New Metric Based Algorithm for Test Vector Generation in VLSI Testing

A new algorithm for test-vector-generation (TVG) for combinational circuits has been presented for testing VLSI chips. This is done by defining a suitable metric or distance, in the space of all input vectors, between a vector and a set of vectors. The test vectors are generated by suitably maximising the above distance. Two different methods of maximising the distance are suggested. Performances of the two methods for different circuits are presented and compared with the random method of TVG. It was observed that method B is superior to the other two methods. Also, method A is slightly better than method R

Effective Handover Technique in Cluster Based MANET Using Cooperative Communication

Mobile ad hoc networks (MANETs) are becoming increasingly common now a days and typical network loads considered for MANETs are increasing as applications evolve. This increases the importance of bandwidth efficiency and requirements on energy consumption delay and jitter. Coordinated channel access protocols have been shown to be well suited for MANETs under uniform load distributions. However, these protocols are not well suited for non-uniform load distributions as uncoordinated channel access protocols due to the lack of on-demand dynamic channel allocation mechanisms that exist in infrastructure based coordinated protocols. We have considered a lightweight dynamic channel allocation algorithm and a cooperative load balancing strategy that are helpful for the cluster based MANETs and an effective handover technique to improve the increased packet transmission mechanism. This helps in reduce jitter, packet delay and packet transfer speed, we use a novel handover algorithm to address this problem We present protocols that utilize these mechanisms to improve performance in terms of throughput, energy consumption and inter-packet delay variation (IPDV)

Heavy metals (Cr and Zn) induced alterations in cast production, burrowing behaviour, surface migration and macropore formation in three ecologically different earthworm species: A comparative study

Heavy metals can influence earthworm behavior and physiology which could drastically impact the soil functioning. To test this hypothesis, under laboratory conditions, the cast production and burrow systems( burrow length and patterns), macropores formed and surface migration of three ecologically different earthworm species (the epigeic Eudrilus eugeniea, aneic Lampito maurutii and the endogeic Pontoscolex corethrururs) in natural spiked soil with different concentrations of heavy metals (chromium Cr(VI) and zinc (Zn)) were performed. The amount of cast produced in all the three species varied with increasing concentrations of heavy metals which is inversely proportional to incidence of surface migration observed. Macropores formed increased significantly (P <0.05) in Zn-spiked soils and reduced significantly (P <0.05) upon chromium exposure. The burrow patterns of three earthworm species varied: E.eugeniea being an epigeic exhibited only horizontal movements which showed statistically significant (P<0.05) change in its burrow length at the lower concentration of 10 ppm Cr (VI) and 300ppm of Zn, whereas L. maurutii made more continuous, less branched and more vertical burrows and exhibited statistically significant (P <0.05) change at 10ppm of Cr. However upon Zn exposure significant (P <0.05) change was evident in 100ppm of Zn onwards. Similar pattern was also evident in P. corethrurus. Some conspicuous changes in L. maurutii and P. corethrurus burrow systems upon exposure to chromium were they made a smaller and narrower burrow system, at concentration above 20ppm of Cr and 400ppm of Zn. As a consequence, the continuity of the burrow systems made by both species was altered following heavy metal exposure which could be considered as a potential tool for evaluation of heavy metal toxicity

Effect Of Oestradiol On Mouse Vaginal Epithelium

Oestradiol which induces the proliferation of the vaginal epithelium is used in the oestrogen replacement therapy for menopausal and postmenopausal disorders. The exact onset of induced cell proliferation and recovery to the controlled level has not been reported before. Hence this study was done in ovariectomised mice and the period of cellular response to ethinyl estradiol, a semisynthetic ester (0.025mg/kg) was recorded. The vaginal epithelium was studied for histological changes and incidence of mitotic figures. The onset of proliferation started at 4h after exposure and reached its maximum at 32h and declined gradually thereafter to reach the base level at 60h

Complex free energy landscapes in biaxial nematics and role of repulsive interactions : A Wang - Landau study

General quadratic Hamiltonian models, describing interaction between crystal molecules (typically with $D_{2h}$ symmetry) take into account couplings between their uniaxial and biaxial tensors. While the attractive contributions arising from interactions between similar tensors of the participating molecules provide for eventual condensation of the respective orders at suitably low temperatures, the role of cross-coupling between unlike tensors is not fully appreciated. Our recent study with an advanced Monte Carlo technique (entropic sampling) showed clearly the increasing relevance of this cross term in determining the phase diagram, contravening in some regions of model parameter space, the predictions of mean field theory and standard Monte Carlo simulation results. In this context, we investigated the phase diagrams and the nature of the phases therein, on two trajectories in the parameter space: one is a line in the interior region of biaxial stability believed to be representative of the real systems, and the second is the extensively investigated parabolic path resulting from the London dispersion approximation. In both the cases, we find the destabilizing effect of increased cross-coupling interactions, which invariably result in the formation of local biaxial organizations inhomogeneously distributed. This manifests as a small, but unmistakable, contribution of biaxial order in the uniaxial phase.The free energy profiles computed in the present study as a function of the two dominant order parameters indicate complex landscapes, reflecting the difficulties in the ready realization of the biaxial phase in the laboratory.Comment: 23 pages, 12 figure

Extent of Heavy Metal Accumulation in Sewage Irrigated Soils and Their Impact on Distribution of Earthworm Communities: Linking Chromium and Zinc Toxicity on Growth and Reproduction in Selected Earthworm Species.

Soil ecosystem polluted by metals affect the structure of soil invertebrate population(s) and dynamics leading to altered distribution of species. This study focuses on earthworm distribution in sewage irrigated agricultural lands around Bangalore. The occurrence of reported species from the sampled areas is Eudrilus eugeniae, Lampito maurutii, Pontoscolex corethrurus, Polypheretima elongata, Perioynx excavates and Eisenia fetida. Laboratory studies conducted to evaluate feed ingestion rate and body mass changes in earthworms exposed to metal spiked soils revealed species specific pattern. Eudrilus eugeniae and Lampito maurutii showed a steep increase in body weight, while Pontoscolex corethrurus exhibited decreased trend upon Zn exposure. Contrarily a significant (p<0.05) decline in body weight was evident in all the three species upon exposure to Cr spiked soils. The observed alterations in feeding and body mass index concomitantly influenced the reproductive parameters. Rate of hatchability and reproductive function found to be decreased in Cr spiked soils in all the three species studied. Contrarily, increased hatchability was observed in E.eugeniea and L.maurutii followed by a decrease rate in P.corethrurus upon exposure of Zn spiked soils. However, reproductive rate found to be increased in E.eugeniea and P.corethrurus with decreased trend in L.maurutii. Thus, use of sewage polluted water for irrigation purpose has led to increased soil metal concentration impacting earthworm physiology and distribution