Assessing the Soft Error Rate of Digital Architectures Devoted to Operate in Radiation Environment: A Case Studied

The effects of transient bit flips on the operation of processor based architectures is investigated through fault injection experiments performed in the hardware itself by means of the interruption mechanism. Such an approach is based on the execution, as the consequence of an interruption signal assertion, of pieces of code called CEU (Code Emulating Upsets), asynchronously downloaded in a suitable memory area. This paper focuses in the methodology followed to set-up CEU injection experiments on a digital architecture, illustrating it main steps by means of a studied case: the 80C51 microcontroller. Results obtained from automated fault injection sessions performed using the capabilities of a devoted test system, will point out the capabilities and limitations of the studied approach.     

Preoperative staging of rectal carcinoma by magnetic resonance imaging with a pelvic phased-array coil

BACKGROUND: The use of surface coils for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) allows enhanced image definition and so potentially more accurate staging of colorectal cancer. Endorectal coil imaging is invasive, operator dependent and impossible in a high proportion of patients due to rectal stricture. The phased-array pelvic coil, however, is non-invasive and applicable to all rectal tumours. METHODS: A pelvic phased-array coil was used for preoperative MRI staging of 38 primary rectal carcinomas. Results were expressed according to the Dukes and tumour nodes metastasis (TNM) classifications. After resection of the tumour, the stage predicted on MRI was compared with the pathological classification. RESULTS: The overall accuracy of preoperative staging with the pelvic phased-array coil was 55 per cent for both Dukes class and T stage. Assessment of nodal involvement gave an overall accuracy for MRI of 76 per cent with a sensitivity of 57 per cent and specificity of 88 per cent. CONCLUSION: Use of a pelvic phased-array coil did not improve the staging accuracy of MRI to a clinically useful level.     

An efficient heuristic approach for parallel machine scheduling with job splitting and sequence-dependent setup times

In this paper, we consider a simplified real-life identical parallel machine scheduling problem with sequence-dependent setup times and job splitting to minimize makespan. We propose a heuristic to solve this problem. Our method is composed of two parts. The problem is first reduced into a single machine scheduling problem with sequence-dependent setup times. This reduced problem can be transformed into a Traveling Salesman Problem (TSP), which can be efficiently solved using Little's method. In the second part, a feasible initial solution to the original problem is obtained by exploiting the results of the first part. This initial solution is then improved in a step by step manner, taking into account the setup times and job splitting. We develop a lower bound and evaluate the performances of our heuristic on a large number of randomly generated instances. The solution given by our heuristic is less than 4.88% from the lower bound.     

Melting metal powder particles in an inductively coupled r.f. plasma torch

A numerical model is developed for the prediction of melting metal powder particles in an inductively coupled r.f. plasma torch. The model is developed for dilute spray conditions where the gas phase flow is not affected by the loading condition. The governing equation for the gas phase flow contains the source terms from the electromagnetic field. The theoretical calculations have shown that particle thermal history and its velocity are greatly affected by the plasma operating conditions (i.e., carrier gas flow rate, injector location, and power level,etc.). Without the proper control of particle trajectories, particles may bounce around the fireball and exit the torch as unmelted or resolidified solid particles. With the insertion of an injector or injecting particles with a high carrier gas flow rate, the predictions show that even relatively small size particles can be directed into the fireball and maintained in the molten state before they impact on the substrate. Consequently, more uniform and dense deposits can be achieved.     

Numerical computations of fluid flow and heat transfer in a gas-stirred liquid bath

The flow and temperature fields due to bottom air injection in a cylindrical vessel containing water were numerically analyzed. The Eulerian approach was used for the formulation of both the continuous and the dispersed phases. The computational domain was extended beyond the undisturbed height of the liquid in the bath to accommodate practical gas injection systems. Turbulence in the liquid phase was modeled using a two-equationk- ε model. Interphase friction and heat transfer coefficients were calculated by using correlations available in the literature. The general-purpose computer program PHOENICS was employed to predict the velocity, vol-ume fraction, and the temperature fields of each phase. Turbulent dispersion of the phases was modeled by introducing a “dispersion Prandtl number.” The predicted flow fields were com-pared with experimental measurements available in the literature. The results are of interest in the design and operation of a wide variety of material processing operations.     

Nonlocality in pure and mixed n-qubit <Emphasis Type="Italic">X</Emphasis> states

Nonlocality for general multiqubit X states is studied in detail. Pure and mixed states are analyzed as far as their maximum amount of nonlocality is concerned, and analytic results are obtained for important families of these states. The particular form of nonzero diagonal and antidiagonal matrix elements makes the corresponding study easy enough to obtain exact results. We also provide a numerical recipe to randomly generate an important family of X states endowed with a given degree of mixture.     

Radiolabeling of melatonin using different oxidizing agents for immunoassay purpose

An efficient method was developed for radioiodination of melatonin with ¹²⁵I. Chloramine-T and iodogen were used as oxidizing agents. The radioiodination was carried out via electrophilic substitution of the H atom with the I⁺ cation. Indirect iodination using Bolton–Hunter reagent was also performed. The influence exerted on the radiochemical yield by the melatonin concentration, pH of the reaction mixture, type of oxidizing agent, and reaction time was studied. The shelf life and specific activity of the product were determined. The radiochemical yield and product purity were determined by HPLC and paper electrophoresis. The immunoreactivity of the tracer was checked using its specific antibody. Specific and sensitive polyclonal antimelatonin was prepared using two New Zealand rabbits, which were injected with 5-methoxy-N-acetyltryptamine–bovine serum albumin conjugate as immunogen. The tracer prepared by the indirect method with iodogen had high specific activity, high yield, and long shelf life; it was also more selective in the melatonin assessment using radioimmunoassay technique.     

Photo-degradation of acid green dye over Co-ZSM-5 catalysts prepared by incipient wetness impregnation technique

Co-ZSM-5 catalysts with different Co-loadings (2-30wt.%) were prepared by incipient wetness impregnation method. The prepared solid catalysts were characterized by X-ray diffraction, FTIR, in situ FTIR of pyridine adsorption and surface area measurements. The XRD data presented disintegration in the zeolitic crystalline structure accompanied by an increase in particle size of the prepared solids. New phases, Co(3)O(4) and Co(2)SiO(4), were detected with increasing the Co-loading, which indicate the strong interaction of cobalt ions with the ZSM-5 zeolite. FTIR study proved the presence of Co ions in stabilized sites inside the ZSM-5 framework. The in situ FTIR of adsorbed pyridine determined the type and relative strength of acidity on the surface of the prepared solids. The acidity switched from B-acid sites to L-acid sites with impregnation of cobalt ions in ZSM-5 zeolite. The acidity decreased with increasing Co-loading, which might be due to the destruction of zeolite framework and presence of new phases such as cobalt silicate and cobalt oxide on the surface. The surface texture characteristics changed with the promotion of ZSM-5 by cobalt ions, since a decrease of surface area, mean pore radius and pore volume was observed. The assessment of the catalytic activity was performed by the use of the photo-degradation of acid green (AG) dye as a probe reaction in presence of H(2)O(2) as an oxidant. The pH value controlled the degradation rate since a gradual increase of AG degradation rate was observed with increasing pH value and the optimum H(2)O(2) concentration was 61.6 mmol/l. It was found that, the AG degradation rate increased until an optimum value of Co-loading (ca. 10 wt.%), beyond which a monotonic decrease of reaction rate was recognized. The experimental data pointed to the importance of both the cobalt moieties and the zeolite framework structure in the AG degradation reaction.     

Experimental and numerical investigations of an orifice type cryogenic pulse tube refrigerator

A helium filled orifice type pulse tube refrigerator (OPTR) was designed, built and operated to provide cryogenic cooling. The OTPR is a traveling wave thermoacoustic refrigerator that operates on a modified reverse Stirling cycle. The experimental studies are carried out to characterize the performance of the OPTR at various values of the mean pressure of helium (0.35 MPa–2.2 MPa), amplitudes of pressure oscillations, frequencies of operation and sizes of orifice opening. A detailed time-dependent axisymmetric computational fluid dynamic (CFD) model of the OPTR is also developed to predict its performance. In the CFD model, the continuity, momentum and energy equations are solved for both the refrigerant gas (helium) and the porous media regions (the regenerator and the three heat-exchangers) in the OPTR. An improved representation of heat transfer in the porous media is achieved by employing a thermal non-equilibrium model to couple the gas and solid (porous media) energy equations. The computational results are compared with specific experimental results to validate the numerical model. The model predictions show better temporal comparisons with the experimental results when the effects of wall thicknesses and natural convective losses of the various components of the OPTR to the surroundings are included in the model.     

Heat transfer in a rectangular chamber with differentially heated horizontal walls: Effects of a vibrating sidewall

Heat transfer in a gas-filled closed enclosure with differentially heated horizontal walls is investigated numerically. One of the sidewalls vibrates with specified frequency and amplitude to induce forced convective flows in the enclosure. The vibrating and the stationary sidewalls are considered to be thermally insulated while the two horizontal walls are differentially heated. To simulate the flow field, the full compressible form of the Navier–Stokes equations is considered and solved by a highly accurate flux-corrected transport algorithm. In the numerical model, temperature dependant heat conductivity and viscosity are taken into account. The presence of acoustic streaming is found to have significant effect on the heat transfer. Also the presence of temperature gradients in the enclosure is found to affect the formation of acoustically induced streaming flows.