Systematics of elliptic flow in heavy-ion collisions

We analyze elliptic flow from SIS to RHIC energies systematically in a realistic dynamical cascade model. We compare our results with the recent data from STAR and PHOBOS collaborations on elliptic flow of charged particles at midrapidity in Au+ Au collisions at RHIC. In the analysis of elliptic flow at RHIC energy, we find a good fitting with data at 1.5 times a scaling factor to our model, which characterizes that the model is required to have extra pressure generated from the subsequent parton scattering after the initial minijet production. In energy dependence of elliptic flow, we notice re-hardening nature at RHIC energies. Both these two observations would probably imply the possible formation of quark-gluon plasma.     

Asymmetric oxidative coupling polymerization affording polynaphthylene with 1,1′-bi-2-naphthol units

The oxidative coupling polymerizations of racemic-, (R)-, and (S)-2,2′-dimethoxymethoxy-1,1′-binaphthalene-3,3′-diols were carried out with a copper catalyst with various ligands, such as N,N,N′,N′-tetramethylethylenediamine (TMEDA), (S)-(+)-1-(2-pyrrolidinylmethyl)pyrrolidine, (−)-sparteine, and (S)-(−)-2,2′-isopropylidenebis(4-phenyl-2-oxazoline) [(−)-Phbox], under an O₂ atmosphere. For example, a 10/1 (v/v) MeOH · H₂O-insoluble polymer with a number-average molecular weight of 3.8 × 10³, from a polymerization with CuCl–TMEDA followed by acetylation of the hydroxyl groups, was obtained in a 71% yield. Polymerization with (−)-Phbox proceeded in an S-selective manner to give a polymer with the highest negative specific rotation from the (S)-monomer. The obtained polymer was successfully converted into a polymer with the optically pure 1,1′-bi-2-naphthol unit based on the original monomer structure, which could be used as a polymeric chiral auxiliary and showed catalytic activity for the asymmetric diethylzinc addition reaction to aldehydes. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 42: 4528–4534, 2004     

A single server queue with service interruptions

In this paper we characterize the queue-length distribution as well as the waiting time distribution of a single-server queue which is subject to service interruptions. Such queues arise naturally in computer and communication problems in which customers belong to different classes and share a common server under some complicated service discipline. In such queues, the viewpoint of a given class of customers is that the server is not available for providing service some of the time, because it is busy serving customers from a different class. A natural special case of these queues is the class of preemptive priority queues. In this paper, we consider arrivals according the Markovian Arrival Process (MAP) and the server is not available for service at certain times. The service times are assumed to have a general distribution. We provide numerical examples to show that our methods are computationally feasible. This revised version was published online in June 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Novel Radio on Fiber Access Eliminating External Electric Power Supply at Base Station

A novel Radio On Fiber(ROF) access is proposed and demonstrated which enables the pico-cell Base Station (BS) for high-speed wireless communications to eliminate external electric power supply facilities. We demonstrated 2.4-GHz band radio signal transmission through the BS without external electric power supply. The electrical power used for BS circuit is feeded by optical power over optical fiber from central station.     

Fundamental study on subharmonic imaging by irradiation of amplitude-modulated ultrasound waves

The second harmonic and subharmonic components, the frequencies of which are twice and one half the fundamental frequency, are included in echoes from contrast agents. An imaging method, which employs a second harmonic (second harmonic imaging), is widely used in medical diagnoses. On the other hand, subharmonic is expected to provide a higher contrast between biological tissues and blood flow because echo signals are generated only from blood containing the contrast agents. However, the subharmonic component echo signal power from contrast agents is relatively low. This has resulted in little progress in the field of subharmonic imaging. In this study, a new imaging method is proposed using amplitude-modulated waves as transmitted waves combined with the pulse inversion method to enhance subharmonic echo signals. Two optimal frequencies are set, including the modulated waves, F(1) and F(2), so that the subharmonic frequency of F(1) and the second harmonic frequency of F(2) may result in the same value. This allows a more powerful signal at the frequency band because the second harmonic and subharmonic components are integrated. Furthermore, a B-mode ultrasound image of an agar phantom that imitated biological tissue and showed the effectiveness of our method was reconstructed. As a result, the echo power of the subharmonic component was enhanced by approximately 11.8 dB more than the conventional method and the signal to noise ratio showed an improvement of 7.6 dB.     

Broadband regenerative wavelength conversion and multicasting using triple-stage semiconductor-based wavelength converters

We demonstrate broadband wavelength conversion with a 320 nm operating wavelength range and channel spacing flexible wavelength-division-multiplexing (WDM) multicasting from a 1550 nm signal using a triple-stage cascaded semiconductor-optical-amplifier-based wavelength converter.     

Reactivity between biphenyl and precursor of solvated electrons in tetrahydrofuran measured by picosecond pulse radiolysis in near-ultraviolet, visible, and infrared

The initial decrease of solvated electrons in tetrahydrofuran (THF) upon addition of biphenyl was investigated by picosecond pulse radiolysis. Transient absorption spectra derived from the biphenyl radical anion (centered at 408 and 655 nm) and solvated electrons of THF (infrared) were successfully measured in the wavelength region from 400 to 900 nm by the extension of a femtosecond continuum probe light to near-ultraviolet using a second harmonic generation of Ti:sapphire laser and a CaF2 plate. From the analysis of kinetic traces at 1300 nm considering the overlap of primary solvated electrons and partial biphenyl radical anion, C37, which is defined by the solute concentration to reduce the initial yield of solvated electrons to 1/e, was found to be 87 +/- 3 mM. The rate constant of solvated electrons with biphenyl was determined as 5.8 +/- 0.3 x 10(10) M(-1) s(-1). We demonstrate that the kinetic traces at both 408 nm mainly due to biphenyl radical anion and 1300 nm mainly due to solvated electrons are reproduced with high accuracy and consistency by a simple kinetic analysis. Much higher concentrations of biphenyl (up to 2 M) were examined, showing further increase of the initial yield of biphenyl radical anion accompanying a fast decay component. This observation is discussed in terms of geminate ion recombination, scavenging, delayed geminate ion recombination, and direct ionization of biphenyl at high concentration.     

Compositions of royal jelly II. Organic acid glycosides and sterols of the royal jelly of honeybees (Apis mellifera)

Two organic acid glycosides (1, 2) and 16 sterols were isolated from the royal jelly of honeybees (Apis mellifera). The former two were monoglucosides of 10-hydroxy-2E-decenoic and 10-hydroxydecanoic acids. They are the first examples of glycosides isolated from royal jelly. The latter 16 were sterols mainly composed of 28 or 29 carbons. Among them, four compounds were new isofucosterol derivatives, and their structures were characterized as (24Z)-stigmasta-5,24(28)-dien-3beta-ol-7-one (3), (24Z)-stigmasta-5,24(28)-diene-3beta,7beta-diol (4), (24Z)-stigmasta-5,24(28)-diene-3beta,7alpha-diol (5), and (24Z)-stigmast-24(28)-ene-3beta,5alpha,6beta-triol (6) on the basis of various NMR spectroscopic data.