Judul: Sintesis dan Pencirian Hidrogel Poli(asam akrilat)-ko-Polivinil Alkohol dengan Teknik Iradiasi Gamma.
Abstrak: Hidrogel adalah polimer hidrofili dengan jaringan 3 dimensi dan mampu menyerap air. Penelitian ini bertujuan menyintesis hidrogel poli(asam akrilat-ko-polivinil alkohol) dengan iradiasi gamma serta mencirikannya. Dosis radiasi yang digunakan untuk sintesis sebesar 10 kGy. Hidrogel dengan penambahan 1 g PVA menunjukan nisbah pengembung tertinggi yakni 400 g/g pada waktu perendaman 60 menit dan EDS sebesar 264 g/g. Fraksi gel tertinggi ialah sebesar 97% diperoleh dari penambahan 1 g PVA. Pengujian dalam larutan NaCl memenuhi aturan ISO 17190-5-2001 sehingga hidrogel poli(asam akrilat-ko-polivinil alkohol) dapat diaplikasikan sebagai produk personal care, seperti popok bayi.
Keyword: asam akrilat, hidrogel, iradiasi gamma, polivinil alkohol

Judul: Sintesis dan Pencirian Hidrogel Superabsorben Poli(kalium akrilat ko-kitosan) dengan Teknik Iradiasi Gamma
Abstrak: Hidrogel superabsorben (HSA) adalah polimer bertaut silang yang mampu menyerap air ratusan hingga ribuan kali dari bobot keringnya, tetapi tidak larut dalam air disebabkan adanya struktur 3 dimensi pada jaringan polimernya. Tujuan penelitian ini adalah menyintesis HSA poli(kalium akrilat-ko-kitosan) dengan teknik iradiasi gamma serta penciriannya. Konsentrasi penetralan asam akrilat dan dosis iradiasi terbaik ditentukan terlebih dahulu dari nilai nisbah pengembung dan Equilibrium Degree of Swelling (EDS) tertinggi, yaitu konsentrasi penetralan 50% mol KOH dan dosis iradiasi 5 kGy. Kondisi reaksi tersebut digunakan untuk menyintesis HSA poli(kalium akrilat-ko-kitosan). Hidrogel superabsorben poli(kalium akrilat-ko-kitosan) dengan penambahan 0.50 g kitosan menunjukkan nilai nisbah pengembung terbesar, yaitu 194 g/g pada waktu perendaman 120 menit dan EDS sebesar 358 g/g. Tambahan kitosan dapat menurunkan nisbah pengembung HSA poli(kalium akrilat-ko-kitosan) Perendaman dalam larutan NaCl, KCl, dan CaCl2 0.09% b/v menurunkan nisbah pengembung. HSA poli(kalium akrilat-ko-kitosan) dapat diaplikasikan sebagai personal careproducts, seperti (popok bayi dan pembalut wanita).
Keyword: asam akrilat, hidrogel superabsorben, iradiasi gamma, kitosan

Judul: Habitat characteristics of timor friarbird philemon inornatus in Camplong Landscape Kupang District, East Nusa Tenggara
Abstrak: Timor Friarbird (Philemon inornatus, G. R. Gray, 1846) is one of the six endemic birds of Timor and is a protected species. The population of bird is suspected to have been decreasing over the past six years along with the decreasing of the quantity and quality of physical and biotic factors of its habitat. Knowledge on landscape spatial pattern could be used to evaluate the quantity and quality of habitat. This research aimed at identifying spatial habitat characteristics of Timor Friarbird based on dominant factors of physical and biotic habitat components. Principle Component Analysis (PCA) on the physical habitat factors showed that variables that have strong correlation with the presence of the bird were Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), slope, distance from secondary forest, distance from bush, distance from cashew plantation, distance from crop plantation, and distance from roads. The biotic factors that have strong correlation with the presence of Timor Friarbird were the total number of plant species, number of plants used for food and cover, and mean height of trees. Height of poles was the only variable that has no correlation with the presence of Timor Friarbird. The most dominant physical and biotic factors that influent the presence of Timor Friarbird at a site are the density of foraging trees, slope, distance from the river, the distance from secondary forest, the density of cover pole and the distance from road. The estimation population of Timor Friarbird in Camplong region is low; this might be caused by low feeding tree density, high rates of poaching, the uneven distribution of feed vegetation and the flowering season, habitat degradation due to illegal logging, grazing cattle in the wild, and invasion of siam weed or chromolaena (Chromolaena odorata). The results of land cover classification at Camplong region based on Landsat_5 Thematic Mapper (TM) image with ArcGIS 9.3 and Erdas 9.1 obtained 11 land cover classes, with shrub as the dominant class. Keyword: Philemon inornatus, Habitat Spatial Characteristics, PCA, Population, Land Cover
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