TESTCHIP: a chip for weighted random pattern generation,evaluation, and test control

In self-testable circuits, additional hardware is incorporated for generating test patterns and evaluating test responses. A built-off test strategy is presented which moves the additional hardware to a programmable extra chip. This is a low-cost test strategy in three ways: (1) the use of random patterns eliminates the expensive test-pattern computation; (2) a microcomputer and an ASIC (application-specific IC) replace the expensive automatic test equipment; and (3) the design for testability overhead is minimized. The presented ASIC generates random patterns, applies them to a circuit under test, and evaluates the test responses by signature analysis. It contains a hardware structure that can produce weighted random patterns corresponding to multiple programmable distributions. These patterns give a high fault coverage and allow short test lengths. A wide range of circuits can be tested as the only requirement is a scan path and no other test structures have to be built in     

Heat capacities of polyethylene and linear fluoropolymers

Heat capacities at constant pressure, C_p, and at constant volume C_v, were calculated with the help of normal mode frequency spectra and compared to experimental data for crystalline or semicrystalline polyethylene, poly(vinyl fluoride), poly(vinylidene fluoride), polytrifluooroethylene and poly(tetrafluoroethylene). A calculation scheme using a Tarasov function for 2N skeletal vibrational modes and an approximation of the residual 7N normal modes from known data on polyethylene and polytetrafluoroethylene is developed for all homologous, linear fluoropolymers. N is the number of carbon backbone atoms of the repeating unit. Calculations can be carried out over the whole temperature range 0 K to melting. For the two theta temperatures and the constant A₀ used for C_v to C_p conversion, fluorine-concentration dependent curves are given. The relations are expected to hold also for copolymers and blends of intermediate fluorine contents. Recommended experimental (data bank) heat capacities agree to ±2.5% with the calculations.     

Treatment of pulmonary hypertension with inhaled nitric oxide during hepatic transplantation in an adolescent: reversibility of pulmonary hypertension after transplantation

Accusations of rape or sexual harassment are currently very high-profile in the military. This article discusses rape allegations in the military legal system from a psychiatric perspective. The original definition of "rape trauma syndrome" and subsequent psychiatric thinking about the diagnosis are briefly outlined. Common reactions seen in military victims in this era are described. A prototypical military case is presented. An adequate evaluation of an alleged victim is outlined. Credentials and preparation of an expert witness are also briefly discussed, with cautions about the use of expert testimony in cases of alleged sexual assault and rape trauma syndrome.     

Surface tension measurements of Al-Ni based alloys from ground-based and parabolic flight experiments: Results from the thermolab project

Surface tension measurements of different alloys of the Al-Ni system, performed both under reduced gravity conditions in parabolic flights and on ground by conventional techniques, are presented. The alloys compositions were selected on the basis of the intrinsic compound forming tendency with the aim to allow a sensitive test of model predictions.     

Roasting of malt and xanthohumol enrichment in beer

The use of commercial roasted malts increases the content of the hop polyphenol xanthohumol (XN) in beer. This carrier effect is caused by high molecular melanoidins from roasted malt. Three roasting trials with different malts were performed in order to study the development of XN enrichment of wort and beer in laboratory and brewing trials. Different colour measurements, malt and flavour analysis, radical formation and antioxidative activity of selected samples were carried out. Furthermore, sensory tests of beers were conducted. During roasting the XN and isoxanthohumol enrichment in wort and beer rose with the roasting intensity of malt until it reached a maximum. The XN content in wort increased linearly with the colour of wort made from the malt samples. In PVPP-treated worts and in filtered beers, the XN content increased exponentially with the colour. After passing through a maximum, both the colour value and XN content in wort and beer decreased. Interestingly, the colour losses were more intensive than the losses of XN in worts and beers. The development of radical formation and the reducing power was linked during roasting. That means reducing groups of melanoidins are responsible for reducing power and prooxidative properties of malts. These functional groups of melanoidins are involved in the development of XN enrichment properties, because a linear correlation between these parameters was found. In conclusion, the roasting regimes showed potential for the development of special malt for the XN enrichment in beer- or malt-based beverages in late roasting stages. The use of this special malt brings more XN with less coloured malt in beer.     

Time Dependent Effects in Surface Tension Measurements of an Industrial Fe‐alloy

The surface tension of an industrial FeC‐alloy containing Si, Mn and S in the few atomic per cent range was measured by the oscillating drop method in ground based electromagnetic levitation and under reduced gravity conditions on board a parabolic flight. The results from the parabolic flight exhibited a large variation between different heating cycles and a discrepancy with the ground based experiments with regard to the value of the surface tension at the liquidus temperature and the temperature coefficient. The variation of the surface tension temperature coefficient is interpreted as resulting from the loss of volatile surface active components such as S and Si in subsequent heating cycles. The results demonstrate the importance of the time scale of the measurement and ambient atmosphere for surface tension measurements of industrial alloys containing volatile surface active components. For comparison with the experimental values the surface tension and segregation were modelled using different models. As a result of the analysis, the surface tension as a function of temperature best representing the starting industrial alloy is obtained as σ(T) = 1.52–1.53 10^‐4 (T–1752K) Nm^‐1.     

NaTaO3 composite ceramics - A new thermoelectric material for energy generation

Increasing energy demand requires the energy harvesting of any dispersed energy in combustion machines, nuclear, geothermal, photovoltaic or solar-thermal devices by thermoelectric materials. NaTaO₃ composite material is suggested in this paper for the first time as such material with reasonable high figure-of-merit in the temperature range from 750 to 1273 K. While pure NaTaO₃ with perovskite crystal structure is an insulator, ceramic NaTaO₃-Fe₂O₃ (n-type) and NaTaO₃-Ag (p-type) composites in mixtures around 30 mol.% are semiconductors with Seebeck coefficients of −250 and 70 mV/K as measured in a self-built device even under closed circuit condtions. The electric conductivity for the n-type material increases from 0.02 mS/m at 773 K to 200 mS/m at 1273 K leading to a power factor of ZT > 4.5 * 10⁻⁶ at 900 K and ΔT = 500 K. This material was found by ab initio calculations using the VASP program. The reason for the high Seebeck coefficient is the large effective mass of NaTaO₃ m^*/m₀ = 12, the main factor determining the thermoelectric performance. It is also confirmed, that Fe atoms as dopants enter the Ta-site of NaTaO₃, up to 8 at.%, and reduces the bandgap.     

A Mixed-Mode BIST Scheme Based on Folding Compression

In this paper a new scheme of mixed mode scan-based BIST is presented with complete fault coverage,and some new concepts of folding set and computing are introduced.This scheme applies single feedback polynomial of LFSR for generation pseudo-random patterns as well as for compressing and extending seeds of folding sets and an LFSR, where we encode seed of folding set as an initial seed of LFSR .Moreover these new techniques are 100% compatible with scan design .Experimental results show that the proposed scheme outperforms previously published approaches based on the reseeding of LFRSRs.     

High defect coverage with low-power test sequences in a BISTenvironment

A new technique, random single-input change (RSIC) test generation, generates low-power test patterns that provide a high level of defect coverage during low-power BIST of digital circuits. The authors propose a parallel BIST implementation of the RSIC generator and analyze its area-overhead impact