Asynchronous level crossing analog to digital converters

We present a new class of asynchronous analog to digital converters (A-ADCs), based on an level-crossing sampling scheme of the analog signal, and an asynchronous design. Because these ADCs are not conventional, a design methodology is also presented, it takes place at a system level, then a transistor level. Its purpose is to determine the characteristics of an A-ADC given the required effective number of bits and the properties of the analog signal to convert, such as to minimize the complexity, the activity, and the power consumption. A prototype has been designed for speech applications, using the 0.18 μm CMOS technology from STMicroelectronics, and a voltage mode approach for the analog parts of the converter. Electrical simulations prove that the Figure of Merit (FoM) of this converter is increased by more than one order of magnitude compared to synchronous Nyquist ADCs. Moreover, behavioural simulations prove that the activity of the A-ADC is reduced by two orders of magnitude compared to its synchronous counterpart.     

Structural transition of Friedel's salt 3CaO·Al2O3·CaCl2·10H2O studied by synchrotron powder diffraction

The structural phase transition occurring in Friedel's salt, the chlorinated compound 3CaO·Al₂O₃·CaCl₂·10H₂O (AFm phase), was studied by synchrotron and standard X-ray powder diffraction. The compound transforms at 35 °C from a rhombohedral (rh) high-temperature (HT) phase [R−3c; a=5.744(2) Å, c=46.890(3) Å] to a monoclinic (m) low-temperature (LT) phase [C2/c; a=9.960(4) Å, b=5.7320(2) Å, c=16.268(7) Å, β=104.471(2)°]. The LT and HT phases were refined with the Rietveld method from synchrotron data recorded at 20 and 40 °C. Variations of the lattice parameters as a function of temperature are reported between 8 and 48 °C. The rh→m transition is characterized by a unit cell volume expansion of 1% and a movement of the interlayer species: a shift of 0.45 Å of the Cl⁻ anions along [010]_h and a shift of 0.25 Å of the water molecules along [210]_h of the hexagonal cell. The m phase distortion is due to an ordering of the hydrogen bonds between chloride anions and H-atoms of the water molecules.     

Iron in carbonate containing AFm phases

One of the AFm phases in hydrated Portland cement is Ca₃(Al_xFe_{2 − x})O₆.CaCO₃.nH₂O. It is based on hexagonal and platey structural elements and the interlayer structure incorporates CO₃²⁻. The solid phases were experimentally synthesized and characterized by different techniques including X-ray techniques (XRD and EXAFS) and vibrational spectroscopy techniques (IR, Raman). Fe-monocarbonate (Fe-Mc) and Al-monocarbonate (Al-Mc) were found to be stable up to 50 °C, while Fe-hemicarbonate (Fe-Hc) was unstable with respect to Fe-Mc in the presence of calcite. Fe-Mc has a rhombohedral symmetry which is different from the triclinic of the Al analogue. Both XRD and thermodynamic modelling of the liquid compositions indicated that Al-Mc and the Fe-Mc phases do not form solid solution. The solubility products were calculated experimentally at 20 °C and 50 °C. Under standards condition the solubility products and other thermodynamic parameters were estimated using temperature-solubility product extrapolation and found to be logK_S0 (Fe-Mc) = −34.59 ± 0.50, logK_S0 (Fe-Hc) = −30.83 ± 0.50 and logK_S0(Al-Mc) = −31.32 ± 0.50.     

Uptake of chloride and carbonate ions by calcium monosulfoaluminate hydrate

Decommissioning of old nuclear reactors may produce waste streams containing chlorides and carbonates, including radioactive ³⁶Cl^? and ¹⁴CO₃^2?. Their insolubilization by calcium monosulfoaluminate hydrate was investigated. Carbonates were readily depleted from the solution, giving at thermodynamic equilibrium monocarboaluminate, monocarboaluminate + calcite, or calcite only, depending on the initial ratio between the anion and calcium monosulfoaluminate hydrate. Chloride ions reacted more slowly and were precipitated as Kuzel's salt, Kuzel's and Friedel's salts, or Friedel's salt only. Rietveld refinement of X-Ray powder diffraction patterns was successfully used to quantify the phase distributions, which were compared to thermodynamic calculations. Moreover, analysing the lattice parameters of Kuzel's salt as a function of its chloride content showed the occurrence of a restricted solid solution towards the sulfate side with general formula 3CaO·Al₂O₃·xCaCl₂·(1 ? x)CaSO₄·(12 ? 2x)·H₂O (0.36 ≤ x ≤ 0.50).     

Characterization of the recA gene regions of Spiroplasma citri and Spiroplasma melliferum

In previous studies (A. Marais, J. M. Bove, and J. Renaudin, J. Bacteriol. 178:862-870, 1996), we have shown that the recA gene of Spiroplasma citri R8A2 was restricted to the first 390 nucleotides of the N-terminal part. PCR amplification and sequencing studies of five additional strains of S. citri have revealed that these strains had the same organization at the recA region as the R8A2 strain. In contrast to S. citri, Spiroplasma melliferum was found to contain a full-length recA gene. However, in all five S. melliferum strains tested, a TAA stop codon was found within the N-terminal region of the recA reading frame. Our results suggest that S. melliferum, as well as S. citri, is RecA deficient. In agreement with the recA mutant genotype of S. citri and S. melliferum, we have shown that these organisms are highly sensitive to UV irradiation.     

Asynchronous circuits as alternative for mitigation of long-duration transient faults in deep-submicron technologies

The use of deeper-submicron technologies in integrated circuits worsens the effects of transient faults. In fact, the transient-fault durations become as important as the clock periods of synchronous circuits. Electronic systems are thus more vulnerable to failure situations. Nevertheless, this paper shows innovatively that such a worse scenario does not happen in asynchronous circuits. This additional novel benefit pushes on the asynchronous design as a better alternative to mitigate transient faults in deep-submicron technology-based circuits.     

Alterations in topoisomerase IV and DNA gyrase in quinolone-resistant mutants of Mycoplasma hominis obtained in vitro

Mycoplasma hominis mutants were selected stepwise for resistance to ofloxacin and sparfloxacin, and their gyrA, gyrB, parC, and parE quinolone resistance-determining regions were characterized. For ofloxacin, four rounds of selection yielded six first-, six second-, five third-, and two fourth-step mutants. The first-step mutants harbored a single Asp426-->Asn substitution in ParE. GyrA changes (Ser83-->Leu or Trp) were found only from the third round of selection. With sparfloxacin, three rounds of selection generated 4 first-, 7 second-, and 10 third-step mutants. In contrast to ofloxacin resistance, GyrA mutations (Ser83-->Leu or Ser84-->Trp) were detected in the first-step mutants prior to ParC changes (Glu84-->Lys), which appeared only after the second round of selection. Further analysis of eight multistep-selected mutants of M. hominis that were previously described (2) revealed that they carried mutations in ParE (Asp426-->Asn), GyrA (Ser83-->Leu) and ParE (Asp426-->Asn), GyrA (Ser83-->Leu) and ParC (Ser80-->Ile), or ParC (Ser80-->Ile) alone, depending on the fluoroquinolone used for selection, i.e., ciprofloxacin, norfloxacin, ofloxacin, or pefloxacin, respectively. These data indicate that in M. hominis DNA gyrase is the primary target of sparfloxacin whereas topoisomerase IV is the primary target of pefloxacin, ofloxacin, and ciprofloxacin.     

Glitch and Laser Fault Attacks onto a Secure AES Implementation on a SRAM-Based FPGA

Programmable devices are an interesting alternative when implementing embedded systems on a low-volume scale. In particular, the affordability and the versatility of SRAM-based FPGAs make them attractive with respect to ASIC implementations. FPGAs have thus been used extensively and successfully in many fields, such as implementing cryptographic accelerators. Hardware implementations, however, must be protected against malicious attacks, e.g. those based on fault injections. Protections have been usually evaluated on ASICs, but FPGAs can be vulnerable as well. This work presents thus fault injection attacks against a secured AES architecture implemented on a SRAM-based FPGA. The errors are injected during the computation by means of voltage glitches and laser attacks. To our knowledge, this is one of the first works dealing with dynamic laser fault injections. We show that fault attacks on SRAM-based FPGAs may behave differently with respect to attacks against ASIC, and they need therefore to be addressed by specific countermeasures, that are also discussed in this paper. In addition, we discuss the different effects obtained by the two types of attacks.     

High‐Performing Monometallic Cobalt Layered Double Hydroxide Supercapacitor with Defined Local Structure

Through a topochemical oxidative reaction (TOR) under air, a β‐Co(OH)₂ brucite type structure is converted into a monometallic Co^IICo^III–CO₃ layered double hydroxide (LDH). The structural and morphological characterizations are performed using powder X‐ray diffraction, Fourier‐transformed IR spectroscopy, and scanning and transmission electron microscopy. The local structure is scrutinized using an extended X‐ray absorption fine structure, X‐ray absorption near‐edge structure, and pair distribution function analysis. The chemical composition of pristine material and its derivatives (electrochemically treated) are identified by thermogravimetry analysis for the bulk and X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy for the surface. The electrochemical behavior is investigated on deposited thin films in aqueous electrolyte (KOH) by cyclic voltammetry and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, and their capacitive properties are further investigated by Galvanostatic cycling with potential limitation. The charge capacity is found to be as high as 1490 F g^?1 for Co^IICo^III–CO₃ LDH at a current density of 0.5 A g^?1. The performances of these materials are described using Ragone plots, which finally allow us to propose them as promising supercapacitor materials. A surface‐to‐bulk comparison using the above characterization techniques gives insight into the cyclability and reversibility limits of this material.