Judul: Sulfonation of waste cassava to produce superabsorbent.
Abstrak: Onggok is a waste product of tapioca industries which has low economical value. The aim of this research is to find a way to increase the added value of onggok by transforming it into a superabsorbent. The making of superabsorbent from onggok was preparated through sulfonation and preceded by oxidation. In this experiment the oxidation was carried out with 3 levels of reaction time, i.e. 210, 270, and 330 minutes. While sulfonation was carried out with 3 levels of concentration of NaHSO3, that are 15, 20 and 35 g and 3 levels of sulfonation time of 120, 180 and 240 minutes. The absorption capacity of the product was evaluated through their absorption capacity, carried out by immersing the product for 4 hours in a known volume of distill water. Its absorptive capacity is calculated based on its sample weight increases due to water absorption. The results show that the highest absorption capacity was indicated by the sample with 270 minutes of oxidation, 240 minutes of sulfonation time and 20 g of NaHSO3. Its absorption capacity was 38.54 g/g. The result of FTIR spectroscopic study and sulfur analysis indicated that bisulfite ions are incorporated into cellulose molecules of onggok
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Judul: Sintesis Superabsorben melalui Kopolimerisasi Pencangkokan Akrilamida pada Onggok Dialdehida
Abstrak: Cassava waste pulp (onggok) from the tapioca industry is abundant in Indonesia. Cassava waste pulp still has relatively high carbohydrate content, mainly starch and glucose, which is potencial to be utilized as superabsorbent raw material. The goal of this work was to synthesize superabsorbent material from cassava waste pulp through oxidation followed by graft copolymerization. The oxidation was carried out with sodium periodate (NaIO4) to break the C2-C3 bond in the glucose ring. Various concentration of NaIO4 solution (0.01, 0.05, and 0.10 M), oxidation time (15 and 60 min), and washing solutions (distilled water, methanol, and acetone) were used to obtain the optimum aldehyde group amount (the optimum C2-C3 bond cleavage) and the best products resistance against microbes. Optimum oxidation were by conditions using 0.05 M NaIO4 in 1 hour and washed with acetone. Graft copolymerization process was performed by using acrylamide, methylene-bis-acrylamide, and ammonium persulfate. The copolymerization products were then saponified to increase the water absorption capacity. The test result showed that the superabsorbent could swell up to 400 times of their original weight in distilled water. However, the capacities were decreased in salt solution as well as in acid and basic solutions.
Keyword: acrylamide, copolymerization, onggok, oxidation, superabsorbent

Judul: Psittacosis Sebagai Zoonosis Penting Yang Berasal Dari Burung
Abstrak: Psittacosis atau ornithosis adalah penyakit menular dari burung kepada manusia. Agens penyebab psittacosis termasuk ke dalam virus psittacosis-lymphogranuloma venereum group yang disebut Chlamydia psittaci. C. psittaci hanya dapat berkembang biak di dalam jaringan hidup tetapi peka terhadap antibiotik. Penyebaran penyakit ini sangat luas, terdapat hampir di seluruh dunia. Di Indonesia penyakit ini belum pernah di diagnosa, tetapi mengingat terdapat demikian banyaknya jenis burung maka diperkirakan psittacosis ini sudah ada. Kasus pada manusia pertamakali ditemukan oleh Ritter pada tahun 1879, di Eropa. Waktu itu dikenal sebagai pneumotyphus. Chlamydia psittaci tidak hanya sebagai penyebab infeksi pada burung, juga bisa menyebabkan infeksi pada mamalia diantaranya sapi, kerbau, kambing, domba, babi dan kucing. Pada kucing dikenal sebagai feline pneumonitis. Pada domba atau kambing mengakibatkan enzootic abortion. Pada burung, kalkun merupakan unggas paling rentan diikuti oleh burung psittacine dan burung lain di luar famili psittacidae. Virulensinyapun berbeda-beda. Yang berasal dari kalkun bervirulensi tinggi, sedangkan yang berasal dari burung merpati bisa bervirulensi tinggi bisa juga bervirulensi rendah. Penularan terjadi melalui kontak langsung maupun ti- dak langsung. Penularan melalui telur tidak terjadi. Umumnya penyakit ini memperlihatkan gejala klinis berupa deman, lesu, lemah, anorexia, kurus, diarrhea ber- warna kekuningan, discharge dari mata dan hidung, conjunc- tivitis. Gejala khas pada kalkun adalah istirahat dengan sternum sebagai dasarnya, karena adanya tekanan dari bagian perut yang sakit. Sedangkan pada manusia memperlihatkan adanya demam, kadang-kadang merasa dingin, lesu, sakit kepala yang hebat, sakit pada bagian belakang badan dan photophobia…dst
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