Channel allocation protocols in frequency-time controlled highspeed networks

In conventional high-speed systems, the high ratio between the end-to-end propagation delay and the message transmission time severely restricts the system performance. Thus, the increase in channel bandwidth may be accompanied by only a marginal increase in actual system capacity. A combined frequency-time division-based control of the high-speed channel that significantly reduces this problem is proposed. The design of protocols subject to the unique channel control penalties of the resulting multichannel system is considered. The allocation of channels on a demand assignment basis is hindered in the multichannel configuration by the time penalty involved in locating an idle channel and by practical limitations on the transmit/receive multichannels mode interface. A new class of fixed allocation protocols is introduced in which the channel access is obtained without the aforementioned penalties. The protocols build on the allocation of source and destination oriented transmission rights, taking into account the implementation aspects of multichannel networks. It is shown that this class of protocols covers the whole range of random-access to fixed-channel-access control policies. An analytic approach for a uniform analytic treatment is introduced, showing the potential for a significant improvement in the system capacity and the average message delay     

A multibus train communication (AMTRAC) architecture for high-speedfiber optic networks

A multibus train (ordered demand assignment) communication architecture, using the AMTRAC protocol (for efficient utilization of fiber-optic-based very-high-speed networks) is presented. Taking advantage of the emerging WDM (wavelength-division multiplexing) and FDM (frequency-division multiplexing) technologies, the proposed solution introduces a coordinated multichannel control combining the performance advantages of two known approaches for high-speed communication: multichannel and train protocols. As a result an AMTRAC-based high-speed network achieves channel utilization significantly higher than previous approaches. For a network consisting of N stations, with propagation delay to packet transmission time ratio given by a, the AMTRAC architecture reaches a capacity of 1/(1+a/N ²)     

Region of birth and black diets: the Harlem Household Survey

Human obesity is associated with an increased tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) mRNA expression in adipose tissue. TNF-alpha decreases insulin-dependent glucose uptake by inhibiting autophosphorylation of the insulin receptor, suggesting that TNF-alpha may play a role in insulin resistance. In this study, we analyzed plasma levels of TNF-alpha in 40 70-year-old men with newly detected non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus and in 20 age-matched controls. Twenty of the patients had a moderate level of insulin resistance and 20 were severely insulin resistant. The plasma levels of TNF-alpha were higher in patients (4.00+/-1.53 pg/mL in moderately insulin resistant and 4.91+/-1.43 pg/mL in severely insulin resistant subjects) than in controls (3.27+/-0.79 pg/mL, P<0.001). TNF-alpha was significantly related to body mass index, fasting glucose levels, and serum triglyceride levels and inversely related to the high density lipoprotein cholesterol level. The finding of an association between high plasma levels of TNF-alpha and several metabolic abnormalities characteristic for the insulin resistance syndrome suggests that TNF-alpha may be involved in the pathogenesis of non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus.     

Intra-aortic balloon counterpulsation augments cerebral blood flow in the patient with cerebral vasospasm: a xenon-enhanced computed tomography study

OBJECTIVE: We previously established the ability of intra-aortic balloon counterpulsation (IABC) to improve cerebral blood flow (CBF) significantly in a canine model of cerebral vasospasm. This study was performed to assess the efficacy of IABC in a patient with cardiac dysfunction and severe cerebral vasospasm that was refractory to traditional treatment measures. METHODS: We report our experience with the clinical use of IABC to treat cerebral vasospasm in a patient who suffered subarachnoid hemorrhage and concomitant myocardial infarction. Hypertensive, hypervolemic, hemodilution therapy was ineffective, and IABC was instituted. Xenon-enhanced computed tomography (Xe-CT) was utilized to obtain serial measurements of CBF with and without IABC over a 4-day period. RESULTS: IABC dramatically improved cardiac function in this patient, and Xe-CT demonstrated significant improvement in CBF with IABC. The average global CBF was 20.5 +/- 4.4 ml/100g/min before versus 34.7 +/- 3.8 ml/100g/min after IABC (p < 0.0001, paired student's t-test). The lower the CBF before IABC, the greater the improvement with IABC (correlation coefficient r = 0.83, p = 0.0007). CBF improvement ranged from 33% to 161% above baseline, average 69.3%. No complications of IABC were observed. CONCLUSIONS: This is the first report demonstrating the ability of IABC to improve CBF in a patient with vasospasm. We suggest that IABC is a rational treatment option in select patients with refractory cerebral vasospasm who do not respond to traditional treatment measures.     

Image mining by content

Image mining presents special characteristics due to the richness of the data that an image can show. Effective evaluation of the results of image mining by content requires that the user point of view (of likeness) is used on the performance parameters. Comparison among different mining by similarity systems is particularly challenging owing to the great variety of methods implemented to represent resemblance and the dependence that the results present of the used image set. Other obstacle is the lag of parameters for comparing experimental performance. In this paper we propose an evaluation framework for comparing the influence of the distance function on image mining by colour. Experiments with colour similarity mining by quantisation on colour space and measures of likeness between a sample and the image results have been carried out to illustrate the proposed scheme. Important aspects of this type of mining are also described.     

Sexual functioning and intimacy in African American and white breast cancer survivors: a descriptive study

This study examines ethnic differences in sexual socialization and attitudes, sexual history and current practices, and the effects of treatment in 147 African American and White breast cancer survivors. Sex-related research in younger healthy populations has shown that cultural values associated with ethnicity influence sexual functioning, but small numbers of African American participants in previous research in breast cancer survivors has limited what we know about that population. In this study, there were few differences between the 2 ethnic groups in a predominantly well-educated, high-income, highly functional sample. However, African American women were significantly less likely to be comfortable with and to practice oral sex, self-touching, and masturbatory behaviors. White women were more likely to report that breast cancer had a negative impact on their sex lives. These differences in sexual repertoire and functioning should be noted by health care practitioners treating the sexual sequelae of breast cancer treatment.     

Defensin stimulates the binding of lipoprotein (a) to human vascular endothelial and smooth muscle cells

There is evidence to suggest that elevated plasma levels of lipoprotein (a) [Lp(a)] represent a risk factor for the development of atherosclerotic vascular disease, but the mechanism by which this lipoprotein localizes to involved vessels is only partially understood. In view of studies suggesting a link between inflammation and atherosclerosis and our previous finding that leukocyte defensin modulates the interaction of plasminogen and tissue-type plasminogen activator with cultured human endothelial cells, we examined the effect of this peptide on the binding of Lp(a) to cultured vascular endothelium and vascular smooth muscle cells. Defensin increased the binding of Lp(a) to endothelial cells approximately fourfold and to smooth muscle cells approximately sixfold. Defensin caused a comparable increase in the amount of Lp(a) internalized by each cell type, but Lp(a) internalized as a consequence of defensin being present was not degraded, resulting in a marked increase in the total amount of cell-associated lipoprotein. Abundant defensin was found in endothelium and in intimal smooth muscle cells of atherosclerotic human cerebral arteries, regions also invested with Lp(a). These studies suggest that defensin released from activated or senescent neutrophils may contribute to the localization and persistence of Lp(a) in human vessels and thereby predispose to the development of atherosclerosis.     

Compliance with quality of life data collection in the National Surgical Adjuvant Breast and Bowel Project (NSABP) Breast Cancer Prevention Trial

This paper describes compliance with the completion of a quality of life questionnaire in the Breast Cancer Prevention Trial, a large multi-centre randomized trial that is studying the efficacy of Tamoxifen in preventing breast cancer. In the first 4875 women enrolled in the control arm of the study, there was a very high rate of questionnaire completion at baseline, 3 months, 6 months and 12 months of follow-up (89.8 per cent completed forms at 12 months). The sample was examined according to demographic and risk factors, as well as by recruitment cohort. There was a significantly poorer compliance rate for the most recently recruited cohort that was followed-up during a time of substantial external negative publicity related to clinical trial research. Nevertheless, the overall compliance with completion of quality of life data in this trial is very high, which is probably attributable to the high educational status of the trial participants.