Electronic simulation and microcontroller real implementation of an autonomous chaotic and hyperchaotic system made of a Colpitts-Josephson junction like circuit

Most of the simple Josephson junction (JJ) based circuits with chaotic behavior found in the literature are nonautonomous. Hyperchaotic JJ-based circuits are often either driven by an external force or result from coupling chaotic circuits. An autonomous simple circuit based on Josephson junction active element (JJ), with exactly three physical energy storage tanks, is proposed and analyzed in this paper. This Colpitts-like CLC circuit, though operating at low frequencies, can generate hyperchaotic signals when its nonlinear element is a resistive–capacitive–inductance shunted junction (LRCLSJ) model. Two equilibrium points are found, and their stability analysis is investigated. The proposed circuit displays Hopf bifurcation, periodic oscillations, chaotic and hyperchaotic attractors. The electronic implementation of the proposed circuit using OrCAD-PSpice software is presented to confront the numerical simulations results. A good qualitative agreement is revealed by comparing the analog and numerical simulations results. At last, the microcontroller real implementation is presented using Arduino UNO board. The results obtained are in good agreement with the numerical simulation results.

     

Workload assignment for global real-time scheduling on unrelated clustered platforms

Real-Time Systems - Heterogeneous MPSoCs are being used more and more, from cellphones to critical embedded systems. Most of those systems offer heterogeneous sets of identical cores. In this...     

Fullerene: biomedical engineers get to revisit an old friend

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Plasmon Enhanced Fluorescence Based on Porphyrin–Peptoid Hybridized Gold Nanoparticle Platform

A porphyrin–peptoid‐hybridized silica‐coated gold nanoparticle is developed, which is inspired by the protein–chlorophyll ensemble found in photosynthetic antenna. In the natural antenna, chlorophylls are integrated into dense assemblies that are supported by frameworks of proteins, which ensure optimal pigment arrangement for effective light harvesting. In the subject platform, porphyrins are conjugated to the peptoid helix scaffold in a structurally well‐defined alignments and subsequently immobilized on the surface of nanoparticles. This prevents intermolecular aggregation among porphyrins and allows high resolution analysis of the effect of porphyrin configuration on the optical properties of the system. Interestingly, under the influence of plasmon from the gold nanoparticle core, the fluorescence of porphyrin is enhanced up to 24‐fold at the wavelength where the plasmon resonance matches the porphyrin excitation wavelength. In addition, differences in porphyrin configuration result in spectral modification of their fluorescence emissions. Particularly, the peptoid bearing two porphyrins at a distance of 6 Å shows the most significant alteration in fluorescence. The platform can facilitate extensive studies on the relationship between porphyrin arrangement design and their photophysical interaction in antenna complexes.     

Interest of molecular functionalization for electrochemical storage

Despite great interests in electrochemical energy storage systems for numerous applications, considerable challenges remain to be overcome. Among the various approaches to improving the stability, safety, performance, and cost of these systems, molecular functionalization has recently been proved an attractive method that allows the tuning of material surface reactivity while retaining the properties of the bulk material. For this purpose, the reduction of aryldiazonium salt, which is a versatile method, is considered suitable; it forms robust covalent bonds with the material surface, however, with the formation of multilayer structures and sp³ defects (for carbon substrate) that can be detrimental to the electronic conductivity. Alternatively, non-covalent molecular functionalization based on π–π interactions using aromatic ring units has been proposed. In this review, the various advances in molecular functionalization concerning the current limitations in lithium-ion batteries and electrochemical capacitors are discussed. According to the targeted applications and required properties, both covalent and non-covalent functionalization methods have proved to be very efficient and versatile. Fundamental aspects to achieve a better understanding of the functionalization reactions as well as molecular layer properties and their effects on the electrochemical performance are also discussed. Finally, perspectives are proposed for future implementation of molecular functionalization in the field of electrochemical storage.

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Engineered Multifunctional Albumin‐Decorated Porous Silicon Nanoparticles for FcRn Translocation of Insulin

The last decade has seen remarkable advances in the development of drug delivery systems as alternative to parenteral injection‐based delivery of insulin. Neonatal Fc receptor (FcRn)‐mediated transcytosis has been recently proposed as a strategy to increase the transport of drugs across the intestinal epithelium. FcRn‐targeted nanoparticles (NPs) could hijack the FcRn transcytotic pathway and cross the epithelial cell layer. In this study, a novel nanoparticulate system for insulin delivery based on porous silicon NPs is proposed. After surface conjugation with albumin and loading with insulin, the NPs are encapsulated into a pH‐responsive polymeric particle by nanoprecipitation. The developed NP formulation shows controlled size and homogeneous size distribution. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) images show successful encapsulation of the NPs into pH‐sensitive polymeric particles. No insulin release is detected at acidic conditions, but a controlled release profile is observed at intestinal pH. Toxicity studies show high compatibility of the NPs with intestinal cells. In vitro insulin permeation across the intestinal epithelium shows approximately fivefold increase when insulin is loaded into FcRn‐targeted NPs. Overall, these FcRn‐targeted NPs offer a toolbox in the development of targeted therapies for oral delivery of insulin.