On entropy production in nonequilibrium systems

In this paper we discuss the meaning of the Schnakenberg formula for entropy production in non-equilibrium systems. To this end we consider a non-equilibrium system as part of a larger isolated system which includes the environment. We prove that the Schnakenberg formula provides only a lower bound to the actual entropy production in the environment. This is also demonstrated in the simplest example of a three-state clock model.Comment: PDFLaTeX, 16 pages, 5 figure

Optimizing Scrubbing by Netlist Analysis for FPGA Configuration Bit Classification and Floorplanning

Existing scrubbing techniques for SEU mitigation on FPGAs do not guarantee an error-free operation after SEU recovering if the affected configuration bits do belong to feedback loops of the implemented circuits. In this paper, we a) provide a netlist-based circuit analysis technique to distinguish so-called critical configuration bits from essential bits in order to identify configuration bits which will need also state-restoring actions after a recovered SEU and which not. Furthermore, b) an alternative classification approach using fault injection is developed in order to compare both classification techniques. Moreover, c) we will propose a floorplanning approach for reducing the effective number of scrubbed frames and d), experimental results will give evidence that our optimization methodology not only allows to detect errors earlier but also to minimize the Mean-Time-To-Repair (MTTR) of a circuit considerably. In particular, we show that by using our approach, the MTTR for datapath-intensive circuits can be reduced by up to 48.5% in comparison to standard approaches

Symmetrical onychomadesis and hypothyroidism in the Gordon Setter and English Setter

Symmetrical onychomadesis (SO), also called symmetrical lupoid onychodystrophy, is a severe claw disease frequently seen in the Gordon Setter (GS) and English Setter (ES). Affected dogs will initially show sudden onset of lameness and licking of paws, progressing during some months to sloughing of all claws. The disease is painful and affects the dog’s quality of life. Hypothyroidism (HT) is one of the most common endocrine diseases reported in dogs. In most cases, the disease is considered to be the result of an autoimmune attack of the thyroid gland. Thyroid hormones are involved in several energy demanding processes in the body and subnormal hormone levels in dogs may cause a variety of clinical signs such as dullness, weight gain, lethargy, and skin changes. Both SO and HT are suspected to be complex diseases where several genes and environmental factors affect disease development. Epidemiologic studies of the two diseases in GS and ES could reveal triggering factors for disease development. The main aims of this thesis were to describe epidemiology, clinical pathology, treatment, prognosis and genetic risk factors for SO and HT in the GS and ES. Additionally, we wanted to investigate whether there were any clinical or genetic associations between SO and HT.Kloløsning er en sykdom som har vært kjent hos gordonsetter og engelsksetter siden 1980- tallet. Gordonsetteren økte sterkt i popularitet utover tidlig 2000 tallet og da økte også antall tilfeller av kloløsning. Kloløsning er en smertefull sykdom som gir hundene redusert livskvalitet og fører ofte til at hundene har problemer med å jakte. Dette studiet ble startet for å øke kunnskapen om kloløsning og hypotyrose hos gordonsetter og engelsksetter. Kloløsning har blitt kalt både «symmetrical lupoid onychodystrophy» og «symmetrical onycomadesis» og begge navnene blir brukt i dette studiet. Kloløsning arter seg ved at hundene blir halte, slikker seg på klørne og i løpet av noen måneder faller de aller fleste klørne av. Det oppstår ofte sekundær infeksjoner der hvor klørne løsner og sykdommen er smertefull for de fleste hunder. De klørne som vokser ut er ofte misdannete og flisete (dystrofiske). Hundene har ikke tegn på andre hud- eller systemiske sykdommer som kan forklare kloløsningen. Hypotyrose er en av de vanligste endokrine lidelsene hos hund. Sykdommen er som regel forårsaket av et autoimmunt angrep på thyroidea som fører til at kjertelen blir ødelagt. Thyroidea hormoner er involvert i mange energikrevende prosesser i kroppen og lave nivåer fører til nedstemthet, vektøkning og pelsforandringer hos hund. Både kloløsning og hypotyrose er mistenkt for å være komplekse sykdommer der flere gener og miljø faktorer påvirker utviklingen av sykdommene. Målet i denne studien var å beskrive epidemiologi, klinisk patologi, behandling og prognose ved kloløsningen og hypotyrose hos gordonsettere og engelsksettere. Det var også ett mål å avdekke genetiske risikofaktorer hos gordonsettere og engelsksettere med kloløsning og/eller hypotyrose ved å utføre flere studier av kandidatgenene DRB1, DQA1 og DQB1.The Norwegian English Setter Club (NESK), the Norwegian Gordon Setter Club (NGK), the Research Council of Norway, Veterinary Smidt’s Foundation, the Norwegian Kennel Club (NKK) and Agria

The benefits and costs of netlist randomization based side-channel countermeasures: an in-depth evaluation

Exchanging FPGA-based implementations of cryptographic algorithms during run-time using netlist randomized versions has been introduced recently as a unique countermeasure against side channel attacks. Using partial reconfiguration, it is possible to shuffle between structurally different but functionally similar versions of a cryptographic implementation. The resulting varying power profile enhances the resistance against power-based side channel attacks. While side channel leakage is reduced, costs in terms of additional resources and/or lowered throughput are often increased due to the overheads of the required online partial reconfiguration. In this work, we provide an in-depth evaluation of the leakage-area-throughput trade-off