cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Arterial switch operation:coronary artery pattern and surgical treatment(Report of 102 cases)

Objective To summarize the coronary artery pattem of arterial switch operation(ASO),operative skill and surgical results.Methods Between October 1999 to October 2005,102 patients underwent arterial switch operation.The mean age was(8± 16)months ranged from 3 days to 7 years.The mean body weight was(5.9±3.2)kg,ranged from 2.5 kg to 20.0 kg.Most com- monly(74/102),the aorta was more or less to the right of the pulmonary artery.In 10 patients,the aorta was directly anterior to the pulmonary artery,and in 11 patients,the aorta was to the left of the pulmonary artery.The great arteries were side by side in 7 pa- tients.We used Leiden classification for coronary artery pattern by operative descriptions.The most prevalent coronary pattern [1LCx2R]was found in 69(67.6%),abnormal coronary artery pattern in 33(32.3%).Intramural course of coronary artery was fotmd In three patients.The Leeampte maneuver was used in all cases.In most patients,the "open trap door" or "bay window" tech- nique for coronary osfia transfer.Results Total mortality rate was 14.7 %(15 eases),6 cases(8.7 %)with normal coronary pattem and 9(27.3%)deaths 33 patients with abnormal coronary pattern.3 cases with coronary event occurred in 5 deaths of simple rIGA, 4 cases with coronary event in 6 deaths of complex TGA and 3 eases with coronary event in 4 deaths of Taussing-Bing anomaly.Con- clusion Complex coronary artery anatomy increases the operative risk.With experience or improving surgical technique,we may get better results.
Prolonged antithrombotic pretreatment increased risk for MI or death in unstable coronary syndromes

Source Citation Neumann FJ, Kastrati A, Pogatsa-Murray G, et al. Evaluation of prolonged antithrombotic pretreatment (“cooling-off” strategy) before intervention in patients with unstable coronary ...
Rat lung lectin gene expression is regulated developmentally and by dexamethasone

The cell-agglutinating activity of soluble beta-galactoside-binding proteins (lectins) is developmentally regulated in several mammalian organs. Little is known of the alterations in gene expression that underlie this developmental regulation. Rat lung contains a dimeric beta-galactoside-binding protein that exhibits a postnatal peak of hemagglutination activity caused in part by an increased rate of lectin synthesis. We now report rat lung lectin mRNA concentration increased to a peak at age 6 days; dexamethasone treatment aborted this increase. Southern blot analysis is compatible with the presence of more than one lectin gene. However, two lines of evidence indicate that we measured a single gene product: 1) only one lectin of subunit Mr 14,000 is present in rat lung (Biochemistry 27: 692-699, 1988), and 2) in Northern blot analysis of RNA, the lectin cDNA hybridized with only one mRNA species. Our present findings, taken with prior studies of lectin synthesis, indicate that the postnatal increase in lectin synthesis is mediated pretranslationally and by an increased efficiency of translation. Dexamethasone treatment impairs the increase of lectin mRNA concentration but increases translational efficiency.
Adrenal Function During Chronic Danazol Administration

Ten healthy female volunteers received Danazol, 400 mg twice daily for 90 days. Adrenal function testing then showed a normal capacity of the gland to respond to stimulation with synthetic adrenocorticotrophic hormone, and a lack of suppression of central areas controlling adrenal function by a normal response to the metyrapone challenge.
The interaction of carrier-bound methotrexate with L1210 cells.

Methotrexate (MTX), covalently linked to two randomly chosen proteins (α-chymotrypsinogen and bovine IgG), was as effective as free MTX and MTX bound to bovine serum albumin (MTX-BSA) in prolonging the life span of BDF1 mice bearing the L1210 tumor, suggesting that MTX can act as an effective chemotherapeutic agent when covalently bound to a variety of proteins. MTX was more toxic than MTX-BSA to L1210 cells grown in vitro at 37°C, an observation which correlated with the relative internal drug concentrations recorded after incubation for 1 h with 4 µM free or derivatized MTX. Further in vitro experiments employing [3H]MTX-BSA as a prototype of a drug-protein carrier indicated that MTX-BSA was only partially dependent on the same transport mechanism for cellular uptake as MTX. For example, MTX transport into cells was almost zero at 0°C, whereas MTX-BSA entry was only inhibited 50%; additionally MTX-BSA uptake was much less inhibited by p-chloromercuribenzenesulfonate and 5-formyltetrahydrofolate than the parent compound. Experiments using [3H]MTX-BSA or MTX-125I-BSA indicated that the MTX-BSA complex was not degraded on the external surface of the cell membrane, as 60-65% of both radioactive labels was found inside the cell lysate fraction with much of the iodinated material degraded to low-molecular-weight fragments. In contrast the 125I marker remaining bound to the cell membrane was still present as a nondialyzable high-molecular-weight molecule. Experiments employing MTX bound to Dextran T70, an ineffective antitumor agent, indicated only limited cellular interaction and low drug uptake.
Algebraic Codes for Data Transmission: Codes Based on the Fourier Transform

Applications of the discrete Fourier transform in the complex field occur throughout the subject of signal processing. Fourier transforms also exist in the Galois field GF ( q ) and can play an important role in the study and processing of GF ( q )-valued signals, that is, of codewords. By using the Fourier transform, the ideas of coding theory can be described in a setting that is much closer to the methods of signal processing. Cyclic codes can be defined as codes whose codewords have certain specified spectral components equal to zero. In this chapter we shall study cyclic codes in the setting of the Fourier transform. In the next chapter, we shall study decoding algorithms for cyclic codes. The most important classes of cyclic codes studied in this chapter are the Reed–Solomon codes and their subcodes, the Bose–Chaudhuri–Hocquenghem (BCH) codes. The BCH codes form a large class of multiple-error-correcting codes that occupy a prominent place in the theory and practice of error correction. This prominence is due to at least four reasons. (1) Provided the blocklength is not excessive, there are good codes in this class (but generally, not the best of known codes). (2) Relatively simple and implementable encoding and decoding techniques are known (although, if simplicity were the only consideration, other codes may be preferable). (3) The popular and powerful class of nonbinary BCH codes known as Reed–Solomon codes has a certain strong optimality property, and these codes have a well-understood distance structure.
Agriculture in urban and peri-urban areas in the United States: Highlights from the Census of Agriculture

Urban agriculture, a current trend in many US cities, is purported to bring enhanced food security, reduction of food waste, community building, open green space in cities and higher property values. However, the literature lacks an understanding of whether urban farming has extended beyond a compelling concept into the practice of farming in the city and peri-urban areas. The exact definition of an urban farm is challenging, since many urban farms have a primary mission of supporting social goals rather than providing food. Use of the USDA definition of farm omits many self-identified urban farms, but the most consistent measure of agriculture is the Census of Agriculture. Using census data, this paper finds that urban farms are smaller than the typical farm, and while the amount of urban and peri-urban farmland declined between 2002 and 2007, the total number of farms increased. Growth in farmland is positively related to land values, suggesting that increases in urban farmland are more likely to take place in population dense, land scarce areas. Spatial analysis of urban and peri-urban farms in the Northeast finds fewer clusters of farms in areas with high land costs. In the most populous Northeastern cities, the farms are more likely to be located in the peri-urban area than in the urban core. Urban farms in the Northeast were more likely to produce vegetables, eggs and goats. Significant levels of vegetable farm clusters were detected surrounding Providence, Boston and Hartford Metropolitan Statistical Areas, which are regions that had no significant level of clustering of total farms. Future analysis, incorporating data from the 2012 census, should provide insight into whether local policy changes have resulted in growth in urban farms and farmland.
Background: Relevant Tools from Geometry

Shape spaces are typically nonlinear spaces where the rules of vector-space calculus do not apply directly. Instead, one uses tools from algebra, geometry, and functional analysis to develop frameworks for optimization and statistics in shape spaces. In this chapter, we provide a brief introduction of fundamental tools and techniques from algebra, differential geometry and functional analysis that are basic to shape analysis. This topic includes definitions and examples of groups, differentiable manifolds and actions of groups on manifolds. For understanding differentiable geometry of shape manifolds, we introduce the concepts of tangent spaces, Riemannian structures, geodesics, and exponential maps. An important development in shape analysis of curves has been the involvement of functional analysis. The representations of continuous curves involve functions on real lines or planes, and we will summarize basic concepts from functional analysis. In particular, we will establish the notions of Hilbert spaces, submanifolds, …
Large scale learning and recognition of faces in web videos

The phenomenal growth of video on the Web and the increasing sparseness of meta information associated with it forces us to look for signals from the video content for search/information retrieval and browsing based corpus exploration. A large chunk of users' searching/browsing patterns are centered around people present in the video. Doing it at scale in videos remains hard due to a) the absence of labeled data for such a large set of people and b) the large variation of pose/illumination/expression/age/occlusion/quality etc in the target corpus. We propose a system that can learn and recognize faces by combining signals from large scale weakly labeled text, image, and video corpora. First, consistency learning is proposed to create face models for popular persons. We use the text-image co-occurrence on the web as a weak signal of relevance and learn the set of consistent face models from this very large and noisy training set. Second, efficient and accurate face detection and face tracking is applied. Last, the key faces in each face track is select by clustering to get compact and robust representation. The face tracks are further clustered to get more representative key faces and remove duplicate key faces. For each cluster of face tracks, a combination of majority voting and probabilistic voting is done with the automatically learned models. The effectiveness of our framework is demonstrated by results on image and video corpora, in which we can achieve 92.68% in 37 million images and 80% top-5-precision in 1500 hours videos.
Use of a tick-borne disease manual increases accuracy of tick identification among primary care providers in Lyme disease endemic areas

Given the high incidence of tick bites and tick-borne diseases in the United States, it is important for primary care providers to recognize common ticks and the pathogens they may transmit. If a patient has removed and saved an attached tick, identifying the tick helps guide clinical management and determine whether antibiotic prophylaxis for Lyme disease is appropriate. To investigate providers' ability to recognize common ticks and the pathogens they may transmit, we asked 76 primary care providers from Lyme disease endemic areas to identify the common name or genus of preserved ticks found in their area. At baseline, 10.5%, 46.1%, and 57.9% of participants correctly identified an adult female blacklegged tick (engorged), dog tick, and lone star tick, respectively. Less than half of participants identified the three pathogens most frequently transmitted by blacklegged ticks. Use of a reference manual with tick photographs and drawings substantially improved identification of ticks and associated pathogens and therefore should be encouraged in clinical practice.
The Higgs Boson and Biology

I approached several physicists, some turned biologists, to ask them for a brief comment on the topic: “In the long run, what will the discovery of the Higgs boson do for biology?” Their answers span the extremes from “nothing” to “everything.”
Heterogeneity in the Making of Blood

It is increasingly clear that the bone marrow is comprised of a heterogeneous complex of niches for hematopoietic cells, some for stem cells in the perivascular space and some for progenitors. We have used two approaches to define the role of specific cells in the marrow. First, single cell selection and characterization based on in vivo proximity to HSPC. This method has defined a subset of endosteal lining cells that can be immunophenotypically defined and isolated and reveals IL-18 as a regulator of hematopoietic progenitor quiescence. Second, candidate cell depletion that revealed mature osteolineage cells expressing osteocalcin as regulating the production of thymic emigrants through the expression of Dll4. Deletion of these cells reduces the number and function of T-biased lymphoid progenitors in the marrow space as well as thymic populations and mature T cells in the blood. These data suggest that specific niche subsets can be defined and through them, novel molecular regulators of HSPC function. The bone marrow niche is a heterogeneous composite of distinctive niches. Disclosures No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.
Dynamic Testing of a Truss Bridge Using a Vibroseis Truck

Dynamic characterization of a bridge structures can often provide a more reliable and quantitative description of its performance and condition than possible from conventional bridge inspection and rating procedures. Such characterizations are typically accomplished at the global level using either controlled or ambient vibration testing methods. Ambient vibration testing is by far the more commonly employed approach for bridges due to numerous practical and logistical advantages it has over controlled dynamic testing methods. However, ambient vibration testing relies on a number of assumptions and can be subject to limitations that may not be readily apparent in the absence of an alternative characterization result. The writers recently conducted a dynamic characterization program on an in-service truss bridge and utilized both controlled and ambient vibration test methods. The structure that was evaluated is a three-span, Parker pony truss bridge that was constructed in 1930. The forced-vibration testing was performed using a vibroseis truck. The controlled vibration tests included both burst random and sine-sweep excitations at several locations in each span. This paper describes the results of the controlled vibration tests. The results are also compared with results from ambient vibration testing of the bridge. The advantages and limitations of each characterization method are discussed.
Vagal Nerve Stimulation for Treatment-Resistant Depression.

Major depressive disorder (MDD) is prevalent. Although standards antidepressants are more effective than placebo, up to 35% of patients do not respond to 4 or more conventional treatments and are considered to have treatment-resistant depression (TRD). Considerable effort has been devoted to trying to find effective treatments for TRD. This review focuses on vagus nerve stimulation (VNS), approved for TRD in 2005 by the Food and Drugs Administration. Stimulation is carried by bipolar electrodes on the left cervical vagus nerve, which are attached to an implanted stimulator generator. The vagus bundle contains about 80% of afferent fibers terminating in the medulla, from which there are projections to many areas of brain, including the limbic forebrain. Various types of brain imaging studies reveal widespread functional effects in brain after either acute or chronic VNS. Although more randomized control trials of VNS need to be carried out before a definitive conclusion can be reached about its efficacy, the results of open studies, carried out over period of 1 to 2 years, show much more efficacy when compared with results from treatment as usual studies. There is an increase in clinical response to VNS between 3 and 12 months, which is quite different from that seen with standard antidepressant treatment of MDD. Preclinically, VNS affects many of the same brain areas, neurotransmitters (serotonin, norepinephrine) and signal transduction mechanisms (brain-derived neurotrophic factor–tropomyosin receptor kinase B) as those found with traditional antidepressants. Nevertheless, the mechanisms by which VNS benefits patients nonresponsive to conventional antidepressants is unclear, with further research needed to clarify this.
There's more to a meal

How often have you returned, in thought, to a sumptuous dinner eaten some time ago? It9s unlikely that you recall the specifics of the dishes you savored with such delight, but you undoubtedly remember how the meal made you feel, and you can probably recall the atmosphere in which it was consumed. This is, in fact, a common occurrence: The food itself is only one of the factors that influence your perception of a dining experience, and—much to the chagrin of chefs—not always the most important one. Gastrophysics , by Charles Spence, deals with the wide range of factors that influence the eating experience.
Bread Beyond Borders: Food as a Lens Into Tweed's Theory of Religion

In this article I rely on Tweed’s theory of religion as found in Crossing and Dwelling (2006) to inform my exploration of how transnational identities are negotiated through food. I show how food is an ideal lens through which to see Tweed’s theory at work on the ground, in the lives, and bodies, of transnational migrants. Focussing on the last five words of Tweed’s definition of religion, namely that religions “make homes and cross boundaries,” I address how food plays the same role that Tweed posits for religion in the processes of home making and boundary crossing. Using examples from my ethnographic fieldwork in Paris, France and Montreal, Canada I show how, for my informants, food (in place of religion in Tweed’s theory) designates “where they are from,” identifies “who they are with” and prescribes “how they move across” the various borders, both physical and psychological in their lives.
A Most Necessary Pedagogy: A Call to Consider the Inner Lives of Students and Teachers in Social Studies Classrooms

H. James Garrett’s new book, Learning to Be in the World With Others: Difficult Knowledge and Social Studies Education, is a timely addition to the field of social studies education. An existence o...
Breaking Resemblance: The Role of Religious Motifs in Contemporary Art

In On the Strange Place of Religion in Contemporary Art, James Elkins makes two key observations. First, a thorough survey of contemporary art cannot fail to recognize the pervasive presence of rel...
Toward a Role Ethical Theory of Right Action

Despite its prominence in traditional societies and its apparent commonsense appeal, the moral tradition of Role Ethics has been largely neglected in mainstream normative theory. Role Ethics is the view that the duties and/or virtues of social life are determined largely by the social roles we incur in the communities we inhabit. This essay aims to address two of the main challenges that hinder Role Ethics from garnering more serious consideration as a legitimate normative theory, namely that it is ill-suited to support a theory of right action that can enhance moral reasoning, and that it countenances certain unjust roles such as that of slave or slave-owner. Taking inspiration from contemporary social science, we argue that proponents of Role Ethics can adopt a view that reduces the apparent diversity of role obligations to four prototypical types of role duties. We propose a contemporary version of Role Ethics that coheres with human moral psychology, and which lends itself to a relatively pragmatic theory of right action that precludes the possibility of unjust roles.
Medical Malpractice Reform in Three Southern States

Louisiana, Alabama, and Mississippi have adopted medical malpractice reform legislation in response to the three crises in medical liability insurance. In 1975, Louisiana adopted damages caps, created a patient compensation fund, and mandated the submission of claims to screening panels. In 1987, Alabama adopted damages caps and modified the collateral source rule, but these reforms were declared unconstitutional in the 1990s. In 2002, Mississippi adopted a damages cap. In this article we review the effect of these reforms on the malpractice environment in each state. We find that based on the total value of paid claims and paid claims per 1,000 physicians, Alabama has the most difficult environment for malpractice plaintiffs while Louisiana has the most plaintiff-friendly environment. Alabama's medical liability insurance premium rates are also substantially lower than the rates in either Mississippi or Louisiana. We conclude that despite its higher costs, Louisiana has established a stable malpractice system that is supported by providers and insurers, provides compensation for more victims of malpractice than the other states, and provides a more useful model for medical malpractice reform.
Changes in End-Tidal Carbon Dioxide Partial Pressure Alter Venous Sinus Pressure Measurements in Idiopathic Intracranial Hypertension.

Background In the diagnosis of venous stenosis associated with idiopathic intracranial hypertension, previous studies have identified significant differences when venous pressures are measured under conscious sedation versus general anesthesia. No previous reports have investigated the effect that respiratory parameters may have on cerebral venous sinus pressure and the associated trans-stenosis pressure gradient. Case Description Two patients with idiopathic intracranial hypertension were retrospectively identified from a prospective database wherein venous manometry was performed as part of a venous stenting procedure with waveform recording during changes in end-tidal carbon dioxide level (EtCO2). Upon microcatheterization of the superior sagittal sinus after induction of general anesthesia, both patients were noted to have an EtCO2 of 29 mm Hg. After EtCO2 was corrected to 40 mm Hg, repeat venous manometry was conducted, which demonstrated increased SSS venous pressures from 12.6 to 21.1 mm Hg and 18.4 to 30.3 mm Hg in patients 1 and 2, respectively. In addition, the waveform amplitude increased in both patients after EtCO2 correction. Conclusions This series demonstrates that EtCO2 changes have an immediate and pronounced effect on venous sinus pressure measurements with waveform changes that may correlate to increased intracranial pressure. These findings underscore the need to perform measurements of venous sinus pressure gradients under normal awake conditions.
Surgical Practice in Traumatic Spinal Fracture Treatment with Regard to the Subaxial Cervical Injury Classification and Severity and the Thoracolumbar Injury Classification and Severity Systems: A Review of 58 Patients at the University of Wisconsin

Objectives Spine surgeons at a Level 1 Trauma Center have observed a high incidence of spine and spinal cord injuries owing to falls from tree stands. These injuries have been retrospectively reviewed in the context of the Thoracolumbar Injury Classification and Severity (TLICS) and the Subaxial Cervical Injury Classification and Severity (SLICS) classification systems to assess inter-user reliability and validity. We hypothesize that the inter-rater reliability will be similar between neuroradiology and neurosurgery raters and validity of the scoring system will be maintained at our institution. Methods The University of Wisconsin Hospital and Clinics' trauma database was reviewed for tree stand–related injuries from 1999 to 2013, with a focus on patients suffering from spine and spinal cord injuries. The TLICS and SLICS scores were then independently determined for these injuries by a neurosurgeon and a neuroradiologist. Results When cases were grouped by management recommendation (operative, equivocal, and nonoperative) reviewer agreement was 12/15 (80%) of SLICS and 38/52 (73%) of TLICS scores. Operative SLICS positive predictive value reached 100%, however, with a wide confidence interval. Conversely, the SLICS negative predictive value was poor at 54%–60%, with frequent operative treatment for patients assigned nonoperative scores. TLICS scores reached 77.8% and 93.3% positive predictive value per reviewer, whereas negative predictive values reached 93.9% and 89.2%, respectively. Conclusions The TLICS and SLICS systems provide good-to-excellent inter-rater reliability. SLICS validity was poor, whereas TLICS was reasonable for nonoperative cases and moderate for operative cases. Systems such as the TLICS and the SLICS may be best applied in the educational setting to confirm the fracture morphology and presence or absence of ligamentous injury between surgeons and radiologists.
Social Disorganization Theory in Contemporary China: a Review of the Evidence and Directions for Future Research

This paper assesses and synthesizes the cumulative results from the empirical research on social disorganization and crime-related phenomena at the neighborhood level in China. Our review identified 17 relevant quantitative, qualitative, and mixed method studies published in journals and books from the late-1990s to date. Our goal is to take stock of the cumulative knowledge to inspire future research in China, thereby advancing social disorganization theory. We synthesize the main findings about the effects of structural factors and intervening mechanisms from quantitative studies, summarize briefly conclusions from qualitative and mixed methods research to crosscheck our synthesis, and identify methodological and theoretical limitations. Our conclusions point to promising directions for future research with special attention to prospects for theory development through comparative criminological inquiry.
Fiscal Policy and Growth in the Middle East and North Africa Region

Establishing a policy framework to sustain high rates of growth is a major challenge facing the economies of the Middle East and North Africa. Given the strikingly dominant role of governments in these economies, this paper focuses on the contribution of fiscal consolidation and reform toward addressing this challenge. On the basis of an examination of fiscal structures, reform and adjustment efforts, and their growth implications during 1980-95, it concludes that the ongoing process of fiscal reform—aimed at reducing budget deficits, improving the budgetary structure, and enhancing the effectiveness of government interventions—is key to ensuring macroeconomic stability and fostering growth.
Fractionated stereotactic radiotherapy for local control of resected brain metastases

Postoperative stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) has been shown to establish local control in patients with resected brain metastases, yet its efficacy may be limited, particularly for resected lesions with large post-operative resection cavities. We describe the efficacy of postoperative fractionated stereotactic radiotherapy (FSRT) for local control in patients who have undergone resection for brain metastases. In this retrospective cohort study, we analyzed patients who received FSRT for resected brain metastases in 3 or 5 fractions. Time to local recurrence was the primary endpoint in this study. Sixty-seven patients (n = 29 female, n = 38 male) met study criteria for review. The median age of the cohort was 62 years (range 18–79 years). Median preoperative tumor volume was 11.1 cm3 (range 0.4–77.0 cm3). The rate of local control was 91.0% at 6 months, 85.1% at 12 months, and 85.1% at 18 months. Estimates of freedom from local recurrence at 6 and 12 months were 90.9% and 84.3%, respectively. Higher biologically equivalent doses (BED10) were found to be predictive of longer freedom from local recurrence on univariate and multivariable analysis. Larger cavity volumes were found to correspond to longer time to local recurrence on univariate and multivariable analysis. Our results suggest that postoperative FSRT may be an effective method for providing local control to the surgical bed in patients with resected brain metastases, particularly for larger tumors not amenable to conventional, single-fraction SRS. Additional prospective studies are needed to confirm these findings.
“I Feel Like We’re Going Backwards:” Post-Presidential Election Resilience in Latinx Community Members

The 2016 U.S. presidential election brought many reactions on a global scale. World leaders, national leaders, and everyday citizens experienced intense emotions on varying levels. Latinx communities in the U.S., specifically, were impacted significantly, with rhetoric about immigration and issues regarding border security (i.e., build a wall). While much about these sentiments have been reported at the journalistic level, little has been published at the research level to date: specifically, how Latinx community members reacted on an individual level, how they confronted concerns related to fear and adversities (i.e., their resilience), and what the impact may be for their future. The current study employs a community-based, qualitative approach that involved conducting semi-structured focus groups with self-identified Latinx community members in a U.S., West Coast town. Participants were asked about their emotions and reactions, as well as plans regarding the results of the election. Emergent themes included three broad categories: (1) perspectives on the outcome of the 2016 U.S. presidential election; (2) observed impacts of the U.S. presidential election, and (3) ways of dealing with the election results. Sub and tertiary thematic categories were also identified.
Early Identification of Argatroban Resistance and the Consideration of Factor VIII

Background:Argatroban, a synthetic, parenteral, nonheparin anticoagulant, is a direct thrombin inhibitor indicated for the prophylaxis or treatment of venous thromboembolism (VTE) in patients with ...
Effect of Solder Paste Volume and Reflow Parameters on Solder Paste Wicking and Joint Shear Strength of Ni–Au-Coated Cu Spheres

Ball grid array (BGA) architectures are being widely used in the semiconductor industry in surface mount technology (SMT) applications to satisfy the miniaturization needs of emerging microelectronics systems. However, these architectures are not compatible with socketing applications as the mechanical contact between the gold paddle and the solder sphere leads to undesired reactions, increasing the contact resistance and degrading the reworkability overtime. To address this challenge, surface modification of BGA spheres with multilayered thin-film metallic coatings such as Ni-Au is proposed to maintain a nonreactive noble metal interface when used in a socket. This article focuses on the process of attaching the surface-modified spheres on a package using two solder pastes—Sn57.6Bi0.4Ag (SBA) and Sn3.0Ag0.5Cu (SAC305) with liquidus temperatures of 138 °C and 219 °C, respectively. The challenge of solder paste wicking on the entire surface of the Au-coated sphere was addressed by controlling the volume of the solder paste, and the joint shear strength was optimized by controlling the time above liquidus (TAL) during reflow. A 30–40-s window for TAL was established to achieve a strong solder joint with controlled paste wicking for both solder pastes. The strength of the joint was measured by a single-ball shear test, followed by microstructural analysis to identify the failure modes. Brittle fractures were observed for both solder pastes with an optimum joint shear strength ranging from 55 to 70 MPa for the SBA paste, and 72 to 75 MPa for the SAC305 paste.
Juvenile Institutional Misconduct: Examining the Role of Educational Attainment and Academic Achievement:

Identifying risk factors of institutional misconduct among juvenile offenders is important in curbing costs and consequences of these infractions. Research shows low educational attainment and poor...
UWB Radar Vibrometry : An RF Microphone

UWB radars can detect minute surface displacements therefore, have been exploited for vibrometry applications. In this paper, we demonstrate via experimentation that it is feasible to remotely sense sound and recover acoustic signals from vibrating sources using radars. Early research in this domain only demonstrated single sound source recovery using narrowband millimeter wave radars in direct line-of-sight scenarios. Instead, we illustrate using X band UWB radars that, multiple sources separated in ranges are observed and their signals isolated and recovered. Additionally, we leverage the see-through ability of microwave signals to extend this technology to surveillance of targets obstructed by barriers. We further drive this notion of blind surveillance by reconstructing audio from a passive object which is merely in proximity of the sound source using clever radar and audio processing techniques.
Psychological assessment of gestational carrier candidates: current approaches, challenges, and future considerations

The role of a mental health professional (MHP) in the psychological assessment of gestational carrier (GC) candidates has evolved over time, with clinical practices well established in the United States. Current ASRM guidelines recommend that all GC candidates undergo a psychosocial consultation and psychological testing (where deemed appropriate). Practice standards are relatively consistent among mental health disciplines, with assessments typically involving a clinical interview and the administration of a single, objective, self-report personality inventory. Although recent studies have established normative data for GCs, there has been little research into which assessment protocols are best suited to answer the referral questions of interest. Current challenges for MHPs placed in a gate-keeping role include providing a thorough screening using measures that typically yield defensive profiles that make them difficult to interpret. Research is emerging that suggests that using a multimethod approach in the psychological assessment of GCs may yield a more comprehensive psychological profile of GC candidates. This could allow MHPs to determine psychological appropriateness with more confidence and contribute additional data to be used in pre-surrogacy counseling. Assessing the psychological appropriateness of a woman to serve as a GC is a complex process, and there are a multitude of factors that must be considered, not the least of which are the psychological well-being of a potential GC, her partner, and her children throughout the process and beyond.
7.15 – Thiamin Biosynthesis

Thiamin pyrophosphate (vitamin B1) is an essential cofactor in all forms of life and is biosynthesized using surprisingly complex chemistry. This review describes the recent progress on the structure and enzymology of the enzymes involved in thiamin pyrophosphate biosynthesis in bacteria and in Saccharomyces cerevisiae with an emphasis on the mechanistically interesting chemistry on these pathways. All of the biosynthetic enzymes in Bacillus subtilis have now been mechanistically and structurally characterized and the complete biosynthesis has been reconstituted in a biochemically defined system. Topics covered will include the mechanistic enzymology of the thiazole and pyrimidine forming reactions, trapping of a carbocation intermediate at the active site of the thiazole/pyrimidine coupling enzyme and thiamin salvage. The use of protein thiocarboxylates in biosynthesis and a chemoenzymatic synthesis of thiamin pyrophosphate are also described.
A longitudinal evaluation of a penetrating traumatic brain injury: Theories of plasticity and vulnerability

Penetrating traumatic brain injury (TBI) is uncommon in infancy. The consequences may be devastating, especially when the injury is extensive and affects eloquent areas of the brain. There is the p...
Perioperative outcomes for benign hysterectomy among women with thrombocytopenia.

Objective To determine whether mild or moderate thrombocytopenia is associated with postoperative complications after benign hysterectomy. Methods A retrospective study of data from women who underwent benign hysterectomy included in the American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Project Database. The data were stratified by normal platelet count, mild thrombocytopenia (100-149 × 103 platelets/μL), and moderate thrombocytopenia (50-99 × 103 platelets/μL). Multivariable logistic regression was used to determine the relationship between mild or moderate thrombocytopenia and the main outcome measures. Results Moderate thrombocytopenia was associated with an increased risk of perioperative transfusion (adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 2.87; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.96-4.21) and reoperation (aOR, 4.03; 95% CI, 1.94-17.33), but mild thrombocytopenia was not. There was an increased risk of infection among women with both mild (aOR, 1.38; 95% CI, 1.12-1.69) and moderate (aOR, 2.00; 95% CI,1.23-3.22) thrombocytopenia. There was no association between either mild or moderate thrombocytopenia and readmission, prolonged hospital stay, or longer surgical time. Conclusion Thrombocytopenia was found to be associated with increased infectious morbidity after hysterectomy, and moderate thrombocytopenia was associated with an increased risk of perioperative transfusion and reoperation.
Gender in Transition: The Case of North Korea

This paper uses a survey of 300 North Korean refugees to examine the experience of women in North Korea's fitful economic transition. Like other socialist states, North Korea has maintained a de jure commitment to women's rights. However, we find that women have been disproportionately shed from state-affiliated employment and thrust into a market environment characterized by weak institutions and corruption. As a result, the state and its affiliated institutions are increasingly populated by males, and the market, particularly in its retail aspects, is dominated by women. Among the most recent cohort of refugees to leave North Korea, more than one-third of male respondents indicate that criminality and corruption is the best way to make money, and 95 percent of female traders report paying bribes to avoid the penal system. In short, the increasingly male-dominated state preys on the increasingly female-dominated market. These results paint a picture of a vulnerable group that has been disadvantaged in North Korea's transition. Energies are directed toward survival, mass civil disobedience is reactive, and as a group, this population appears to lack the tools or social capital to act collectively to improve their status.
The definition of diversity : Two views. A more specific definition

This article traces the evolvement of Affirmative Action to diversity and addresses the notion of protected classes. Librarians are encouraged to make equity the goal for increasing racial and ethnic diversity librarianship
Formulating Constitutive Stress-Strain Relations for Flexural Design of Ultra-High-Performance Fiber-Reinforced Concrete

Ultra-high-performance fiber-reinforced concrete (UHP-FRC) has high compressive strength (> 22 ksi [150 MPa]) and exceptional compressive ductility. The use of UHP-FRC provides new opportunities for future infrastructure. However, structural design criteria have not been developed to fully utilize UHP-FRC’s excellent mechanical properties. Maximum useable compressive strain, ecu, specified in the current design codes (ACI 318 Building Code and AASHTO LRFD Bridge Design Specifications) are limited to 0.003 for conventional plain concrete with little ductility and a maximum compressive strength of about 10 (69 MPa) and 15 ksi (103 MPa) for ACI 318 and AASHTO LRFD Specifications, respectively. This maximum concrete compressive strain directly limits the amount of longitudinal reinforcement that could be used in flexural members, which in turn limits the flexural capacity of the members. Since the maximum useable strains of UHP-FRC are 5 to 10 times of that of plain concrete, it is apparent that the maximum compressive strain used for the current design needs to be reevaluated for UHPFRC. In addition, unlike plain concrete, the tensile strength of UHP-FRC can also contribute to its bending capacity. This research investigated the flexural behavior of a UHP-FRC beam reinforced with flexural reinforcement five times greater than that allowed by ACI or AASHTO provisions for tension-controlled conventional reinforced concrete beams. The large amount of reinforcement also significantly affected the tensile behavior of UHP-FRC due to the tension-stiffening effect.
AML-291: Treatment Response and Outcome in DNMT3A-mutated Acute Myeloblastic Leukemia

Introduction: Mutations in DNMT3A have been associated with clonal hematopoiesis. Among patients with DNMT3A-mutated AML, prior reports of the prognostic impact of mutations at the R882 residue versus non-R822 mutations have been conflicting. Objective: To identify the prognostic impact of DNMT3A mutations and whether mutations at codon R882 (DNMT3A-R882) versus mutations at codons other than R882 (non-R882) have clinically relevant differences. Design: We retrospectively reviewed the clinical records of 236 patients with newly diagnosed AML with DNMT3A mutations who presented to our institution from 2012 to 2020. The study population was classified into two age groups ( 65 years). We analyzed the disease-related characteristics, response rates (CR/CRi), and survival of those with DNMT3A-R882 versus non-R882 mutations. Results: Patients 65 years, those with DNMT3A-R882 showed a median age of 70 years versus 74 years in those with non-R882 (p=0.01). Moreover, DNMT3A-R882 presented with a diploid karyotype (69%) and complex karyotype (11%, p=0.06). The presence of concomitant mutations was not significantly different, and the most frequently co-occurring mutations were NPM1, FLT3-ITD, IDH2, and IDH1. TP53-mutated was overrepresented in the non-R882 group (21% vs 8% in DNMT3A-R882; p=0.009). There was a trend for a higher CR/CRi rate among those with DNMT3A-R882 treated with cladribine plus low-dose cytarabine (93%; p=0.08) or hypomethylating agents with venetoclax (87%; p=0.21). Finally, concomitant TP53 mutation significantly increased the risk of death (HR; 4; 95% CI: 0.47–2.27, p 65 years, DNMT3A non-R822 was associated with worse survival, although it was not statistically significant. Secondary or therapy-related AML had a two-fold increased risk of death (p=0.01 and p=0.04, respectively). HMA-Ven or Clad-LDAC-Ven showed a survival advantage. Conclusions: DNMT3A mutations do not have an independent prognostic impact in patients diagnosed with AML across age groups. Patients >65 years with DNMT3A-R882 had a trend toward longer OS. Clad-LDAC-Ven and HMA-Ven provided better CR/CRi and survival advantage. Co-occurrence of TP53 mutations was associated with a negative prognostic impact in all patients.
Variarum I.X of Cassiodorus as a Program of Monetary Policy

M agnus Aurelius Cassiodorus Senator does not, by and large, enjoy a good repu ta tion am ong scholars. “Epistulae . . . adm irationem movent ex ilitate sua et vaniloquentia” : th is is w hat Theodor M ommsen1 wrote abou t the Variae, and his ghost still looms on the scholarly horizon.2 Further com­ m ents by Mommsen: “Sylloge Cassiodorana V ariarum Libri XII . . . quod nullum verbum habet, quo au t G erm ani offendantur au t Iustinianus, ingen ium auctoris te s ta tu r et pavidum et callidum et ita um bratile , u t ne ii quidam laudare queant qui im itan tu r.”3 These words, published in 1894, set the tone for much of subsequent scholarship. Var. I.X is no exception; if considered a t all by scholars, th is le tte r has been seen as a response to com plaints by allegedly underpaid guards, or as a proof for certain features of the W estern Byzantine m onetary system .4 A ctually, it is far more than th a t. Var. I.X, w ritten in the nam e of Theoderic and addressed to “Boethio v. i. atque patric io ,” is occasioned by a com plaint presented jo in tly by the palace excubitors to the king ( “a d u n a ta nobis supplicatione conquesti sun t,” I.X .10): allegedly, the guards were being paid in solidi of substandard weight ( “nec integri ponderis,” I.X. 11) by the praefectus arcae. Theoderic called upon Boethius to investigate the m atte r and ascertain the tru th , so as to
Pain management for pediatric tonsillectomy: An integrative review through the perioperative and home experience

Purpose This integrative review aims to increase our understanding of current pain management care practices for children undergoing tonsillectomy. Conclusions Synthesis of the literature resulted in four main opportunities for care providers to manage pain: preoperative education and preparation, intraoperative surgical interventions, and postoperative pharmacologic and nonpharmacologic interventions in the post anesthesia care unit and home settings. Practice Implications Nurses have many opportunities to understand pain management practices and intervene to minimize pain experienced in pediatric outpatients undergoing tonsillectomy.
Mass, momentum, and geodynamics

While other chapters of this book describe the meteorological intraseasonal variability (ISV) phenomena in the atmosphere-ocean system, and examine the possible causes of the ISV or the dynamic interactions between the meteorological components that are involved, in this chapter we will study certain global geodynamic effects that relate to the mass transport associated with the ISV, which for the most part occur in the atmosphere-ocean system. In particular, we will discuss the angular momentum variability of the atmosphere and its influences on Earth’s rotation; we also visit the associated mass-induced gravity variations. The observations of these can help improve our understanding of, and our modeling capability for, atmospheric-oceanic circulations in general, including those related to the ISV.
The Major-Element Composition of Individual Chondrules of the Bjurböle Meteorite

Eighty-two chondrules of the Bjurbole meteorite have been analyzed for Si, Al, Fe, Ca, Mg, K, Na and Ni. Fifty-three of these have been analyzed for sulfur. The density of each chondrule was first determined by the sink-float method. The mean density was 3.28 g/cm3, the range was from 3.17 to 3.53 g/cm3.
Mitigating hard capacity constraints with inventory in facility location modeling

ABSTRACTAlthough the traditional capacitated facility location model uses inflexible, limited capacities, facility managers often have many operational tools to extend capacity or to allow a facility to accept demands in excess of the capacity constraint for short periods of time. We present a mixed-integer program that captures these operational extensions. In particular, demands are not restricted by the capacity constraint, as we allow for unprocessed materials from one day to be held over in inventory and processed on a following day. We also consider demands at a daily level, which allows us to explicitly incorporate the daily variation in, and possibly correlated nature of, demands. Large problem instances, in terms of the number of demand nodes, candidate nodes, and number of days in the time horizon, are generated from United States census population data. We demonstrate that, in some instances, optimal locations identified by the new model differ from those of the traditional capacitated facility...