The correlation coefficient between Mn and Zn in blood was significant in the PD patients with depression and the controls, but not in the PD patients without depression. Correlations of Fe between blood and urine in the PD patients without depression were significant, but not in the PD patients with depression and the controls. CONCLUSIONS A common route of simultaneous intake of Mn, Fe and Zn could exist in our subjects, however in PD patients without depression, a large intake of Mn may have been from another route. Some results of the PD patients without depression were different from those of the PD patients with depression and the controls. Thus, two types of PD may exist.
Cyclic AMP‐dependent Cl− secretion induced by thromboxane A2 in isolated human colon

Increased release of thromboxane A2 (TXA2) has been shown to be involved in inflammatory bowel diseases. In the present study, we have investigated the effect of a stable TXA2 analogue (STA2) on the electrical parameters in isolated human colonic mucosa. In the human mucosa set between Ussing chambers, STA2 stimulated Cl− secretion in a concentration‐dependent manner with an EC50 of 0.06 μm. The STA2‐induced Cl− secretion was significantly inhibited by ONO‐3708 (10 μm), a specific TXA2 receptor antagonist. The effect of STA2 (0.3 μm) was independent of the colonic segment from which the tissue was obtained, from caecum to rectum. Chromanol 293B, an inhibitor of the cAMP‐dependent KvLQT1 channel, attenuated the STA2‐induced Cl− secretion in the human colonic mucosa (IC50 value 1.18 μm). We found that KvLQT1 mRNA and protein were expressed in all the tested segments of the human colon. The STA2‐induced Cl− secretion was significantly inhibited by 8‐bromo‐2′‐monobutyryladenosine‐3′,5′‐cyclic monophosphorothioate (50 μm), a membrane‐permeant cAMP antagonist. STA2 (0.3 μm) significantly increased the intracellular cAMP levels and the short‐circuit current via TXA2 receptor in a human colonic cell line. These results suggest that the TXA2‐induced Cl− secretion in the colon is mediated via the cAMP pathway in addition to the Ca2+–calmodulin pathway which was previously reported.
Antiretroviral regimens for treatment-experienced patients with HIV-1 infection

Background: A significant number of treatment-experienced patients with HIV-1 infection develop drug-resistant virus. Objective: To define strategies for managing the antiretroviral-experienced patient and summarize current data with commonly used drugs for this population. Methods: This review incorporated data from most recent antiretroviral treatment guidelines, published papers on related topics, and peer-reviewed publications or presentations at research meetings on the safety and efficacy of agents commonly used in this patient population. Results/conclusion: The patient experiencing virologic failure on treatment must be evaluated for their ability to adhere with therapy and to define the number of available active drugs. A viable regimen should include at least two fully active agents, with the goal being to achieve complete virologic suppression.
A Maize Homologue of the Bacterial CMP-3-Deoxy-d-manno-2-octulosonate (KDO) Synthetases

The eight-carbon acid sugar 3-deoxy-d-manno-2-octulosonate (KDO) is an essential component of Gram-negative bacterial cell walls and capsular polysaccharides. KDO is incorporated into these polymers as CMP-KDO, which is produced in an unusual activation step catalyzed by the enzyme CMP-KDO synthetase. CMP-KDO synthetase activity has traditionally been considered exclusive to Gram-negative bacteria. CMP-KDO synthetase inhibitors attract great interest owing to their potential as selective bactericides. The sugar KDO is also a component of the rhamnogalacturonan II pectin fraction of the primary cell walls of most higher plants and of the cell wall polysaccharides of some green algae. However, the metabolic pathway leading to its incorporation into the plant cell wall is unknown. This paper describes the isolation and characterization of a maize gene, which codes for a protein very similar in sequence and activity to prokaryotic CMP-KDO synthetases. Remarkably, the maize gene can complement a CMP-KDO synthetase (kdsB) Salmonella typhimurium mutant defective in cell wall synthesis. ZmCKS activity is novel in eukaryotes. The evolutionary origin of ZmCKS is discussed in relation to the high degree of conservation between the plant and bacterial genes and its atypical codon usage in maize.
Impact of the rippling of a perpendicular shock front on ion dynamics

[1] Both hybrid/full particle simulations and recent experimental results have clearly evidenced that the front of a supercritical quasi-perpendicular shock can be rippled. Recent two-dimensional simulations have focused on two different types of shock front rippling: (1) one characterized by a small spatial scale along the front is supported by lower hybrid wave activity, (2) the other characterized by a large spatial scale along the front is supported by the emission of large amplitude nonlinear whistler waves. These two rippled shock fronts are self-consistently observed when the static magnetic field is perpendicular to (so called “B0-OUT” case) or within (so called “B0-IN” case) the simulation plane, respectively. On the other hand, several studies have been made on the reflection and energization of incoming ions with a shock but most have been restricted to a one dimensional shock profile only (no rippling effects). Herein, two-dimensional test particle simulations based on strictly perpendicular shock profiles chosen at a fixed time in two-dimensional Particle-in-cell (PIC) simulations, are performed in order to investigate the impact of the shock front ripples on incident ion (H+) dynamics. The acceleration mechanisms and energy spectra of the test-ions (described by shell distributions with different initial kinetic energy) interacting with a rippled shock front are analyzed in detail. Both “B0-OUT” and “B0-IN” cases are considered separately; in each case, y-averaged (front rippling excluded) and non-averaged (front rippling included) profiles will be analyzed. Present results show that: (1) the incident ions suffer both shock drift acceleration (SDA) and shock surfing acceleration (SSA) mechanisms. Moreover, a striking feature is that SSA ions not only are identified at the ramp but also within the foot which confirms previous 1-D simulation results; (2) the percentage of SSA ions increases with initial kinetic energy, a feature which persists well with a rippled shock front; (3) furthermore, the ripples increase the porosity of the shock front, and more directly transmitted (DT) ions are produced; these strongly affect the relative percentage of the different identified classes of ions (SSA, SDA and DT ions), their average kinetic energy and their relative contribution to the resulting downstream energy spectra; (4) one key impact of the ripples is a strong diffusion of ions (in particular through the frontiers of their injection angle domains and in phase space which are blurred out) which leads to a mixing of the different ion classes. This diffusion increases with the size of the spatial scale of the front ripples; (5) through this diffusion, an ion belonging to a given category (SSA, SDA, or DT) in y-averaged case changes class in non-averaged case without one-to-one correspondence.
Identification of a Terminal Rhamnopyranosyltransferase (RptA) Involved in Corynebacterium glutamicum Cell Wall Biosynthesis

ABSTRACT A bioinformatics approach identified a putative integral membrane protein, NCgl0543, in Corynebacterium glutamicum, with 13 predicted transmembrane domains and a glycosyltransferase motif (RXXDE), features that are common to the glycosyltransferase C superfamily of glycosyltransferases. The deletion of C. glutamicum NCgl0543 resulted in a viable mutant. Further glycosyl linkage analyses of the mycolyl-arabinogalactan-peptidoglycan complex revealed a reduction of terminal rhamnopyranosyl-linked residues and, as a result, a corresponding loss of branched 2,5-linked arabinofuranosyl residues, which was fully restored upon the complementation of the deletion mutant by NCgl0543. As a result, we have now termed this previously uncharacterized open reading frame, rhamnopyranosyltransferase A (rptA). Furthermore, an analysis of base-stable extractable lipids from C. glutamicum revealed the presence of decaprenyl-monophosphorylrhamnose, a putative substrate for the cognate cell wall transferase.
Incidence of Metabolic Syndrome in a Cohort of HIV-Infected Adults and Prevalence Relative to the US Population (National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey)

Background:Metabolic syndrome increases the risk of cardiovascular outcomes and type II diabetes. Most of the metabolic abnormalities defining metabolic syndrome are observed in HIV. Objective:To determine the incidence and risk factors for metabolic syndrome in HIV-infected adults in the Nutrition for Healthy Living (NFHL) study (2000-2003) and prevalence relative to the findings of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) (1999-2002). Methods:Metabolic syndrome is ≥3 of the following: hypertriglyceridemia, low high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, hypertension, abdominal obesity, and high serum glucose. The baseline prevalence of metabolic syndrome in the NFHL study (n = 477) was compared to that in the NHANES (n = 1876), adjusted for age, race, gender, poverty, exercise, and diet. Results:Almost one quarter of NFHL subjects had metabolic syndrome. Most with metabolic syndrome (77%) had low HDL and hypertriglyceridemia plus ≥1 additional abnormality. The prevalence of metabolic syndrome was significantly lower in HAART and non-HAART users compared with NHANES participants unadjusted for body mass index (BMI). After adjustment for BMI, it was no longer significant but the trend remained. The incidence of metabolic syndrome in the NFHL study was higher with increasing viral load, higher BMI, higher trunk-to-limb fat ratio, and Kaletra (lopinavir/ritonavir) or didanosine (ddI) use and lower among college-educated persons. Conclusions:Metabolic syndrome is mostly diagnosed through low HDL and high triglycerides in HIV. The risk of developing the syndrome is related to HIV, specific medications, and body fat.
Implant surgery and oral anticoagulant therapy: case report.

OBJECTIVES This work aims to assess the risks both thromboembolic that bleeding of a management protocol "non-conservative" in patients on oral anticoagulant therapy (OAT) to be undergoing implant surgery. MATERIALS AND METHODS We decided to take a surgical "non-conservative" protocol, to insert four implants in the aesthetic zone, without using flapless surgery and the surgical template. In accordance with the hematologist, the value of INR is lowered and warfarin was replaced with heparin low molecular weight, to have a better coagulation's control. RESULTS The modern guidelines impose a protocol of conservative management in patients with OAT, with minimally invasive surgery, flapless, and use of surgical template to reduce the risk of uncontrolled bleeding. This, thanks to the team-work between dentist and hematologist, thanks to careful adjustment of INR and the use of local haemostatic agents, were not encountered any problems with bleeding or intra or postoperative. CONCLUSION Surgical treatment of patients with OAT is a real problem for the oral surgeon, to treat every time in association with the hematologist. Applying this type of surgical procedure, different from today's guidelines, in our experience there were no post-operative complications (bleeding or bleeding); osseointegration has not been compromised and the prosthetic rehabilitation was completed successfully.