Ethanol oxidative steam reforming over Ni-based catalysts

Oxidative steam reforming of ethanol for hydrogen prodn. in order to feed a solid polymer fuel cell (SPFC) has been studied over several catalysts at on board conditions (a molar ratio of H2O/EtOH and of O2/EtOH equal to 1.6 and 0.68 resp.) and a reforming temp. between 923 and 1073 K. Two Ni (11 and 20 wt.%)/Al2O3 catalysts and five bimetallic catalysts, all of them supported on Al2O3, were tested. The bimetallic catalysts were Ni (approx. 20 wt.%) based catalysts doped with Cr (0.65 wt.%), Fe (0.6 wt.%), Zn (0.7 wt.%) or Cu (0.6 and 3.1 wt.%). The results in terms of H2 prodn. and CO2/COx ratio obtained over Ni-based catalysts supported on Al2O3 are compared with those obtained over Ni-Cu/SiO2 and Rh/Al2O3 catalysts reported in our previous works. Tendencies of the product selectivities are analyzed in the light of the reaction network proposed

Spatially resolved catalysis in microstructured reactors by IR spectroscopy: CO oxidation over mono- and bifunctional Pt catalysts

A new experimental reactor concept is presented for spatially resolved DRIFTS surface analysis in a microstructured catalytic reactor. Both gas and surface adspecies concentration profiles can be established along the channels coated with a catalyst. The oxidation of carbon monoxide was studied from 25 to 300 degrees C over a Pt/Al2O3 and a Pt/CeO2-Al2O3 catalyst. For these operating conditions, nearly isothermal conditions were observed for the microstructured reactor, with a continuous linear increase in the reaction product along the micro-channels. In contrast, an important thermal effect with the characteristic light-off was obtained in a fixed bed DRIFTS reactor, underlining the unique behavior of the microstructured system. Modeling of the CO conversion and surface adspecies concentration as a function of the temperature along the channels was performed based on a mono-functional reaction mechanism for the case of the alumina-supported catalyst or a bifunctional one taking into account sites on the platinum particles and on the ceria support for the case of the ceria-supported system. The model permits an adequate description of the data along the reactor axis over both catalysts. It underlines the important role of ceria in the creation of an additional site for oxygen chemisorption and the transfer of oxygen to the active site on the Pt/support interface. It also provides new insights in the change of the rate-controlling step from being the oxygen chemisorption on platinum to the CO2 production at the platinum/ceria interface

Addressing current challenges and future directions in immuno-oncology: expert perspectives from the 2017 NIBIT Foundation Think Tank, Siena, Italy.

A collaborative think tank involving panellists from immuno-oncology networks, clinical/translational investigators and the pharmaceutical industry was held in Siena, Italy, in October 2017 to discuss the evolving immune-oncology landscape, identify selected key challenges, and provide a perspective on the next steps required in the translation of current research and knowledge to clinical reality. While there is a trend of combining new agents (e.g., co-stimulator agonists) with a PD-1/PD-L1 treatment backbone, use of alternative combination therapy approaches should also be considered. While the rapid evolution in systems biology provides a deeper understanding of tumor and tumor microenvironment heterogeneity, there remains the need to identify and define genuinely predictive biomarkers to guide treatment and patient selection. Cross-specialty and cross-sector collaboration, along with a broader collective data-sharing approach are key to optimizing immuno-oncology therapy in clinical practice. Continued support of younger research-clinicians is essential for future success in clinical, translational and basic science investigations

A vision of immuno-oncology: the Siena think tank of the Italian network for tumor biotherapy (NIBIT) foundation

Background: The yearly Think Tank Meeting of the Italian Network for Tumor Biotherapy (NIBIT) Foundation, brings together in Siena, Tuscany (Italy), experts in immuno-oncology to review the learnings from current immunotherapy treatments, and to propose new pre-clinical and clinical investigations in selected research areas. Main: While immunotherapies in non-small cell lung cancer and melanoma led to practice changing therapies, the same therapies had only modest benefit for patients with other malignancies, such as mesothelioma and glioblastoma. One way to improve on current immunotherapies is to alter the sequence of each combination agent. Matching the immunotherapy to the host’s immune response may thus improve the activity of the current treatments. A second approach is to combine current immunotherapies with novel agents targeting complementary mechanisms. Identifying the appropriate novel agents may require different approaches than the traditional laboratory-based discovery work. For example, artificial intelligence-based research may help focusing the search for innovative and most promising combination partners. Conclusion: Novel immunotherapies are needed in cancer patients with resistance to or relapse after current immunotherapeutic drugs. Such new treatments may include targeted agents or monoclonal antibodies to overcome the immune-suppressive tumor microenvironment. The mode of combining the novel treatments, including vaccines, needs to be matched to the patient’s immune status for achieving the maximum benefit. In this scenario, specific attention should be also paid nowadays to the immune intersection between COVID-19 and cancer