An 8-bit 40-MS/s low power Multiplying Digital-toAnalog Converter (MDAC) for a pipelined-to-Analog to Digital converter (ADC) is presented.The conventional dedicated operational amplifier (Op-Amp) isperformed by using telescopic architecture that features low power and less-area. Further reduction of power and area is achieved by using multifunction 1.5bit/stage MDAC architecture. The design of the Op-Amp is performed by the elaboration of a program based on multiobjective genetic algorithms to allow automated optimization. The proposed program is used tofind the optimal transistors sizes (length and width) in order to obtain the best Op-Amp performances for the MDAC. In this study, six performances are considered, direct current gain, unity-gain bandwidth, phase margin, power consumption, area, slew rate, thermal noise, and signal to noise ratio. The Matlab optimization toolbox is used to implement the program. Simulations were performed by using Cadence Virtuoso Spectre circuit simulator in standard AMS 0.18μm CMOS technology. A goodagreement is observed between the results obtained bythe program optimization and simulation, after that the Op-Ampis introduced in the MDAC circuit to extract its performances.

Safety instrumented systems must be designed, built and operated to meet tolerable risk level as required regulatory agencies. This requirement is closely related to their probabilistic performance measures which are either their average probability of dangerous failure on demand (PFDavg) or their average frequency of failure (PFH: Probability of Failure per Hour). The object of this work is the SIS performances evaluation taking into account the uncertainties related to the different parameters that come into play: failure rate (λ), common cause failure proportion (β), diagnostic coverage (DC), etc. This leads to an accurate and therefore safe assessment of the safety integrity level (SIL) inherent to safety functions performed by such systems. This aim is in keeping with the requirement of the IEC 61508 standard with respect to handling uncertainty. In this paper we first explain in detail the IEC 61508 approach for handling uncertainty. Afterwards, we propose an approach that combines (i) Monte Carlo analysis (MCA) and (ii) fuzzy sets. Indeed, the first method is appropriate when representative statistical data are available (using pdf of the relating parameters), while the latter applies in the case characterized by vague and subjective information (using membership function). The proposed approach is fully supported with a suitable computer code developed under the MATLAB environment.

We consider a system of transmission of the wave equation with Neumann feedback control that contains a delay term and acts on the exterior boundary. First, we prove under some assumptions that the closed-loop system generates a C 0 -semigroup of contractions on an appropriate Hilbert space. Then, under further assumptions, we show that the closed-loop system is exponentially stable. To establish this result, we introduce a suitable energy function and use multiplier method together with an estimate taken from Lasiecka & Triggiani (1992, Appl. Math. Optim., 25, 189–244.) (Lemma 7.2) and compactness-uniqueness argument.

In radiotherapy using 18-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography (18F-FDG-PET), the accurate delineation of the biological tumour volume (BTV) is a crucial step. In this study, the authors suggest a new approach to segment the BTV in 18F-FDG-PET images. The technique is based on the k-means clustering algorithm incorporating automatic optimal cluster number estimation, using intrinsic positron emission tomography image information. Clinical dataset of seven patients have a laryngeal tumour with the actual BTV defined by histology serves as a reference, were included in this study for the evaluation of results. Promising results obtained by the proposed approach with a mean error equal to (0.7%) compared with other existing methods in clinical routine, including fuzzy c-means with (35.58%), gradient-based method with (19.14%) and threshold-based methods.

In this study, pomace olives coming from different mills (Press process, continuous process two-phases and threephases) were used for extraction of oils. The highest oil yield (12.92%) was obtained with pomace olives coming from press process. Total contents of phenolics (13.47 - 21.25 mg GAE/100 g oil) and flavonoids (5.90 - 12.52mg QE/100 g oil)were determined spectrophotometrically. The pomace olive oil “POO3” (Pomace olive coming from 3-phases system) presented the highest phenolic, flavonoid contents and showed the highest DPPH, ABTS scavenging, metal chelating activity. In vitro anticholinesterase activity, the olive pomace oils showed moderate inhibition against AChE and BChE which are the key enzymes taking place in pathogenesis of Alzheimer’s disease. These results showed that the tested oils can be considered as sources of natural antioxidant, as well as moderate anticholinesterase agents.

This paper is about groundwater’s quality in Ghassira which is located in El-Abiod valley in eastern Algeria. The water is used for human consumption and irrigation. The different layers belong to several types of rocks (limestone and evaporate ...). To study the behaviour   of dissolved salts in this water, we have used geology of the aquifers and statistics. This combination gives us information about minerals those are responsible of water’s quality.  80% of analyzed samples are influenced by evaporate rocks (gypsum, halite…) and 20% by limestone. Many processes have generated these two classes and are relating, especially, with the rocks of aquifers.