Home rehabilitation using android-based system as booster on the independences of stroke patients in local government hospital in Aceh, Indonesia.

BACKGROUND AND AIM: The independence of stroke patients played the main role in not only preventing the asymptomatic attacks which delayed assistance but also enhancing their quality of life by reducing their dependence on family members or caregivers. However, the inaccessibility and expense of treatment prevented stroke patients from continuing their rehabilitation and exercise after returning home. Thus, the purpose of this study was to provide an efficient system for alternative home rehabilitation to boost the self-care Independence of stroke patients by designing Android-based home rehabilitation. METHODS: The quantitative research was conducted using a non-randomized trial where the patients were purposively sampled. 70 participants were joined and divided into two groups: the control and intervention groups. The intervention group will have SIMTROKE application on their smartphone as the home rehabilitation process where control group would not have SIMTROKE installed. The effect of home rehabilitation was assessed by univariate, bivariate analysis and the correlation matrix to analyze home rehabilitation effect to the participants' self independences. RESULTS: The result showed that the independent intervention in post-stroke patients has a significant effect on increasing the independence of stroke patients to improve their quality of life of stroke patients. The highest improvements were found in urination and toileting followed by defecation, dressing, active and phase motion range, self-care, stepping to stairs, mobilization, showering, and eating abilities. CONCLUSIONS: The result proved that home rehabilitation utilizing an Android-based system could be employed as an alternate method to assist stroke patients in improving their independence and quality of life. (www.actabiomedica.it).

Effectiveness of gel formulation of capa leaf (Blumea balsamifera L.) on wound healing in white rats.

Background and Aim: The capa plant (Blumea balsamifera L.) has been widely used as a traditional herbal medicine in many parts of the world, including South Aceh, Indonesia. It is generally used for wound healing due to its antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties. However, it is only available as extract or oil, and no gel formulation exists so far. Thus, in this study, we formulated the extract into a pharmaceutical gel and investigated its effectiveness in healing incision wounds in white rats (Rattus norvegicus). Materials and Methods: We collected B. balsamifera leaf samples from Gunongpulo village, South Aceh, Indonesia. We then produced leaf extract through maceration and formulated the extract into a gel using Carbopol 940, methylparaben, triethanolamine, and propylene glycol. We applied the gel to incision wounds in white rats for 7 and 14 days. We then monitored wound healing based on wound length, histology of skin tissues, and levels of cytokine 2 (interleukin-2 [IL-2]). Results: The gel formulation K3 (10% B. balsamifera leaf extract) was the most effective, followed by the gel formulations K2 (5% B. balsamifera leaf extract) and K4 (1% gentamicin ointment, positive control). K3 reduced wound length by 14 mm on day 7 and 29 mm on day 14. Histological analysis showed that fibroblast growth and angiogenesis were most significant in the K3-treated group, exceeding that of the positive control group. The K3-treated group also had the highest IL-2 levels, with an average of 107.7767 ng/L on day 7 and 119.1900 ng/L on day 14. Conclusion: The 10% B. balsamifera leaf gel effectively reduced wound length, increased fibroblast cell growth and angiogenesis, and IL-2 levels, accelerating wound healing.

Synthesis of Polyurethane Membranes Derived from Red Seaweed Biomass for Ammonia Filtration.

The development of membrane technology is rapidly increasing due to its numerous advantages, including its ease of use, chemical resistant properties, reduced energy consumption, and limited need for chemical additives. Polyurethane membranes (PUM) are a particular type of membrane filter, synthesized using natural organic materials containing hydroxy (-OH) groups, which can be used for water filtration, e.g., ammonia removal. Red seaweed (Rhodophyta) has specific molecules which could be used for PUM. This study aimed to ascertain PUM synthesis from red seaweed biomass (PUM-RSB) by using toluene diisocyanate via the phase inversion method. Red seaweed biomass with a particle size of 777.3 nm was used as starting material containing abundant hydroxy groups visible in the FTIR spectrum. The PUM-RSB produced was elastic, dry, and sturdy. Thermal analysis of the membrane showed that the initial high degradation temperature was 290.71 °C, while the residue from the thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) analysis was 4.88%. The PUM-RSB section indicates the presence of cavities on the inside. The mechanical properties of the PUM-RSB have a stress value of 53.43 MPa and a nominal strain of 2.85%. In order to optimize the PUM-RSB synthesis, a Box-Behnken design of Response Surface Methodology was conducted and showed the value of RSB 0.176 g, TDI 3.000 g, and glycerin 0.200 g, resulting from the theoretical and experimental rejection factor, i.e., 31.3% and 23.9%, respectively.

Conditioned medium of IGF1-induced synovial membrane mesenchymal stem cells increases chondrogenic and chondroprotective markers in chondrocyte inflammation.

Recently, mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have been the most explored cells for cell therapy for osteoarthritis (OA) that can be obtained from various sources. Synovial membrane MSCs (SMMSCs) provide best potential for OA therapy, however they are not widely explored. Conditioned medium of SMMSCs (SMMSCs-CM) rich in growth factors and cytokines can inhibit apoptosis and increase chondrocytes cell proliferation. The aim of the present study was to determine growth factors content in SMMSCs-CM as well as the chondrogenic and chondroprotective markers expression in OA model after insulin-like growth factor (IGF)1-induced and non-induced SMMSCs-CM treatments. Chondrocyte cell line (CHON002) was induced by IL1ß as OA model (CHON002 with IL1ß (IL1ß-CHON002)) and treated with SMMSCs-CM with or without IGF1 induction to determine its effectiveness in repairing OA cells model. ELISA was used to assay BMP2, fibroblast growth factor 18 (FGF18) and transforming growth factor (TGF) ß1 (TGFß1) levels in SMMSCs-CM, matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) 13 (MMP13) and a disintegrin and metalloproteinase with thrombospondin motif 4 (ADAMTS4) levels in OA cells model treated with SMMSCs-CM. RT-qPCR analyses were used to investigate the gene expression of SOX9, COL2, and COL10. CM from SMMSCs cultured and induced by IGF1 150 ng/mL was the most effective concentration for increasing the content of growth factor markers of SMMSCs-CM, which had successfully increased negative cartilage hypertrophy markers (SOX9 and COL2) and reduced hypertrophy markers (COL10, MMP13, and ADAMTS4). Preconditioning with IGF1 has better and very significant results in lowering MMP13 and ADAMTS4 levels. The present study supports IGF1 pre-conditioned SMMSCs-CM to develop a new therapeutic approach in OA improvement through its chondrogenic and chondroprotective roles.

Development of Chitosan/Starch-Based Forward Osmosis Water Filtration Bags for Emergency Water Supply.

A forward osmosis (FO) membrane was developed from a mixture of chitosan and Dioscorea hispida starch, cross-linked using glutaraldehyde. The cross-linked chitosan/starch membrane was revealed to have high mechanical properties with an asymmetric structure. The prepared membrane's performance was investigated as an FO filter assembled in a polypropylene water filter bag and aluminum foil plastic. In order to study the FO process, brackish water was used as a feed solution, drawn using three types of solution (fructose, sucrose, and fructose/sucrose mixture, each with 3 M concentration). The maximum water flux (5.75 L/m2 h) was achieved using 3 M sucrose. The cross-linked membrane restrained the ions in the feed with a rejection factor value close to 100%. The water quality parameters were evaluated for the physical, chemical, and biological criteria, such as pH, salinity, conductivity, total dissolved solids (TDS), heavy metals, and Escherichia coli content. The water quality parameters for the FO-processed water met that set by the World Health Organization for drinking water. FO filter bags with cross-linked chitosan/starch membranes can be an option to produce drinking water during an emergency.

Characterization and Performance Evaluation of Cellulose Acetate-Polyurethane Film for Lead II Ion Removal.

Global pollution from toxic metal waste has resulted in increased research on toxic metal adsorption. A cellulose acetate-polyurethane (CA-PU) film adsorbent was successfully prepared in this research. The cellulose acetate-polyurethane film adsorbent was prepared with a polycondensation reaction between cellulose acetate and methylene diphenyl diisocyanate. The CA-PU bond formation was confirmed by functional group analysis obtained from Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. The obtained film was characterized for improved tensile and thermal properties with the addition of methylene diphenyl diisocyanate (MDI). The adsorption ability of the obtained film was evaluated with laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS). The best film adsorbent from the LIBS was selected and studied for adsorption isotherm. The FTIR analysis confirmed the formation of the CA-PU bond from the polycondensation between cellulose acetate and the methylene diphenyl diisocyanate. The result showed that the addition of methylene diphenyl diisocyanate (MDI) resulted in the urethane network's growth. The characterization result showed an improvement in the morphology, thermal stability, and tensile strength of the film. The LIBS studies showed improvement in the adsorption of Pb2+ with CA-PU compared with the neat CA. The isotherm studies revealed that Pb2+ adsorption by cellulose acetate-polyurethane film adsorbent was heterogeneously dependent on the Freundlich isotherm model (R2 = 0.97044). Overall, the polycondensation method proposed by this study enhanced the Pb2+ removal, and was comparable to those reported in previous studies.