Qualitative analysis of kinetic-based models for tumor-immune system interaction

A mathematical model, based on a mesoscopic approach, describing the competition between tumor cells and immune system in terms of kinetic integro-differential equations is presented. Four interacting populations are considered, representing, respectively, tumors cells, cells of the host environment, cells of the immune system, and interleukins, which are capable to modify the tumor-immune system interaction and to contribute to destroy tumor cells. The internal state variable (activity) measures the capability of a cell of prevailing in a binary interaction. Under suitable assumptions, a closed set of autonomous ordinary differential equations is then derived by a moment procedure and two three-dimensional reduced systems are obtained in some partial quasi-steady state approximations. Their qualitative analysis is finally performed, with particular attention to equilibria and their stability, bifurcations, and their meaning. Results are obtained on asymptotically autonomous dynamical systems, and also on the occurrence of a particular backward bifurcation

Kinetic models for reactive mixtures: Problems and applications

Problems related to physical consistency and practical application of kinetic BGK models for reactive mixtures are investigated. In particular, two approximation strategies are discussed, relevant to the different physical scenarios of slow and fast chemical reactions, respectively. The former is tested versus the steady shock problem in comparison to available hydrodynamic results. For the latter, allowing for an explicit proof of the H-theorem, a preliminary sample is shown of the space homogeneous calculations in progress

Radionuclides for theranostic applications

High Specific Activity Radionuclides (HSARNs), obtained by either proton, deuteron or alpha cyclotron irradiation, followed by selective radiochemical separation from the irradiated target in No Carrier Added (NCA) form represent a powerful analytical tool in pure and applied sciences and technologicies. One of the main applications of HSARNs concern medical radiodiagnostics and metabolic radiotherapy in the relatively novel theranostic paradigm that involves individual \u201cdual-purpose\u201d radionuclides or radionuclide pairs with emissions suitable for both imaging and therapy in the contest of the age-long dream of personalized medicine. We present some examples of radionuclides produced by deuteron beams irradiation, suitable for theranostics applications

H2 from biofuels and carriers: A concerted homo-heterogeneous kinetic model of ethanol partial oxidation and steam reforming on Rh/Al2O3

Investigating bioethanol as a renewable energy source is crucial in the context of H2-based economy. Ethanol partial oxidation and steam reforming on Rh/Al2O3 represent promising processes that have already proved to be highly tangled reacting systems. In this work, a significant step forward has been done towards the development of an engineering tool that can capture all the relevant features of the process; a combined homo-heterogeneous kinetic scheme was developed and validated against experimental data, informative of the catalytic and thermal activation of the C2-alcohol. In particular, a 36-species reduced homogeneous scheme was developed, able to cap -ture observed trends with a limited computational load. On the other side, a macro-kinetic heterogeneous scheme with six molecular reactions (ethanol oxidative dehydrogenation, total oxidation, decomposition, dehydrogenation, steam reforming and acetaldehyde post -reforming) was tuned to accurately describe ethanol/O2 and ethanol/H2O reacting systems.& COPY; 2023 Hydrogen Energy Publications LLC. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved

Direct electrification of Rh/Al2O3 washcoated SiSiC foams for methane steam reforming: An experimental and modelling study

Electrified methane steam reforming (eMSR) is a promising concept for low-carbon hydrogen production. We investigate an innovative eMSR reactor where SiSiC foams, coated with Rh/Al2O3 catalyst, act as electrical resistances to generate the reaction heat via the Joule effect. The novel system was studied at different temperatures, space velocities, operating pressures and catalyst loadings. Thanks to efficient heating, active catalyst and optimal substrate geometry, complete methane conversions were observed even at a high space velocity of 200000 Nl/h/kgcat. A specific energy demand as low as 1.24 kWh/Nm3H2, with an unprecedented energy efficiency of 81%, was achieved on a washcoated foam with catalyst density of 86.3 g/L (GHSV = 150000 Nl/h/kgcat, S/C = 4.1, ambient pressure). A mathematical model was validated against measured performance indicators and used to design an intensified eMSR unit for small scale H2 production.(c) 2023 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd on behalf of Hydrogen Energy Publications LLC. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (http:// creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/)

Sustainable Hydrogen Production via Sorption Enhanced Reforming of Complex Biorefinery Side Streams in a Fixed Bed Adiabatic Reactor

In this work, sorption enhanced steam reforming is explored as a potential solution for the valorization of gaseous streams recovered from biorefinery hydrogenation processes. The hydrogen content of such streams limits the hydrocarbon conversion in conventional steam reforming due to thermodynamic and kinetic constraints. A previously developed 1D dynamic heterogeneous model of an adiabatic reactor was thus applied to evaluate the effect of H-2 dilution on the performance indicators of the sorption enhanced reforming process. The mathematical model analysis highlights that despite of CO2 capture by the sorbent favorably modifies the thermodynamics of syngas production, H-2 dilution worsens the performance of the sorption enhanced reforming of model H-2/CH4 streams with respect to pure CH4. Results show a drop of 17% for CH4 conversion and a reduction of 15.4% of the captured CO2 on passing from pure methane to a H-2/CH4 feed with a 40/60 molar ratio. However, on increasing the heat capacity of the bed, by replacing part of the sorbent with an inert heat carrier, better performances are calculated for the H-2/CH4 feed matching the pure CH4 case. The presence of C2+ hydrocarbons is assessed as well and the results show a significant improvement in the reformer's performance; in the case of a stream composed of H-2/CH4/C3H8 with a molar ratio 40/45/15, the total hydrocarbon conversion grows to 92.8%, CO2 capture ratio to 82.6%, and H-2 purity to 95.6%. The positive effect is associated with thermal factors that promote the reaction kinetics. Thus, the suitability of the sorption enhanced reforming technology to H-2-rich and C-poor streams is strictly composition dependent; by cofeeding of C2+ hydrocarbons, the process turns into a remarkable solution for converting gaseous streams in pure H-2

Star Formation in the Northern Cloud Complex of NGC 2264

We have made continuum and spectral line observations of several outflow sources in the Mon OB1 dark cloud (NGC 2264) using the Heinrich Hertz Telescope (HHT) and ARO 12m millimeter-wave telescope. This study explores the kinematics and outflow energetics of the young stellar systems observed and assesses the impact star formation is having on the surrounding cloud environment. Our data set incorporates 12CO(3-2), 13CO(3-2), and 12CO(1-0) observations of outflows associated with the sources IRAS 06382+1017 and IRAS 06381+1039, known as IRAS 25 and 27, respectively, in the northern cloud complex. Complementary 870 micron continuum maps were made with the HHT 19 channel bolometer array. Our results indicate that there is a weak (approximately less than 0.5%) coupling between outflow kinetic energy and turbulent energy of the cloud. An analysis of the energy balance in the IRAS 25 and 27 cores suggests they are maintaining their dynamical integrity except where outflowing material directly interacts with the core, such as along the outflow axes.Comment: 28 pages including 6 figures, to be published in ApJ 01 July 2006, v645, 1 issu