Judul: Kualitas Parallel Strand Lumber dari Limbah Batang Kelapa Sawit dengan Perendaman Larutan Perekat Fenol Formaldehida
Abstrak: Inovasi pembuatan parallel strand lumber (PSL) dari limbah batang kelapa sawit dimaksudkan untuk meningkatkan karakteristik dari batang kelapa sawit serta mengembangkan alternatif bahan baku selain kayu. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk menganalisis pengaruh durasi perendaman batang kelapa sawit pada larutan perekat fenol formaldehida terhadap karakteristik PSL. Variasi waktu perendaman yang digunakan pada penelitian ini yaitu 30, 60, 90, dan 120 menit. Hasil penelitian ini menunjukkan bahwa nilai kadar air berkisar 9.19–10.15%. Nilai Kerapatan berkisar 0.75–0.91 kg/cm3. Nilai susut volume berkisar 5.18–5.62%. Nilai modulus of elasticity (MOE) berkisar 53.7 × 103–103.2 × 103 kg/cm3, sedangkan nilai modulus of rupture (MOR) berkisar 358–596 kg/cm2. Nilai keteguhan tekan berkisar 301.86–439.96 kg/cm2. Nilai kekerasan arah horizontal, vertikal, dan sejajar serat masing-masing berkisar 439.17 – 747.41 kg/cm2, 361.86–526.01 kg/cm2 dan 285.09–451.09 kg/cm2. Produk dari penelitian ini belum memenuhi standar JAS 1152 : 2007. Produk PSL terbaik dibuat dengan perendaman larutan perekat fenol formaldehida selama 120 menit.
Keyword: batang kelapa sawit, fenol formaldehida, parallel strand lumber

Judul: Karakteristik Parallel Strand Lumber (PSL) dari Long Strand Limbah Batang Kelapa Sawit (Elaeis guineensis Jacq.) dengan Perlakuan Pendahuluan Perendaman Perekat Urea Formaldehida.
Abstrak: Pembuatan Parallel Strand Lumber (PSL) adalah salah satu upaya dalam pemanfaatan limbah batang kelapa sawit. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk menghasilkan PSL berkualitas tinggi dari limbah batang kelapa sawit menggunakan teknik perendaman dengan perekat Urea Formaldehida (UF). Perlakuan pendahuluan perendaman meliputi 0 menit, 30 menit, 60 menit, 90 menit, dan 120 menit. Pengujian sifat fisis dan sifat mekanis berdasarkan pada standar Japanese Agricultural Standard (JAS) 1152:2007. Sifat fisis yang diteliti meliputi pengujian kadar air, kerapatan, dan susut volume. Selain itu, sifat mekanis yang diteliti yaitu uji Modulus of Rupture (MOR) sejajar serat, Modulus of Elasticity (MOE) sejajar serat, dan uji tekan sejajar serat. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan nilai kadar air PSL berkisar 9.4-10.3%. Nilai kerapatan berkisar 0.74-0.91 g/cm³. Nilai susut volume berkisar 5.3-5.8%. Nilai MOE sejajar serat berkisar 63.90x10³-70.69x10³ kg/cm². Nilai MOR sejajar serat berkisar 474-705 kg/cm². Nilai uji tekan sejajar serat berkisar 483.0-642.2 kg/cm². Perlakuan pendahuluan perendaman terbaik adalah durasi 120 menit. Perlakuan pendahuluan perendaman perekat UF dapat meningkatkan kualitas PSL. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan sifat fisis dan mekanis PSL memenuhi standar JAS 1152:2007, kecuali nilai pengujian MOE sejajar serat.
Keyword: batang kelapa sawit, Parallel Strand Lumber (PSL), perendaman, urea formaldehida

Judul: Distribution and Diversity of Ectoparasite Mites on Geckos in Indonesia
Abstrak: Data on the diversity and dispersal of parasitic mites on house geckos in Indonesia are very scarce. In this work, the distribution and diversity of mites living on three species of house geckos, namely Cosymbotus platyurus, Hemidactylus frenatus, and H. garnotii collected throughout Indonesia, has been elaborated. Geckos and mites were captured and immediately preserved in 70% ethanol. Whole mount of the mites was prepared by clearing in lactophenol followed by mounting on polyvinyl lactophenol solutions. The SEM preparation was conducted to examine the detail morphological characters of the mites. The results showed that among 448 individuals of geckos, 221 geckos were infected by Geckobia mites. Prevalences of C. platyurus, H. frenatus, and H. garnotii infested by mites were 14.8%, 50.69%, and 79.6%, respectively. Three different spesies of Geckobia (G1, G2, and G3) could be differentiated; and based on similarities of their morphological characters to ones described in published literatures, Geckobia G2 is Geckobia glebosum and Geckobia G3 is Geckobia bataviensis while G1 could not be identified to the species level. The highest mean intensity of Geckobia G1 infestation was found on H. garnotii (I=7.0), G. glebosum infestation on H. frenatus (I=3.5), and G. bataviensis infestation on H. garnotii (I=11.8). In general, C. platyurus was infested by the least number of mites. Geckobia G1 were found living on the skin folds on the claws, G. glebosum were found mainly on the body and thigh, and G. bataviensis were found on almost all parts of the host’s body. Geckobia mites are distributed randomly throughout Indonesian Archipelago, following the pattern of distribution of their hosts. So it is concluded that Geckobia G1, G. glebosum, and G. bataviensis are sympatric.
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