Travelling waves in model reacting flows with reversible kinetics

The authors study the existence of wavefront-type travellingwave solutions in the Fickett-Majda model of viscous reactiveflow when the chemistry is modelled by a reversible chemicalreaction. The problem is reduced to proving the existence ofa heteroclinic orbit, in a two-dimensional phase space, connectingtwo critical points that represent the equilibrium states atplus and minus infinity. Reactions in which the forward reactioncan be either endothermic or exothermic are examined, and itis shown that compression waves must be accompanied by a shiftin the equilibrium composition in the endothermic direction,while rarefac-tions are accompanied by a shift in the exothermicdirection. Although compression waves occur on a larger parameterdomain, there are regimes where the rarefactions appear. Finally,the stability of an equilibrium state under small perturbationsis discussed.     

Optimal driving strategy for a solar car on a level road

Every three years, solar cars from all over the world come toAustralia to participate in the World Solar Challenge. In 1993there were 52 cars in the race. Five cars finished within fivedays, each one breaking the previous race record and achievingan average speed exceeding 70 km/h. The performance of thesecars depends on many factors: power, aerodynamics, tractionefficiency, weight, reliability, and (not least of all) drivingstrategy. On a level road, the optimal driving strategy foran ideal car is essentially a speed-holding strategy. For areal car with inefficient energy storage, however, there aretwo distinct holding speeds. The lower speed is held when solarpower is low and must be supplemented from stored energy. Theupper speed is held when solar poler is high, and excess energyis stored.     

PHOTOINDUCED ELECTRON TRANSFER ACROSS LIPID BILAYERS CONTAINING MAGNESIUM OCTAETHYLPORPHYRIN

Both photoinitiated (thermodynamically downhill) and photodriven (thermodynamically uphill) electron transfer reactions across lipid bilayers are sensitized by magnesium octaethyl porphyrin (MgOEP). It is shown that the reaction mechanism is via reduction of photoexcited MgOEP at the reducing (ascorbate) side of the bilayer and the charge carrier is likely the neutral protonated MgOEP anion. The MgOEP cation (or its neutral form) does not contribute to charge passage across the bilayer even though it is readily formed at the acceptor (ferricyanide or methyl viologen) side of the membrane. Photoelectric measurements on planar bilayers show that the time constant for reduction of excited MgOEP is about 10 microseconds with 10 mM ascorbate. The membrane transport of the mediator appears to be rate limiting when the reaction is photoinitiated and the interfacial reaction appears to be limiting when the reaction is photodriven. The quantum yield of the process is about 0.1 in the latter case and about 0.02 in the former. The former yield is increased to about 0.15 in the presence of a redox mediator, duroquinone. In these systems, the magnesium porphyrin is both sensitizer and trans membrane redox mediator.     

MODULATION BY THIOLS OF THE MEROCYANINE 540-SENSITIZED PHOTOLYSIS OF LEUKEMIA CELLS, RED CELLS, AND Herpes simplex VIRUS TYPE 1

This paper reports on the role of endogenous and exogenous thiols in the merocyanine 540 (MC 540)-sensitized photoirradiation of L1210 leukemia cells, human erythrocytes, and human Herpes simplex virus type 1. Several measures taken to decrease the intracellular content of glutathione enhanced the cells' sensitivity to MC 540-sensitized photoirradiation while stimulation of glutathione biosynthesis or supplementation of the extracellular or extraviral thiol content decreased the photosensitivity of cells and viruses. Taken together, these data suggest that endogenous and exogenous thiols can modulate the sensitivity of cells and enveloped viruses to MC 540-sensitized photoirradiation. They also pose new questions as to the mechanism of MC 540-sensitized photolysis.     

CHLORIN AND PORPHYRIN DERIVATIVES AS POTENTIAL PHOTOSENSITIZERS IN PHOTODYNAMIC THERAPY

In order to find a photosensitizer with better optical properties and pharmacokinetics than Photofrin II, a series of new photosensitizers related to methyl pheophorbide-a and chlorin-e6 were synthesized. These compounds absorb at substantially longer wavelengths (lambda max 660 nm) than does Photofrin II (630 nm) and show promise for use in photodynamic therapy. Among the porphyrins, we observed that long carbon chain ether derivatives are better photosensitizers than their ester analogs. These sensitizers were tested for in vivo photosensitizing activity vis-a-vis Photofrin II, using the standard screening system of DBA/2 mice bearing transplanted SMT/F tumors. Most of these photosensitizers were found to have better tumoricidal photosensitizing activity than Photofrin II and demonstrated more rapid attenuation of normal tissue photosensitivity with time after administration vis-a-vis Photofrin II.     

Evaluating Experiment with Computation in Physical Chemistry: The Particle-In-A-Box Model with Cyanine Dyes

The results from a classic experiment in the undergraduate physical chemistry laboratory, the particle-in-a-box model for spectroscopic transitions of conjugated dyes, is compared to computational results obtained using a molecular mechanics structural approach and the extended Hückel molecular orbital picture. The goal of this exercise is to help students to think critically about their experimental data and to use comparisons of mathematical and computational models to try to understand departures of an experiment from expectations.     

Molecular dynamics study of electron gas models for liquid water

The frozen density electron gas model proposed by Gordon and Kim for rare gas systems has been implemented in a molecular dynamics code. This code has been applied to investigate various options for extending this scheme to inter-molecular interactions in liquid water. We have compared a number of gradient corrections to the Thomas-Fermi kinetic energy. We also explored a more empirical approach based on adaptation of the frozen molecular electron density to the condensed phase environment. Consistent with experience from force field methods, enhancement of the molecular dipole moment proved to be necessary to reproduce the properties of the liquid. The best models we investigated are a gradient corrected expansion of the simple local density Hamiltonian applied in the original Gordon and Kim model. In addition, these models observed a modified molecular electron density carrying the same dipole moment of 2.95 D as has been observed by recent ab initio molecular dynamics studies based on fully self-consistent Kohn-Sham methods. Possible implications of this finding for force field models are discussed.