Simulation of UV nanoimprint lithography on rigid and flexible substrates

Nanoimprint lithography (NIL) is a low cost, high throughput process used to replicate sub-20 nm feature from a patterned template to a rigid or flexible substrate. Various configurations for NIL are analyzed and classified based on type of template and substrate. The steps involved in pattern transfer using roller template based NIL are identified and models to study these steps are proposed. Important process parameters such as maximum web speed possible, required UV intensity, minimum droplet size and pitch and required force on the roller are calculated. The advantages, disadvantages and optimal process window for the different configurations are identified. Droplet spreading is simulated in NIL with rigid substrates in order to study the effect of droplet size, droplet placement error, gas diffusion and template pattern on throughput and defectivity. Square arrangement is found to be the optimum arrangement for achieving minimum throughput. Large droplet-free regions on the substrate edge and error in droplet placement error have significant impact on the throughput. A fluid flow model with average flow permeability is presented to account for flow in the template patterns. Optimum droplet dispensing for multi-patterned templates is achieved by distributing droplet volume according to local filling requirements. Non-fill defects in NIL are classified into pocket, edge and channel defects. A model to predict the size of non-fill defects based on imprint time and droplet size is presented. Defect characterization is presented for various pattern-types. A model is presented to determine the time required for the encapsulated gas to diffuse into the resist. The coupled fluid-structure interaction in NIL with flexible substrate is studied by simulating the web deformation as the droplet spreads on the substrate. It is found that the flexible substrate can be modeled as a membrane due to the lack of rigidity. RLT variation reduces as the number of droplets or the web tension increases. For the magnitude of RLT variation, thinner residual layers require higher web tension. The position of the template on the substrate is important and template positioned at the corner of the substrate is found to provide the least RLT variation.Chemical Engineerin

COUPLED FIXED POINT THEOREMS IN ORDERED NON-ARCHIMEDEAN INTUITIONISTIC FUZZY METRIC SPACE USING k-MONOTONE PROPERTY

In this paper we define k-monotone property and proved coupled fixed point theorem in ordered non-Archimedean Intuitionistic fuzzy metric space. Key words: Non- Archimedean property, k-monotone property, mixed monotone mappings, coupled fixed point, Fuzzy metric space, Intuitionistic Fuzzy metric space, Cauchy sequence, complete fuzzy metric space.   Mathematics Subject Classification: 46S40, 47H10, 54H2

Memory Reliability Enhancement against Multiple Cell Upsets Using Decimal Matrix Code for 32-Bit Data

An important issue in the reliability of memories exposed to radiation environment is transient multiple cells upsets (MCUs). To protect the memory data from radiations and transients many improved packaging techniques are available. But, a particular packaging provides protection from a limited variation of radiations. Today the devices are exposed to a very wide range of environment radiations due to increasing applications in the field of wireless communication. So some additional data preservation techniques are always preferred for authenticating the data before it is processed. Some of these techniques use encoded data to be stored in memories. These techniques are error correction codes (ECCs). It is always preferred to implement an error correction code that requires a less number of redundant bits to be stored and a minimized delay overhead in data correction. This paper presents an FPGA based implementation of memory data error detection and correction code that involves simple decimal addition algorithm in the encoding of data that is to be stored in memory. The decoding of the data for error detection and correction is based on the Hamming Code. This technique involves divide-symbol concept to represent the linear data in groups to make symbolic code. The length of the symbol is inversely proportional to the delay overhead of the cod

Squential Step Towards Pattern Warehousing

With the massive increase in the data, the demand by the analysts hyped for the proper repositories where they could analyse the concerned specific data patterns in order to make smart and quick decisions for the welfare and benefit of the business, organization or some social work. Pattern warehouse proved to be the best solution. This paper focuses on the discussion of existing architecture and moreover on the algorithms that is needed for retrieving the optimal patterns from the pattern warehouse. It also includes the detailed study about the sequential emergence of association rule algorithms which initially derive out patterns and later on those patterns are being optimized according to the interest of the analyst

SIMULATION AND PERFORMANCE ANALYSIS EVALUATION FOR MULTIPATH EXTENSION OF AODV TO IMPROVE END TO END DELAY, ROUTE ERROR SENT, ROUTING LOAD AND PACKET DROP RATIO

This paper describes improvement in standard routing protocol AODV for mobile ad-hoc networks. Our mechanism setups multiple optimal paths based on bandwidth and delay. It allows to store multiple optimal paths based on Bandwidth and delay. At time of link failure, it will switch to next available path. To set up multiple paths, we have used the information that we get in the RREQ packet and also send RREP packet to more than one path. It reduces overhead of local route discovery at the time of link failure and because of this End to End Delay and Drop Ratio decreases. The main feature of our mechanism is that it is simple, efficient. We evaluate through simulations the performance of the AODV routing protocol including our scheme and we compare it with HLSMPRA (hot link split multi-path routing algorithm) Algorithm. Indeed, our scheme reduces routing load, End to End Delay, route error sent, and Packet drop ratio. The simulations have been performed using network simulator OPNET-14.0. The network simulator OPNET is discrete event simulation software for network simulations which means it simulates events such as sending, receiving, forwarding and dropping packets

Molecular characterization and differential expression of cytokinin-responsive type-A response regulators in rice (Oryza sativa)

Background The response regulators represent the elements of bacterial two-component system and have been characterized from dicot plants like Arabidopsis but little information is available on the monocots, including the cereal crops. The aim of this study was to characterize type-A response regulator genes from rice, and to investigate their expression in various organs as well as in response to different hormones, including cytokinin, and environmental stimuli. Results By analysis of the whole genome sequence of rice, we have identified ten genes encoding type-A response regulators based upon their high sequence identity within the receiver domain. The exon-intron organization, intron-phasing as well as chromosomal location of all the RT-PCR amplified rice (Oryza sativa) response regulator (OsRR) genes have been analyzed. The transcripts of OsRR genes could be detected by real-time PCR in all organs of the light- and dark-grown rice seedlings/plants, although there were quantitative differences. The steady-state transcript levels of most of the OsRR genes increased rapidly (within 15 min) on exogenous cytokinin application even in the presence of cycloheximide. Moreover, the expression of the OsRR6 gene was enhanced in rice seedlings exposed to salinity, dehydration and low temperature stress. Conclusion Ten type-A response regulator genes identified in rice, the model monocot plant, show overlapping/differential expression patterns in various organs and in response to light. The induction of OsRR genes by cytokinin even in the absence of de novo protein synthesis qualifies them to be primary cytokinin response genes. The induction of OsRR6 in response to different environmental stimuli indicates its role in cross-talk between abiotic stress and cytokinin signaling. These results provide a foundation for further investigations on specific as well as overlapping cellular functions of type-A response regulators in rice

Genome-wide identification, classification, evolutionary expansion and expression analyses of homeobox genes in rice

Homeobox genes play a critical role in regulating various aspects of plant growth and development. In the present study, we identified a total of 107 homeobox genes in the rice genome and grouped them into ten distinct subfamilies based upon their domain composition and phylogenetic analysis. A significantly large number of homeobox genes are located in the duplicated segments of the rice genome, which suggests that the expansion of homeobox gene family, in large part, might have occurred due to segmental duplications in rice. Furthermore, microarray analysis was performed to elucidate the expression profiles of these genes in different tissues and during various stages of vegetative and reproductive development. Several genes with predominant expression during various stages of panicle and seed development were identified. At least 37 homeobox genes were found to be differentially expressed significantly (more than two-fold; P <0.05) under various abiotic stress conditions. The results of the study suggest a critical role of homeobox genes in reproductive development and abiotic stress signaling in rice, and will facilitate the selection of candidate genes of agronomic importance for functional validation

Overexpression of putative topoisomerase 6 genes from rice confers stress tolerance in transgenic Arabidopsis plants

DNA topoisomerase 6 (TOP6) belongs to a novel family of type II DNA topoisomerases present, other than in archaebacteria, only in plants. Here we report the isolation of full-length cDNAs encoding putative TOP6 subunits A and B from rice (Oryza sativa ssp. indica), preserving all the structural domains conserved among archaebacterial TOP6 homologs and eukaryotic meiotic recombination factor SPO11. OsTOP6A1 was predominantly expressed in prepollinated flowers. The transcript abundance of OsTOP6A2, OsTOP6A3 and OsTOP6B was also higher in prepollinated flowers and callus. The expression of OsTOP6A2, OsTOP6A3 and OsTOP6B was differentially regulated by the plant hormones, auxin, cytokinin, and abscisic acid. Yeast two-hybrid analysis revealed that the full-length OsTOP6B protein interacts with both OsTOP6A2 and OsTOP6A3, but not with OsTOP6A1. The nuclear localization of OsTOP6A3 and OsTOP6B was established by the transient expression of their β-glucuronidase fusion proteins in onion epidermal cells. Overexpression of OsTOP6A3 and OsTOP6B in transgenic Arabidopsis plants conferred reduced sensitivity to the stress hormone, abscisic acid, and tolerance to high salinity and dehydration. Moreover, the stress tolerance coincided with enhanced induction of many stress-responsive genes in transgenic Arabidopsis plants. In addition, microarray analysis revealed that a large number of genes are expressed differentially in transgenic plants. Taken together, our results demonstrate that TOP6 genes play a crucial role in stress adaptation of plants by altering gene expression

The psbO gene for 33-kDa precursor polypeptide of the oxygen-evolving complex in Arabidopsis thaliana - nucleotide sequence and control of its expression

The 33-kDa polypeptide of the oxygen-evolving complex of photosystem II is nuclear-encoded. The single psbO gene of Arabidopsis thaliana, as suggested by Southern hybridization, has been isolated from the genomic library and sequenced. The sequence analysis has revealed that the psbO gene harbors two introns and encodes a precursor polypeptide of 332 amino acid residues; the first 85 amino acid residues represent the transit peptide and the following 247 amino acids constitute the mature polypeptide. The hydrophilic nature of the 33-kDa protein is confirmed by the presence of 27% charged residues. Northern analysis of the total RNA from Arabidopsis indicates that a 1.2-kb transcript represents the psbO gene. It is expressed in a tissue-specific manner - the steady-state transcript levels being highest in the leaves and virtually undetectable in the roots. Also, expression of the psbO gene is development-dependent and regulated by light in young Arabidopsis seedlings. In a constitutively photomorphogenic mutant of Arabidopsis, pho2 (plumular hook open 2), the psbO gene is de-repressed in young, dark-grown seedlings, resulting in increased transcript abundance compared to the wild-type. These studies, thus, define the influence of at least one regulatory component for psbO expression

Prognostic factors in primary adenocarcinoma of the small intestine: 13-year single institution experience

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Adenocarcinoma of the small bowel is a relatively rare malignancy as compared to the other malignancies of the gastrointestinal tract. Nonspecific presentation and infrequent occurrence often leads to a delay in diagnosis and consequent poor prognosis. Various other factors are of prognostic importance while managing these tumors.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>The medical records of a total of 27 patients treated for adenocarcinoma of the small bowel at Providence Hospital and Medical Centers from year 1990 through 2003 were reviewed retrospectively. Data were analyzed using SPSS software (version 10.0; SPSS, Inc., Chicago, IL). Survival analyses were calculated using the Kaplan Meier method with the log rank test to assess the statistical significance. The socio-demographics (age, gender) were calculated using frequency analyses.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The patients included nine males and eighteen females with a median age at diagnosis of 62 years. Only 48% of the patients had an accurate preoperative diagnosis while another 33% had a diagnosis suspicious of small bowel malignancy. None of the patients presented in stage 1. The cumulative five-year survival was 30% while the median survival was 3.3 years. There was no 30-day mortality in the postoperative period in our series.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>The univariate analysis demonstrated that tumor grade, stage at presentation, lymph nodal metastasis and resection margins were significant predictors of survival.</p