Logic Design Validation via Simulation and Automatic Test Pattern Generation

We investigate an automated design validation scheme for gate-level combinational and sequential circuits that borrows methods from simulation and test generation for physical faults, and verifies a circuit with respect to a modeled set of design errors. The error models used in prior research are examined and reduced to five types: gate substitution errors (GSEs), gate count errors (GCEs), input count errors (ICEs), wrong input errors (WIEs), and latch count errors (LCEs). Conditions are derived for a gate to be testable for GSEs, which lead to small, complete test sets for GSEs; near-minimal test sets are also derived for GCEs. We analyze undetectability in design errors and relate it to single stuck-line (SSL) redundancy. We show how to map all the foregoing error types into SSL faults, and describe an extensive set of experiments to evaluate the proposed method. These experiments demonstrate that high coverage of the modeled errors can be achieved with small test sets obtained with standard test generation and simulation tools for physical faults.     

Design and Analysis of Single-Bit Ternary Matched Filter

Wireless Personal Communications - Matched filtering has found its way in many diverse applications such as communication, signal processing and more. The emphasis of this paper is on the design...     

Enhancing Superconductivity in Low-dimensional TlBa2Ca2Cu3O10?δ System

Mg-doped Tl(Ba_2?x Mg _x )Ca₂Cu₃O_10??? (x=0, 0.25, 0.50, 0.75, 1.0, 1.25, 1.5) superconductors are synthesized at the normal pressure and the possible mechanism of superconductivity in these compounds is studied. Tl(Ba_2?x Mg _x )Ca₂Cu₃O_10??? samples have shown an orthorhombic crystal structure and their c-axis length decreases up to Mg-doping of x=0.75 and then increases up to Mg-doping of x=1.50. In these studies we have investigated the role of decreased thickness of charge reservoir layer on the mechanism of superconductivity. The T _c (R=0) in as-prepared Tl(Ba_2?x Mg _x )Ca₂Cu₃O_10??? (x=0, 0.25, 0.5, 0.75, 1.0, 1.25) samples was 100, 98, 101, 102, 100, 96?K and in the oxygen post-annealed samples the T _c (R=0) is observed around 99, 98, 108, 127, 109, 97?K, respectively. The magnitude of the superconductivity after Mg-doping is improved in Tl(Ba_2?x Mg _x )Ca₂Cu₃O_10??? (x=0.25, 0.5, 0.75, 1.0, 1.25) samples. It was observed from the FTIR absorption measurements that the phonon modes related to CuO₂ planar oxygen atoms are hardened with the doping of Mg in the charge reservoir layer. These studies have shown that the thickness of charge reservoir layers decreases with Mg-doping, which most likely makes the charge transfer mechanism more efficient, which increases the magnitude of superconductivity in the final compound.     

Physiological and Nutraceutical Perspectives of Fructan

Functional and nutraceutical foods have captured the global market owing to trends and perceptions of consumers on the natural products and diet-health linkages. Health promoting potential of such foods has been attributed to the presence of essential bioactive moieties. Wheat, being staple food in many parts of the world, gained substantial attention of researchers particularly for the extraction of various functional components. Among these, fructan oligosaccharides in nature bestow quality of baked products and provide protection against various physiological disorders. Addition of fructan in various baked products enhances softness and color, especially in bread, and also imparts textural improvement. Moreover, fructans boost mineral absorption, hypocholesterolemic, and hypoglycemic perspectives, bifidogenic nature and controlling cancer insurgence. The benefits allied with fructan are mainly dose and time dependent. In this context, its industrial applications for vulnerable groups are increasing worldwide.     

Effect of elastane linear density and draft ratio on the physical and mechanical properties of core-spun cotton yarns

The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of elastane linear density and draft ratio on the physical and mechanical properties of core-spun yarns. Twenty yarn samples were prepared on industrial scale in a spinning mill with two different yarn linear densities, each with different two elastane deniers and five draft ratios. It was found that core-spun yarn’s tenacity, elongation and hairiness are affected not only by the overall yarn linear density but also by the elastane linear density and the draft ratio. However, the effect of elastane linear density and draft ratio was not found to be statistically significant on the yarn mass variations and total imperfections, which are only affected by the overall yarn liner density. A statistically significant interaction for yarn elongation at break was found between the yarn liner density and the elastane linear density concluding that elastane linear density used in the core must be compatible with the overall yarn liner density for attaining the best yarn elongation.     

Liaison of phenolic acids and biological activity of escalating cultivars of Daucus carota

The objective of the present study was to analyze and compare the phenolic compounds and their antioxidant capacities of new lines of Dacus carota. The selected cultivars showed high variation in the contents of total phenolics (30.26–65.39 mg/100 g FW) and total ascorbic acid (41.12–58.36 mg/100 g FW). Analysis on RP-HPLC revealed that hydroxycinnamic acids and its derivatives were major phenolic compounds present in D. carota extracts, whereas 5-caffeolquinic acid was a major hydroxycinnamic acid (ranged from 30.26 to 65.39 mg/100 g FW). DCP cultivar showed high total antioxidant capacity (77.69 mg/100 g), 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) scavenging capacity (52.36 mg/100 g), superoxide radical scavenging capacity (53.69 mg/100 g), and hydroxyl radical scavenging capacity (51.91 mg/100 g). A linear relationship was found between total phenolic acid contents and antioxidant capacity. Both phenolic compounds and antioxidant capacities varied significantly (ρ < 0.05) among cultivars. DCP cultivar was found to be a rich source of phenolics and ascorbic acid with high antioxidant activity.     

Effect of the licensing process on hygiene in retail butchers' premises in the West Midlands,United Kingdom

As the result of a change in legislation, all retail butchers in England were required to be licensed by 1 November 2000. A fully implemented hazard analysis critical control point plan was a condition of the license. This longitudinal study assessed the effect of licensing on hygiene in a group of retail butchers in the West Midlands, England. A hygiene audit and environmental sampling were used to determine if the licensing process improved hygiene in the study group. At the end of the study, 30% of the original group were no longer trading as they had been, having either altered the product they were selling or ceased to trade. The remaining butchers showed a significant improvement in the hygiene of their premises, both in the audit scores and in the environmental sampling. The mean audit score for the group had improved from an initial score of 47.54 to 54.95 (P < 0.02). The contamination with Enterobacteriaceae on equipment used for cooked meat had also improved, decreasing from mean contamination levels of 1.38 log CFU/cm2 before licensing to mean contamination levels of -0.11 log CFU/cm2 after licensing (P < 0.00001).     

Prevalence of Campylobacter species in meat, milk and other food commodities in Pakistan

A surveillance study was carried out to determine the prevalence of Campylobacter in meat, milk and other food commodities in Pakistan. Over a period of 3 years (January 2002-December 2004), a total of 1636 food samples of meat, milk and other food commodities were procured from three big cities of Pakistan (Faisalabad, Lahore and Islamabad) and were analysed. Among meat samples, the highest prevalence (48%) of Campylobacter was recorded in raw chicken meat followed by raw beef (10.9%) and raw mutton (5.1%). Among other food commodities, the highest prevalence was observed in vegetable/fruit salad (40.9%), sandwiches (32%), cheese (11%) and raw bulk milk samples (10.2%). The overall prevalence of Campylobacter was found to be 21.5%, out of which 70.6% were identified as Campylobacter (C.) jejuni and 29.4% as C. coli. The study reported that the prevalence of Campylobacter spp. was significantly higher in the food commodities, which included raw/undercooked ingredients.