Experimental and Numerical Analysis of a Pd-Ag Membrane Unit for Hydrogen Isotope Recovery in a Solid Blanket.

The interest of the fusion community in Pd-Ag membranes has grown in the last decades due to the high value of hydrogen permeability and the possibility of continuous operation, making it a promising technology when a gaseous stream of hydrogen isotopes must be recovered and separated from other impurities. This is the case of the Tritium Conditioning System (TCS) of the European fusion power plant demonstrator, called DEMO. This paper presents an experimental and numerical activity aimed at (i) assessing the Pd-Ag permeator performance under TCS-relevant conditions, (ii) validating a numerical tool for scale-up purposes, and (iii) carrying out a preliminary design of a TCS based on Pd-Ag membranes.

Novel Non-Evaporable Getter Materials and Their Possible Use in Fusion Application for Tritium Recovery.

Non-evaporable getters (NEGs) are metallic compounds of the IV group, particularly titanium and/or zirconium-based alloys and are usually used as pumps in vacuum technologies since they are able to sorb, by chemical reactions, most of the active gas molecules, with particular efficacy towards hydrogen isotopes. This work suggests an alternative application of these materials to fusion nuclear reactors, where there is the need to recover small amount of tritium from the large helium flow rate composing the primary coolant loop. Starting from the tritium mass balance inside the primary coolant loop, the amount of coolant to be routed inside the coolant purification system (CPS) is identified.

Animal assisted interventions in practice: mapping Italian providers.

Animal assisted interventions (AAI) have become increasingly popular in Western countries during the last fifty years, attracting a lot of attention both from the general public and the scientific community. In Italy, similarly to other countries, this evolution has been accompanied by the diffusion of associations delivering AAI. What is the current state of AAI in Italy? How many realities are dealing with AAI? What professionals and animals are involved? The results of the questionnaire here reported have the objective to answer these questions, outlining a snapshot of the distribution and the main features of AAI within Italian territory.

Equine Assisted Interventions (EAIs): Methodological Considerations for Stress Assessment in Horses.

Equine assisted interventions (EAIs) are recently facing an increasing popularity, and are characterized by a wide diversity of practices. However, information on the welfare of animals involved in this kind of activity is often lacking. Horses are highly susceptible to work stressors related to physical constraints and/or to the need to control emotions while interacting with humans.

Medical practitioners' attitudes towards animal assisted interventions. An Italian survey.

Objectives: The present study had a dual purpose: to obtain a comprehensive picture of the Italian medical practitioners' opinions, professional experiences, training needs and knowledge of Animal Assisted Interventions (AAI); and to provide a detailed description of the medical practitioners who are characterized by a strongly positive attitude towards AAI.

Methods: An online survey addressed to Italian medical practitioners was carried out using a 35-items structured questionnaire. Data obtained from the survey were analysed through appropriate summary statistics, analysis of variance (ANOVA) and logistic regression analysis.

High-pressure dissociation of crystalline para-diiodobenzene: optical experiments and Car-Parrinello calculations.

We have investigated the high-pressure properties of the molecular crystal para-diiodobenzene, by combining optical absorption, reflectance, and Raman experiments with Car-Parrinello simulations. The optical absorption edge exhibits a large red shift from 4 eV at ambient conditions to about 2 eV near 30 GPa. Reflectance measurements up to 80 GPa indicate a redistribution of oscillator strength toward the near-infrared.