Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Reliability of lead-free SAC electronics under simultaneous exposure to high temperature and vibration

Electronics installed in automotive systems are subjected simultaneously to mechanical vibrations and thermal loads in underhood applications. Typical failure modes include solder joint failure, pad cratering, chip-cracking, copper trace fracture, and underfill fillet failures. The solder interconnects accrue damage much faster when vibrated at elevated temperatures. Industry migration to lead free solders has resulted in a proliferation of a wide variety of solder alloy compositions. Presently, the literature on mechanical behavior of lead free alloys under simultaneous harsh environment of high-temperature vibration is sparse. In this paper, a test vehicle with a variety of lead-free SAC305 daisy chain components including BGA, QFP, SOP, TSOP has been tested to failure by subjecting it to two elevated temperatures and harmonic vibrations at its first natural frequency. The test matrix includes variation in the amplitude of vibration from 10G to 14G as well as variation in temperature. Full field strain on the PCB has been extracted using high speed cameras operating at 100,000 fps in conjunction with digital image correlation. The vibration simulation using global-local finite element models is correlated with the system characteristics such as modal shapes and natural frequencies. The vibration simulation provides a fatigue life prediction that has been validated with the experimentally obtained cycles to failure. In addition, the packages have been cross-sectioned to study the failure modes. A comparison of failure modes for different surface mount packages at elevated test temperatures and vibration has been presented in this study.
A $4 \times 4 \times 2$ Homogeneous Scalable 3D Network-on-Chip Circuit With 326 MFlit/s 0.66 pJ/b Robust and Fault Tolerant Asynchronous 3D Links

Future many cores, either for high performance computing or for embedded applications, are facing the power wall, and cannot be scaled up using only the reduction of technology nodes; 3D integration, using through silicon via (TSV) as an advanced packaging technology, allows further system integration, while reducing the power dissipation devoted to system-level communication. In this paper, we present a 3D modular and scalable network-on-chip (NoC) architecture implemented using robust asynchronous logic. The 3DNOC circuit targets a Telecom long-term evolution application; it is composed of two die layers, fabricated in 65 nm technology using TSV middle aspect ratio 1:8, and integrates ESD protection, a 3D design-for-test, and a fault tolerant scheme. The 3D links achieve 0.66 pJ/b energy consumption and 326 Mb/s data rate per pin for the parallel link. Thin die effect is demonstrated by thermal analysis and measurements, as well as the dynamic self-adaptation of the 3D link performances with 3D thermal conditions. Finally, the scalability of the 3DNOC circuit, in terms of power delivery network and thermal dissipation, is demonstrated by using simulations up to a 3D stack of eight die layers.
Mouse Gli 1 mutants are viable but have defects in SHH signaling in combination with a Gli 2 mutation

The developing embryo is dependent on numerous genetic interactions that specify cell fates within tissues and along the body axes. In recent years, a growing number of interesting mouse developmental mutants have been made by gene targeting and the genes responsible for some spontaneous developmental mutants have been cloned (Gossler and Balling, 1992; Melton, 1994; Roths et al., 1999). Phenotypic analysis of many of these mutants has been instrumental in identifying genes required for particular developmental processes. Studies of double mutants have become critical in order to decipher complex genetic pathways and uncover overlapping functions of gene family members. One very interesting genetic pathway conserved across species and required for many patterning processes is the signaling cascade initiated by the Hedgehog (HH) family of secreted factors. The Drosophila hh gene was the first family member identified, and was shown to be required for many developmental events, including anteroposterior patterning of the body segments and imaginal discs (Basler and Struhl, 1994; Mohler, 1988; Tabata et al., 1992; Tabata and Kornberg, 1994). Patched (Ptc) was identified as a novel transmembrane protein that is a Hh receptor and acts as a constitutive repressor of the Hh pathway in the absence of Hh protein (Ingham et al., 1991; Johnson et al., 1995). Genetic and biochemical studies in Drosophila have shown that cubitus interruptus (ci) encodes a zinc-finger-containing transcription factor that is required for transduction of Hh signaling (Alexandre et al., 1996; Dominguez et al., 1996; Orenic et al., 1990; Schwartz et al., 1593 Development 127, 1593-1605 (2000) Printed in Great Britain © The Company of Biologists Limited 2000 DEV4314
Grand challenges, benchmarks, and TraceLab: developing infrastructure for the software traceability research community

The challenges of implementing successful and cost-effective traceability have created a compelling research agenda that has addressed a broad range of traceability related issues, ranging from qualitative studies of traceability users in industry to very technical and quantitative studies. Unfortunately, advances are hampered by the significant time and effort needed to establish a traceability research environment and to perform comparative evaluations of new results against existing baselines. In this panel we discuss ongoing efforts by members of the Center of Excellence for Software Traceability (CoEST) to define the Grand Challenges of Traceability, develop benchmarks, and to construct TraceLab, an extensible and scalable visual environment for designing and executing a broad range of traceability experiments.
Does platelet-rich plasma enhance microfracture treatment for chronic focal chondral defects? An in-vivo study performed in a rat model.

OBJECTIVE The purpose of the present study was to compare the effectiveness of platelet-rich plasma (PRP) + microfracture and microfracture treatments in the healing of chronic focal chondral defects. METHODS The study included 57 adult male Sprague-Dawley rats. Forty-two rats were divided into three groups of 14 rats with a chondral defect (control, microfracture only, PRP+microfracture). The remaining 15 rats were used to produce the PRP preparation. The rats were then euthanatized at 3 and 6 weeks after treatment and examined. Histological analysis using the modified Pineda scoring system and immunohistochemical staining for Type 2 collagen were performed. RESULTS At both time intervals, control group histological scores (Week 3: 8.8±1.2, Week 6: 8.5±0.7) were higher than microfracture (Week 3: 6.8±1.0, Week 6: 7.1±0.6) and PRP+microfracture (Week 3: 6.4±1.3, Week 6: 5.7±1.2) scores (p<0.05). The microfracture group score was higher at Week 6 than the PRP+microfracture group (p<0.05). The degree of Type 2 collagen staining was higher at Week 6 in the PRP+microfracture group and was unique in showing staining at the cell membrane. CONCLUSION The addition of PRP application to microfracture treatment appears to enhance cartilage healing in chronic focal chondral defects.
On creating a trusted and distributed data source environment

Despite the tremendous research activity in the field of searching engines for the Internet, current searching engines still face some severe limitations. The paper presents an idea of a distributed data source environment to be build on the current state of the art technologies available on the Internet. The paper combines recent advances in the fields of a data inconsistency, a data integration and reputations of sources for further refinements of data searching and sharing processes. The paper generalizes the data binary formalism narrowly connected with the ideas of the semantic web into the 〈0, 1〉 interval to enable the consideration of uncertainty at various levels.
Mutational Analysis of the N-Terminal DNA-Binding Domain of Sleeping Beauty Transposase: Critical Residues for DNA Binding and Hyperactivity in Mammalian Cells

ABSTRACT The N-terminal domain of the Sleeping Beauty (SB) transposase mediates transposon DNA binding, subunit multimerization, and nuclear translocation in vertebrate cells. For this report, we studied the relative contributions of 95 different residues within this multifunctional domain by large-scale mutational analysis. We found that each of four amino acids (leucine 25, arginine 36, isoleucine 42, and glycine 59) contributes to DNA binding in the context of the N-terminal 123 amino acids of SB transposase, as indicated by electrophoretic mobility shift analysis, and to functional activity of the full-length transposase, as determined by a quantitative HeLa cell-based transposition assay. Moreover, we show that amino acid substitutions within either the putative oligomerization domain (L11A, L18A, L25A, and L32A) or the nuclear localization signal (K104A and R105A) severely impair its ability to mediate DNA transposition in mammalian cells. In contrast, each of 10 single amino acid changes within the bipartite DNA-binding domain is shown to greatly enhance SB's transpositional activity in mammalian cells. These hyperactive mutations functioned synergistically when combined and are shown to significantly improve transposase affinity for transposon end sequences. Finally, we show that enhanced DNA-binding activity results in improved cleavage kinetics, increased SB element mobilization from host cell chromosomes, and dramatically improved gene transfer capabilities of SB in vivo in mice. These studies provide important insights into vertebrate transposon biology and indicate that Sleeping Beauty can be readily improved for enhanced genetic research applications in mammals.
The Development of the Ability to Semantically Integrate Information in Speech and Iconic Gesture in Comprehension

We examined whether children's ability to integrate speech and gesture follows the pattern of a broader developmental shift between 3- and 5-year-old children (Ramscar & Gitcho, 2007) regarding the ability to process two pieces of information simultaneously. In Experiment 1, 3-year-olds, 5-year-olds, and adults were presented with either an iconic gesture or a spoken sentence or a combination of the two on a computer screen, and they were instructed to select a photograph that best matched the message. The 3-year-olds did not integrate information in speech and gesture, but 5-year-olds and adults did. In Experiment 2, 3-year-old children were presented with the same speech and gesture as in Experiment 1 that were produced live by an experimenter. When presented live, 3-year-olds could integrate speech and gesture. We concluded that development of the integration ability is a part of the broader developmental shift; however, live-presentation facilitates the nascent integration ability in 3-year-olds.
Are Learning Strategies Linked to Academic Performance Among Adolescents in Two States in India? A Tobit Regression Analysis

ABSTRACT. The results of the fourth cycle of the Program for International Student Assessment (PISA) revealed that an unacceptably large number of adolescent students in two states in India—Himachal Pradesh and Tamil Nadu—have failed to acquire basic skills in reading, mathematics, and science (Walker, 2011). Drawing on data from the PISA 2009 database and employing multivariate left-censored tobit regression as a data analytic strategy, the present study, therefore, examined whether or not the learning strategies—memorization, elaboration, and control strategies—of adolescent students in Himachal Pradesh (N = 1,616; Mean age = 15.81 years) and Tamil Nadu (N = 3,210; Mean age = 15.64 years) were linked to their performance on the PISA 2009 reading, mathematics, and science assessments. Tobit regression analyses, after accounting for student demographic characteristics, revealed that the self-reported use of control strategies was significantly positively associated with reading, mathematical, and scientific literacy of adolescents in Himachal Pradesh and Tamil Nadu. While the self-reported use of elaboration strategies was not significantly associated with reading literacy among adolescents in Himachal Pradesh and Tamil Nadu, it was significantly positively associated with mathematical literacy among adolescents in Himachal Pradesh and Tamil Nadu. Moreover, the self-reported use of elaboration strategies was significantly and positively linked to scientific literacy among adolescents in Himachal Pradesh alone. The self-reported use of memorization strategies was significantly negatively associated with reading, mathematical, and scientific literacy in Tamil Nadu, while it was significantly negatively associated with mathematical and scientific literacy alone in Himachal Pradesh. Implications of these findings are discussed.
Trachoma: global magnitude of a preventable cause of blindness

Objectives: Trachoma is the leading cause of infectious blindness worldwide. It is known to be highly correlated with poverty, limited access to healthcare services and water. In 2003, the WHO estimated that 84 million people were suffering from active trachoma, and 7.6 million were severely visually impaired or blind as a result of trachoma: this study provides an updated estimate of the global prevalence of trachoma based on the most recent information available. Methods: A literature search of recent published and unpublished surveys in the 57 endemic countries was carried out: the result of surveys that used the WHO trachoma grading system and additional information from regional and country experts served as a basis to determine the prevalence of trachoma in each country. Results: Population-based surveys provided recent information for 42 out of 57 endemic countries. 40.6 million people are estimated to be suffering from active trachoma, and 8.2 million are estimated to have trichiasis. Conclusions: The current estimate of prevalence of trachoma is lower than the previous WHO estimates: this can be explained by the success in implementing control strategy, by more accurate data, as well as by socio-economic development in endemic countries.
Mutations which alter the elbow region of tRNA2Gly reduce T4 gene 60 translational bypassing efficiency

Translating ribosomes bypass a 50 nucleotide coding gap in bacteriophage T4 gene 60 mRNA between codons 46 and 47 in order to synthesize the full‐length protein. Bypassing of the coding gap requires peptidyl‐tRNA2Gly detachment from a GGA codon (codon 46) followed by re‐pairing at a matching GGA codon just before codon 47. Using negative selection, based on the sacB gene from Bacillus subtilis, Escherichia coli mutants were isolated which reduce bypassing efficiency. All of the mutations are in the gene for tRNA2Gly. Most of the mutations disrupt the hydrogen bonding interactions between the D‐ and T‐loops (G18●ψ55 and G19●C56) which stabilize the elbow region in nearly all tRNAs. The lone mutation not in the elbow region destabilizes the anticodon stem at position 40. Previously described Salmonella typhimurium mutants of tRNA2Gly, which reduce the stability of the T‐loop, were also tested and found to decrease bypassing efficiency. Each tRNA2Gly mutant is functional in translation (tRNA2Gly is essential), but has a decoding efficiency 10‐ to 20‐fold lower than wild‐type. This suggests that rigidity of the elbow region and the anticodon stem is critical for both codon–anticodon stability and bypassing.
Optimal Disparity Estimation in Natural Stereo Images Methods and Results Natural Disparity Signals Optimal Linear Binocular Filters Optimal Disparity Estimation

A great challenge of systems neuroscience is to understand the computations that underlie perceptual constancies, the ability to represent behaviorally relevant stimulus properties as constant even when irrelevant stimulus properties vary. As signals proceed through the visual system, neural states become more selective for properties of the environment, and more invariant to irrelevant features of the retinal images. Here, we describe a method for determining the computations that perform these transformations optimally, and apply it to the specific computational task of estimating a powerful depth cue: binocular disparity. We simultaneously determine the optimal receptive field population for encoding natural stereo images of locally planar surfaces and the optimal nonlinear units for decoding the population responses into estimates of disparity. The optimal processing predicts well-established properties of neurons in cortex. Estimation performance parallels important aspects of human performance. Thus, by analyzing the photoreceptor responses to natural images, we provide a normative account of the neurophysiology and psychophysics of absolute disparity processing. Critically, the optimal processing rules are not arbitrarily chosen to match the properties of neurophysiological processing, nor are they fit to match behavioral performance. Rather, they are dictated by the task-relevant statistical properties of complex natural stimuli. Our approach reveals how selective invariant tuning—especially for properties not trivially available in the retinal images—could be implemented in neural systems to maximize performance in particular tasks. Introduction Front-facing eyes evolved, at least in part, to support binocular depth perception (Figure 1a). Stereopsis— perceiving depth from disparity—is a perceptual constancy that pervades the animal kingdom. In the binocular zone, each eye's view yields a slightly different image of the scene. The local differences between the retinal images—the binocular disparities— are powerful signals for fixating the eyes and computing the depth structure of the scene. The critical step in enabling the use of disparity in service of these tasks is to estimate disparity itself. Once the disparities are estimated, metric depth can be computed by triangu-lation given the fixation of the eyes. There have been many computational studies of disparity estimation The underlying neural mechanisms of disparity processing have also been extensively re-However, there is no widely accepted ideal observer theory of disparity estimation in natural images. Such a theory would be a useful tool for evaluating performance in disparity-related tasks, providing principled hypotheses for neural mechanisms , and developing practical applications. Deriving the ideal observer for disparity estimation is a hierarchical, multistep process …
Biomarkers of exposure to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons from environmental air pollution

Metabolites of pyrene and DNA adducts have been used as biomarkers of high level exposure to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). A systematic review was performed to evaluate whether these biomarkers are also valid markers of low level environmental exposure to PAHs. Thirty five studies were identified with more than 10 subjects that evaluated environmental air pollution to PAHs in relation to metabolites of PAHs, mainly hydroxypyrene (1-OHP), PAH-DNA adducts, or protein adducts. PAH metabolites and, to a less extent, PAH-DNA adducts correlated well at the group level with exposure to B(a)P even at low levels of air pollution. The use of these biomarkers should be more widely implemented in combination with more traditional techniques for the assessment of general population exposure to PAHs from ambient air pollution.
Investigating the Mechanism of Endosomal Trafficking in Neurotrophic Signaling Activity

Page 1 Extensive neuronal networks coordinate crucial processes within the human body. One of the key players in neuronal growth and differentiation, nerve growth factor (NGF), was discovered in the early 1950s [1]. Forty years later, an interaction between NGF and a tyrosine receptor kinase, TrkA, was identified [2-4]. The neurotrophic effects of NGF are initiated through its activation of TrkA [5]. NGF and TrkA are well-characterized oncogenes, whose expression is elevated in multiple cancer types [6-8]. NGF-TrkA processes are also disrupted in a number of neurodegenerative diseases and developmental disorders [9, 10]. In the developing neuron, TrkA activation by NGF at the distal axon results in a pro-survival signal that travels up to one meter along the axon to the neuronal cell body. The predominant model in the field is the signaling endosome hypothesis [11, 12]. In this model, NGF binding to TrkA induces receptor dimerization and clathrin-mediated endocytosis. An NGFand TrkA-containing endosome activates downstream signaling pathways, while being transported to the cell body. Dynein binds TrkA in the early endosome, transporting TrkA and associated proteins to the cell body via microtubule-based transport [13]. However, axonal terminals contain a complex actin meshwork [14] and TrkA associates with the myosin VI-binding protein, GAIP-interacting protein (GIPC), at the uncoated vesicle (UCV) stage. We propose that an indirect interaction between TrkA and myosin VI is responsible for short-range transport of the endocytosed NGF-TrkA complex, prior to long-range microtubulebased transport. In our mechanism, we suggest another protein, APPL1, also mediates this interaction. Direct binding of GIPC to TrkA [5], APPL1 [15], and myosin VI [16], as well as TrkA to APPL1 [17], is seen both in vivo and in vitro. Previous knockdown experiments of GIPC and APPL1, using siRNA, support a role in TrkA trafficking [15, 17]. Although APPL1 remains bound to TrkA at the early endosomal stage, GIPC dissociates [15]. We suggest that dynein and/or downstream effector binding to TrkA-APPL1 causes this dissociation. Previous expression and purification techniques for full-length, as well as domain constructs, provide us with important tools to understand this process. A thorough understanding of this system has important human health implications. Disruption of TrkA trafficking in the tumor microenvironment could potentially inhibit tumor growth by suppressing NGF-induced survival. On the other hand, therapeutic targets for neurodegenerative diseases may involve strengthening NGF-TrkA signaling and trafficking processes.
Relationship between women’s characteristics and continuum of care for maternal health in Kenya: Complex survey analysis using structural equation modeling

ABSTRACT The objective of this study was to understand and estimate the complex relationships in the continuum of care for maternal health to provide information to improve maternal and newborn health outcomes. Women (n = 4,082) aged 15–49 years in the 2008/2009 Kenya Demographic and Health Survey data were used to explore the complex relationships in the continuum of care for maternal health (i.e., before, during, and after delivery) using structural equation modeling. Results showed that the use of antenatal care was significantly positively related to the use of delivery care (β = 0.06; adjusted odds ratio [AOR] = 1.06; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.02–1.10) but not postnatal care, while delivery care was associated with postnatal care (β = 0.68; AOR = 1.97; 95% CI: 1.75–2.22). Socioeconomic status was significantly related to all elements in the continuum of care for maternal health; barriers to delivery of care and personal characteristics were only associated with the use of delivery care (β = 0.34; AOR = 1.40; 95% CI: 1.30–1.52) and postnatal care (β = 0.03; AOR = 1.03; 95% CI: 1.01–1.05), respectively. The three periods of maternal health care were related to each other. Developing a referral system of continuity of care is critical in the Sustainable Development Goals era.