Platform for Testing and Evaluation of PUF and TRNG Implementations in FPGAs

Implementation of cryptographic primitives like Physical Unclonable Functions (PUFs) and True Random Number Generators (TRNGs) depends significantly on the underlying hardware. Common evaluation boards offered by FPGA vendors are not suitable for a fair benchmarking, since they have different vendor dependent configuration and contain noisy switching power supplies. The proposed hardware platform is primary aimed at testing and evaluation of cryptographic primitives across different FPGA and ASIC families. The modular platform consists of a motherboard and exchangeable daughter board modules. These are designed to be as simple as possible to allow cheap and independent evaluation of cryptographic blocks and namely PUFs. The motherboard is based on the Microsemi SmartFusion 2 SoC FPGA. It features a low-noise power supply, which simplifies evaluation of vulnerability to the side channel attacks. It provides also means of communication between the PC and the daughter module. Available software tools can be easily customized, for example to collect data from the random number generator located in the daughter module and to read it via USB interface. The daughter module can be plugged into the motherboard or connected using an HDMI cable to be placed inside a Faraday cage or a temperature control chamber. The whole platform was designed and optimized to fullfil the European HECTOR project (H2020) requirements

New Equations of State in Simulations of Core-Collapse Supernovae

We discuss three new equations of state (EOS) in core-collapse supernova simulations. The new EOS are based on the nuclear statistical equilibrium model of Hempel and Schaffner-Bielich (HS), which includes excluded volume effects and relativistic mean-field (RMF) interactions. We consider the RMF parameterizations TM1, TMA, and FSUgold. These EOS are implemented into our spherically symmetric core-collapse supernova model, which is based on general relativistic radiation hydrodynamics and three-flavor Boltzmann neutrino transport. The results obtained for the new EOS are compared with the widely used EOS of H. Shen et al. and Lattimer & Swesty. The systematic comparison shows that the model description of inhomogeneous nuclear matter is as important as the parameterization of the nuclear interactions for the supernova dynamics and the neutrino signal. Furthermore, several new aspects of nuclear physics are investigated: the HS EOS contains distributions of nuclei, including nuclear shell effects. The appearance of light nuclei, e.g., deuterium and tritium is also explored, which can become as abundant as alphas and free protons. In addition, we investigate the black hole formation in failed core-collapse supernovae, which is mainly determined by the high-density EOS. We find that temperature effects lead to a systematically faster collapse for the non-relativistic LS EOS in comparison to the RMF EOS. We deduce a new correlation for the time until black hole formation, which allows to determine the maximum mass of proto-neutron stars, if the neutrino signal from such a failed supernova would be measured in the future. This would give a constraint for the nuclear EOS at finite entropy, complementary to observations of cold neutron stars.Comment: 26 pages, 17 figures. v3: replaced Fig. 1 with the published one, text unchange

20 Jahre Deutsche Einheit - Ein Vergleich der west- und ostdeutschen Betriebslandschaft im Krisenjahr 2009 : Ergebnisse des IAB-Betriebspanels 2009 (20 years of German unity - A comparison of establishments in the west and east of Germany during the crisis year of 2009 : Results from the IAB Establishment Panel 2009)

"Some 20 years after German reunification, living conditions and the economic base in East Germany are approaching that of West Germany in many areas. In view of this anniversary and against the backdrop of the global financial crisis that intensified in autumn 2008, this research report uses the data from the IAB-Betriebspanel (IAB-Establishment Panel) to analyse the German labour market from a perspective of firms/establishments in an east-west comparison. How can the status of the intra-German harmonisation process be evaluated? How has the global financial crisis affected the German economy? The IAB-Betriebspanel (IAB Establishment Panel) shows that there are structural differences between East and West Germany which adversely impact East German productivity (e.g. relatively smaller industrial sector, fewer large establishments, less knowledge-intensive business services, lower export orientation, fewer employees in high-production operations). Employment increased in East Germany from 2005 onwards for the first time since German reunification. During the crisis year of 2009, the level of total employment increased (remaining constant in West Germany) and employment subject to social insurance contributions stayed constant (falling in West Germany). East Germany's fewer links to export markets and its sector and establishment size class structures that have until now been rated unfavourably have clearly proven a competitive advantage in the economic slump of 2009. Atypical employment such as part-time work, marginal employment or employment on fixed-term contracts and temporary agency work gained in importance in recent years. The increase in significance of employment on fixed-term contracts in particular is remarkable. The ratio of short-term employment contracts to the total number of employed has almost doubled since 1996. Establishments are justifying their use of this form of employment citing mainly short-term requirements and flexibility arguments such as extended probationary periods or uncertain economic development. In the crisis year of 2009, there was much more short-time working than in the economically comparable year of 2003. This group included in particular large establishments and companies in the manufacturing industry. In 2009, pro rat four times as many employees were affected by short-time working than six years earlier. Short-time workers were rarely given training. There are fewer establishments entitled to offer vocational training and actual training operations in East Germany than there are in the West. The training ratio (number of trainees in proportion to the number of employees), however, is almost identical in Germany's two regions, though in East Germany a considerable number is handled by off-site facilities. As a result, the chance of newly qualified trainees being offered employment is lower in East Germany than it is in the West. Conversely, East Germany has a higher advanced training ratio." (Authors' abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))IAB-Betriebspanel, Wirtschaftsentwicklung, Wirtschaftsstruktur, wirtschaftliche Situation, Arbeitsmarkt, Betrieb, regionaler Vergleich, Finanzkrise, atypische Beschäftigung, Teilzeitarbeit, befristeter Arbeitsvertrag, geringfügige Beschäftigung, Leiharbeit, Kurzarbeit, betriebliche Berufsausbildung, Ausbildungsplatzangebot, betriebliche Weiterbildung, Ausbildungsquote, Berufseinmündung, Absolventen, Ostdeutschland, Westdeutschland, Bundesrepublik Deutschland

Gleich und doch nicht gleich: Frauenbeschäftigung in deutschen Betrieben : Auswertungen des IAB-Betriebspanels 2008 (Equal and yet not equal: The employment of women in German firms : Evaluation of the IAB Establishment Panel 2008)

"The integration of women in the German labour market has made progress during the last years. There are however still differences in the employment patterns of men and women. Using data from the IAB-establishment panel 2008, this paper analyses the employment patterns of men and women from the perspective of firms: Which establishments do employ women? And do establishments with a high share of female employees differ from establishments with a low share of female employees? In view of the demographic developments, it is - even in times of economic downturn - important not to lose sight of the question how the need of skilled labour can be met in the long run. In view of the increased participation of women in the education and training system, it can be supposed that the recruitment of skilled female employees will gain in importance in the future. Data from the IAB-establishment panel 2008 show that the employment patterns of men and women do not differ much between establishments with a high and a low share of female employees. Regardless of the share of female employees in a firm, part-time work for example is a women's domain and managerial positions are mainly held by men. The employment patterns of men and women are mainly affected by the sector a firm is affiliated to, but less by the size of the establishment. Firms with a high percentage of women can be found more often in sectors in which occupations considered as 'typically female' dominate, whereas firms with a low share of women are affiliated to sectors in which male occupations are prevalent. The sector-specific segregation that can be observed at the establishment level is hence the result of the occupational segregation on individual level. The rising demand for skilled employees has led to increasing difficulties in filling vacancies, especially those requiring a university degree. On the other hand, the rising supply of skilled women on the labour market has led to an increasing number of recruitments of qualified female workers. Mainly highly skilled women have had good opportunities on the labour market. The gender-specific recruitment behaviour of firms strengthens the prevalent gender structures within the establishments." (Authors' abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))IAB-Betriebspanel, Erwerbsquote, Frauen, erwerbstätige Frauen, Chancengleichheit, Arbeitsmarktchancen, Beschäftigtenstruktur, Unternehmen, Frauenberufe, Männerberufe, Teilzeitarbeit, Vollzeitarbeit, Führungskräfte, Segregation, Fachkräfte, Personalbedarf, Fachkräftebedarf, Personaleinstellung, Frauenbild

Eurasian integration. Russia's attempt at the economic unification of the post-Soviet area. OSW Study 44/2013

In 2009, Vladimir Putin, the then Russian prime minister, gave impetus to the establishment of closer relations within what was then a still narrow group of three countries: Russia, Kazakhstan and Belarus. Russia was determined in embarking on the implementation of the principles of the Customs Union among these three states and, since 2012, within the Common Economic Space as well. This process of integration is intended to bring about the introduction of ‘four freedoms’ in this area: the free movement of goods, services, capital and labour. From Moscow’s point of view, building up such integration structures is especially necessary in order to counteract the economic expansion of the European Union and China. It also feels it is important to take measures against the loosening of the bonds between the CIS countries and Russia. At the same time, close co-operation is expected to guarantee for Russia that the strong politico-economic influences in this area will be maintained. Despite the numerous limitations of the integration process, such as the small number of the participating states or limited progress in implementing the CES, this is still the most advanced integration programme in the region seen since the collapse of the USSR. Progress in putting the rules of the Customs Union into practice can be seen as a success for Moscow. In turn, the formation of the CES is still at an early stage, and it is difficult to determine at this point to what extent the three countries will harmonise their markets

Prevalence and genotyping of Trichomonas infections in wild birds in central Germany

Avian trichomonosis is a widespread disease in columbids and other birds, caused by ingestion of the unicellular flagellate Trichomonas gallinae which proliferate primarily in the upper respiratory tracts. Studies using genetic analyses have determined some highly pathogenic lineages in birds, but the prevalence and distribution of potentially pathogenic and non-pathogenic T. gallinae lineages in wild birds is still not well known. We examined 440 oral swab samples of 35 bird species collected between 2015 and 2017 in Hesse, central Germany, for Trichomonas spp. infection and for determining the genetic lineages. Of these birds, 152 individuals were caught in the wild and 288 individuals were admitted from the wild to a veterinary clinic. The overall Trichomonas spp. prevalence was 35.6%. We observed significant differences between bird orders, with the highest prevalence in owls (58%) and columbids (50%), while other orders had slightly lower prevalences, with 36% in Accipitriformes, 28% in Falconiformes and 28% in Passeriformes. Among 71 successfully sequenced samples, we found 13 different haplotypes, including two previously described common lineages A/B (20 samples) and C/V/N (36 samples). The lineage A/B has been described as pathogenic, causing lesions and mortality in columbids, raptors and finches. This lineage was found in 11 of the 35 species, including columbids (feral pigeon, woodpigeon, stock dove), passerines (greenfinch, chaffinch, blackbird) and raptors (common kestrel, sparrowhawk, red kite, peregrine falcon and common buzzard). One new lineage (R) was found in a sample of a chaffinch. In conclusion, we found that the prevalence of Trichomonas spp. infection in wild birds was high overall, and the potentially pathogenic lineage A/B was widespread. Our findings are worrying, as epidemic outbreaks of trichomonosis have already been observed in Germany in several years and can have severe negative effects on bird populations. This disease may add to the multiple pressures that birds face in areas under high land-use intensity

Cellular Viral Rebound after Cessation of Potent Antiretroviral Therapy Predicted by Levels of Multiply Spliced HIV-1 RNA Encoding nef

To characterize newly arising replication of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) type 1 in vivo at the cellular level, distinct viral RNA species in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from HIV-1-infected patients were monitored during 2 weeks of structured treatment interruption (STI). HIV-1 RNA encoding tat/rev and PBMC-associated virions were almost completely depleted during antiretroviral therapy and emerged simultaneously after 2 weeks of STI, thus specifically reflecting productive viral infection at the cellular level. The magnitude of these correlates of reappearing cellular viral replication was predicted by during-therapy levels of nef transcripts in PBMCs. Significant rebound of plasma viremia, representing the progeny of a broader range of anatomical compartments, preceded and predicted productive infection in PBMCs. Thus, cellular viral rebound in PBMCs likely was primed before STI by the expression of nef in HIV-1-infected PBMCs that lacked virion production and was subsequently triggered by the plasma viremia that preceded the recurrence of productively infected PBMC

Core-collapse supernova explosions triggered by a quark-hadron phase transition during the early post-bounce phase

We explore explosions of massive stars, which are triggered via the quark-hadron phase transition during the early post bounce phase of core-collapse supernovae. We construct a quark equation of state, based on the bag model for strange quark matter. The transition between the hadronic and the quark phases is constructed applying Gibbs conditions. The resulting quark-hadron hybrid equations of state are used in core-collapse supernova simulations, based on general relativistic radiation hydrodynamics and three flavor Boltzmann neutrino transport in spherical symmetry. The formation of a mixed phase reduces the adiabatic index, which induces the gravitational collapse of the central protoneutron star. The collapse halts in the pure quark phase, where the adiabatic index increases. A strong accretion shock forms, which propagates towards the protoneutron star surface. Due to the density decrease of several orders of magnitude, the accretion shock turns into a dynamic shock with matter outflow. This moment defines the onset of the explosion in supernova models that allow for a quark-hadron phase transition, where otherwise no explosions could be obtained. The shock propagation across the neutrinospheres releases a burst of neutrinos. This serves as a strong observable identification for the structural reconfiguration of the stellar core. The ejected matter expands on a short timescale and remains neutron-rich. These conditions might be suitable for the production of heavy elements via the r-process. The neutron-rich material is followed by proton-rich neutrino-driven ejecta in the later cooling phase of the protoneutron star where the vp-process might occur.Comment: 29 pages, 24 figures, submitted to Ap

Standortbedingungen und Beschäftigung in den Regionen West- und Ostdeutschlands : Ergebnisse des IAB-Betriebspanels 2006

"Der Bericht stellt erste Ergebnisse aus dem IAB-Betriebspanel 2006 für West- und Ostdeutschland vor. In den Kapiteln 2 und 3 werden einzelne wirtschaftliche Indikatoren sowie die Zufriedenheit der Betriebe mit ihrem Standort näher analysiert. Die Standortzufriedenheit wurde in der Befragung 2006 erstmals erhoben. Die regionale Betrachtung auf der Bundesländerebene steht bei beiden Kapiteln im Mittelpunkt. Für wichtige wirtschaftliche Indikatoren wie die Produktivität oder die Exportquote zeigt sich nach wie vor ein deutlicher West-Ost-Unterschied. Bei anderen Indikatoren wie der Investitionsintensität, dem technische Stand der Anlagen oder der Ertragslage sind zwischen West- und Ostdeutschland so gut wie keine Unterschiede mehr erkennbar. Die Zufriedenheit mit dem eigenen Standort ist bei den Betrieben vergleichsweise hoch. Die meisten Standortfaktoren, die für die Betriebe von Bedeutung sind, werden auch gut bewertet. Dies gilt im Aggregat. Bei einzelnen Faktoren signalisieren die Betriebe allerdings Handlungsbedarf. Während bei einigen wirtschaftlichen Indikatoren nach wie vor ein West-Ost-Gefälle zu erkennen ist, lässt sich bei der Standortzufriedenheit ein leichtes Süd-Nord-Gefälle feststellen. In Kapitel 4 wird auf die Beschäftigungsentwicklung und die dahinter stehenden Personalbewegungen eingegangen. Erstmals seit längerem ist die Beschäftigungsentwicklung wieder positiv. Auch die Bewegung auf dem Arbeitsmarkt hat zugenommen. Bedingt durch eine höhere Einstellungsrate ist die Labour-Turnover-Rate als Maß für die zwischenbetriebliche Mobilität angestiegen. Ebenso nimmt die beschäftigungsneutrale Personalfluktuation (Churning) wieder zu. Kapitel 5 widmet sich dem Schwerpunktthema der Befragung 2006: Betriebliche Bündnisse für Wettbewerb und Standortsicherung. Es zeigt sich, dass diese Bündnisse nur im Ausnahmefall abgeschlossen werden und sich somit die Intention der Tarifparteien bestätigt. Die Existenz eines Betriebs- oder Personalrates spielt für das Zustandekommen eine wichtige Rolle. Überdurchschnittlich häufig werden betriebliche Bündnisse in größeren Betrieben mit Haustarifvertrag vereinbart. Kapitel 6 beschreibt die aktuelle Ausbildungssituation aus der Sicht der Betriebe. Dabei wird besonderes Augenmerk auf das Ausbildungspotenzial gelegt - also auf Betriebe mit Ausbildungsberechtigung, die nicht ausbilden. In einer Längsschnittanalyse zeigt sich, dass ein Viertel der ausbildungsberechtigten Betriebe im Untersuchungszeitraum von 2000 bis 2005 tatsächlich gar nicht ausgebildet hat. Dabei handelt es sich vor allem um kleinere Betriebe. Drei Viertel der Betriebe hat - wenn auch zum Teil mit Unterbrechungen - ausgebildet. Kapitel 7 behandelt das Thema Arbeitszeit. Es wird ein genereller, nicht auf bestimmte Branchen beschränkter Trend zu einer längeren vertraglich vereinbarten Wochenarbeitszeit festgestellt. Gleichzeitig nimmt die Teilzeitarbeit zu. Auch im europäischen Vergleich ist Deutschland hinsichtlich der Teilzeitarbeit mit auf den vordersten Plätzen. Die Verbreitung von Arbeitszeitkonten hat nicht weiter zugenommen. Aber auch hier gehört Deutschland im europäischen Vergleich mit zu den Vorreitern. Langzeitkonten sind noch wenig verbreitet. Die Guthaben von Langzeitkonten sind bisher nur in wenigen Betrieben gegen Insolvenz gesichert. Im Anhang werden noch einige Indikatoren wie die Entwicklung von Betrieben und Beschäftigung, Entwicklung der Teilzeitbeschäftigung, Leiharbeit sowie befristeten und geringfügigen Beschäftigung in einer Tabellenübersicht dokumentiert." (Autorenreferat, IAB-Doku)Standortfaktoren, Beschäftigungsentwicklung, Standort - Zufriedenheit, labour turnover, Bündnis für Arbeit, Ausbildungsbereitschaft, Arbeitszeitentwicklung, Wochenarbeitszeit, Überstunden, Teilzeitarbeit, Arbeitszeitkonto, IAB-Betriebspanel, Tarifpolitik, Westdeutschland, Ostdeutschland, Bundesrepublik Deutschland