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We show the potential of coupling numerical and experimental approaches in the fundamental understanding of catalytic reactors, and in particular fluidized beds. The applicability of the method was demonstrated in a lab-scale fluidized bed reactor for the platinum-based catalytic oxidation of hydrogen. An experimental campaign has been carried out for synthesizing the catalyst powders by means of atomic layer deposition in a fluidized bed reactor and characterizing them. Catalytic testing has been also run to collect data both in fixed and fluidized bed configurations. Then, after the validation of the in-house first-principles multiscale Computational Fluid Dynamic - Discrete Element Method (CFD-DEM) model, the fundamental understanding which can be achieved by means of detailed numerical approaches is reported. Thus, the developed framework, coupled with experimental information, results in an optimal design and scale-up procedure for reactor configurations promising for the energy transition.

Antiretroviral therapy (ART) significantly reduced Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) morbidity and mortality; nevertheless, stigma still characterises the living with this condition. This study explored patients’ coping experience by integrating narrative medicine (NM) in a non-interventional clinical trial. From June 2018 to September 2020 the study involved 18 centres across Italy; enrolled patients were both D/C/F/TAF naïve and previously ART-treated. Narratives were collected at enrolment (V1) and last visit (V4) and then independently analysed by three NM specialist researchers through content analysis. One-hundred and fourteen patients completed both V1 and V4 narratives. Supportive relationships with clinicians and undetectable viral load facilitated coping. Conversely, lack of disclosure of HIV-positive status, HIV metaphors, and unwillingness to narrate the life before the diagnosis indicated internalised stigma. This is the first non-interventional study to include narratives as patient reported outcomes (PROs). Improving HIV awareness and reducing the sense of guilt experienced by patients helps to overcome stigma and foster coping.

Objective: This prospective, multicenter, non-interventional cohort study enrolling human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-1-infected, virally suppressed adult outpatients in Italy aimed to describe results obtained from patient-reported outcome questionnaires regarding treatment satisfaction and symptom perceptions in HIV-1-positive patients who switched to cobicistat-boosted darunavir antiretroviral regimens, coming from ritonavir-boosted protease inhibitors. Methods: Patients entered this study between June 2016 and February 2017, once their treating physician had considered them eligible for cobicistat-boosted darunavir-based treatment as per clinical practice. Patients’ satisfaction regarding regimen and current symptom burdens were assessed using two previously validated, patient-reported outcome questionnaires: HIV Treatment Satisfaction Questionnaire (HIV-TSQ) and HIV Symptoms Distress Module (HIV-SDM). These questionnaires were administered at prespecified time-points: enrollment (Visit 1), 4–8weeks later (Visit 2), and 48 ± 6weeks after study enrollment (Visit 4). Data of patient-reported outcome total scores for both questionnaires are presented as median with 25th–75th percentiles. Questionnaires scores were analyzed overall and stratified by gender when applicable. A p value of less than 0.05 was considered statistically significant. A sensitivity analysis was conducted to evaluate the role of lost to follow-up, using the “last observation carried forward” method. Results: A total of 348 patients were enrolled in this study; 296 patients (208 male and 88 female) provided both evaluable HIV-TSQ and HIV-SDM at enrollment and at 4–8weeks, while 250 patients (174 male and 76 female) provided questionnaire data at enrollment and at 48 ± 6weeks. The total scores of HIV-TSQ showed improvements in patient satisfaction in the overall population both at Visit 2 and Visit 4 (p < 0.001, sign test) and also when stratified by gender throughout the study period. In addition, the overall burden of symptoms, as shown by the HIV-SDM scores, decreased. Conclusions: Switching to a cobicistat-boosted darunavir-based therapy led to overall increased patient satisfaction and reduced symptom burden when compared with previous regimens. The use of patient-reported outcomes in clinical daily practice could provide a useful tool towards achieving guideline goals to achieve “fourth 90”, having 90% of virally suppressed patients with a good health-related quality of life.

We propose a numerical methodology to combine detailed microkinetic modeling and Eulerian–Eulerian methods for the simulation of industrial fluidized bed reactors. An operator splitting-based approach has been applied to solve the detailed kinetics coupled with the solution of multiphase gas–solid flows. Lab and industrial reactor configurations are simulated to assess the capability and the accuracy of the method by using the oxidative coupling of methane as a showcase. A good agreement with lab-scale experimental data (deviations below 10%) is obtained. Moreover, in this specific case, the proposed framework provides a 4-fold reduction of the computational cost required to reach the steady-state when compared to the approach of linearizing the chemical source term. As a whole, the work paves the way to the incorporation of detailed kinetics in the simulation of industrial fluidized reactors.

The knowledge of the strain distribution of Nb3Sn filaments in a CICC cross-section is a key parameter in understanding the performance and its evolution when the cable undergoes electromagnetic cyclic loading. This work focuses on the Wind and React (WR1) rectangular CICC sample designed by ENEA for the European DEMO project, that has exhibited a current sharing temperature (Tcs) above 6.9 K at 13 T and 81.7 kA, during its qualification tests in the EDIPO facility at the Swiss Plasma Center. Compared to the critical current tests on the constituting wires, the observed CICC performance corresponded to an effective strain value of −0.55%. This work aims to interpret this result on the basis of the analysis of the strain distribution inside the cable itself. Susceptibility versus temperature of WR1 constituting free standing strands has been measured after etching of the stabilizing copper, and it has been compared with the susceptibility measured on the cable during the test campaign in EDIPO. A well-known and already assessed method has been used, starting from susceptibility measurements, to compute the Tc distribution in the cable cross-section and, subsequently, to infer from that the thermal strain distribution. The obtained results give an indication that the strain distribution in WR1 cable is narrow, compared to the strain distribution calculated with the same method for most ITER TF and CS conductors.

In the last few years, the current density of Bi-2212 wires has been greatly improved by filament densify technologies. One further step toward applications in fusion magnets is to design a high current cable, which must overcome the drawbacks of Bi-2212 wires: brittleness and complex heat treatment process. In this article, react-and-wind flat cables are proposed. With react-and-wind technique, a larger number of choices of jacket and quench protection materials are available including stainless steel and copper, both of which are widely used for Nb3Sn and NbTi superconducting cables but are not directly usable for wind-and-react Bi-2212 cables due to their reaction during heat treatment. Two wires, representing, respectively, modest and top performance of the state-of-the-art wires, are considered. Several cable layouts are studied in terms of dimension, compaction rate, and transverse mechanical pressure. Materials for quench protection and jacket materials are also discussed.