Factors identification on optimization of ball placement tool for flip-chip- ball-grid-array product

Market demand on system-on-chip (SoC) using ball-attach technologies, it is time for ball-attach module to have an improvement on their capabilities within limited resources (man and machine). This paper identifies caused of factor which contributes more time to production time. Justification on improving ball-attach module cycle time during high volume activities is explained

Applications of the Ashtekar gravity to four dimensional hyperk\"ahler geometry and Yang-Mills Instantons

The Ashtekar-Mason-Newman equations are used to construct the hyperk\"ahler metrics on four dimensional manifolds. These equations are closely related to anti self-dual Yang-Mills equations of the infinite dimensional gauge Lie algebras of all volume preserving vector fields. Several examples of hyperk\"ahler metrics are presented through the reductions of anti self-dual connections. For any gauge group anti self-dual connections on hyperk\"ahler manifolds are constructed using the solutions of both Nahm and Laplace equations.Comment: 9pages, Figures are not include

Ab initio calculations of neutrinoless ββ\beta \beta decay refine neutrino mass limits

Neutrinos are perhaps the most elusive known particles in the universe. We know they have some nonzero mass, but unlike all other particles, the absolute scale remains unknown. In addition, their fundamental nature is uncertain; they can either be their own antiparticles or exist as distinct neutrinos and antineutrinos. The observation of the hypothetical process of neutrinoless double-beta ($0\nu\beta\beta$) decay would at once resolve both questions, while providing a strong lead in understanding the abundance of matter over antimatter in our universe. In the scenario of light-neutrino exchange, the decay rate is governed by, and thereby linked to the effective mass of the neutrino via, the theoretical nuclear matrix element (NME). In order to extract the neutrino mass, if a discovery is made, or to assess the discovery potential of next-generation searches, it is essential to obtain accurate NMEs for all isotopes of experimental interest. However, two of the most important cases, $^{130}$Te and $^{136}$Xe, lie in the heavy region and have only been accessible to phenomenological nuclear models. In this work we utilize powerful advances in ab initio nuclear theory to compute NMEs from the underlying nuclear and weak forces driving this decay, including the recently discovered short-range component. We find that ab initio NMEs are generally smaller than those from nuclear models, challenging the expected reach of future ton-scale searches as well as claims to probe the inverted hierarchy of neutrino masses. With this step, ab initio calculations with theoretical uncertainties are now feasible for all isotopes relevant for next-generation $0\nu\beta\beta$ decay experiments.Comment: 5 pages, 3 figures, supplemental material include

Ni-Cr textured substrates with reduced ferromagnetism for coated conductor applications

A series of biaxially textured Ni(1-x)Cr(x) materials, with compositions x = 0, 7, 9, 11, and 13 at % Cr, have been studied for use as substrate materials in coated conductor applications with high temperature superconductors. The magnetic properties were investigated, including the hysteretic loss in a Ni-7 at % Cr sample that was controllably deformed; for comparison, the loss was also measured in a similarly deformed pure Ni substrate. Complementary X-ray diffraction studies show that thermo-mechanical processing produces nearly complete {100} cube texturing, as desired for applications.Comment: PDF only; 19 pp., incl 10 figure

Analytical investigation of magnetic field distributions around superconducting strips on ferromagnetic substrates

The complex-field approach is developed to derive analytical expressions of the magnetic field distributions around superconducting strips on ferromagnetic substrates (SC/FM strips). We consider the ferromagnetic substrates as ideal soft magnets with an infinite magnetic permeability, neglecting the ferromagnetic hysteresis. On the basis of the critical state model for a superconducting strip, the ac susceptibility $\chi_1'+i\chi_1''$ of a SC/FM strip exposed to a perpendicular ac magnetic field is theoretically investigated, and the results are compared with those for superconducting strips on nonmagnetic substrates (SC/NM strips). The real part $\chi_1'$ for $H_0/j_cd_s\to 0$ (where $H_0$ is the amplitude of the ac magnetic field, $j_c$ is the critical current density, and $d_s$ is the thickness of the superconducting strip) of a SC/FM strip is 3/4 of that of a SC/NM strip. The imaginary part $\chi_1''$ (or ac loss $Q$) for $H_0/j_cd_s<0.14$ of a SC/FM strip is larger than that of a SC/NM strip, even when the ferromagnetic hysteresis is neglected, and this enhancement of $\chi_1''$ (or $Q$) is due to the edge effect of the ferromagnetic substrate.Comment: 8 pages, 6 figures, submitted to Phys. Rev.

Low-Rank Decompositions of Three-Nucleon Forces via Randomized Projections

Ab initio calculations for nuclei and nuclear matter are limited by the computational requirements of processing large data objects. In this work, we develop low-rank singular value decompositions for chiral three-nucleon interactions, which dominate these limitations. In order to handle the large dimensions in representing three-body operators, we use randomized decomposition techniques. We study in detail the sensitivity of different three-nucleon topologies to low-rank matrix factorizations. The developed low-rank three-nucleon interactions are benchmarked in Faddeev calculations of the triton and ab initio calculations of medium-mass nuclei. Exploiting low-rank properties of nuclear interactions will be particularly important for the extension of ab initio studies to heavier and deformed systems, where storage requirements will exceed the computational capacities of the most advanced high-performance-computing facilities.Comment: 7 pages, 4 figure

High basal STAT4 balanced by STAT1 induction to control type 1 interferon effects in natural killer cells

The best-characterized type 1 interferon (IFN) signaling pathway depends on signal transducer and activator of transcription 1 (STAT1) and STAT2. The cytokines can, however, conditionally activate all STATs. Regulation of their access to particular signaling pathways is poorly understood. STAT4 is important for IFN-γ induction, and NK cells are major producers of this cytokine. We report that NK cells have high basal STAT4 levels and sensitivity to type 1 IFN–mediated STAT4 activation for IFN-γ production. Increases in STAT1, driven during viral infection by either type 1 IFN or IFN-γ, are associated with decreased STAT4 access. Both STAT1 and STAT2 are important for antiviral defense, but STAT1 has a unique role in protecting against sustained NK cell IFN-γ production and resulting disease. The regulation occurs with an NK cell type 1 IFN receptor switch from a STAT4 to a STAT1 association. Thus, a fundamental characteristic of NK cells is high STAT4 bound to the type 1 IFN receptor. The conditions of infection result in STAT1 induction with displacement of STAT4. These studies elucidate the critical role of STAT4 levels in predisposing selection of specific signaling pathways, define the biological importance of regulation within particular cell lineages, and provide mechanistic insights for how this is accomplished in vivo

Analysis of the contribution of cellular and viral RNA to the packaging of APOBEC3G into HIV-1 virions

This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Licens

Protein processing characterized by a gel-free proteomics approach

We describe a method for the specific isolation of representative N-terminal peptides of proteins and their proteolytic fragments. Their isolation is based on a gel-free, peptidecentric proteomics approach using the principle of diagonal chromatography. We will indicate that the introduction of an altered chemical property to internal peptides holding a free α-N-terminus results in altered column retention of these peptides, thereby enabling the isolation and further characterization by mass spectrometry of N-terminal peptides. Besides pointing to changes in protein expression levels when performing such proteome surveys in a differential modus, protease specificity and substrate repertoires can be allocated since both are specified by neo-N-termini generated after a protease cleavage event. As such, our gel-free proteomics technology is widely applicable and amenable for a variety of proteome-driven protease degradomics research