Abstract: The present invention provides highly dispersible spray-dried powder compositions, and in particular, inhaleable dry powder compositions for aerosolized delivery to the lungs. The powders of the invention are produced by spray drying a 4 ?-helix bundle protein under conditions which both (i) protect the protein from aggregation and (ii) provide particles suitable for inhalation (i.e., demonstrating superior aerosol performance).

Abstract: The present invention provides a highly dispersible formulation comprising an active agent and a dipeptide or tripeptide comprising at least two leucyl residues. The composition of the invention possesses superior aerosol properties and is thus preferred for aerosolized administration to the lung. Also provided are a method for (i) increasing the dispersibility of an active-agent containing formulation for administration to the lung, and (ii) delivery of the composition to the lungs of a subject.

Abstract: According to the subject invention, dispersible dry powder pharmaceutical-based compositions are provided, including methods for their manufacture and dry powder dispersion devices. A dispersible dry powder pharmaceutical-based composition is one having a moisture content of less than about 10% by weight (% w) water, usually below about 5% w and preferably less than about 3% w; a particle size of about 1.0-5.0 &mgr;m mass median diameter (MMD), usually 1.0-4.0 &mgr;m MMD, and preferably 1.0-3.0 &mgr;m MMD; a delivered dose of about >30%, usually >40%, preferably >50%, and most preferred >60%; and an aerosol particle size distribution of about 1.0-5.0 &mgr;m mass median aerodynamic diameter (MMAD), usually 1.5-4.5 &mgr;m MMAD, and preferably 1.5-4.0 &mgr;m MMAD. Such compositions are of pharmaceutical grade purity.

Abstract: The flow of packet-based traffic is controlled to meet a desired rate by calculating, as a moving average, a current rate of packet-based traffic on a link, calculating the sum of the error between the calculated current rate and the desired rate, and determining whether or not packets can flow in response to the calculated sum of the error. When the sum of the error between the current rate and the desired rate indicates that the current rate is less than the desired rate, packets are allowed to flow and when the sum of the error indicates that the current rate is greater than the desired rate, packets are not allowed to flow. The magnitude of bursts can also be controlled by artificially controlling the minimum values of the current rate and the sum of the error. The flow control algorithm can be used for rate shaping or rate limiting.

Abstract: Protection from a distributed clock failure in a packet switched network device involves monitoring primary clocking information that is received from an input port of the network device, distributing the clocking information to an output port for use in synchronous transmissions, and supplying backup clocking information from within the packet switched network device to the output port if the primary clocking information fails. In an embodiment, the integrity of the primary clocking information is directly monitored in hardware and the backup clocking information is provided by a local clock source that is located within the network device. If a failure in the primary clocking information is detected, the backup clocking information is supplied to the output port from the local clock source.

Abstract: A system and a method for managing forwarding table lookups and updates involve maintaining a first forwarding table in a first memory and a second forwarding table in a second memory, and then utilizing the first forwarding table to forward packets while the second forwarding table is updated with current route entries. The second forwarding table is updated in the background and therefore conventional CPU speeds do not cause performance problems. Once the second forwarding table is completely updated, a forwarding table pointer is switched and the second forwarding table is utilized to forward packets while the first forwarding table is updated. Because the second forwarding table has been completely updated in the background, switching the forwarding table pointer causes newly arriving packets to be forwarded according to a forwarding table that is free of inconsistencies.

Abstract: According to the subject invention, dispersible dry powder pharmaceutical-based compositions are provided, including methods for their manufacture and dry powder dispersion devices. A dispersible dry powder pharmaceutical-based composition is one having a moisture content of less than about 10% by weight (%w) water, usually below about 5%w and preferably less than about 3%w; a particle size of about 1.0-5.0 &mgr;m mass median diameter (MMD), usually 1.0-4.0 &mgr;m MMD, and preferably 1.0-3.0 &mgr;m MMD; a delivered dose of about >30%, usually >40%, preferably >50%, and most preferred >60%; and an aerosol particle size distribution of about 1.0-5.0 &mgr;m mass median aerodynamic diameter (MMAD), usually 1.5-4.5 &mgr;m MMAD, and preferably 1.5-4.0 &mgr;m MMAD. Such compositions are of pharmaceutical grade purity.

Abstract: A method and a system for controlling data flow through a network device involve regulating a first flow of network traffic with a first traffic control rule, regulating a second flow of network traffic with a second traffic control rule, and then regulating the passed portion of the two flows with a third traffic control rule that is generic to both the first flow and the second flow. The third traffic control rule regulates the passed portions of the first flow and the second flow on an aggregate basis, such that the total amount of traffic passed by the third traffic control rule does not exceed a predefined bandwidth limit. By regulating the bandwidth consumption of a group of flows with at least two levels of traffic control rules, bandwidth consumption can be simultaneously controlled for narrowly defined flows and more broadly defined flows.

Abstract: Dispersibility of a respirable powder, administrable by inhalation, is increased by including a pharmaceutically acceptable water-soluble polypeptide.

Abstract: The present invention provides highly dispersible spray-dried powder compositions, and in particular, inhaleable dry powder compositions for aerosolized delivery to the lungs. The powders of the invention are produced by spray drying a 4 &agr;-helix bundle protein under conditions which both (i) protect the protein from aggregation and (ii) provide particles suitable for inhalation (i.e., demonstrating superior aerosol performance).

Abstract: A system and method for synchronizing clocks related to telecommunications throughout s point-to-multipoint optical network utilizes downstream data timed using a high frequency transmission clock to distribute timing information of a central telecom-based clock to remote terminals. In an exemplary embodiment, the point-to-multipoint optical network system is an Ethernet-based passive optical network (PON) system that operates in accordance with a Gigabit Ethernet standard. The timing information of the central telecom-based clock is extracted from the downstream data at each remote terminal by recovering the high frequency transmission clock and then, deriving a reference clock, which is synchronized with the central telecom-based clock, from the recovered transmission clock. The reference clock is then used to generate one or more telecom-related clocks that are needed by the remote terminal.

Abstract: Novel pharmaceutical formulations for treating a cellular proliferative disease are provided comprising: a therapeutically effective amount of a Golgi apparatus disturbing agent; a biocompatible carrier; and a solvent. In preferred formulations, the Golgi apparatus disturbing agent is brefeldin A (BFA) and the biocompatible carrier is a polymer such as chitin or chitosan. Methods of treating cellular proliferative diseases using the pharmaceutical formulations are also described.

Abstract: This invention provides combination therapy methods, pharmaceutical combinations and compositions for inducing tumor cell regression in cancer patients, particularly metastatic breast cancer patients. The combination methods, combinations and compositions employ both edatrexate and a taxane which are administered simultaneously or sequentially. The combination therapy described here permits the administration of unusually high doses of edatrexate.

Abstract: An input-buffered multipoint switch having input channels and output channels includes multilevel request buffers, a data path multiplexer, and a scheduler. The switch has a distinct multilevel request buffer associated with each input channel and each request buffer has multiple request registers of a different request buffer priority. The request registers store data cell transfer requests that have been assigned quality of service (QoS) priorities, where the QoS priorities are related to packet source, destination, and/or application type. The multilevel request registers are linked in parallel to the scheduler to allow arbitration among requests of different input channels and different request buffer priority levels. The preferred arbitration process involves generating QoS priority-specific masks that reflect the output channels required by higher QoS priority requests and arbitrating among requests of the same QoS priority in QoS priority-specific multilevel schedulers.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for supplying new requests to a scheduler in an input-buffered multiport switch involve selecting a request that does not target output channels that conflict with output channels targeted by requests that are already accessible to the scheduler. Specifically, target output channels of requests that are presently accessible to the scheduler are identified and compared to target output channels of requests that are included in a queue of next-in-line requests. The queue of next-in-line requests is reviewed and the highest priority request having no conflicting output channels is supplied to the scheduler. By supplying the scheduler with a new request that targets non-conflicting output channels, the scheduler is presented with a wider range of requested output channels from which to choose in each arbitration cycle. In a first embodiment, one, two, or eight ports are connected to each one of four input/output controllers in a switch having a four-channel switch fabric.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for forwarding packets from contending queues of a multiport switch to an output of a finite bandwidth involve first prioritizing the contending queues into different priorities that relate to priorities of the packets that are being forwarded in the network. Bandwidth of the output is then allocated among the prioritized contending queues and the bandwidth of the output is consumed by the queued packets according to the allocated proportions. Any unconsumed bandwidth is distributed to the queues on a priority basis such that the highest priority queue is offered the unconsumed bandwidth first and lower priority queues are offered the remaining unconsumed bandwidth in priority order. An advantage of the invention is that queues are not starved of bandwidth by higher priority queues and unconsumed bandwidth is not wasted when there are not enough packets to consume an allocated portion of the output bandwidth.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for forwarding variable-length packets between channel-specific packet processor in a crossbar of a multiport switch involve segmenting variable-length packets into fixed-length payload segments and multiplexing the payload segments with response or request data to form fixed-length switching blocks. The fixed-length switching blocks are transferred to and from the crossbar over respective input and output connections in order to minimize the number of connections between the packet processors and the crossbar. The input and output connections enable the transfer of a current packet through the crossbar while supplying the crossbar with request information necessary to schedule subsequent packets through the crossbar. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, packets are timed to pass through the crossbar one after another in order to utilize the maximum bandwidth of the crossbar.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for controlling the flow of variable-length packets to a multiport switch involve accessing forwarding information in a memory based at least partially on layer 4 information from a packet and then forwarding the packet only if the packet is within a bandwidth consumption limit that is specified in the forwarding information. In a preferred embodiment, a credit bucket algorithm is used to ensure that packet flows are within specified bandwidth consumption limits. The preferred method for implementing the credit bucket algorithm to control flows of packets involves first receiving a particular packet from a flow and then stripping the layer 2 header information from the packet. The layer 3 and layer 4 information from the packet is then used to look-up flow-specific forwarding and flow control information in a memory that stores a linked list of table entries that includes the fields necessary to implement the credit bucket algorithm.

Abstract: An input-buffered multipoint switch having input channels and output channels includes multi-level request buffers, a data path multiplexer, and a scheduler. The switch has a distinct multi-level request buffer associated with each input channel and each request buffer has multiple request registers for storing data cell transfer requests of different priorities. The multi-level request registers are linked in parallel to the scheduler to allow arbitration among requests of different input channels and different priority levels. The preferred arbitration process involves generating masks that reflect the output channels required by the same priority level requests. Utilizing masks to arbitrate between multiple requests in an input-buffered switch reduces arbitration cycle time and minimizes HOL blocking.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for routing packets through a multiport switch involves attaching indicators to packets before the packets are passed through a switch fabric, and then using the indicators to look-up output port vectors after the packets have been passed through the switch fabric. In a preferred embodiment of a 64.times.64 port switch, an 8-bit output channel vector and a 15-bit output port index are attached to a packet and passed through the switch fabric. The 8-bit output channel vector directs the packet to the proper output packet processor(s) and the 15-bit output port index is used to look-up an output port vector that identifies the output port(s) that will receive the packet. The method and system provide low packet overhead and flexible scaling.