System Reliability Evaluation Using Concurrent Multi-Level Simulation of Structural Faults

This paper provides a methodology that leverages state-of-the-art techniques for efficient fault simulation of structural faults together with transaction level modeling. This way it is possible to accurately evaluate the impact of the faults on the entire hardware/software syste

Efficient Simulation of Structural Faults for the Reliability Evaluation at System-Level

In recent technology nodes, reliability is considered a part of the standard design ¿ow at all levels of embedded system design. While techniques that use only low-level models at gate- and register transfer-level offer high accuracy, they are too inefficient to consider the overall application of the embedded system. Multi-level models with high abstraction are essential to efficiently evaluate the impact of physical defects on the system. This paper provides a methodology that leverages state-of-the-art techniques for efficient fault simulation of structural faults together with transaction-level modeling. This way it is possible to accurately evaluate the impact of the faults on the entire hardware/software system. A case study of a system consisting of hardware and software for image compression and data encryption is presented and the method is compared to a standard gate/RT mixed-level approac

Digital, memory and mixed-signal test engineering education: five centres of competence in Europe

The launching of the EuNICE-Test project was announced two years ago at the first DELTA Conference. This project is now completed and the present paper describes the project actions and outcomes. The original idea was to build a long-lasting European Network for test engineering education using both test resource mutualisation and remote experiments. This objective is fully fulfilled and we have now, in Europe, five centres of competence able to deliver high-level and high-specialized training courses in the field of test engineering using a high-performing industrial ATE. All the centres propose training courses on digital testing, three of them propose mixed-signal trainings and three of them propose memory trainings. Taking into account the demand in test engineering, the network is planned to continue in a stand alone mode after project end. Nevertheless a new European proposal with several new partners and new test lessons is under construction

Test engineering education in Europe: the EuNICE-Test project

The paper deals with a European experience of education in industrial test of ICs and SoCs using remote testing facilities. The project addresses the problem of the shortage in microelectronics engineers aware with the new challenge of testing mixed-signal SoCs far multimedia/telecom market. It aims at providing test training facilities at a European scale in both initial and continuing education contexts. This is done by allowing the academic and industrial partners of the consortium to train engineers using the common test resources center (CRTC) hosted by LIRMM (Laboratoire d'Informatique, de Robotique et de Microelectronique de Montpellier, France). CRTC test tools include up-to-date/high-tech testers that are fully representative of real industrial testers as used on production testfloors. At the end of the project, it is aimed at reaching a cruising speed of about 16 trainees per year per center. Each trainee will have attend at least one one-week training using the remote test facilities of CRTC

Characterization of grapevine leafroll-associated virus 3 genetic variants and application towards RT-qPCR assay design

Grapevine leafroll-associated virus 3 (GLRaV-3) is the most widely prevalent and economically important of the complex of RNA viruses associated with grapevine leafroll disease (GLD). Phylogenetic studies have grouped GLRaV-3 isolates into nine different monophyletic groups and four supergroups, making GLRaV-3 a genetically highly diverse virus species. In addition, new divergent variants have been discovered recently around the world. Accurate identification of the virus is an essential component in the management and control of GLRaV-3; however, the diversity of GLRaV-3, coupled with the limited sequence information, have complicated the development of a reliable detection assay. In this study, GLRaV-3 sequence data available in GenBank and those generated at Foundation Plant Services, University of California-Davis, was used to develop a new RT-qPCR assay with the capacity to detect all known GLRaV-3 variants. The new assay, referred to as FPST, was challenged against samples that included plants infected with different GLRaV-3 variants and originating from 46 countries. The FPST assay detected all known GLRaV-3 variants, including the highly divergent variants, by amplifying a small highly conserved region in the 3' untranslated terminal region (UTR) of the virus genome. The reliability of the new RT-qPCR assay was confirmed by an enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) that can detect all known GLRaV-3 variants characterized to date. Additionally, three new GLRaV-3 divergent variants, represented by four isolates, were identified using a hierarchical testing process involving the FPST assay, GLRaV-3 variant-specific assays and high-throughput sequencing analysis. These variants were distantly related to groups I, II, III, V, VI, VII and IX, but much similar to GLRaV-3 variants with no assigned group; thus, they may represent new clades. Finally, based on the phylogenetic analysis, a new GLRaV-3 subclade is proposed and named as group X.Alfredo Diaz-Lara, Vicki Klaassen, Kristian Stevens, Mysore R. Sudarshana, Adib Rowhani ... Nuredin Habili ... et al

A genome-wide RNAi screen in mouse embryonic stem cells identifies Mp1 as a key mediator of differentiation

Knockdown of the scaffolding protein Mek binding protein 1 (Mp1) in mouse embryonic stem cells suppresses differentiation but not proliferation, and more invasive human germ cell tumors express lower amounts of Mp1

INFLUENCE OF HYDROGEN ON THE INTERFACE STRUCTURE AND PROPERTIES OF FATIGUED Al-Zn-Mg-BICRYSTALS

L'enrichissement en hydrogène aux joints de grains a une forte influence sur les propriétés mécaniques des alliages Al-Zn-Mg. Sous atmosphère humide, la propagation des fissures au cours des essais de fatigue est considérablement accélérée. Si la région du joint de grain est enrichie en hydrogène, une fragilisation locale du joint de grain apparaît, conduisant à l'initiation et la propagation de fissures intergranulaires. Comme le montrent les micrographies obtenues en HREM, les précipités hydrogènés présentent des interfaces planes et facettées, tandis que les échantillons non traités présentent des particules arrondies. Le joint de grain lui même présente des changements structuraux qui provoquent la fragilisation.Hydrogen enrichment at grain boundaries has a strong influence on the mechanical properties of Al-Zn-Mg-alloys. Under moisture crack propagation in fatigue experiments is accelerated drastically. If hydrogen is enriched at the grain boundary region, local embrittlement of the grain boundary takes place leading to intergranular crack initiation and propagation. As can be seen by HREM-micrographs the hydrogen affected precipitates have planar and facetted interfaces, while the as recieved specimens showed round shaped particles. The grain boundary shows structural changes as well which causes the embrittlement

Solvent stress-induced changes in membrane fatty acid composition of denitrifying bacteria reduce the extent of nitrogen stable isotope fractionation during denitrification.

Microcosm experiments with the well-studied denitrifier Thaurera aromatica show a link between a higher maximum membrane concentration (MMC) of the toxic organic solvents 1-octanol and 4-chlorophenol and a higher degree of saturation (DoS) of the fatty acids in the cell membrane. This coincides with less pronounced stable isotope fractionation during denitrification. We suggest that the change in cell membrane fluidity and the cell's stress response leads to a decrease in nitrate transport across the cell membrane and/or an increase in the relative ratio of respiratory nitrate reduction rate versus efflux of unreacted nitrate. Both models show that the apparent kinetic isotope effect (AKIE) approach unity and thus reduce the extent of the resulting stable isotope enrichment factor epsilon N-15-NO3 in dissolved nitrate during denitrification, as experimentally and mathematically shown in this study. This may lead to an underestimation of nitrate reduction determined by nitrate stable isotope analysis in aquatic habitats where various types of stresses may affect the physiology of the driving microorganisms. (C) 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved