Why fast packet switching?

Asynchronous transfer mode (ATM), selected for broadband integrated services digital networks and receiving much standardization activity, is discussed. ATM is a packet switching technique with minimal functionality in the network and hence is often called fast packet switching. In transmission, statistical multiplexing replaces the time-division multiplexing of the synchronous transfer mode. The operation of ATM switches is described     

The split-switching network (SSN): A high-performance multicast ATM switch

This paper proposes a new high-performance multicast ATM switch architecture. The switch, called the split-switching network (SSN), is based on banyan networks. The SSN achieves multicasting in a way that is non-typical for banyan-based switches: copying and routeing of multicast cells are carried out simultaneously and within the same fabric. Thus, cells are copied only when needed as they traverse the switch towards the appropriate output ports. The SSN consists of successive spliting stages, and buffering is provided in front of each stage. The SSN is non-blocking with complexity of order Nlog2/2N for a switch of size N, and is characterized by distributed and parallel control. The throughput-delay performance of the SSN is shown to be similar to that of a non-blocking output-buffering switch under different mixtures of unicast/multicast traffic. In particular, the SSN achieves a maximum throughput of 100 per cent and the cell delay and delay variation remain small for loads just below the maximum throughput.     

Compatibility of TCP Reno and TCP Vegas in wireless ad hoc networks

Previous work has shown that TCP (transmission control protocol) Vegas outperforms the more widely deployed TCP Reno in both wired and wireless networks. It was also shown that when both TCP variants coexist on the same wired links, Reno dominates because of its more aggressive behaviour. This paper examines for the first time the compatibility between Reno and Vegas in wireless IEEE 802.11 ad hoc networks. It is shown that Vegas generally dominates in the heterogeneous Reno/Vegas network scenario; a startling result that is inconsistent with what is seen in wired networks. It is shown that the wireless ad hoc network environment does not reward the aggressive behaviour of Reno. On the other hand, Vegas, with its more accurate yet more conservative mechanisms, is able to capture most of the bandwidth. This is found to be true when using the on-demand routing protocols of dynamic source routing (DSR) or ad hoc on-demand distance vector (AODV): the failure of a node to reach a next-hop node because of media access control (MAC)-sublayer repeated collisions is reported to the routing protocol, which then declares a route error that impacts Reno in a more serious way than Vegas. When the table-driven routing protocol destination-sequenced distance vector (DSDV) is used, Reno and Vegas share the network bandwidth in a fairer manner. Generally, fairness in this environment can be improved by reducing the TCP maximum window size.     

Gel isoelectric focusing of human-serum transferrin

Prazosin is a quinazoline that has a long lasting hypotensive effect. To investigate the mechanisms underlying its action experiments were performed in 75 dogs anesthetized with pentobarbitone sodium. Prazosin, after i.v. injection, lowered arterial pressure without altering heart rate and venous pressure, and decreased pressor responses to epinephrine, norepinephrine and splanchnic nerve stimulation. Orthocarboxybenzeno-seleninic acid, an alpha-adrenoceptor blocker, antagonized the hypotensive effect of prazosin. Neither administration of propranolol nor carotid sinus local anesthesia impaired prazosin hypotensive effects. Topical application of prazosin on both carotid sinuses had no effect on general arterial blood pressure; after intravenous administration it did not change the hypotension caused by electrical stimulation of the carotid sinuses. The depressor effects of papaverine and sodium nitrite on blood pressure were enhanced by prazosin. It is concluded that this drug exerts its hypotensive effect by blocking, alpha-adrenoceptors and by possibly relaxing vascular smooth muscle.     

The major histocompatibility complex region marked by HSP70-1 and HSP70-2 variants is associated with clozapine-induced agranulocytosis in two different ethnic groups

Genes of the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) have been associated with susceptibility to drug-induced adverse reactions. We previously found that clozapine-induced agranulocytosis (CA) is associated with the HLA-DRB1*0402, DRB4*0101, DQB1*0302, DQA1*0301 haplotype in Ashkenazi Jewish patients and with the HLA-DRB1*1601, DRB5*02, DQB1*0502, DQA1*0102 haplotype in non-Jewish patients. In the present study, we tested the hypothesis that the variants of the heat-shock protein 70 (HSP-70) encoded by the HSP-70 loci located within the MHC region and known to be involved in apoptosis and regulation of cell proliferation could play an important role in molecular mechanisms of CA. First, we analyzed HSP70-2 polymorphism in risk-associated haplotypes from HLA homozygous cells and normal individuals and confirmed that the HSP70-2 9-kb variant was associated invariably with DR4 (HLA-DRB1*0402, DQB1*0302) and DR2 (HLA-DRB1*01601, DQB1*0502, DQA1*0102 and HLA-DRB1*1501, DQB1*0602) haplotypes, which were the haplotypes found increased in Jewish and non-Jewish patients with CA, respectively. The 9.0-kb variant was also found to be associated with HLA-B44, DRB1*0401 and HLA-B44, DRB1*07 haplotypes. Second, in patients with CA (12 Ashkenazi Jewish and 20 non-Jewish patients), HSP70-1 A and HSP70-2 9.0-kb variants were associated with the MHC haplotypes found by us to be markers of susceptibility to CA. The clozapine-treated control group had an excess number of HSP70-1 C and HSP70-2 8.5-kb variants, consistent with genetic resistance to CA associated with those variants. This finding supports our hypothesis that a dominant gene within the MHC region (marked by HSP70-1 and HSP70-2), but not necessarily HLA, is associated with CA in two different ethnic groups.     

A contention resolution algorithm for input-buffered batcher-banyan networks

A simple algorithm for resolving output contentions in an input-buffered Batcher-banyan network is described. The basic idea in this algorithm is to let the binary nodes of the Batcher network participate in the arbitration process. The proposed algorithm is completely distributed and parallel; thus it scales well to large size switches. Furthermore, our algorithm is fair and requires an overhead that is significantly less than that due to the well-known three-phase algorithm. Two variations of the algorithm are described.     

Genetic analysis of C4 deficiency

The inherited structural polymorphism in the fourth component of complement was studied in the family of a child with homozygous deficiency of this protein. It was shown that a number of family members, including the child's parents, carried a C4 haplotype, C4A*QO C4B*QO, that produced no detectable protein at either the Chido (C4B) or Rodgers (C4A) locus. The family contained individuals with one, two, three, or four expressed C4 genes, and the mean serum C4 levels in such individuals roughly reflected the number of structural genes.