Hybrid Router Design for High Performance Photonic Network-On-Chip

With rising density of cores in Chip-Multiprocessors, traditional metallic interconnects won't be able to cater to the high demand in communication bandwidth at lower power consumption. Photonic interconnects are emerging as a very competitive and promising alternative to address these bottlenecks in recent times. The infrastructure for realizing such a communication architecture comprises of Micro Ring-resonator based silicon nano-photonic routers and waveguides. We propose a novel 5x5 photonic router microarchitecture employing mode-division-multiplexing along with wavelength-division-multiplexing and time-division-multiplexing. It increases the aggregate bandwidth almost four times in a network consuming almost 30% less power as compared to other recent photonic routers and laying the foundation of a high performance photonic network-on-chip(PNoC). We validated the feasibility of the proposed architecture and developed a new circuit switched based network simulator(PhotoNoxim) based on the router microarchitecture proposed by us to validate it under various synthetic traffics and benchmark applications

Effect of integrated nutrient management on nitrogen dynamics in soil of rice -potato based cropping sequence

The integrated nutrient management (INM) has profound influence on sustaining crop productivity and fertility status of soil. The manurial field experiment was conducted at Paschim Medinipur, West Bengal for evaluating the performance of chemical fertilizer and organic manure on nitrogen availability in different forms in soil and also on the content of nitrogen in different parts of rice (Oryza sativa cv. Annada) and potato (Solanum tuberosum cv. Kufrijyoti) during different growth stages. Application of FYM and RDF150 in combination had good impact on nitrogen dynamics related to crop growth among other treatment combinations. FYM and RDF150 alone also imparted good impact on nutrient availability and yield of two experiment crops (rice and potato). Experiment revealed that incorporation of commercial concentrated organic manure with RDF150 exerted good impact besides FYM combination with inorganic fertilizers

Efficacy of pre- and post-emergence herbicide combinations on weed control in no-till mechanically transplanted rice

No-till mechanized-transplanted rice was evaluated for different combinations of pre- and post-emergence herbicides to determine feasible, economically viable weed management options to control complex weed flora in rice fields. All pre-emergence herbicides significantly reduced the population of grassy weeds; of these, pendimethalin resulted in the greatest reductions (83%) at 15 days after transplanting (DAT). Among five post-emergence herbicide treatments, the combination of bispyribac-sodium (10%SP) + pyrazosulfuron (10%WP) was found to be the most effective in controlling all weed flora at both 35 and 55 DAT. The sequential application of pendimethalin (pre-emergence) followed bispyribac-sodium + pyrazosulfuron (post-emergence) resulted in significantly higher rice grain yield (4.4 t-ha−1) and relative gross-margin (417 USD-ha−1) than all other treatments. A strong negative correlation was observed between rice grain yield and weed biomass, and a strong positive correlation between rice grain yield and weed control efficiency. Our findings demonstrate the potential to combine pre- and post-emergence herbicides in no-till mechanized-transplanted rice; these findings have applications globally in regions where rice is established by no-till or mechanized transplanting

Herbivore Damage to Ferns Caused by a Chrysomelid Beetle From Lower Gangetic Plains of West Bengal, India

Volume: 97Start Page: 19End Page: 1

Structural and Electrochemical Sodium (De)intercalation Properties of Carbon‐Coated NASICON‐Na3+y_{3+y}V2−y_{2− y}Mny_y(PO4_4)3_3 Cathodes for Na‐Ion Batteries

Mixed vanadium-/manganese-based NASICON cathodes are attractive for practical sodium-ion battery application due to their low cost and toxicity. Although the previous reports demonstrate remarkable performances of bulk Na$_{3+y}$V$_{2−y}$Mn$_y$(PO$_4$)$_3$ cathodes, their full utilization is limited by lower electronic conductivities and longer Na-ion diffusion lengths. To overcome this issue, herein, structural and electrochemical Na (de)intercalation properties of carbon-coated nanoscale NASICON-Na3$_{3+y}$V$_{2−y}$Mn$_y$(PO$_4$)$_3$ cathodes are investigated. The Mn-rich carbon-coated cathodes display enhanced cycling stabilities (90% retention after 100 cycles) and rate performances (100 mAh g$^{−1}$ at 5C) compared with their bulk counterparts in low-voltage window cycling (3.8–2.75 V) due to efficient carbon coating and particle nanosizing. Upon extending the voltage window to 4.2–2.75 V, the Mn-lean cathodes show better capacity retention (≈100 mAh g−1 for 50 cycles at 1C) whereas the Mn-rich cathodes undergo structural irreversibility and rapid capacity fading. The in operando X-ray diffraction and ex situ X-ray absorption studies shed insights on the structural (ir)reversibility and redox activities of NASICON cathodes upon cycling in different voltage windows

Nickel(II) complexes of N2S2 donor set ligand and halide/pseudohalides: Synthesis, crystal structure, DNA and bovine/human serum albumin interaction

A series of neutral hexacoordinated nickel(II) complexes of formula [NiII(L)X2] (where L = 3,4-bis(2-pyridylmethylthio)toluene with tetradentate N2S2 donor set and X = chloride (1), azide (2), cyanate (3) and isothiocyanate anion (4)) have been synthesized and isolated in pure form. The complexes were characterized by physicochemical and spectroscopic methods along with detailed structural characterization of 1,2 and 3 by single crystal X-ray diffraction analyses. The structural study showed that the nickel(II) ion has a distorted octahedral geometry being chelated by the tetradentate N2S2 ligand and bound to cis- located choride or pseudohalide anions. In dimethylformamide solution the complexes showed quasi-reversible NiII/NiIII redox couples in cyclic voltammograms with E1/2 values of +0.723, +0.749, +0.768 and +0.868 V for 1, 2, 3 and 4, respectively. The study of interaction of the complexes with calf thymus DNA, bovine serum albumin (BSA) and human serum albumin (HSA) using spectroscopic and physicochemical tools clearly indicates that the complexes interact with DNA via groove binding mode

Dosimetric comparison between conventional and conformal radiotherapy for carcinoma cervix: Are we treating the right volumes?

Background and Purpose: Conventional portals, based on bony anatomy, for external beam radiotherapy for cervical cancer have been repeatedly demonstrated as inadequate. Conversely, with image-based conformal radiotherapy, better target coverage may be offset by the greater toxicities and poorer compliance associated with treating larger volumes. This study was meant to dosimetrically compare conformal and conventional radiotherapy. Materials and Methods: Five patients of carcinoma cervix underwent planning CT scan with IV contrast and targets, and organs at risk (OAR) were contoured. Two sets of plans-conventional and conformal were generated for each patient. Field sizes were recorded, and dose volume histograms of both sets of plans were generated and compared on the basis of target coverage and OAR sparing. Results: Target coverage was significantly improved with conformal plans though field sizes required were significantly larger. On the other hand, dose homogeneity was not significantly improved. Doses to the OARs (rectum, urinary bladder, and small bowel) were not significantly different across the 2 arms. Conclusion: Three-dimensional conformal radiotherapy gives significantly better target coverage, which may translate into better local control and survival. On the other hand, it also requires significantly larger field sizes though doses to the OARs are not significantly increased

First example of μ<SUB>3</SUB>-sulfido bridged mixed-valent triruthenium complex triangle Ru<SUP>III</SUP><SUB>2</SUB>Ru<SUP>II</SUP>(O,O-acetylacetonate)<SUB>3</SUB>(μ -O,O,μ-C-acetylacetonate)<SUB>3</SUB>(μ<SUB>3</SUB>-S) (1) incorporating simultaneous O,O- and γ -C-bonded bridging acetylacetonate units. Synthesis, crystal structure, and spectral and redox properties

The reaction of mononuclear ruthenium precursor [RuII(acac)2(CH3CN)2] (acac = acetylacetonate) with the thiouracil ligand (2-thiouracil, H2L1 or 6-methyl -2-thiouracil, H2L2) in the presence of NEt3 as base in ethanol solvent afforded a trinuclear triangular complex Ru3(O,O-acetylacetonate)3 (μ-O,O,γ-C-acetylacetonate)3(μ3-sulfido) (1). In 1, each ruthenium center is linked to one usual O,O-bonded terminal acetylacetonate molecule whereas the other three acetylacetonate units act as bridging functions:γ each bridges two adjacent ruthenium ions through the terminal O,O-donor centers at one end and via the γ-carbon center at the other end. Moreover, there is a μ3-sulfido bridging in the center of the complex unit, which essentially resulted via the selective cleavage of the carbon-sulfur bond of the thiouracil ligand. In diamagnetic complex 1, the ruthenium ions are in mixed valent RuIIIRuIIIRuII state, where the paramagnetic ruthenium(III) ions are antiferromagnetically coupled. The single crystal X-ray structure of 1 showed two crystallographically independent C3-symmetric molecules, Ru3(O,O-acetylacetonate)3(μ-O,O,γ-C-acetylacetonate)3(μ 3-S) (1), in the asymmetric unit. Bond distances of both crystallographically independent molecules are almost identical, but there are some significant differences in bond angles (up to 6°) and interplanar angles (up to 8°). Each ruthenium atom exhibits a distorted octahedral environment formed by four oxygen atoms, two from each of the terminal and bridging acetylacetonate units, oneγ -carbon of an adjacent acetylacetonate ligand, and the sulfur atom in the center of the complex. In agreement with the expected 3-fold symmetry of the complex molecule, the 1H and 13C NMR spectra of 1 in CDCl3 displayed signals corresponding to two types of ligand units. In dichloromethane solvent, 1 exhibited three metal center based successive quasireversible redox processes, RuIIIRuIIIRuIII-RuIIIRuIIIRuII (couple I, 0.43 V vs SCE); RuIIIRuIIIRuIV-RuIIIRuIIIRuIII (couple II, 1.12 V); and RuIIIRuIIIRuII-RuIIIRuIIRuII (couple III, -1.21 V). However, in acetonitrile solvent, in addition to the three described couples [(couple I), 0.34 V; (couple II), 1.0 V; (couple III), -1.0], one irreversible oxidative response (RuIIIRuIIIRuIV → RuIIIRuIVRuIV or oxidation of the coordinated sulfide center) appeared at Epa, 1.50 V. The large differences in potentials between the successive couples are indicative of strong coupling between the ruthenium ions in the mixed-valent states. Compound 1 exhibited a moderately strong charge-transfer (CT) transition at 654 nm and multiple ligand based intense transitions in the UV region. In the RuIIIRuIIIRuIII (1+) state, the CT band was slightly blue shifted to 644 nm; however, the CT band was further blue shifted to 520 nm on two-electron oxidation to the RuIIIRuIIIRuIV (12+) state with a reduction in intensity