Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The effects of Ag, Cu compositions and Zn doping on the electromigration performance of Pb-free solders

A systematic study of the effect of Ag, Cu and Zn alloying elements on the EM performance of Sn-rich Pb-free solder is reported. EM performance was found to strongly depend on the types of UBMs, alloying elements, compositions, and microstructures in solder. While leaded solders were found to be more robust than Pb-free solders, SnAg solders, in general, has better EM performance than SnCu solders. Greater than 1% Ag in SnAg solder is needed to stabilize the Sn grain microstructure and suppress the rapid diffusion process that drives early EM failures. Cu on top of Ni UBM improves the EM reliability. A minor amount of Zn doping in SnAg solder stabilizes both Ag3Sn and Cu6Sn5 IMC networks in the solder microstructure and slows down the EM process.
Primary Prevention of Osteoporosis: Mass Screening Scenario or Prescreening With Questionnaires? An Economic Perspective

This study focuses on the controversy surrounding selective approaches to screen for osteoporosis. Seven screening approaches were compared in terms of cost‐effectiveness and incremental cost‐effectiveness ratios in a sample of 4035 postmenopausal women. Our results show that certain prescreening strategies are more efficient than DXA‐based approaches. These results are of considerable value for health policy decision‐makers and the scientific community.
Social Media, Social Capital, and the Civic Participation of College Students

In recent years, social media technology has transformed the ways that Americans interact with each other. Social media usage is particularly high among young adults and college students (Lenhart et al., 2010), and recent research suggests that there is a relationship between social media usage and participation in civic and political activities (e.g., Fenton, 2011; Hampton et al. 2011). Recently, research has also examined the relationship between the Internet (and social media) and social capital (e.g., Shaw et al 2001; Ellison et al, 2007, Valenzuela et al., 2009). The research presented here assesses the extent to which students at a large, public, Midwestern university utilized social media during the 2010 midterm election year, the types of social media they preferred, their levels of social capital, and any impact these factors had on student political and community participation. With the exception of a weak, marginally significant association between Twitter usage and political participation, social media usage does not appear to be directly associated with traditional forms of student civic participation. However, we did find evidence of an indirect, mediated association between students’ social media usage and their civic participation. The importance of the Internet and social media for students appears to lie in its utility as an information gathering tool. Specifically, we found that students who used social media more frequently were more likely to access information about news online, which had a positive impact on levels of civic participation.
URINE, HAIR, AND NAILS AS INDICATORS FOR INGESTION OF URANIUM IN DRINKING WATER

The concentration of uranium in urine, hair, and nails due to continuous exposure through ingestion of drinking water was studied. The study population consisted of 205 individuals living in 134 different households in southern Finland where drinking water is supplied from private drilled wells. The population was selected to include a broad range of uranium daily intake from drinking water (0.03–2,775 &mgr;g d−1). The uranium content in drinking water, urine (overnight collection), hair and nails was determined by ICPMS. Uranium in urine was corrected for the matrix effects by use of thallium as an internal standard and adjusted by creatinine normalization. Hair and toenail samples were rinsed to remove external contamination prior to acid digestion and analysis. The uranium content in all excretion pathways was correlated with the uranium intake, particularly at elevated levels (≥10 &mgr;g d−1) where drinking water was the major source of exposure to uranium. The median of the individual uranium absorption factors for urine, hair, and toenails were fu = 0.003, fh = 0.003, and fn = 4 × 10−5, respectively. The association between the different bioassays was examined. The absorption factor, f1, was calculated for the population with an intake above 10 &mgr;g d−1 and was below 0.01 for 72% of the study persons (range 0.0002 to 0.070). No statistically significant difference in f1 values was found between women and men. However, the absorption factor was higher among younger (< 60 y) than older (≥60 y) subjects and among people with a lower exposure (below 100 &mgr;g d−1) than among those that ingest over 100 &mgr;g d−1.
Effect of speaker age on speech recognition and perceived listening effort in older adults with hearing loss.

PURPOSE Older adults exhibit difficulty understanding speech that has been experimentally degraded. Age-related changes to the speech mechanism lead to natural degradations in signal quality. We tested the hypothesis that older adults with hearing loss would exhibit declines in speech recognition when listening to the speech of older adults, compared with the speech of younger adults, and would report greater amounts of listening effort in this task. METHOD Nineteen individuals with age-related hearing loss completed speech recognition and listening effort scaling tasks. Both were conducted in quiet, when listening to high- and low-predictability phrases produced by younger and older speakers, respectively. RESULTS No significant difference in speech recognition existed when stimuli were derived from younger or older speakers. However, perceived effort was significantly higher when listening to speech from older adults, as compared with younger adults. CONCLUSIONS For older individuals with hearing loss, natural degradations in signal quality may require greater listening effort. However, they do not interfere with speech recognition-at least in quiet. Follow-up investigation of the effect of speaker age on speech recognition and listening effort under more challenging noise conditions appears warranted.
Financial Contagion Risk and the Stochastic Discount Factor

I provide evidence that financial contagion risk is an important source of the equity risk premium. Banks’ contributions to aggregate financial contagion are estimated in a state space framework and linked to systemic risk. Greater bank connectedness today leads to increased systemic risk 3–12 months later. More contagious banks earn significantly greater risk-adjusted returns than less contagious ones and the tradable high contagion-minus-low contagion bank portfolio is priced in the cross-section of stock returns. Stocks that co-move more strongly with contagious banks have greater expected returns. These results are robust to factor model specification, test assets, and time period considered.
IFN-α Production by Plasmacytoid Dendritic Cells Stimulated with RNA-Containing Immune Complexes Is Promoted by NK Cells via MIP-1β and LFA-1

Several systemic autoimmune diseases display a prominent IFN signature. This is caused by a continuous IFN-α production by plasmacytoid dendritic cells (pDCs), which are activated by immune complexes (ICs) containing nucleic acid. The IFN-α production by pDCs stimulated with RNA-containing IC (RNA-IC) consisting of anti-RNP autoantibodies and U1 small nuclear ribonucleoprotein particles was recently shown to be inhibited by monocytes, but enhanced by NK cells. The inhibitory effect of monocytes was mediated by TNF-α, PGE2, and reactive oxygen species, but the mechanisms for the NK cell-mediated increase in IFN-α production remained unclear. In this study, we investigated the mechanisms whereby NK cells increase the RNA-IC–induced IFN-α production by pDCs. Furthermore, NK cells from patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) were evaluated for their capacity to promote IFN-α production. We found that CD56dim NK cells could increase IFN-α production >1000-fold after RNA-IC activation, whereas CD56bright NK cells required costimulation by IL-12 and IL-18 to promote IFN-α production. NK cells produced MIP-1α, MIP-1β, RANTES, IFN-γ, and TNF-α via RNA-IC–mediated FcγRIIIA activation. The IFN-α production in pDCs was promoted by NK cells via MIP-1β secretion and LFA-mediated cell–cell contact. Moreover, NK cells from SLE patients displayed a reduced capacity to promote the RNA-IC–induced IFN-α production, which could be restored by exogenous IL-12 and IL-18. Thus, different molecular mechanisms can mediate the NK cell-dependent increase in IFN-α production by RNA-IC–stimulated pDCs, and our study suggests that the possibility to therapeutically target the NK–pDC axis in IFN-α–driven autoimmune diseases such as SLE should be investigated.
Oxidation of methane in the absence of oxygen in lake water samples

Methane was oxidized to carbon dioxide in the absence of oxygen by water samples from Lake Mendota, Madison, Wis. The anaerobic oxidation of methane did not result in the assimilation of carbon from methane into material precipitable by cold 10% trichloracetic acid. Only samples taken at the suface of the sediment of Lake Mendota were capable of catalyzine the anaerobic oxidation of methane. The rate of methane oxidation in the presence of oxygen was highest in samples taken from near the thermocline. Of the radioactive methane oxidized, 30 to 60% was assimilated into material precipitable by cold 10% trichloroacetic acid during aerobic incubation of the samples. These data support the conclusion that two distinct groups of methane-oxidizing organisms occur in stratifield lakes. Enrichments with acetate and methane as the sole sources of carbon and energy and sulfate as the electron acceptor resulted in the growth of bacteria that oxidize methane. Sulfate, acetate, and methane were all required for growth of enrichments. Acetate was not oxidized to carbon dioxide but was assimilated by cells. Methane was not assimilated but was oxidized to carbon dioxide in the absence of air.
Multiplex polymerase chain reaction assay for genotyping Clostridium perfringens.

OBJECTIVE To develop a multiplex polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay to detect the genes for the major toxins of Clostridium perfringens (cpa [alpha toxin], cpb [beta toxin], etx [epsilon toxin], iA [iota toxin], and cpe [enterotoxin]). SAMPLE POPULATION Cultures of C perfringens obtained from collections and diagnosticians throughout North America. PROCEDURE PCR primers were derived from published sequences of the genes for the major toxins (the "typing" toxins and enterotoxin). The concentration of each primer was titrated in a PCR assay to allow concurrent amplification of multiple target sequences, and other parameters of the assay were optimized (including concentrations of other reagents and times and temperatures for denaturation of template, annealing of primers, and primer extension). Specificity of the assay was measured by comparing genotype with phenotype (where it was known). RESULTS The genotype, determined by multiplex PCR assay, agreed with phenotype in 99% (86/87) of strains where phenotype had been determined. Applied to 361 isolates from domestic animals and human beings, 95% (n = 344) were type A, and 12.8% (n = 44) of these contained cpe. The remaining 5% (n = 17) of the isolates were type B (n = 1), type C (n = 11), type D (n = 2), or type E (n = 4). CONCLUSION AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE Previous studies have documented usefulness of PCR in genotyping C perfringens. The multiplex assay is as effective, but simpler, and may be a useful alternative to standard in vivo typing methods. Results of genotyping of field isolates suggested the need for further epidemiologic study of clostridial enteritis, particularly as this pertains to predominant etiologic toxin types, and documented the presence of the reportedly rare genotypes B and E.
Select Tissue Mineral Concentrations and Chronic Wasting Disease Status in Mule Deer from North-central Colorado

Trace mineral imbalances have been suggested as having a causative or contributory role in chronic wasting disease (CWD), a prion disease of several North American cervid species. To begin exploring relationships between tissue mineral concentrations and CWD in natural systems, we measured liver tissue concentrations of copper, manganese, and molybdenum in samples from 447 apparently healthy, adult (≥2 yr old) mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus) culled or vehicle killed from free-ranging populations in north-central Colorado, United States, where CWD occurs naturally; we also measured copper concentrations in brain-stem (medulla oblongata at the obex) tissue from 181 of these deer. Analyses revealed a wide range of concentrations of all three minerals among sampled deer (copper: 5.6–331 ppm in liver, 1.5–31.9 ppm in obex; manganese: 0.1–21.4 ppm in liver; molybdenum: 0.5–4.0 ppm in liver). Bayesian multiple regression analysis revealed a negative association between obex copper (−0.097; 95% credible interval −0.192 to −0.006) and the probability of sampled deer also being infected with CWD, as well as a positive association between liver manganese (0.158; 95% credible interval 0.066 to 0.253) and probability of infection. We could not discern whether the tendencies toward lower brain-stem copper concentrations or higher systemic manganese concentrations in infected deer preceded prion infection or rather were the result of infection and its subsequent effects, although the distribution of trace mineral concentrations in infected deer seemed more suggestive of the latter.
Long term outcomes in men screened for abdominal aortic aneurysm: prospective cohort study

Objective To determine whether there is a relation between aortic diameter and morbidity and mortality in men screened for abdominal aortic aneurysm. Design Prospective cohort study. Setting Highland and Western Isles (a large, sparsely populated area of Scotland). Participants 8146 men aged 65-74. Main outcome measures Morbidity and mortality in relation to presence of abdominal aortic aneurysm and three categories of aortic diameter (≤24 mm, 25-29 mm, and ≥30 mm). Results When screened, 414 men (5.1%) had an aneurysm (diameter ≥30 mm), 669 (8.2%) an aortic diameter of 25-29 mm, and 7063 (86.7%) an aortic diameter of ≤24 mm. The cohort was followed up for a median of 7.4 (interquartile range 6.9-8.2) years. Mortality was significantly associated with aortic diameter: 512 (7.2%) men in the ≤24 mm group died compared with 69 (10.3%) in the 25-29 mm group and 73 (17.6%) in the ≥30 mm group. The mortality risk in men with an aneurysm or with an aorta measuring 25-29 mm was significantly higher than in men with an aorta of ≤24 mm. The increased mortality risk in the 25-29 mm group was reduced when taking confounders such as smoking and known heart disease into account. After adjustment, compared with men with an aortic diameter of ≤24 mm, the risk of hospital admission for cardiovascular disease and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease was significantly higher in men with aneurysm and those with aortas measuring 25-29 mm. Men with an aneurysm also had an increased risk of hospital admission for cerebrovascular disease, atherosclerosis, peripheral arterial disease, and respiratory disease. In men with aortas measuring 25-29 mm, the risk of hospital admission with abdominal aortic aneurysm was significantly higher than in men with an aorta of ≤24 mm (adjusted hazard ratio 6.7, 99% confidence interval 3.4 to 13.2) and this increased risk became apparent two years after screening. Conclusions Men with abdominal aortic aneurysm and those with aortic diameters measuring 25-29 mm have an increased risk of mortality and subsequent hospital admissions compared with men with an aorta diameter of ≤24 mm. Consideration should be given to control of risk factors and to rescreening men with aortas measuring 25-29 mm at index scanning.
Early versus Late Parenteral Nutrition in Very Low Birthweight Neonates: A retrospective study from Oman.

OBJECTIVES The aim of this study was to compare the biochemical parameters, weight gain, osteopenia and phosphate supplementation in very low birth weight (VLBW) neonates receiving early versus late parenteral nutrition (EPN versus LPN). METHODS A RETROSPECTIVE STUDY WAS UNDERTAKEN IN THE LEVEL III NEONATAL INTENSIVE CARE UNIT AT SULTAN QABOOS UNIVERSITY HOSPITAL, OMAN: from January 2007 to October 2008 (LPN group, n = 47) and from January 2009 to June 2010 (EPN group, n = 44). Demographic data, anthropometric and laboratory parameters were extracted from the electronic record system. RESULTS The mean age of PN initiation was LPN = 47.3 hours versus EPN = 14.3 hours. Biochemical parameters analysed during the first week of life revealed a reduction in hypernatraemia (12.7% versus 6.8%) and non-oliguric hyperkalemia (12.7% versus 6.8%) in EPN, with no significant differences in acidosis and urea levels between the two groups. Hyperglycemia >12 mmol/L in <1000g was higher in EPN. Nutritional parameters in 81 babies who survived/stayed in the unit up to a corrected gestational age (CGA) of 34 weeks (40 in LPN and 41 in EPN), revealed a reduction in metabolic bone disease (osteopenia of prematurity [OOP], 17.5% versus 7.3%) and the need for phosphate supplementation (22.5% versus 7.3%) in the EPN group. There was no increase in acidosis or cholestasis. No difference was noted in albumin levels, time to full feeds, time to regain birthweight and mean weight gain per day till 34 weeks corrected CGA. CONCLUSION EPN in VLBW newborns is well tolerated and reduces hypernatraemia, non-oliguric hyperkalemia, OOP and the need for phosphate supplementation.
Output tracking of non input affine systems using extended Hammerstein models

Tracking is a very important issue for control and has received considerable treatment in the input affine framework. Unfortunately, many real systems exhibit a behavior which is clearly non input affine. To cope with this, an integral extension of the model can be used to produce an extended input affine system, hiding the input nonlinearity in the drift term of the new model. This approach, however, has several disadvantages. In this paper, we consider a different approach, motivated by physical considerations and practical experiences, which is based on the transformation or approximation of the original system by a cascade of a nonlinear non input affine map and a following input affine nonlinear system. As the paper shows, well known results of tracking control can be easily extended to this class yielding the solution of the original problem. Simulation results are presented to confirm the validity of the proposed techniques.
The media and the Prostitution Reform Act

This chapter examines the role of the media in the context of the implementation of the 2003 Prostitution Reform Act (PRA). It determines whether the media coverage of the PRA reinforced existing moral discourses of sex work or developed original ones within the new policy context. To determine the role played by the media, a content analysis of the print-media reporting on the PRA is provided. The chapter also explores messages communicated in and by the print media in New Zealand from 2003 to 2006. It furthermore employs a qualitative analysis of in-depth interviews with 58 sex workers concerning their media-coverage experiences. The main emphasis of the chapter is on the moral discourses of sex work, which dominated print media in spite of the media's attempts to maintain a neutral stand on prostitution. Reporting that focused on the morality of prostitution was particularly acknowledged by the sex workers, and was believed to be a tool for the reinforcement of the existing stigmatisation of sex work. Apart from highlighting the type of media reporting that reinforced stigmatisation, the chapter also highlights the manner in which sex workers resisted dominant discourses in their everyday practices.
Wage Inequalities and Firm-Specific Compensation Policies in France

This paper examines the evolution of the wage structure in France after 1984. Our data come from two matched employer-employee wage surveys performed in 1986 and 1992. So, we have two cross-sections of establishments and individuals. A subsample of establishments present in both surveys allows us to analyse time-variations. We find that the wage inequality increased between 1986 and 1992, which seems to be, in large part, explained by the evolution of employer-specific compensation policies. We analyse the role of employer characteristics in this evolution. We also show that between-plant specialization dramatically increased during the period in all dimensions. Finally, we observe that the evolutions of employer-specific wage policies are correlated with changes of the workforce in terms of experience and seniority.
MR Imaging of the Postoperative Meniscus: Repair, Resection, and Replacement

Meniscal surgery is one of the most common orthopedic procedures performed in clinical practice today. Increasing awareness of the importance of the meniscus in knee function and stability has resulted in abandonment of the once common complete meniscectomy in favor of meniscus-preserving surgeries and, in some circumstances, meniscal replacement. Although the accuracy of magnetic resonance imaging in the diagnosis of meniscal tears is well established, imaging of the postoperative meniscus has proved more challenging, with debate about the optimal imaging technique. This article discusses normal meniscal anatomy and biomechanics to serve as the background for understanding meniscal pathology and treatment. This is followed by a review of meniscal surgery, with emphasis placed on meniscal repair, partial meniscectomy, and meniscal transplantation. Finally, imaging modalities utilized in the assessment of the postoperative meniscus are reviewed, including their advantages and disadvantages.
Quality and Outcomes of Treatment of Hypercalcemia of Malignancy

Using a nationwide database, 4,874 patients with hypercalcemia of malignancy were identified. The in-hospital mortality rate was 6.8%. Overall, 1,971 (40.4%) patients received pamidronate and 1,399 (28.7%) received zoledronic acid during hospitalization. Calcitonin was utilized in 1,337 (27.4%) patients while glucocorticoids were administered to 1,311 (26.9%). Use of contraindicated medications was noted in 136 (2.8%) patients who received thiazide diuretics and 12 (0.2%) who received lithium. Tumor site, presence of bone metastases, and severity of illness were predictors of treatment. There was no association between treatment with bisphosphonates, calcitonin, or glucocorticoids and morbidity or mortality.
NOVEL COOPERATION EXPERIMENTALLY EVOLVED BETWEEN SPECIES

Cooperation violates the view of “nature red in tooth and claw” that prevails in our understanding of evolution, yet examples of cooperation abound. Most work has focused on maintenance of cooperation within a single species through mechanisms such as kin selection. The factors necessary for the evolutionary origin of aiding unrelated individuals such as members of another species have not been experimentally tested. Here, I demonstrate that cooperation between species can be evolved in the laboratory if (1) there is preexisting reciprocation or feedback for cooperation, and (2) reciprocation is preferentially received by cooperative genotypes. I used a two species system involving Salmonella enterica ser. Typhimurium and an Escherichia coli mutant unable to synthesize an essential amino acid. In lactose media Salmonella consumes metabolic waste from E. coli, thus creating a mechanism of reciprocation for cooperation. Growth in a spatially structured environment assured that the benefits of cooperation were preferentially received by cooperative genotypes. Salmonella evolved to aid E. coli by excreting a costly amino acid, however this novel cooperation disappeared if the waste consumption or spatial structure were removed. This study builds on previous work to demonstrate an experimental origin of interspecific cooperation, and to test the factors necessary for such interactions to arise.