A Low-Cost FPGA-Based Test and Diagnosis Architecture for SRAMs

The continues improvement of manufacturing technologies allows the realization of integrated circuits containing an ever increasing number of transistors. A major part of these devices is devoted to realize SRAM blocks. Test and diagnosis of SRAM circuits are therefore an important challenge for improving quality of next generation integrated circuits. This paper proposes a flexible platform for testing and diagnosis of SRAM circuits. The architecture is based on the use of a low cost FPGA based board allowing high diagnosability while keeping costs at a very low leve

Fast Growth Increases the Selective Advantage of a Mutation Arising Recurrently during Evolution under Metal Limitation

Understanding the evolution of biological systems requires untangling the molecular mechanisms that connect genetic and environmental variations to their physiological consequences. Metal limitation across many environments, ranging from pathogens in the human body to phytoplankton in the oceans, imposes strong selection for improved metal acquisition systems. In this study, we uncovered the genetic and physiological basis of adaptation to metal limitation using experimental populations of Methylobacterium extorquens AM1 evolved in metal-deficient growth media. We identified a transposition mutation arising recurrently in 30 of 32 independent populations that utilized methanol as a carbon source, but not in any of the 8 that utilized only succinate. These parallel insertion events increased expression of a novel transporter system that enhanced cobalt uptake. Such ability ensured the production of vitamin B12, a cobalt-containing cofactor, to sustain two vitamin B12–dependent enzymatic reactions essential to methanol, but not succinate, metabolism. Interestingly, this mutation provided higher selective advantages under genetic backgrounds or incubation temperatures that permit faster growth, indicating growth-rate–dependent epistatic and genotype-by-environment interactions. Our results link beneficial mutations emerging in a metal-limiting environment to their physiological basis in carbon metabolism, suggest that certain molecular features may promote the emergence of parallel mutations, and indicate that the selective advantages of some mutations depend generically upon changes in growth rate that can stem from either genetic or environmental influences

Arterial ammonia levels in the management of fulminant liver failure

Previous studies have suggested that an arterial ammonia level greater than 150 mmol/L is highly sensitive for predicting subsequent development of cerebral edema in patients with fulminant liver failure. We performed a prospective cohort study to confirm this relationship. We enrolled 22 consecutive patients who presented to our transplant hepatology service with grade 3-4 encephalopathy associated with fulminant liver failure. All patients underwent placement of an intraparenchymal ICP monitor, and every 12 hourly arterial ammonia levels. The prevalence of intracranial hypertension (IHTN) in our population was 95% (21/22 patients), with 82 discrete episodes recorded. The sensitivity of arterial ammonia levels to predict the onset of IHTN was 62% (95% CI: 40.8 to 79.3) at a cut point of 150 mmol/L. Arterial ammonia levels preceding the first intracranial hypertension event were less than 150 mmol/L in 8 of 21 patients (39%). Fifty nine of 82 episodes of IHTN (73%) occurred when arterial ammonia levels were less than 150 mmol/L. We conclude that the arterial ammonia level is not useful in making decisions regarding management related to cerebral edema in patients with fulminant liver failure. In fact, since almost all our study patients with grade III or IV encephalopathy secondary to fulminant liver failure went on to develop intracranial hypertension, our study supports the contention that all such patients might benefit from ICP monitoring regardless of arterial ammonia levels

Hard X-Ray Pulsations In Gx 1+4

The x-ray pulsar GX 1+4 was observed by us in four balloon- borne experiments carried out from Hyderabad, India during 1991-1995 period with a hard x-ray telescope. The x-ray telescope consists of two collimated large area xenon-filled proportional counters with an effective area of 2400 cm 2 , a field of view of 5 ffi \Theta 5 ffi and sensitive in the energy band of 20 - 100 keV. The pulsar was detected in bright state in two of the four experiments and x-ray pulsations with 120 second period were detected clearly. Pulsation period, rate of change of period with time, pulse fraction, pulse profile and energy spectra of the source were determined from these studies. During March 1995 observation, the x-ray pulse of GX 1+4 was found to be double-peaked compared to a single-peak pulse profile detected in December 1993. Details of these results are presented and their interpretation discussed in terms of the current accretion models of x-ray binaries. I. INTRODUCTION The 121 sec x..