Thermal Insulation Blocks Made of Sunflower Pith Particles and Polysaccharide-Based Binders: Influence of Binder Type and Content on Their Characteristics

Co-product of sunflower cultivation, pith of stem has a little exploited insulating potential. Blocks in which pith particles are glued together using a starch-based binder have already been obtained. However, they are highly water-sensitive. Replacing this binder with others has been considered here. Polysaccharide-based binders were tested, chosen for their more hydrophobic character: sodium alginate, chitosan, Citrus pectin, and a modified starch. Like starch, these binders are physically binding. They are first solubilised in water (except chitosan, dissolved in 2% acetic acid). The solution is then mixed with pith particles before cold compression molding for 90 s. A 10% binder content was initially considered. The blocks were all cohesive with a dry density from 36 to 42 kg/m3). Their performances were assessed through water absorption capacity and resistance via capillary absorption tests on wet sponges, mechanical test and thermal conductivity. Chitosan and pectin-based blocks show the best properties, particularly concerning water resistance and mechanical properties. The pectin-based block has improved its elastic modulus by 40% compared to a starch-based block. The pectin-based block in its case absorbs 2.7 times less water than starch. Finally, thermal conductivities of pectin and chitosan-based pith blocks are in the same order of magnitude as for starch (39.8-40.1 mW/m.K), and close to values from commercial materials (e.g., polystyrene). Pectin and chitosan were also tested at three rates (5%, 10% and 15%). A significant improvement in the blocks' compressive strength was observed with the increase in binder rate, while thermal conductivities varied little.

Literature Review : Pengaruh Kompres Air Dingin Untuk Menurunkan Intensitas Nyeri Pada Pasien Fraktur Tertutup

Coldwater compression is one of the non-pharmacological therapies to reduce pain in closed fracture patients. This study highlights the application of cold compress therapy in closed fracture patients by finding research articles from google-scholar. Key words for the search included “kompres air dingin untuk pasien patah tulang” and “patah tulang tertutup” published between 2014 and 2018. Three articles were analyzed. Those articles conclude a similar result. That is, cold water compression effectively reducing pain in closed fracture patients. Hence, healthcare providers are suggested to promote cold water compress therapy as an alternative to reduce pain among closed fracture patients.Keywords : cold compression, pain, closed fracture. AbstrakSalah satu terapi non farmakologis untuk menurunkan intensitas nyeri pada pasien fraktur tertutup adalah kompres air dingin. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mendeskripsikan penerapan terapi kompres air dingin pada pasien fraktur tertutup berdasarkan tinjauan pustaka. Rancangan karya tulis ilmiah berupa tinjauan pustaka dengan tiga artikel yang diambil dari halaman jurnal Google Scolar dengan kata kunci “kompres air dingin untuk pasien patah tulang” dan “patah tulang tertutup” dengan publikasi tahun 2014 - 2018. Hasil analisis ketiga jurnal tersebut memiliki hasil yang sama. yaitu berkurangnya nyeri saat pemberian kompres dingin. Kesimpulannya terapi kompres air dingin dapat menurunkan intensitas nyeri pada pasien fraktur tertutup. Saran bagi pelayanan kesehatan hendaknya mengedukasi tentang terapi kompres air dingin sebagai alternatif untuk mengurangi intensitas nyeri pada pasien patah tulang tertutup.Kata kunci: kompres air dingin, nyeri, fraktur tertutup.

Literatur Review: Efektifitas Kompres Dinginterhadap Penurunan Intensitas Nyeri Pada Pasien Fraktur Tertutup

Fractures cause physiological disturbances, one of which is pain. Pain in fracture patients is caused by muscle spasms. Cold compression is the easiest method to reduce pain. This study identifies cold compresses’ effect in reducing closed fracture patients by finding research articles from Google Scholar. Keywords for the search include “closed fracture”, “pain intensity”, and “cold compress”, published in 2011-2020. Three articles were analyzed. The results showed that 57 total respondents were male (68.09%) and female (31.91%). Before the intervention was 6.72, pain intensity dropped to 3.50 after the intervention with a p-value <0.01. This Literature Review concludes that cold compress therapy is effective in reducing pain among closed fracture patients. Nurses are expected to apply cold compress therapy as an intervention to reduce pain in fracture patients.Keywords: cold compress; pain intensity; closed fracture; AbstrakFraktur merupakan ancaman potensial maupun aktual terhadap integritas seseorang, sehingga akan mengalami gangguan fisiologis salah satunya respon berupa nyeri. Nyeri pada pasien fraktur disebabkan karena spasme otot. Upaya menurunkan nyeri pada pasien fraktur tertutup dengan cara memberikan terapi kompres dingin. Tujuan dari penulisan ini untuk menggambarkan pengaruh pemberian kompres dingin terhadap nyeri pasien fraktur tertutup. Desain karya tulis ini berupa Literature Review dengan jumlah tiga artikel yang diambil dari laman google scholar dengan kata kunci “fraktur tertutup”, “intensitas nyeri”, dan “kompres dingin”, terbit tahun 2011-2020. Hasil analisa karakteristik responden dari ketiga artikel menunjukkan jumlah responden 57 pasien, sebagian besar laki-laki (68,09%) sedangkan perempuan (31,91%). Nilai rata-rata nyeri sebelum intervensi 6,72 setelah intervensi 3,50 dengan p-value 0,000. Simpulan dari Literature Review ini adalah terapi kompres dingin efektif dalam menurunkan tingkat nyeri pasien fraktur tertutup. Saran bagi perawat diharapkan dapat menerapkan terapi kompres dingin sebagai salah satu intervensi untuk menurunkan nyeri pasien fraktur.Kata kunci:kompres dingin; intensitas nyeri; fraktur tertutup;

Effect of Finely Ground Limestone and Dolomite on Compression Strength and Reduction Swelling of Vanadium-Titanium Pellets

Vanadium−titanium magnetite (VTM) is an important raw material for ironmaking under the situation of increasingly demanding scarce resources. To further improve the metallurgical properties of pellets, and to satisfy the requirements of blast furnace slag basicity, finely ground dolomite and limestone have been added to the pellet. In this study, the effect of finely ground dolomite and limestone on the metallurgical properties (green pellet drop strength, cold compression strength, reduction swelling index, and microscopic mineral structure) of VTM pellets were investigated. With the addition of finely ground dolomite and limestone, the drop strength of the green pellet was improved. The effect of adding finely ground limestone was greater than adding finely ground dolomite. Adding more finely ground dolomite and limestone compared to pellets without limestone and dolomite, the cold compression strength was decreased, which was attributed to the decomposition of limestone and dolomite during the induration of pellets. With the addition of dolomite, the reduction swelling index (RSI) increased firstly and then decreased. When the basicity of the pellet was 0.54 to 0.94, the slag phase with the lowest melting point was formed, corresponding to the maximum of the reduction swelling index. For the pellets with added limestone, the reduction swelling of the pellets deteriorated. The reduction index of the pellets increased and reached the maximum (26.6%) at a basicity of 1.54, which belongs to abnormal swelling.

Transient acetylcholine receptor-related myasthenia gravis, post multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C) temporally associated with COVID-19 infection

We report on a unique case of a 7-year-old girl with new onset ocular myasthenia gravis shortly after recovery from multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C) temporally associated with SARS-CoV-2 infection. The diagnosis of myasthenia gravis was based on suggestive symptoms of fatigable bilateral orbital ptosis, diplopia, positive ocular cold compression test and serum acetylcholine receptor antibody positivity, as well as a favourable treatment response to pyridostigmine. The addition of corticosteroids and methotrexate resulted in complete resolution of the ocular signs.