All-optical add-drop node for optical packet-switched networks

We have demonstrated all-optical packet add-drop for all-optical packet-switched networks. Intelligent all-optical add-drop of packets is performed, based on all-optical processing of packet headers. The header and payload rates are 5 and 10 Gbits/s, respectively.     

Comparison of Ab Initio MP2/6-311+G(d,p) Predicted Carbon–Hydrogen Bond Distances with Experimentally Determined r 0 (C–H) Distances

Fifty different carbon–hydrogen distances have been predicted from ab initio MP2/6-311+G(d,p) calculations, which range from a short value of 1.0611 Å for HCNO to a long value of 1.1044 Å for H₂CO. The values include those predicted for a series of methyl (CH₃) moieties where the two different C–H distances vary by as much as 0.005 Å. These predicted values are compared to r ₀(C–H) distances obtained from the isolated carbon–hydrogen stretching frequencies, as well as to r ₀ or r _s parameters obtained from microwave data. Except for the very short C–H bonds, the ab initio values from the MP2/6–311+G(d,p) calculations can be used for the carbon–hydrogen distances with error limits of ± 0.003 Å. By utilizing the spectral data from CD₃CClO, it is shown that combination bands in the C–H stretching region could cause problems in the identification of the isolated C–H stretching frequency from the CD₂HCClO isotopomer. The value of the ab initio predicted C–H distances for checking unusually long or short r _s (C–H) or r ₀ values is demonstrated.     

Absolute potassium cation affinities (PCAs) in the gas phase

The potassium cation affinities (PCAs) of 136 ligands (20 classes) in the gas phase were established by hybrid density functional theory calculations (B3-LYP with the 6-311+G(3df,2p) basis set). For these 136 ligands, 70 experimental values are available for comparison. Except for five specific PCA values-those of phenylalanine, cytosine, guanine, adenine (kinetic-method measurement), and Me(2)SO (by high-pressure mass spectrometric equilibrium measurement)-our theoretical estimates and the experimental affinities are in excellent agreement (mean absolute deviation (MAD) of 4.5 kJ mol(-1)). Comparisons with previously reported theoretical PCAs are also made. The effect of substituents on the modes of binding and the PCAs of unsubstituted parent ligands are discussed. Linear relations between Li+/Na+ and K+ affinities suggest that for the wide range of ligands studied here, the nature of binding between the cations and a given ligand is similar, and this allows the estimation of PCAs from known Li+ and/or Na+ affinities. Furthermore, empirical equations relating the PCAs of ligands with their dipole moments, polarizabilities (or molecular weights), and the number of binding sites were established. Such equations offer a simple method for estimating the PCAs of ligands not included in the present study.     

Protonation and bromination of an osmabenzyne: reactions leading to the formation of new metallabenzynes

The reactivities of benzynes and metal-carbyne complexes are normally associated with the triple bond units. However, we have now found that electrophiles do not attack the formal osmium-carbon triple bond of osmabenzyne complex 1. Instead, 1 undergoes electrophilic substitution reactions-the typical reactions of aromatic systems.     

Templating and supersaturation-driven anti-templating: principles of biomineral architecture

The structural synergy between biominerals (CaCO(3), hydroxyapatite) and biosubstrates were examined for the first time. The templating effect of substrate and a newly identified supersaturation-driven interfacial structure mismatch effect were identified in the context of a new nucleation model. It follows that the heterogeneous nucleation which corresponds to a good structural match and synergy between biominerals and substrates will promote an ordered, compact, and tough complex biomineral structure, and occur only at low supersaturations, whereas at high supersaturations the heterogeneous nucleation associated with a poor structural match and synergy between biominerals and substrates will become dominant due to supersaturation-driven interfacial structural mismatch. The latter normally results in a disordered and porous structure. A phenomenon, so-called microgravity-driven homogeneous nucleation, was also examined. It turns out that microgravity will suppress convection and consequently promote homogeneous-like nucleation during biomineralization. This could be responsible for microgravity-induced osteoporousis.     

A new copper acetate-bis(oxazoline)-catalyzed, enantioselective Henry reaction

A highly enantioselective, nitroaldol reaction catalyzed by a chiral Cu(II) bis(oxazoline) complex has been developed. The reaction scope includes both aromatic and aliphatic aldehydes (15 examples) affording products in good yields and enantioselectivities (87-94% ee). An X-ray structure of the catalyst has been provided along with a rationalization of the sense of asymmetric induction.     

On Some Three-Color Ramsey Numbers

 In this paper we study three-color Ramsey numbers. Let K _i,j denote a complete i by j bipartite graph. We shall show that (i) for any connected graphs G ₁, G ₂ and G ₃, if r(G ₁, G ₂)≥s(G ₃), then r(G ₁, G ₂, G ₃)≥(r(G ₁, G ₂)−1)(χ(G ₃)−1)+s(G ₃), where s(G ₃) is the chromatic surplus of G ₃; (ii) (k+m−2)(n−1)+1≤r(K _1,k , K _1,m , K _n )≤ (k+m−1)(n−1)+1, and if k or m is odd, the second inequality becomes an equality; (iii) for any fixed m≥k≥2, there is a constant c such that r(K _k,m , K _k,m , K _n )≤c(n/logn), and r(C _2m , C _2m , K _n )≤c(n/logn) ^m/(m−1) for sufficiently large n. Received: July 25, 2000 Final version received: July 30, 2002 RID="*" ID="*" Partially supported by RGC, Hong Kong; FRG, Hong Kong Baptist University; and by NSFC, the scientific foundations of education ministry of China, and the foundations of Jiangsu Province Acknowledgments. The authors are grateful to the referee for his valuable comments. AMS 2000 MSC: 05C55