Measurement of the time-integrated CPCP asymmetry in D0→KS0KS0D^0 \to K^0_S K^0_S decays

The time-integrated $CP$ asymmetry in the decay $D^0 \to K^0_S K^0_S$ is measured using $3 fb^{-1}$ of proton-proton collision data collected by the LHCb experiment at centre-of-mass energies of 7 and 8 TeV. The flavour of the $D^0$ meson is determined by use of the decay $D^{*+} \to D^0 \pi^+$ and its charge conjugate mode. The result is $${\cal A}_{CP} = -0.029 \pm 0.052 \pm 0.022,$$ where the first uncertainty is statistical and the second systematic. The result is consistent with Standard Model expectations and improves the uncertainty with respect to the only previous measurement of this quantity by more than a factor of three.Comment: All figures and tables, along with any supplementary material and additional information, are available at https://lhcbproject.web.cern.ch/lhcbproject/Publications/LHCbProjectPublic/LHCb-PAPER-2015-030.htm

The effect of biomass pretreatment on catalytic pyrolysis products of pine wood by Py-GC/MS and principal component analysis

© 2018 Elsevier B.V. Non-catalytic and catalytic pyrolysis of pretreated pine wood was conducted using pyrolysis-gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (Py-GC/MS). Biomass pretreatment included acid-leaching, torrefaction, and acid-leaching followed by torrefaction. Forty-five pyrolysis products were identified in the Py-GC/MS chromatograms and their peak area data evaluated by principal component analysis. In non-catalytic pyrolysis, acid-leaching pretreatment enhanced the levels of levoglucosan, while torrefaction pretreatment enhanced the proportion of catechols in the volatile products. Increasing both the temperature and catalyst loading in catalytic pyrolysis promoted the formation of aromatic hydrocarbons. At lower pyrolysis temperatures (450–500 °C), acid-leaching pretreatment resulted in slightly lower proportions of aromatics, while torrefaction pretreatment had the opposite effect. Overall, temperature and catalyst loading were considerably more important factors in catalytic fast pyrolysis of pine wood than biomass pretreatment as studied by Py-GC/MS

Central nervous system medication use in older adults with intellectual disability: Results from the successful ageing in intellectual disability study

OBJECTIVE: Information on the rates and predictors of polypharmacy of central nervous system medication in older people with intellectual disability is limited, despite the increased life expectancy of this group. This study examined central nervous system medication use in an older sample of people with intellectual disability

Catalytic Fast Pyrolysis of Demineralized Biomass in a Fluidized Bed Reactor: Effects of Acid-Leaching and Torrefaction Pretreatments

In situ catalytic fast pyrolysis of pretreated wood was investigated using a fluidized bed reactor. The pretreatments included acid-leaching, torrefaction, and a combined pretreatment of acid-leaching followed by torrefaction. Acid-leaching reduced amounts of biomass minerals introduced into the process. However, acid-leaching caused agglomeration during pyrolysis leading to reactor defluidization. Acid-leaching also resulted in an upgraded bio-oil that was less deoxygenated compared to the corresponding bio-oil obtained from raw wood. Conversely, torrefaction had a beneficial effect leading to an increased yield of upgraded bio-oil without affecting its chemical composition. Torrefaction of the acid-leached wood prevented agglomeration, reversed the negative effect acid-leaching had on bio-oil quality, and gave an improvement in upgraded bio-oil yield. These effects, combined with the removal of biomass minerals that are detrimental to the catalyst, suggests acid-leaching coupled with torrefaction is a promising pretreatment to improve in situ catalytic fast pyrolysis of lignocellulosic biomass from a technical viewpoint