Pengaruh Penambahan Beeswax Sebagai Plasticizer Terhadap Karakteristik Fisik Edible Film Kitosan [the Effect of Using Beeswax as Plasticizer Against Physical Characteristics of Chitosan Edible Film]

Edible film kitosan merupakan kemasan primer biodegradable yang dapat dimakan berbentuk lapisan tipis dan transparan. Edible film kitosan bersifat rapuh dan kurang fleksibel sehingga perlu ditambahkan plasticizer beeswax. Beeswax atau lilin lebah bersifat ramah lingkungan dan tidak berbahaya bagi tubuh manusia. Tujuan penelitian ini adalah untuk mengetahui film berbahan dasar kitosan dengan beeswax sebagai plasticizer dapat dijadikan sebagai bahan pembuatan edible film serta mengetahui pengaruh penambahan plasticizer beeswax terhadap karakteristik fisik edible film kitosan. Penelitian menggunakan rancangan acak lengkap (RAL) dengan enam perlakuan dan empat ulangan. Perlakuan dalam penelitian ini adalah penambahan konsentrasi beeswax yang berbeda yakni 0%, 1%, 2%, 3%, 4%, dan 5%. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa kitosan dan plasticizer beeswax dapat dijadikan sebagai bahan pembuatan edible film. Beeswax sebagai plasticizer memberikan pengaruh terhadap karakteristik fisik edible film kitosan. Nilai ketebalan pada edible film yang terbentuk bekisar antara 0,012-0,36 mm, kuat tarik antara 13,72 - 47,53kgf/cm2 dan persen pemanjangan antara 3,34 – 7,44 %. Peningkatan konsentrasi plasticizer beeswax menurunkan kuat tarik namun di sisi lain dapat meningkatkan nilai ketebalan dan nilai persen pemanjangan

New genetic loci link adipose and insulin biology to body fat distribution.

Body fat distribution is a heritable trait and a well-established predictor of adverse metabolic outcomes, independent of overall adiposity. To increase our understanding of the genetic basis of body fat distribution and its molecular links to cardiometabolic traits, here we conduct genome-wide association meta-analyses of traits related to waist and hip circumferences in up to 224,459 individuals. We identify 49 loci (33 new) associated with waist-to-hip ratio adjusted for body mass index (BMI), and an additional 19 loci newly associated with related waist and hip circumference measures (P < 5 × 10(-8)). In total, 20 of the 49 waist-to-hip ratio adjusted for BMI loci show significant sexual dimorphism, 19 of which display a stronger effect in women. The identified loci were enriched for genes expressed in adipose tissue and for putative regulatory elements in adipocytes. Pathway analyses implicated adipogenesis, angiogenesis, transcriptional regulation and insulin resistance as processes affecting fat distribution, providing insight into potential pathophysiological mechanisms

Breast cancer management pathways during the COVID-19 pandemic: outcomes from the UK ‘Alert Level 4’ phase of the B-MaP-C study

Abstract: Background: The B-MaP-C study aimed to determine alterations to breast cancer (BC) management during the peak transmission period of the UK COVID-19 pandemic and the potential impact of these treatment decisions. Methods: This was a national cohort study of patients with early BC undergoing multidisciplinary team (MDT)-guided treatment recommendations during the pandemic, designated ‘standard’ or ‘COVID-altered’, in the preoperative, operative and post-operative setting. Findings: Of 3776 patients (from 64 UK units) in the study, 2246 (59%) had ‘COVID-altered’ management. ‘Bridging’ endocrine therapy was used (n = 951) where theatre capacity was reduced. There was increasing access to COVID-19 low-risk theatres during the study period (59%). In line with national guidance, immediate breast reconstruction was avoided (n = 299). Where adjuvant chemotherapy was omitted (n = 81), the median benefit was only 3% (IQR 2–9%) using ‘NHS Predict’. There was the rapid adoption of new evidence-based hypofractionated radiotherapy (n = 781, from 46 units). Only 14 patients (1%) tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 during their treatment journey. Conclusions: The majority of ‘COVID-altered’ management decisions were largely in line with pre-COVID evidence-based guidelines, implying that breast cancer survival outcomes are unlikely to be negatively impacted by the pandemic. However, in this study, the potential impact of delays to BC presentation or diagnosis remains unknown