MODIFIKASI PATI HANJELI (Coix lacryma-jobi L.) BERPORI MELALUI ULTRASONIKASI DAN OZONASI

<p>Adlay (Coix lacryma-jobi L.) is a potential source of starch but has not been utilized optimally. Native adlay starch has several weaknesses such as functional properties of low swelling volume and solubility, prone to retrogradation, and low stability. Physical modification of ultrasonication and chemical modification by oxidation using ozone can be an alternative to improve the functional properties of adlay starch through the formation of porous starch. The aim of this research was to produce porous adlay starch by ultrasonication and ozonation. The study consisted of several different treatments on hanjeli starch (ozonation starch, ultrasonication of 15 minutes, ultrasonication of 30 minutes, combined ultrasonication of 15 minutes and 30 minutes with ozonation). The results showed the appearance of pores on the surface of the granules of modified adlay starch with the best results being modified combination of ultrasonication 30 minutes and ozonation, which resulted in a decrease in swelling volume from 18.13 ± 3.98 mL/g to 15.71 ± 0.35 mL/g, an increase in solubility from 6.76 ± 0.62% to 9.59 ± 0.44%, and a decrease in water absorption capacity from 1.25 ± 0.02 g/g to 1.13 ± 0.02 g/ g. Modification of adlay starch by ultrasonication, ozonation, and their combination effectively produced porous starch granules, but did not cause the formation of new functional groups in starch.</p>

Competition between Osmotic Squeezing versus Friction-Driven Swelling of Gels

Some types of hydro-gels have almost the same equilibrium swelling volume in water and in ethylene glycol (EG), a highly viscous liquid completely miscible with water. Experiments showed that when a gel fully swollen with EG is immersed into a large amount of water, it temporarily swells up and then relaxes to the equilibrium volume in water. The temporary swelling is explained by the friction force exerted on the gel network from the outward EG flux In this paper, we experimentally show that the temporary swelling is suppressed by adding linear PEG (polyethylene glycol) in the outer water. Although the suppression seems to be explained by the osmotic pressure (i.e., by the same mechanism as the conventional osmotic squeezing), our theoretical analysis reveals that the effect of PEG is much stronger than that expected from the equilibrium osmotic pressure, implying that the PEG chains are condensed on the gel surface.

Intercalation and calcination as methods to reduce expansive soil properties

The expansive ability of soil causes a series of problems in various sectors. The dominance of smectite clay minerals significantly affects expansive ability because they have an unstable interlayer structure. Cation intercalation and calcination is a treatment method that can increase the stability of the clay interlayer structure. This research investigated the effects of intercalation cations and calcination treatment on the swelling ability and cracking properties in the clay from vertisols; the cations used for intercalation were aluminum and iron. The intercalation tested doses were based on the equivalent weight of 0x, 0.5x, and 1x cation exchange capacity (CEC) clay value. The calcination treatments used were 200°C, 300°C, and no calcination. Each treatment interaction was repeated three times. Parameters observed were the total area, average crack width, average lump area, total number of lumps, moisture content, swelling volume, and pH after treatment. The results showed that each treatment had a significant effect. Clay with an Al intercalation dose of 1x CEC without calcination treatment had the highest total area after drying, which was 41.035 cm²; the lowest average crack width was 0.153 cm, and the smallest swelling volume was 3.6 cm³. In contrast, the clay without intercalation and calcination treatments had a swelling volume up to 10 cm³ on the 7^th day. The clay with an Al intercalation dose of 1x CEC with 200°C calcination exhibited the best results in reducing the expansive clay ability and can be used as a guideline for further testing to reduce the soil’s expansive ability.

Recovered Energy from Salinity Gradients Utilizing Various Poly(Acrylic Acid)-Based Hydrogels

Hydrogels can be utilized to extract energy from salinity gradients when river water mixes with seawater. Saline-sensitive hydrogels exhibit a reversible swelling/shrinking process when they are, alternately, exposed to fresh and saline water. We present a comparison of several poly(acrylic acid)-based hydrogels, including poly(acrylic acid) (PAA), poly(acrylic acid-co-vinylsulfonic acid) (PAA/PVSA), and poly(4-styrenessulfonic acid-co-maleic acid) interpenetrated in a poly(acrylic acid) network (PAA/PSSA-MA). The hydrogels were synthesized by free radical polymerization, copolymerization, and by semi-IPN (interpenetrating polymer network). The hydrogels were placed in a piston-like system to measure the recovered energy. Semi-IPN hydrogels exhibit a much higher recovered energy compared to the copolymer and PAA hydrogel. The recovered energy of 60 g swollen gel was up to 4 J for the PAA/PSSA-MA hydrogel. The obtained energy per gram dried gel was up to 13.3 J/g. The swelling volume of the hydrogels was maintained for 30 cycles without decline in recovered energy.

Insignificant correlation between post-operative swelling and early functional outcome after ankle fusion

Introduction Swelling is a common complication following a foot and ankle surgery, and is one of the most prevalent complaints that patients present at the clinics. While it affects patients’ satisfaction, the relevance between the swelling and clinical outcome remains unclear. Material and Methods This study assessed volume of foot and ankle swelling in 112 patients with history of ankle fusion, the patients’ Foot Function Index (FFI) score, and patients’ satisfaction. The relationships between swelling volume and early outcomes were analysed with Pearson’s correlation coefficient and a scatter plot. Results The mean of swelling volume increase was 120.0 ± 96.2 ml (range 5 ~ 400 ml); pre-operative FFI score mean was 73.7 ± 4.8 % (range 68 % ~ 81 %), 3 months post-operative FFI score mean was 32.8 ± 5.0 % (range 22 % ~ 56 %) and satisfaction scale’s median was 1 (satisfied). In the correlation analysis, while the meaningful Pearson’s correlation coefficient was found with satisfaction scale, swelling volume showed a weak correlation of Pearson’s correlation test with FFI scores (R value = 0.190; p value = 0.045). Conclusions This study revealed that the swelling of the foot and ankle following ankle fusion surgery are not associated with functional clinical outcome. However, because it affects the patients’ satisfaction, we emphasize the need to identify the problem and management of the swelling, while assuring them that the swelling does not correlate with the early functional outcome.

Development of degradable pre-formed particle gel (DPPG) as temporary plugging agent for petroleum drilling and production

Temporary plugging agent (TPA) is widely used in many fields of petroleum reservoir drilling and production, such as temporary plugging while drilling and petroleum well stimulation by diverting in acidizing or fracturing operations. The commonly used TPA mainly includes hard particles, fibers, gels, and composite systems. However, current particles have many limitations in applications, such as insufficient plugging strength and slow degradation rate. In this paper, a degradable pre-formed particle gel (DPPG) was developed. Experimental results show that the DPPG has an excellent static swelling effect and self-degradation performance. With a decrease in the concentration of total monomers or cross-linker, the swelling volume of the synthesized DPPG gradually increases. However, the entire self-degradation time gradually decreases. The increase in 2-acrylamide-2-methylpropanesulfonic acid (AMPS) in the DPPG composition can significantly increase its swelling ratio and shorten the self-degradation time. Moreover, DPPG has excellent high-temperature resistance (150 °C) and high-salinity resistance (200,000 mg/L NaCl). Core displacement results show that the DPPG has a perfect plugging effect in the porous media (the plugging pressure gradient was as high as 21.12 MPa), and the damage to the formation after degradation is incredibly minor. Therefore, the DPPG can be used as an up-and-coming TPA in oil fields.

Negative Piezoresistive Effect in a Stretchable Device Based on a Soft Tunneling Barrier

Piezoresistive soft composite materials are widely used in strain sensing and typically exhibit a decrease in conductivity upon elongation—the so-called positive gauge effect. We demonstrate a thin-film architecture that features the inverse behavior: a strain-induced transition from insulating to metallic conductivity, spanning nine orders of magnitude in conductivity. Our approach is based on a nanometer-scale sandwiched bilayer Au thin film with a polydimethylsiloxane elastomeric barrier layer. Upon application of strain, the thickness of the thin soft barrier decreases because of the strain governed by the Poisson effect, followed by electron-tunneling currents through the barrier, forming an interconnected bilayer metal electrode. An extremely high on–off electrical conductivity ratio (~ 109) is observed over a wide range of working strains (as high as 130%), which mimics the ideal features of a mechanical-force-controlled electric transistor. This conceptual design strategy is expected to benefit a wide range of applications in which operation under minimal standby power could be an essential feature, such as in implantable soft strain sensors and in prosthetic long-term monitoring systems for detecting sudden a swelling/volume expansion of human body organs or blood vessels, thereby helping to avoid acute and severe syndromes.

KAJIAN PROSES OZONASI TEPUNG HANJELI (STUDI LITERATUR)

<p>Hanjeli (<em>Coix lacryma-jobi</em> L.) merupakan tanaman serealia dari famili gramineae yang keberadaanya masih jarang dimanfaatkan sebagai produk olahan pangan. Hanjeli memiliki kandungan protein, lemak, dan vitamin B1 yang tinggi. Pembuatan tepung hanjeli dapat memudahkan dalam pengolahan dan meningkatkan nilai guna hanjeli. Tepung alami memiliki keterbatasan dalam pengaplikasiannya pada produk pangan karena <em>swelling volume </em>yang rendah dan tekstur bantat kurang disukai. Modifikasi oksidasi menggunakan ozon sebagai salah satu oksidator kuat pada tepung dapat meningkatan beberapa sifat fungsional dari tepung alami. Nilai s<em>welling volume, </em>kelarutan, dan kapasitas penyerapan air tepung setelah proses ozonasi lebih tinggi dibandingkan tepung yang tidak diozon.Berdasarkan hasil penelitian, tepung hasil ozonasi ini cocok untuk produk yang harus mengembang seperti kue, roti, brownies, dan lainnya<strong>.</strong></p>

Du Huo Ji Sheng Tang relieves knee osteoarthritis via suppressing NLRP3/NF-κB inflammatory signals in rats

Knee osteoarthritis (KOA) is a common chronic disease in the elderly and leads to a high rate of disability. Du Huo Ji Sheng Tang (DHJST), a Chinese traditional medicinal formula, is a classic prescription for the treatment of KOA. Here, we investigated whether DHJST could inhibit inflammation and treat KOA through suppressing NLRP3/nuclear factor (NF)-κB inflammatory signals in rats. The serum levels of interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-6, IL-10, tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, NLRP3, ASC, Caspase-1, p-NF-κB-P65, and p-IκBa were detected in healthy adults and patients with KOA before and after treatment. Sprague Dawley (SD) rats were divided into normal group, model group, diclofenac sodium group (5 mg/kg), DHJST high-dose group (1 g/kg), and DHJST low-dose group (0.5 g/kg). The right hind knee joint of the rats, except normal group, was injected with 4% papain (0.25 mL/kg) once every 7 days for three times. All rats were treated for 3 weeks. The swelling volume of right hind paw; five classification of inflammatory cells in synovial fluid; pathological changes of the knee-joint synovial membrane and cartilage; levels of IL-1β, IL-6, and TNF-α in serum and knee-joint synovial fluid; and the expressions of NLRP3/NF-κB inflammatory signals in the knee-joint synovial membrane were detected. The serum levels of IL-1β, IL-6, IL-10, TNF-α, NLRP3, ASC, Caspase-1, p-NF-κB-P65, and p-IκBa in KOA patients treated with DHJST were significantly decreased. The KOA rats treated with DHJST showed significant decreases in swelling volume of right hind paws; the percentage of leukocyte, lymphocyte, neutrophil, and eosinophils in synovial fluid; the levels of IL-1β, IL-6, and TNF-α in serum and knee-joint synovial fluid; and the expressions of NLRP3 ASC, Caspase-1, IL-1β, p-NF-κB-P65, and p-IκBa in the knee-joint synovial membrane, and showed an alleviation in pathological changes of the knee-joint synovial membrane and cartilage. Our data provide the first evidence that DHJST relieves KOA via suppressing NLRP3/NF-κB inflammatory signals in rats