Gasification of rice hulls into methane by rumen fluid: A simulation study

Methane gas, the third widely-used source of energy, has been identified as a potential alternative to climate-change causing fuels. Due to increased climate change awareness, recent trends in researches have shifted their focus on optimizing production rates of methane gas. This study contributes to research by investigating the degree of conversion of rice hulls into methane using rumen fluid. We first identify the kinetic parameters defining therate of hydrolyzing rice hulls into glucose by implementing a semi-factorial experimental design. We then simulated methane production in four different reactor configurations. Historical data were extracted from different literatures and these were subsequently used in the simulation study. Simulation results showed that the continuous stirred tank reactor (CSTR) gave the shortest reaction time and highest methane yield which ranged from 7.1 9.5 mol/L and 3 4 days, respectively. In conclusion, this study provides an alternative approach to the conduct of understanding the optimal conditions necessary to achieve maximal methane gas production

Optimization of furfural extraction from Theobrama cacao wastes using response surface methodology

Cacao farming in the Philippines is continually expanding due to an influx of government support and funding. Although a comprehensive development program was implemented, the large volume of cacao biomass waste generated annually remains underutilized. In an attempt to provide a means of reusing this waste, we test the extent to which furfural can be extracted from cacao pod wastes. A box-behnken experimental design was used to obtain the optimal conditions in the acid-catalyzed extraction of crude furfural. Extraction time (min), hydrochloric acid concentration (M), and amount of sodium chloride (g) were found to have a significant influence on the extraction yield of crude furfural. Actual values of these independent variables were chosen on the basis of preliminary experimental results. Optimum conditions using ridge analysis were found to be: extraction time 35.0 min, hydrochloric acid concentration 5.0 M, and amount of sodium chloride 7.0 g. Furfural extraction was also performed at optimum conditions to assess the validity of the empirical model. In conclusion, the high furfural extraction yield obtained in our experiments presents an opportunity to harness these unregulated wastes in producing high quality products

Moringa-functionalized rice husk ash adsorbent for the removal of amoxicillin in aqueous solution

Lack of stringent policies requiring water treatment facilities to combat occurrence of residual antibiotics in effluents critically impairs the resiliency of low-income communities to drug-resistant pathogens. In an attempt to mitigate the effects of residual drugs in aqueous media, we investigate the extent to which rice husk ash (RHA) functionalized by Moringaoleifera protein (MOP) sequestrates amoxicillin in solution. A semi-factorial design was implemented to evaluate the influence of initial amoxicillin concentration, initial MOP functionalized RHA dosage, and contact time on the removal on amoxicillin in water. Results of our experiments have shown that MOP functionalization enhanced RHA by doubling its rate to sequestrate amoxicillin molecules in solution. This strongly indicated that MOP adhered on the surface of RHA significantly improved its capacity to remove amoxicillin contamination in aqueous solution. Statistical analysis employed further supported our results by implying a significant difference between the performance of MOP-functionalized and bare RHA. In conclusion, our results strongly suggest that MOP functionalization can be a potential practical solution to alleviate the vulnerability of communities to emerging antibiotic pollution

Optimization of microwave-assisted alkaline pre-treatment method for the cellulolytic fermentation of abaca stripping waste into glucose

Abaca fiber remains a vital export product that contributes primarily to the continuous economic growth of the Philippines. However, the voluminous amount of byproducts generated has consistently caused setbacks which often result to major losses to the growing abaca industry in the country. In an attempt to provide a practical solution to the emerging problem, we investigate the utilization of abaca stripping waste (ASW) as a precursor material to produce bioethanol. We test the extent of conversion of the hemicellulose-rich by product to glucose. A box-behnken experimental design was used to obtain the optimal conditions in the conversion process. Alkaline concentration (%), microwave power (W), and microwave time (min) were found to have significant influence on the glucose yield. Actual values of these independent variables were chosen on the basis of preliminary experimental results. Optimum conditions using ridge analysis were found to be: alkaline concentration 2.55%, microwave power 124.0 W, and microwave time at 1.0 min. Conversion to glucose was also performed at optimum conditions. In conclusion, a high glucose yield obtained which is suitable for bioethanol fermentation presents evidence encouraging the utilization of abaca stripping waste to produce high value products

Optimization of lead (II) removal in leachates using Moringa oleifera seeds

The absence of comprehensive programs in regulating release of lead to the environment in growing cities situated in developing countries results to widespread intrusion of lead bioaccumulation in their primary sources of food. As a result, a significant increase in lead related diseases continually grows in many low income regions. In an attempt to provide a means of minimizing lead bioaccumulation, we test the extent to which Moringaoleifera seeds (MOS) removes lead (II) ions in aqueous solution. A box-behnken experimental design was used to obtain the optimal conditions in the lead (II) removal process. MOS dosage, initial lead (II) concentration, and pH were found to have significant effects on the percent removal of lead (II) in solution. Actual values of these independent variables were chosen on the basis of preliminary experimental results. Optimum conditions were found to be: MOS dosage 10.0 g/L, initial lead (II) concentration 20.0 ppm, and pH at 5.5. Lead removal using MOS was also performed at optimal conditions. In conclusion, a high lead (II) removal using MOS strongly suggests its potential to be used as a means of treating liquids highly contaminated with lead

Optimization of pectin extraction from the native fruit of Garcinia binucao using response surface methodology

Citrus supply for pectin primers in the world market is continually under threat due to the widespread of uncontrolled citrus greening disease outbreaks. As a consequence, a market squeeze in pectin supply was experienced globally and further resulted to a significant surge in prices of pectin derived products. In an attempt to provide an alternative source of pectin primers to the pectin-making industry, we investigate a novel and promising pectin primer native to the Philippines. In this work, we explored extraction of pectin from fruits of the Garcinia binucao tree (GBT). We implement a response surface methodology (RSM) to optimize the extraction of pectin from GBT. Box-behken experimental design was used to obtain the optimal conditions in the extraction process. Temperature (°C), extraction time (min), and pH were found to have significant effects on the pectin yield. Actual values of these independent variables were chosen on the basis of preliminary experimental results. Optimum conditions using ridge analysis were found to be: temperature 72.4°C, extraction time 117.5 min, and pH at 1.68. In conclusion, a high pectin yield obtained from GBT fruits strongly suggests that these fruits are promising alternative primers in pectin production

Search for dark matter produced in association with bottom or top quarks in √s = 13 TeV pp collisions with the ATLAS detector

A search for weakly interacting massive particle dark matter produced in association with bottom or top quarks is presented. Final states containing third-generation quarks and miss- ing transverse momentum are considered. The analysis uses 36.1 fb−1 of proton–proton collision data recorded by the ATLAS experiment at √s = 13 TeV in 2015 and 2016. No significant excess of events above the estimated backgrounds is observed. The results are in- terpreted in the framework of simplified models of spin-0 dark-matter mediators. For colour- neutral spin-0 mediators produced in association with top quarks and decaying into a pair of dark-matter particles, mediator masses below 50 GeV are excluded assuming a dark-matter candidate mass of 1 GeV and unitary couplings. For scalar and pseudoscalar mediators produced in association with bottom quarks, the search sets limits on the production cross- section of 300 times the predicted rate for mediators with masses between 10 and 50 GeV and assuming a dark-matter mass of 1 GeV and unitary coupling. Constraints on colour- charged scalar simplified models are also presented. Assuming a dark-matter particle mass of 35 GeV, mediator particles with mass below 1.1 TeV are excluded for couplings yielding a dark-matter relic density consistent with measurements

Multidifferential study of identified charged hadron distributions in ZZ-tagged jets in proton-proton collisions at s=\sqrt{s}=13 TeV

Jet fragmentation functions are measured for the first time in proton-proton collisions for charged pions, kaons, and protons within jets recoiling against a $Z$ boson. The charged-hadron distributions are studied longitudinally and transversely to the jet direction for jets with transverse momentum 20 $< p_{\textrm{T}} < 100$ GeV and in the pseudorapidity range $2.5 < \eta < 4$. The data sample was collected with the LHCb experiment at a center-of-mass energy of 13 TeV, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 1.64 fb$^{-1}$. Triple differential distributions as a function of the hadron longitudinal momentum fraction, hadron transverse momentum, and jet transverse momentum are also measured for the first time. This helps constrain transverse-momentum-dependent fragmentation functions. Differences in the shapes and magnitudes of the measured distributions for the different hadron species provide insights into the hadronization process for jets predominantly initiated by light quarks.Comment: All figures and tables, along with machine-readable versions and any supplementary material and additional information, are available at https://cern.ch/lhcbproject/Publications/p/LHCb-PAPER-2022-013.html (LHCb public pages

Study of the B−→Λc+Λˉc−K−B^{-} \to \Lambda_{c}^{+} \bar{\Lambda}_{c}^{-} K^{-} decay

The decay $B^{-} \to \Lambda_{c}^{+} \bar{\Lambda}_{c}^{-} K^{-}$ is studied in proton-proton collisions at a center-of-mass energy of $\sqrt{s}=13$ TeV using data corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 5 $\mathrm{fb}^{-1}$ collected by the LHCb experiment. In the $\Lambda_{c}^+ K^{-}$ system, the $\Xi_{c}(2930)^{0}$ state observed at the BaBar and Belle experiments is resolved into two narrower states, $\Xi_{c}(2923)^{0}$ and $\Xi_{c}(2939)^{0}$, whose masses and widths are measured to be $$m(\Xi_{c}(2923)^{0}) = 2924.5 \pm 0.4 \pm 1.1 \,\mathrm{MeV}, \\ m(\Xi_{c}(2939)^{0}) = 2938.5 \pm 0.9 \pm 2.3 \,\mathrm{MeV}, \\ \Gamma(\Xi_{c}(2923)^{0}) = \phantom{000}4.8 \pm 0.9 \pm 1.5 \,\mathrm{MeV},\\ \Gamma(\Xi_{c}(2939)^{0}) = \phantom{00}11.0 \pm 1.9 \pm 7.5 \,\mathrm{MeV},$$ where the first uncertainties are statistical and the second systematic. The results are consistent with a previous LHCb measurement using a prompt $\Lambda_{c}^{+} K^{-}$ sample. Evidence of a new $\Xi_{c}(2880)^{0}$ state is found with a local significance of $3.8\,\sigma$, whose mass and width are measured to be $2881.8 \pm 3.1 \pm 8.5\,\mathrm{MeV}$ and $12.4 \pm 5.3 \pm 5.8 \,\mathrm{MeV}$, respectively. In addition, evidence of a new decay mode $\Xi_{c}(2790)^{0} \to \Lambda_{c}^{+} K^{-}$ is found with a significance of $3.7\,\sigma$. The relative branching fraction of $B^{-} \to \Lambda_{c}^{+} \bar{\Lambda}_{c}^{-} K^{-}$ with respect to the $B^{-} \to D^{+} D^{-} K^{-}$ decay is measured to be $2.36 \pm 0.11 \pm 0.22 \pm 0.25$, where the first uncertainty is statistical, the second systematic and the third originates from the branching fractions of charm hadron decays.Comment: All figures and tables, along with any supplementary material and additional information, are available at https://cern.ch/lhcbproject/Publications/p/LHCb-PAPER-2022-028.html (LHCb public pages

Measurement of the ratios of branching fractions R(D∗)\mathcal{R}(D^{*}) and R(D0)\mathcal{R}(D^{0})

The ratios of branching fractions $\mathcal{R}(D^{*})\equiv\mathcal{B}(\bar{B}\to D^{*}\tau^{-}\bar{\nu}_{\tau})/\mathcal{B}(\bar{B}\to D^{*}\mu^{-}\bar{\nu}_{\mu})$ and $\mathcal{R}(D^{0})\equiv\mathcal{B}(B^{-}\to D^{0}\tau^{-}\bar{\nu}_{\tau})/\mathcal{B}(B^{-}\to D^{0}\mu^{-}\bar{\nu}_{\mu})$ are measured, assuming isospin symmetry, using a sample of proton-proton collision data corresponding to 3.0 fb${ }^{-1}$ of integrated luminosity recorded by the LHCb experiment during 2011 and 2012. The tau lepton is identified in the decay mode $\tau^{-}\to\mu^{-}\nu_{\tau}\bar{\nu}_{\mu}$. The measured values are $\mathcal{R}(D^{*})=0.281\pm0.018\pm0.024$ and $\mathcal{R}(D^{0})=0.441\pm0.060\pm0.066$, where the first uncertainty is statistical and the second is systematic. The correlation between these measurements is $\rho=-0.43$. Results are consistent with the current average of these quantities and are at a combined 1.9 standard deviations from the predictions based on lepton flavor universality in the Standard Model.Comment: All figures and tables, along with any supplementary material and additional information, are available at https://cern.ch/lhcbproject/Publications/p/LHCb-PAPER-2022-039.html (LHCb public pages