A comparative study was performed on the use of esterified alkaline lignin (AAL) and esterified organosolv lignin (AOSL) as the interfacial modifying agent to improve the properties of polypropylene-chitosan composites. Chitosan was chemically modified through a reaction with the esterified lignin in an alcohol medium. The composites were prepared using an internal mixer and hot-pressed method. Both modified chitosan showed a different chemical structure upon modification with the esterified lignins as confirmed by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy spectra. With a lower molecular weight, the AOSL attachment on the chitosan surface resulted in more efficiency in decreasing hydrophilic characters. Tensile tests showed the increased tensile strength by 32.15% and 26.43% for AOSL-modified composites and AAL-modified composites as compared with the unmodified composites. Overall, the AOSL was superior in improving the mechanical strength and thermal stability of the composites, while the AAL exhibited the most apparent enhancement in ductility and crystallization.

Water  is  a  basic  need  for  humans  because  it  is  needed,  among  others,  for  households,  industry, agriculture and improving public health. Clean water that meets the standards, namely physical, chemical, and microbiological requirements. Escherichia coli is one of the microbiological indicators in water. One of the sources of clean water used by the people in the city of Medan comes from the Deli river. The development of industry and settlements around the Deli river causes water pollution. Freshwater mussel as a biofilter that can be used to maintain the water quality of the Deli river. This study aims to determine the effective use of mussel as a biofilter of Escherichia coli bacteria and the most effective length of time to improve water quality. This study used RAL (Completely Randomized Design) with treatment durations K0 (Control), K1 (Day 5), K2 (Day 10 days) and Day 15. The results showed that mussel was effectively used as a biofilter to reduce the number of Escherichia coli and for 10 days was quite effective in reducing the number of Escherichia coli in Deli river water.

Dyslipidemia is common in chronic kidney disease patients and alterations in serum lipid profile vary widely depending on the level of kidney function. We studied two hundred Iraqi patients who were diagnosed as having chronic kidney disease from June 2011 to January 2013. They were given erythropoietin for seven months. One hundred sixty patients (80%) showed response to treatment with an improvement in lipid profile, while the other 40 patients (20%) showed no significant response to treatment. In conclusion, treatment with erythropoietin seems to positively influence the lipid profile in patients with chronic kidney disease.

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Higher Education Institutions play a key role in achieving the 17 Sustainable Development Goals through teaching and learning, research as well as community services. COVID-19 Pandemic outbreak requires certain and special methods in conducting education systems especially in teaching and learning process as well as administrative affairs. Online system has become the most popular and preferable since March 2020 when lockdown enforcement was implemented at the University of Medan Area (UMA). It is much easier today at the UMA because an online system has been introduced for years before the outbreak. Besides applying numbers of online applications, UMA has also committed to align the curricula and research with Sustainable Development Goals.Keyword: Teaching and Learning, Program, SDGs, Pandemic