Performance analysis of the Rainbow WDM optical network prototype

Rainbow is a prototype optical metropolitan area network (MAN) developed at IBM. It employs wavelength-division multiplexing (WDM) on a fiber-optic, passive-star network topology, with each station equipped with a laser, which is fixed tuned to its own unique wavelength, and a Fabry-Perot filter, which is tunable across all wavelengths. This paper presents a model and analysis of the protocol used in the Rainbow prototype using the equilibrium point analysis (EPA) technique. We examine the system's throughput and how it is affected by various system parameters such as message arrival rate, message length, and timeout duration. We show that, for a given arrival rate, there is a timeout duration that will yield the optimal throughput. The analytical results are verified by simulation     

Plasma-Sprayed Lead Zirconate Titanate-Glass Composites

A plasma-spray process was used to produce piezoelectric lead zirconate titanate (PZT)-glass composite thick films. The films were found to have the same crystal structure as the PZT (Navy-type V) and lead-based glass starting powder mixture. The films showed good adhesion to stainless steel and silver-coated glass slides and poor adhesion to aluminum substrates. The dielectric constant of the films varied between 58 and 20 with dissipations between 0.019 and 0.032. The films were poled, and their piezoelectric charge coefficient, d ³³, was 1.1 pC/N.     

An approach for location area planning in a personal communication services network (PCSN)

This paper deals with an approach for planning location areas (LAs) in a personal communication services network (PCSN) to be overlaid on an existing wired network. Given the average speed of mobile terminals, the number of mobile switching centers (MSCs), their locations, call handling capacity of each MSC, handoff cost between adjacent cells and call arrival rate, an important consideration in a PCSN is to identify the cells in every LA to be connected to the corresponding MSC in a cost effective manner. In this work, while planning a location area, we present a two-step approach, namely optimization of total system recurring cost (subproblem I) and optimization of hybrid cost (subproblem II). The planning first determines the optimum number of cells in an LA from subproblem I. Then, it finds out the exact LAs by assigning cells to the switches, while optimizing the hybrid cost which comprises the handoff cost and the cable cost, in subproblem II. This divide-and-conquer strategy provides a practical way for designing LAs. As our approach toward LA planning takes into accounts both cost and network planning factors, this unique combination will be of great interest to PCSN designers. It develops an optimum network planning method for a wide range of call-to-mobility ratios that minimizes the total system recurring cost while still ensuring a good system performance. Our study shows that acceptable results are achievable with a reasonable computational effort, which supports the engineered planning of a PCSN.     

The routine determination of the endogenous thrombin potential, first results in different forms of hyper- and hypocoagulability

Temporal changes in respiration could influence navigator-echo (NE)-gated MR coronary angiography (MRCA), but systematic investigation of the effects of such variations and how to limit them has not been performed. We addressed these issues by studying the influence of time in the magnet on diaphragm position and respiratory patterns using NE diaphragm monitoring in volunteers and a phantom model. NE diaphragm monitoring was performed at .5 T in 10 subjects over a total period of 35 minutes. The end-expiratory position was sustained for longer (1.1 vs .4 seconds, P < .001) and with greater position stability (SD 1.9 vs 5.9 mm, P = .01) than the end-inspiratory position. Drift of the end-expiratory position occurred over time, causing a fall in scan efficiency (44-28%, P = .01). Up-drift of the end-expiratory position was most common. Loss of scan efficiency was worse with up-drift because of loss of the end-expiratory pause from the NE window (up-drift 10% mm-1, down-drift 7% mm-1, both P = .03). Scan efficiency also was reduced during sleep (to a nadir of 0%), secondary to loss of the end-expiratory pause, periodic breathing with oscillating end-expiratory position, and periods of apnea. The phantom model used actual diaphragm traces to evaluate the artifact resulting from diaphragm motion during acquisition. Artifact was considerably reduced by NE adaptive motion correction compared with NE gating alone (ghosting ratio 2.0 vs 2.8, P < .01). Artifact also was significantly reduced with up-drift if scan efficiency was maintained above 35% (P = .05). For optimal NE-gated MRCA, the following features are important: the NE window should be placed around the end-expiratory position; subjects should not sleep; scan efficiency should be monitored and the NE window should be repositioned if scan efficiency falls below 35%; and adaptive motion correction should be used.     

Diffusion-engineered single-photon spectrometer for UV/visible detection

We present predictions for a diffusion-engineered, single-photon spectrometer in the UV–visible range using a superconducting tunnel junction. Quasiparticles are created by photoexcitation, with charge Q₀. After tunneling through the junction, the quasiparticles can either backtunnel or diffuse away. With confinement by a higher gap or by narrow leads the quasiparticles in the counterelectrode dwell next to the junction and backtunnel, increasing the collected charge to Q=pQ₀, p>1. For very narrow leads the dwell time is inversely proportional to the lead width, up to the recombination time of Al, 1 ms at 0.2 K. The new aspect of our work is the use of narrow leads to control the charge gain p, while minimizing self-heating. This charge gain will improve the energy resolution compared to the case p=1, where the electronic noise is dominant, and compared to much larger charge gain, p≈50, where large self-heating resulted with extra noise.     

Modelling in magnesium alloy with superplastic layer: implications for shear in fault zones induced in olivine by phase transformation

Analysis of a recently discovered high-pressure phase-transformation-induced mechanism of shear failure in Mg₂Ge0₄ olivine has produced evidence that sliding in the resulting fault zone is accomplished by superplastic flow of the extremely fine-grained high-density phase produced during the transformation. This failure mechanism is of interest because it may be the mechanism by which deep earthquakes are generated in the earth's mantle. To gain insight into this process, we have conducted model tensile experiments on coarse-grained, non-superplastic, specimens of Mg-15%Mn-0.3%Ce alloy, within which a fine-grained, superplastic, planar zone was fabricated at an orientation of 45 ° to the stress axis. Flow was largely restricted to shear offset within the superplastic zone. The experiments were interrupted periodically and microstructural observations were made. Repeated detailed observation of several regions at different strain levels showed that the main mechanism of shear operative in the superplastic region was grain-boundary sliding occurring in a layer-by-layer manner. The common features of microstructural change observed in the magnesium alloy and in the Mg₂Ge0₄ olivine fault zones suggests that such cooperative grain-boundary sliding could be the mechanism of fault propagation in the deep earth and therefore important for understanding deep-focus earthquakes.On leave from the Ufa Aviation Institute, Ufa 450025, Russia.     

Argyrophilic nucleolar organiser regions (AgNORs) in breast lesions

Nucleolar organiser regions (NORs) demonstrated by argyrophilia of NOR-proteins are indicator of cellular proliferative activity. The NORs can be identified in the nuclei as brown or black dots with silver colloidal staining technique in formalin fixed paraffin sections and in cytology smears. Seventy-five cases including 45 tissue sections and 30 fine needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) smears of benign and malignant lesions of breast have been studied to evaluate the significance and practical application of AgNOR count per nucleus. Out of 45 tissue sections 15 belonged to fibrocystic disease, 10 fibro-adenomas and 20 carcinomas and of the 30 FNAC smears, 10 were fibrocystic disease, 8 fibro-adenomas and 12 carcinomas. In fibrocystic disease the mean AgNOR count was 1.60 (FNAC group-0.75, tissue section-1.61). In fibro-adenomas it was 1.61 (FNAC-1.63, tissue section-1.59). The mean count in carcinoma was 12.10 (FNAC-12.08, tissue section-12.10). The difference in AgNOR count in fibrocystic disease and fibro-adenoma was not significant, but that between benign breast lesion and carcinoma was significant. No difference was observed between FNAC and tissue section groups in benign or malignant lesions. The simple staining technique can be used as an additional criterion to differentiate the benign and malignant lesions of breast.     

Nondestructive characterisation of MOX fuel rods using gamma autoradiography (GAR)

During the fabrication of mixed uranium-plutonium oxide (MOX) fuel rods, two important characteristics to be checked in as-fabricated fuel pins are plutonium enrichment and plutonium dioxide agglomerates. The mixed oxide fuel pellets are made via mechanical mixing of uranium dioxide and plutonium dioxide powders by cold compaction and sintering. The chance of loading a wrong Pu enrichment pellet and having pellets with plutonium dioxide agglomerates in a fuel pin cannot be ruled out. A simple nondestructive evaluation technique is felt necessary to ensure at the last stage (in the welded pins) to check these two characteristics. During the fabrication of MOX fuel rods for Boiling Water Reactors at Advanced Fuel Fabrication Facility of BARC at Tarapur, Gamma-auto-radiography was successfully used to evaluate composition of MOX pellets and to detect presence of PuO₂ agglomerates in the peripheral region. The fuel pins are allowed to be in contact with industrial X-ray films loaded in cassettes for a long time and the processed films are carefully evaluated. Experiments were made to standardise the conditions for distinguishing fuel pellets of different composition by gamma-auto-radio-graphy of fuel pins loaded with pellets of different composition. Gamma-auto-radiography of fuel pins containing agglomerates of different sizes was also carried out. This paper describes the experimental details of the technique, results obtained and compare with other nondestructive evaluation techniques available.