Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Harmonic and Random Vibration Durability of SAC305 and Sn37Pb Solder Alloys

In this paper, durability tests were conducted on both SAC305 and Sn37Pb solder interconnects using both harmonic and random vibration. The test specimens consist of daisy-chained printed wiring boards (PWBs) with several different surface-mount component styles. Modal testing was first conducted on a test PWB to determine the natural frequencies and mode shapes. The PWB was then subjected to narrow-band excitation at its first natural frequency. Electrical continuity of the daisy-chain nets was monitored to measure the time-to-failure (and hence cycles-to-failure) of the interconnects. The response history of the PWB was recorded with strain gages located near the components of interest. Finite element analysis (FEA) was conducted for each component type, to estimate the transfer function between the flexural strain of the PWB and the strain in the critical solder joint. The predicted strain transfer function was then combined with the measured PWB strain response history to estimate the strain history in the critical solder joints. The solder strain history was used, in conjunction with the failure history, to estimate lower bounds for the fatigue durability (S-N curves) of the solder interconnects. In the first part of this paper, the results show that the SAC305 interconnects are marginally less durable than Sn37Pb interconnects for the harmonic excitation range used in this paper. The durability model constants are found to be very sensitive to the solder stress-strain curve assumed in the FEA. Since the stress-strain properties reported in the literature for these solder alloys vary significantly, the solder stress-strain curves were parametrically varied in the FEA, to assess the resulting effect on the estimated S-N curves. In the second part of this paper, random-vibration tests were conducted to assess durability under step-stress, broad-band excitation. Conventional cycle counting techniques were used to quantify the random excitation histories in terms of range distribution functions. Using the same time-domain vibration fatigue analysis used earlier for narrow-band excitation, the durability trend for the corresponding SAC305 and Sn37Pb solder interconnects under broad-band excitation was found to be similar to that found earlier under harmonic vibration excitation. Comparison between the durability prediction and test results provides a good understanding of the effect of stress-strain behavior on the fatigue constants of these solder materials. The best set of material properties was then used to verify the durability of leadless chip resistor interconnects under quasi-static mechanical cycling.
Effects of an aromatase inhibitor on testosterone-induced inhibition of thymus growth in immature female rats.

The hypothesis was tested that the inhibitory action of testosterone on thymus growth is mediated by its metabolism to oestradiol. Immature female rats were given s.c. implants of silicone elastomer tubing containing 5 or 20 mg testosterone alone, or together with 25 or 50 mg of an aromatase inhibitor 1,4,6-androstatriene-3,17-dione (ATD). Some rats received implants containing 5 mg oestradiol or 5 mg dihydrotestosterone (DHT). After 14 days the thymus was removed and weighed. Body weight gain was similar in animals treated with empty implants, or 5 mg testosterone or DHT, or with ATD alone. The combination of testosterone and ATD significantly increased body weight gain, and oestradiol significantly decreased it. Thymus growth was inhibited by both doses of testosterone and by oestradiol, but not by DHT. ATD alone did not inhibit thymus growth, nor did the lower dose of ATD inhibit the action of testosterone. The higher dose of ATD did, however, significantly reduce the inhibitory action of testosterone on the thymus. The inhibitory action of testosterone on the growing thymus may be due, at least in part, to its conversion to oestradiol.
Evaluation of Total Antioxidant Capacity (TAC) of Saliva in Caries Active and Caries free Tribal School Going Children of Wardha District.

Aim: To evaluate the total antioxidant capacity (TAC) of saliva in caries active and caries free children from a tribal school of wardha district. Materials and method: A total of 40 children aged between 5-14 years were selected by using simple random sampling. They were divided into two groups; Group I and Group II, comprising of age groups 5 to 9 years and 10 to 14 years, respectively. Both the groups were then sub-divided into caries-active and caries-free groups, with 10 children in each group. 2ml of unstimulated saliva was collected and was stored in glass vials at -20 degree celcius. Estimation of total antioxidant capacity of saliva of each sample was done by Phosphomolybdenum method. Results: On comparison of TAC between the age group of 5-9 years, TAC in caries active children was 19.83 mcg/ml which was significantly higher than TAC obtained for caries free children which was 9.10 mcg/ml. Similar results were found on comparison of TAC between both the groups between the age group of 10-14 years i.e. TAC was significantly higher in caries active children which was 31.82 mcg/ml than caries free children which was 15.33 mcg/ml. On comparison of TAC between both the age groups, TAC was found to be significantly higher between the age group of 10-14 years which was 23.68 mcg/ml than between the age group of 5-9 years which was 14.46 mcg/ml. Conclusion: Total antioxidant capacity of saliva was found to be more in caries active tribal children between the age group of 5-9 years and 10-14 years than caries free children. It was also reported that TAC was more in tribal children between the age group of 10-14 years than 5-9 year old tribal children.
Economic burden of obesity‐related chronic diseases in Mainland China

The objectives of the present study are: (i) to estimate annual direct medical costs of chronic diseases attributable to overweight and obesity among adults in China and (ii) to predict the medical costs if the epidemic continues developing. Using 2002 National Nutrition and Health Survey (n = 39 834), the prevalence of overweight [24 ≥ body mass index (BMI) < 28] and obesity (BMI ≥ 28), and population attributable risks (PARs) for hypertension, type 2 diabetes, coronary heart disease and stroke were calculated. The 2003 third National Health Services Survey (n = 143 521) was used to derive direct medical costs including costs for outpatient visits, physician services, inpatient stays, rehabilitation services, nursing fees and medications. The medical costs attributable to overweight and obesity were estimated by multiplying the disease costs by PAR for each disease. The total medical cost attributable to overweight and obesity was estimated at 21.11 billion Yuan (RMB) (∼$2.74 billion) accounting for 25.5% of the total medical costs for the four chronic diseases, or 3.7% of national total medical costs in 2003. The medical cost associated with overweight and obesity could increase to 37 billion Yuan (RMB) (∼$4.8 billion), a 75% increase, if the epidemic developed speedily and the ratio of overweight to obesity approached 1.1:1. The high economic burden of overweight and obesity suggests an urgent need to develop effective interventions for controlling the obesity epidemic and consequently the prevention of chronic diseases.
Involvement of β3-Adrenoceptor in Altered β-Adrenergic Response in Senescent Heart: Role of Nitric Oxide Synthase 1–derived Nitric Oxide

Background:In senescent heart, β-adrenergic response is altered in parallel with β1- and β2-adrenoceptor down-regulation. A negative inotropic effect of β3-adrenoceptor could be involved. In this study, the authors tested the hypothesis that β3-adrenoceptor plays a role in β-adrenergic dysfunction in senescent heart. Methods:β-Adrenergic responses were investigated in vivo (echocardiography–dobutamine, electron paramagnetic resonance) and in vitro (isolated left ventricular papillary muscle, electron paramagnetic resonance) in young adult (3-month-old) and senescent (24-month-old) rats. Nitric oxide synthase (NOS) immunolabeling (confocal microscopy), nitric oxide production (electron paramagnetic resonance) and β-adrenoceptor Western blots were performed in vitro. Data are mean percentages of baseline ± SD. Results:An impaired positive inotropic effect (isoproterenol) was confirmed in senescent hearts in vivo (117 ± 23 vs. 162 ± 16%; P < 0.05) and in vitro (127 ± 10 vs. 179 ± 15%; P < 0.05). In the young adult group, the positive inotropic effect was not significantly modified by the nonselective NOS inhibitor NG-nitro-l-arginine methylester (l-NAME; 183 ± 19%), the selective NOS1 inhibitor vinyl-l-N-5(1-imino-3-butenyl)-l-ornithine (l-VNIO; 172 ± 13%), or the selective NOS2 inhibitor 1400W (183 ± 19%). In the senescent group, in parallel with β3-adrenoceptor up-regulation and increased nitric oxide production, the positive inotropic effect was partially restored by l-NAME (151 ± 8%; P < 0.05) and l-VNIO (149 ± 7%; P < 0.05) but not by 1400W (132 ± 11%; not significant). The positive inotropic effect induced by dibutyryl-cyclic adenosine monophosphate was decreased in the senescent group with the specific β3-adrenoceptor agonist BRL 37344 (167 ± 10 vs. 142 ± 10%; P < 0.05). NOS1 and NOS2 were significantly up-regulated in the senescent rat. Conclusions:In senescent cardiomyopathy, β3-adrenoceptor overexpression plays an important role in the altered β-adrenergic response via induction of NOS1-nitric oxide.
Effects of nitrogen deficiency on photosynthetic traits of maize hybrids released in different years.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS New maize (Zea mays) hybrids outperformed old ones even at reduced N rates. Understanding the mechanisms of the differences in performance between newer and older hybrids under N deficiency could provide avenues for breeding maize cultivars with large yield under N deficiency, and reduce environmental pollution caused by N fertilizers. METHODS N deficiency effects on grain weight, plant weight, harvest index, leaf area and photosynthetic traits were studied in the field for six maize hybrids released during the past 50 years to compare their tolerance and to explore their physiological mechanisms. KEY RESULTS N deficiency decreased grain yield and plant weight in all hybrids, especially in the older hybrids. However, there was no significant difference in harvest index, rate of light-saturated photosynthesis (Psat) 20 d before flowering, leaf area or plant weight at flowering between the N-deficient and control plants of all hybrids. Dry matter production after flowering of the N-deficient plants was significantly lower than that of the control plants in all hybrids, especially in the older hybrids, and was mostly due to differences in the rate of decrease in photosynthetic capacity during this stage. The lower Psat of the older hybrids was not due to stomatal limitation, as there was no significant difference in stomatal conductance (gs) and intercellular CO2 concentration (Ci) between the hybrids. N deficiency accelerated senescence, i.e. decreased chlorophyll and soluble protein contents, after anthesis more for the earlier released hybrids than for the later ones. N deficiency decreased phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase (PEPCase) activity significantly more in older hybrids than newer hybrids, and affected the maximal efficiency of PSII photochemistry (Fv/Fm) only in the old hybrids and at the late stage. CONCLUSIONS Compared with older (earlier released) hybrids, newer (later released) hybrids maintained greater plant and grain weight under N deficiency because their photosynthetic capacity decreased more slowly after anthesis, associated with smaller non-stomatal limitations due to maintenance of PEPCase activity, and chlorophyll and soluble protein content.
Tobacco Mosaic Virus Movement Protein Functions as a Structural Microtubule-Associated Protein

ABSTRACT The cell-to-cell spread of Tobacco mosaic virus infection depends on virus-encoded movement protein (MP), which is believed to form a ribonucleoprotein complex with viral RNA (vRNA) and to participate in the intercellular spread of infectious particles through plasmodesmata. Previous studies in our laboratory have provided evidence that the vRNA movement process is correlated with the ability of the MP to interact with microtubules, although the exact role of this interaction during infection is not known. Here, we have used a variety of in vivo and in vitro assays to determine that the MP functions as a genuine microtubule-associated protein that binds microtubules directly and modulates microtubule stability. We demonstrate that, unlike MP in whole-cell extract, microtubule-associated MP is not ubiquitinated, which strongly argues against the hypothesis that microtubules target the MP for degradation. In addition, we found that MP interferes with kinesin motor activity in vitro, suggesting that microtubule-associated MP may interfere with kinesin-driven transport processes during infection.
Visualizing berkeley socket calls in students' programs

The Berkeley Sockets API is a library of functions, macros, and data structures enabling a program to initiate and manage network communication between two or more processes on the same machine, or across a network of machines. The API is the main mechanism by which programs communicate with the operating system's TCP/IP stack and thereby with almost all Internet services and programs. Socket programming opens a new realm of development for Computer Science students as they are able to create programs that can communicate via the Internet. However, while learning, students frequently misuse the sockets API or have difficulty understanding where run-time and logic errors in their code occur. Students learning about sockets are typically presented with a series of static diagrams in textbooks that increase in complexity with each progression. These diagrams may not allow the reader to easily comprehend the transition between each step, nor understand which functions in the API perform the events. Space constraints in textbooks often limit a sequence of diagrams to two or three, whereas over 10 calls to the sockets API are often necessary to initiate and undertake communication. Surprisingly, there are no effective tools or general techniques for debugging students' socket programs. In this paper we present a software solution to visualize the execution of students' programmed interactions with the Berkeley Sockets API. The tool accepts the source code of two or more networking programs and compiles them in such a way that, at run-time, their calls to the socket API and related functions are displayed, together with an annotation of activity and error conditions. The program is not simply a static simulator - it provides a means to visualize the network events in actual student developed program.
Comparison of the relative inhibition of acetylcholinesterase and neuropathy target esterase in rats and hens given cholinesterase inhibitors.

Inhibition of neuropathy target esterase (NTE, neurotoxic esterase) and acetylcholinesterase (AChE) activities was compared in brain and spinal cords of adult While Leghorn hens and adult male Long Evan rats 4-48 hr after administration of triortho-tolyl phosphate (TOTP po, 50-500 mg/kg to hens; 300-1000 mg/kg to rats), phenyl saligenin phosphate (PSP im 0.1-2.5 mg/kg to hens; 5-24 mg/kg to rats), mipafox (3-30 mg/kg ip to hens and rats), diisopropyl phosphorofluoridate (DFP sc, 0.25-1.0 mg/kg to hens; 1-3 mg/kg to rats), dichlorvos (5-60 mg/kg ip to hens; 600-2000 mg/kg to rats), and carbaryl (300-560 mg/kg ip to hens; 30-170 mg/kg to rats). Inhibitions of NTE and AChE were dose-related after administration of all compounds to both species. Hens and rats given TOTP, PSP, mipafox, and DFP demonstrated delayed neuropathy 3 weeks later, with spinal cord lesions and clinical signs more notable in hens. Ratios of NTE/AChE inhibition in hen spinal cord, averaged over the doses used, were 2.6 after TOTP, 5.2 after PSP, 1.3 after mipafox, and 0.9 after DFP, which contrast with 0.53 after dichlorvos, 1.0 after malathion, and 0.46 after carbaryl. Rat NTE/AChE inhibition ratios were 0.9 after TOTP, 2.6 after PSP, 1.0 after mipafox, 0.62 after DFP, 1.3 after dichlorvos, 2.2 after malathion, and 1.1 after carbaryl. The lower NTE/AChE ratios in rats given dosages of the four organophosphorus compounds that caused delayed neuropathy interferred with survival, an effect that was not a problem in hens. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Risk and Time Preferences: Experimental and Household Survey Data from Vietnam

We conducted experiments in Vietnamese villages to investigate how wealth, political history, occupation, and other demographic variables (taken from a comprehensive earlier household survey) are correlated with risk and time discounting measured in experiments. Experimental results show that in villages with higher mean income, people are less loss-averse and more patient. Villagers in the north who had worked on collective farms and received food from the government on a regular basis are less averse to loss. We expand measurements of risk and time preferences beyond expected utility and exponential discounting, replacing those simple approximations with prospect theory and a three-parameter hyperbolic discounting model.
New limits on heavy sterile neutrino mixing in 8B decay obtained with the Borexino detector

If heavy neutrinos with mass $m_{\nu_{H}}\geq$2$ m_e $ are produced in the Sun via the decay ${^8\rm{B}} \rightarrow {^8\rm{Be}} + e^+ + \nu_H$ in a side branch of pp-chain, they would undergo the observable decay into an electron, a positron and a light neutrino $\nu_{H}\rightarrow\nu_{L}+e^++e^-$. In the present work Borexino data are used to set a bound on the existence of such decays. We constrain the mixing of a heavy neutrino with mass 1.5 MeV $\leq m_{\nu_{H}} \le$ 14 MeV to be $|U_{eH}|^2\leq (10^{-3}-4\times10^{-6})$ respectively. These are tighter limits on the mixing parameters than obtained in previous experiments at nuclear reactors and accelerators.
Reactions of water radiolysis intermediates with pyrimidine and purine bases in aqueous BeF2 glasses: an EPR study.

Free radical formation by reaction of water radiolysis intermediates produced by X-irradiation in aqueous glasses containing 7 M BeF2 at 77 K with pyrimidine and purine constituents of DNA (10 mM) was studied by electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy. Reactions of electrons and . OH radicals were observed; H. form a minority and their contribution was difficult to establish. The electrons form substrate radicals at 77 K, while . OH radicals, stabilized in the matrix at 77 K, become mobile at about 140K and in part react with solute molecules. The radicals formed by both reactions were characterized after isolation of the corresponding components by thermal annealing up to about 190 K and spectra simulation using literature parameters whenever possible. The spectra from cytosine gave strong evidence for heteroatom protonation following electron addition while those from adenine were somewhat less clear. The spectra of uracil and all methylated pyrimidines gave no evidence for the protonation state of the electron adduct. For the . OH radical, the reaction with uracil and cytosine was found to be addition to the 5,6-double bond, in line with studies using aqueous solutions. For all methylated pyrimidines, however, H-abstraction from the methyl group was dominant. OH addition to adenine was found to take place at C2.
Plasma leptin levels in trauma patients: effect of adjuvant recombinant human growth hormone in intravenously fed multiple trauma patients.

BACKGROUND Leptin, the newly discovered ob gene product, is synthesized primarily in adipose tissue and circulates to all parts of the body. Injury elicits significant metabolic changes, and it is not known how these changes affect the circulating leptin levels. METHODS Plasma leptin levels were measured in postabsorptive normal subjects (n = 14, 5 men and 9 women) and severely injured (injury severity score [ISS], 34+/-2), hypermetabolic (resting energy expenditure [REE]/basal energy expenditure [BEE], 1.31+/-0.04), adult (39+/-4 years; n = 28, 18 men and 10 women) trauma patients within 48 to 60 hours after injury when they were receiving no nitrogen or calories. The nutritional influence on plasma leptin in these patients was monitored during the subsequent 7 days of total parenteral nutrition (TPN). During TPN the patients were randomized to receive or not to receive recombinant human growth hormone (rhGH) supplementation (0.15 mg/kg/d). RESULTS Trauma significantly lowered plasma leptin levels, both in women (56%) and in men (68%). Gender dimorphism in plasma leptin levels was seen in normal subjects and in both fasted and fed trauma patients, and in all cases female patients had significantly higher levels. Body mass index showed significantly positive correlations with plasma leptin both in normal and injured subjects. One day of TPN restored normal levels of leptin, both in men and women. Adjuvant rhGH treatment did not show any significant changes over that seen with TPN alone. CONCLUSIONS Decreased plasma leptin levels seen due to trauma may be partly related to the fasting conditions, because 1 day of refeeding restored normalcy. Leptin metabolism in trauma patients seemed to be not altered during rhGH supplementation, suggesting a relatively minor metabolic role of leptin.
Total nuclear capture rates for negative muons.

The lifetime of negative muons has been measured in 50 elements plus 8 isotopes. For light elements the accuracy of 2 to 3 ns is a significant improvement over most previous measurements. In heavier elements the accuracy is 1 to 2 ns, which is comparable to, or better than, previous results, with reasonable agreement in most cases. For $^{18}\mathrm{O}$, Sc, Dy, and Er there were no previous data. The total capture rates have been deduced and compared to various calculations.
GM-CSF–Based Fusion Cytokines as Ligands for Immune Modulation

Chromosomal translocations that combine distinct functional domains of unrelated proteins are an experiment in nature. They demonstrate how endogenous regulatory checkpoints can be overridden by altered cell biochemistry, informing a means to engineering an aberrant signal that the cell is incapable of counterregulating. Thus, our laboratory and others have synthesized fusions of GM-CSF with peptides, ILs, and chemokines, which we have termed fusokines, with the aim of inducing an enhanced immune response against cancer, aiming to overcome the maladapted biological processes causing disease. In doing so, we found that these fusokines did not behave as merely the sum of their natural unfused counterparts, but as entirely novel ligands co-opting their cognate receptor to communicate a unique message to responsive cellular targets. In this review, we discuss how fusion proteins combining different bioactive ligands can alter immune responses and briefly discuss the regulatory pathways that they circumvent.
A Sub-1-V 65-nm MOS Threshold Monitoring-Based Voltage Reference

This brief presents a sub-1-V 65-nm MOS threshold voltage monitoring-based voltage reference (VTH sensor) with current-mode second-order temperature compensation. By utilizing the different temperature properties of P+ diffusion and poly resistors, auxiliary nonlinear temperature compensation is implemented in the Brokaw MOS VTH circuit. By doing so, it attenuates the nonlinear temperature effect of gate-to-source voltage (VGS), thus lowering the temperature coefficient (T.C.). Fabricated in a UMC 65-nm CMOS process, the results show that the circuit can generate an average reference voltage of 474 mV. This is close to the extrapolated VTH for a low-threshold nMOS transistor at absolute zero temperature. In a range from -40 °C to 90 °C, the best T.C. achieved by the circuit is 24.5 ppm/°C and the average T.C. over 15 samples is 40 ppm/°C.