Timgad Basin is a part of the North-East Algerian Saharan Atlas. It is located at the northern of the Aurès Mountain. It is bordered in the North by Bou Arif, Amrane and Tagratine mountains, while in the South it is limited by Chelia, Rdam and Nerdi Bouhmar mountains. It is shaped as a synclinal gutter oriented East-West and covers an area of about 1000 Km2 . The climate is semi-arid (cold winter and hot summer) with average annual rainfall not exceeding 350 mm. The basin is composed by varied lithology, showing large folded structures down sloping towards the center, which favor groundwater storage. The Miocene sandstone aquifer is the most important. It is characterized by a wavy shape, which form series of shale-marl filling depressions. Recent wells drilled in the basin edges and center, put in evidence its artesian character. The piezometric survey shows a groundwater convergent flow oriented towards the basin east (Bou el Freis), likewise the sandstone aquifer is marked by the presence of a West-East drainage axis which separates the basin northern part characterized by a low reservoirs hydraulic capacity from the southern part distinguished by the groundwater relative abundance.

This paper presents a hybrid strategy combining compact analytical models of short channel Gate-All-Around Junctionless (GAAJ) MOSFET and metaheuristic-based approach for parameters optimization. The proposed GAAJ MOSFET design includes highly extension regions doping. The aim is to investigate the impact of this design on the RF and analog performances systematically and to show the immunity behavior against the short channel effects (SCEs) degradation. In this context, an analytical model via the meticulous solution of 2D Poisson equation, incorporating source/drain (S/D) extensions effect, has been developed and verified by comparing it with TCAD simulation results. A comparative evaluation between the proposed GAAJ MOSFET structure and the classical device in terms of RF/Analog performances is also investigated. The proposed design provides RF/Analog performances improvement. Furthermore, based on the presented analytical models, Genetic Algorithms (GA) optimization approach is used to optimize the design of S/D parameters. The optimized structure exhibits better performances, i.e., cut-off frequency and drive current are improved. Besides, it shows superior immunity behavior against the RF/Analog degradation due to the unwanted SCEs. The insights offered by the proposed paradigm will help to enlighten designer in future challenges facing the GAAJ MOSFET technology for high RF/analog applications.

The security of multimedia documents becomes an urgent need, especially with the increasing image falsifications provided by the easy access and use of image manipulation tools. Hence, usage of image authentication techniques fulfills this need. In this paper, we propose an effective self-embedding fragile watermarking scheme for color images tamper detection and restoration. To decrease the capacity of insertion, a Bayer pattern is used to reduce the color host image into a gray-level watermark, to further improve the security Torus Automorphism permutation is used to scramble the gray-level watermark. In our algorithm, three copies of the watermark are inserted over three components (R, G, and B channels) of the color host image, providing a high probability of detection accuracy and recovery if one copy is destroyed. In the tamper detection process, a majority voting technique is used to determine the legitimacy of the image and recover the tampered regions after interpolating the extracted gray-level watermark. Using our proposed method, tampering rate can achieve 25% with a high visual quality of recovered image and PSNR values greater than 34 (dB). Experimental results demonstrate that the proposed method affords three major properties: the high quality of watermarked image, the sensitive tamper detection and high localization accuracy besides the high-quality of recovered image.

The high suppleness of Bayesian networks has led to their wide application in a variety of dependability modeling and analysis problems. The main objective of this paper is to extend the use of such powerful tool to estimate the occurrence frequency of failures and consequences in a straightforward way. Such extension is based on the employment of a transformation operator to substitute the original terms with matrices that hold the full dependability description of the corresponding element. Two simple case studies in reliability and safety contexts are treated using the suggested method whose results are validated through their comparison to the corresponding results of other classical dependability techniques.

In this study, an optimized extended Kalman filter (EKF), and an interval type-2 fuzzy sliding mode control (IT2FSMC) in presence of uncertainties and disturbances are presented for robotic manipulators. The main contribution is the proposal of a novel application of Biogeography-Based Optimization (BBO) to optimize the EKF in order to achieve high performance estimation of states. The parameters to be optimized are the covariance matrices Q and R, which play an important role in the performances of EKF. The interval type-2 fuzzy logic system is used to avoid chattering phenomenon in the sliding mode control (SMC). Lyapunov theorem is used to prove the stability of control system. The suggested control approach is demonstrated using a computer simulation of two-link manipulator. Finally, simulations results show the robustness and effectiveness of the proposed scheme, and exhibit a more superior performance than its conventional counterpart.

The emergence of new data handling technologies and analytics enabled the organization of big data in processes as an innovative aspect in wireless sensor networks (WSNs). Big data paradigm, combined with WSN technology, involves new challenges that are necessary to resolve in parallel. Data aggregation is a rapidly emerging research area. It represents one of the processing challenges of big sensor networks. This paper introduces the big data paradigm, its main dimensions that represent one of the most challenging concepts, and its principle analytic tools which are more and more introduced in the WSNs technology. The paper also presents the big data challenges that must be overcome to efficiently manipulate the voluminous data, and proposes a new classification of these challenges based on the necessities and the challenges of WSNs. As the big data aggregation challenge represents the center of our interest, this paper surveys its proposed strategies in WSNs.

The present study deals with the biostratigraphic and geochemical analysis of the Cenomanian-Turonian deposits of the Thénièt El Manchar district in the Bellezma-Batna Range, and their vertical fluctuations. A 180 m-thick profile is described in this area. This reference section encompasses the ‘Marnes de Smail’ Formation, subdivided into four lithostratigraphic units (IA, IB, IC, and ID respectively) and dated of the Cenomanian (ammonites and coral), and the base of the ‘Dolomies de l’Oued Skhoun’ Formation (unit IIA), dated of the Lower Turonian (planktonic foraminifers). Both qualitative and quantitative analysis of foraminifers (planktonic and/or benthonic), ostracodes and of geochemical indices, lead us to reconstitute the evolution of both palaeoenvironmental and palaeobathymetrical changes during this time interval. Subsequently units IA, IB, IC and the lower part of unit ID (all Cenomanian) are displaying agglutinated benthonic foraminifers and complete ostracode shells, as evidence of a shelfal environment and weak hydrodynamism. Within these deposits microfaunal assemblages display a low-to-medium species diversity and a relatively high specimen abundance, supporting evidence of normal trophic conditions and water oxygenation. The upper part of unit ID (topmost Cenomanian), and unit IIA (basal Turonian) are documenting an environmental setting into deeper conditions, supported by the standard event succession already recorded in northern Africa, namely: the abundance of planktonic foraminifers, the occurrence of ‘filaments’ and the sudden reduction of ostracofauna. Furthermore the total carbonate isotope fluctuations (δ¹³C and δ¹⁸O) are documenting isotopic anomalies related to palaeoenvironmental changes. The δ¹³C results, coupled with those of TOC, are evidencing a low primary productivity while the δ¹⁸O data are supporting a temperature rise as the main potential drive of the onset of OAE2. These paleoenvironmental assertions are consistent with the regional paleogeographic context and are highlighting tethysian features.

BLEVE is one of major accidents observed in gas industry causing severe damage to people and environment. Its effects are manifested in three ways: shock wave propagation, fireball radiation and fragments projection. To assess these effects, risk decision-makers often use Quantitative Risk Analysis (QRA). In most cases, QRA data are obtained from empirical correlations. However, these correlations are not very satisfactory because they generally overestimate BLEVE effects and do not take into account geometry effects. In order to overcome the limitations of these empirical approaches, CFD modeling appears as a powerful tool able to provide more accurate data to better realize QRA. In this paper, the objective is to develop a CFD methodology in order to predict BLEVE thermal effects. Numerical simulations are carried out using the CFD code FDS. A sensitivity analysis of numerical models is performed in order to choose the right parameters allowing to model the fireball dynamics. The models retained are based on a single-step combustion using EDC model coupled with a LES turbulence model. Predictions show good agreement in comparison with results issued from three large-scale experiments. Furthermore, a case study on a propane accumulator in an Algerian gas processing unit is carried out.

In this paper, a new optically controlled tunneling field effect transistor (OC-TFET) based on SiGe/Si/Ge hetero-channel is proposed to improve optical commutation speed and reduce power consumption. An exhaustive study of the device switching behavior associated with different hetero-channel structures has been carried out using an accurate numerical simulation. Moreover, a new figure of Merit (FoM) parameter called optical swing factor that describes the phototransistor optical commutation speed is proposed. We demonstrate that the band-to-band tunneling effect can be beneficial for improving the device optical commutation speed. The impact of the Ge mole fraction of the SiGe source region on the device FoMs is investigated. It is found that the optimized design with 40% of Ge content offers the opportunity to overcome the trade-off between ultrafast and very sensitive photoreceiver performance, where it yields 48 mV/dec of optical swing factor and 155 dB of I ON /I OFF ratio. An overall performance comparison between the proposed OC-TFET device and the conventional designs is performed, where the proposed structure ensures high optical detectivity for very low optical powers (sub-1pW) as compared to that of the conventional counterparts. Therefore, the proposed OC-TFET provides the possibility for bridging the gap between improved optical commutation speed and reduced power consumption, which makes it a potential alternative for high-performance inter-chip data communication applications.