Optimization of ATM and Legacy LAN for High Speed Satellite Communications

A high data rate (HDR) terrestrial and satellite network was implemented to transfer medical images and data. This paper describes the optimization of the workstations and networking equipment. Topics include tuning the network software configuration of Sun Microsystems workstations, Fore Systems ATM switches, and Cisco routers, as well as the transfer rate results of four distinct telemedicine experiments. The researchers were successful in achieving the transfer rates needed by the telemedicine software; particularly important was the proper determination of peak transfer rates and window sizes in making use of the resources available to the network interface cards (NICs) on the Sun Microsystems and Hewlett Packard workstations. 1. Introduction Telemedicine is a unique way to offer a medical service to a patient who would otherwise not have access to medical specialists. Globally, interest in telemedicine continues to increase, particularly in the store-and-forward form wherein com..

Drugging the “Undruggable” MYCN Oncogenic Transcription Factor: Overcoming Previous Obstacles to Impact Childhood Cancers

Effective treatment of pediatric solid tumors has been hampered by the predominance of currently "undruggable" driver transcription factors. Improving outcomes while decreasing the toxicity of treatment necessitates the development of novel agents that can directly inhibit or degrade these elusive targets. MYCN in pediatric neural-derived tumors, including neuroblastoma and medulloblastoma, is a paradigmatic example of this problem. Attempts to directly and specifically target MYCN have failed due to its similarity to MYC, the unstructured nature of MYC family proteins in their monomeric form, the lack of an understanding of MYCN-interacting proteins and ability to test their relevance in vivo, the inability to obtain structural information on MYCN protein complexes, and the challenges of using traditional small molecules to inhibit protein-protein or protein-DNA interactions. However, there is now promise for directly targeting MYCN based on scientific and technological advances on all of these fronts. Here, we discuss prior challenges and the reasons for renewed optimism in directly targeting this "undruggable" transcription factor, which we hope will lead to improved outcomes for patients with pediatric cancer and create a framework for targeting driver oncoproteins regulating gene transcription