New natural 2-acetoxy fatty acids using chemical ionization and electron impact mass spectrometry

The phospholipids of the spongePolymastia gleneni contain saturated long chain (C_22–30)-acetoxy fatty acids. Their structures were assigned based on chromatographic and spectrometric data as well as comparison with a synthetic sample. The use of capillary gas chromatography combined with chemical ionization and electron impact mass spectrometry was instrumental in the eludication of structures, since only a very small amount of crude lipids was available. Part 10 of “Phospholipids in Marine Organisms.” For Part 9 in this series, see reference 12.     

Achieving Full Frequency and Space Diversity in Wireless Systems via BICM, OFDM, STBC, and Viterbi Decoding

Orthogonal frequency-division multiplexing (OFDM) is known as an efficient technique to combat frequency-selective channels. In this paper, we show that the combination of bit-interleaved coded modulation (BICM) and OFDM achieves the full frequency diversity offered by a frequency-selective channel with any kind of power delay profile (PDP), conditioned on the minimum Hamming distance dfree of the convolutional code. This system has a simple Viterbi decoder with a modified metric. We then show that by combining such a system with space-time block coding (STBC), one can achieve the full space and frequency diversity of a frequency-selective channel with N transmit and M receive antennas. BICM-STBC-OFDM achieves the maximum diversity order of NML over L-tap frequency-selective channels regardless of the PDP of the channel. This latter system also has a simple Viterbi decoder with a properly modified metric. We verify our analytical results via simulations, including channels employed in the IEEE 802.11 standards     

Provisioning algorithms for WDM optical networks

This paper concerns connection provisioning for optical networks employing wavelength division multiplexing. A heuristic algorithm is developed and numerically studied for routing and wavelength assignment of a set of static connection requests. The algorithm runs much faster than the optimum solution of this problem. An adaptation of the algorithm is proposed to design restorable networks which can handle a specified set of failures. The proposed algorithm is based on taking all failures into consideration simultaneously, and performs better than developing independent designs for each failure     

Diversity coding for transparent self-healing and fault-tolerantcommunication networks

A channel coding approach called diversity coding is introduced for self-healing and fault-tolerance in digital communication networks for nearly instantaneous recovery from link failures. To achieve this goal, the problem of link failures is treated as an erasure channel problem. Implementation details of this technique in existing and future communication networks are discussed     

Performance of WDM transport networks

Wavelength division multiplexed point-to-point transport is becoming commonplace in wide area networks. With the expectation that the next step is end-to-end networking of wavelengths (in the optical domain without conversion to electronics), there is a need for new design techniques, a new understanding of the performance issues, and a new performance evaluation methodology in such networks. This paper describes approaches to that end, summarizes research results, and points to open problems     

Effects of wavelength routing and selection algorithms onwavelength conversion gain in WDM optical networks

Wavelength-division multiplexing (WDM) technology is emerging as the transmission and switching mechanism for future optical mesh networks. In these networks it is desired that a wavelength can be routed without electrical conversions. Two technologies are possible for this purpose: wavelength selective cross-connects (WSXC) and wavelength interchanging cross-connects (WIXC), which involve wavelength conversion. It is believed that wavelength converters may improve the blocking performance, but there is a mix of results in the literature on the amount of this performance enhancement. We use two metrics to quantify the wavelength conversion gain: the reduction in blocking probability and the increase in maximum utilization, compared to a network without converters. We study the effects of wavelength routing and selection algorithms on these measures for mesh networks. We use the overflow model to analyze the blocking probability for wavelength-selective (WS) mesh networks using the first-fit wavelength assignment algorithm. We propose a dynamic routing and wavelength selection algorithm, the least-loaded routing (LLR) algorithm, which jointly selects the least-loaded route-wavelength pair. In networks both with and without wavelength converters the LLR algorithm achieves much better blocking performance compared to the fixed shortest path routing algorithm. The LLR produces larger wavelength conversion gains; however, these large gains are not realized in sufficiently wide utilization regions and are diminished with the increased number of fibers     

A wireless broadband ad-hoc ATM local-area network

We describe the theory, design and ongoing prototyping of a wireless ATM LAN/PBX capable of supporting mobile users with multi-Mb/s access rates and multi-Gb/s aggregate capacities. Our proposed LAN Consists of network nodes called Portable Base Stations (PBS) providing microcell coverage. The PBSs are designed to be low-cost, compact and high-speed and can be relocated conveniently. We employ a concept ofad-hoc networking in the layout of the PBS-to-PBS interconnection. That is, the PBSs can be distributed in an arbitrary topology to form a backbone network and can be reconfigured with relative ease. The PBS-to-PBS backbone links are high-speed (Gb/s) for supporting high system capacity. Although they can either be wired or wireless, our emphasis is on wireless implementations. The user-to-PBS links, on the other hand, are primarily for mobile access (e.g., 2–20 Mb/s) and therefore are wireless. Wired connections from stationary users to PBSs are also possible. Typical mobile users are assumed to be laptops or notebook computers. Services supported include conventional data applications (e.g., over TCP/IP or SPX/IPX) as well as multimedia (video, voice and data) applications with QoS (Quality-of-Service) guarantees. A wireless ATM concept is proposed so as to provide seamless internetworking with other wired ATM local and wide-area net-works. Algorithms and control in our network are highly distributed for simple implementations and ease of mobility management. A new wireless VP/VC concept and a Homing Algorithm are described to provide ATM cell routing and connections in the network. PBS hardware and software architectures are discussed. Call management, network management and signaling are designed for simplicity, high performance and modular implementations. A fast network restoration scheme is proposed to cope with the potential link or node failures in the ad-hoc network. Error control is addressed taking the unreliable wireless links into consideration. Finally, a prototyping project called BAHAMA (Broadband Ad Hoc ATM Anywhere) for demonstrating this network concept is briefly outlined.     

Phospholipid studies of marine organisms: V1 new α-methoxy acids fromHigginsia tethyoides

The phospholipids of the demospongeHigginsia tethyoides are shown to have at least 16 long-chain α-methoxy acids, which represent a new class of fatty acids. Among them are the saturated α-methoxy acids containing 19–24 carbon atoms. The monounsaturated compounds are 2-OMe-Δ¹⁷-24:1, 2-OMe-Δ¹⁸-25:1, 2-OMeΔ¹⁹-26:1 and 2-OMe-Δ²¹-28:1. The major diunsatured ones were shown to be 2-OMe-Δ^{5, 19}-26:2 and 2-OMe-Δ^{7, 21}-28:2. Small amounts of 2-OMe-23∶1, 2-OMe-26∶3; 2-OMe-27∶1 and 2-OMe-28∶3 were also encountered. Structures of the minor monounsaturated compounds were tentatively assigned as 2-methoxy-16-tricosenoic acid and 2-methoxy-20-heptacosenoic acids. The double bonds of the fatty acids show all-cis configuration. Circular dichroism measurements indicate an R-configuration for the α-methoxy acids. The major component of the total phospholipid acid mixture is 5,9,23-triacontatrienoic acid. Possible biosynthetic routes to these unusual phospholipid acids are discussed. The major phospholipids were phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidylglycerol and phosphatidylserine. The distribution of fatty acids among the phospholipids was also investigated.     

Bit Interleaved Coded Multiple Beamforming

In this paper, we investigate the performance of bit-interleaved coded multiple beamforming (BICMB). We provide interleaver design criteria such that BICMB achieves full spatial multiplexing of min( N, M) and full spatial diversity of NM with N transmit and M receive antennas over quasi-static Rayleigh flat fading channels. If the channel is frequency selective, then BICMB is combined with orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) (BICMB-OFDM) in order to combat ISI caused by the frequency-selective channels. BICMB-OFDM achieves full spatial multiplexing of min(N, M), while maintaining full spatial and frequency diversity of NML for an NtimesM system over L-tap frequency-selective channels when an appropriate convolutional code is used. Both systems analyzed in this paper assume perfect channel state information both at the transmitter and the receiver. Simulation results show that, when the perfect channel state information assumption is satisfied, BICMB and BICMB-OFDM provide substantial performance or complexity gains when compared to other spatial multiplexing and diversity systems.     

An equalizer design technique for the PCM modem: a new modem forthe digital public switched network

Modems designed for the public switched telephone network (PSTN) have conventionally been based on modeling assumptions which view the PSTN connection as an essentially analog medium. However, as the PSTN evolves toward all digital transport and switching, and particularly as major traffic sources, such as Internet service providers, increasingly have direct digital connections to the PSTN, it is appropriate to revisit the model assumptions. Recently, several modem and chipset manufacturers have announced “56 K” modems based on an emerging system paradigm in which one user (a residential Internet subscriber) has an analog connection to the PSTN, and the other (an Internet service provider) has a digital one. ITU-T is expected to finalize details of a corresponding recommendation in 1998. With this configuration, modem designs based on signaling with the μ-law alphabet become feasible, and the conventional Shannon limit disappears as the quantization noise is avoided. Thus, the conventional Shannon limit of about 36 kb/s can be beaten, and it is possible to approach the digital transmission rate of 64 kb/s. Modems employing this general approach have become known as μ-law or pulse-code modulation (PCM) modems. In this paper we present a signaling technique and the sampling theory based on this technique, display the structure and operating principles of a PCM modem equalizer, and show how this equalizer problem can be cast in the language of multiinput-multioutput (MIMO) system theory