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Patchouli is an essential oil used in perfumes, cosmetics, soaps, insect repellents and also a candidate for biodiesel from non-edible oil. Patchouli oil from Aceh Province, Indonesia, is generally produced using a distillation process. The relationships between physical properties, i.e. the viscosity and quality, of patchouli oil from Aceh Province and blends with other oils, were investigated. The mixture oils used were palm oil, kerosene and lubricant oil SAE 40. The mixture compositions were 100:0; 75:25; 50:50; 25:75 and 0:100 (v/v). It was found that mixing palm crude oil (25%) or lubricant oil (25%) with patchouli oil increased the viscosity by about 41% and 72%, respectively, compared with pure patchouli oil. A 53% decrease in viscosity was observed when the patchouli oil blend contained 25% kerosene. Natural variation in patchouli alcohol (PA) and iron (Fe) content in the patchouli oil sample was found to increase the value of viscosity by up to 1.5%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: To assess the role of risk factors of metabolic syndrome on blood viscosity and the prognosis of acute ischemic stroke in Indonesia based on the National Institute of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) and modified Rankin Scale (mRS). Methods: This study included 135 patients with acute ischemic stroke. Patients underwent measurements of viscosity and risk factor assessment. Analysis was performed to assess the role of these risk factors for blood viscosity and outcomes of acute ischemic stroke with NIHSS and mRS as indicators. NIHSS was assessed at <3 days after onset and 7 days after onset, while mRS was assessed 1 month post treatment. Bivariate analysis was performed using chi-square test, and variables with p < 0.25 were further analyzed in multivariate analysis using logistic regression. Results: Factors affecting blood viscosity are fibrinogen, low-density lipoprotein (LDL), and hematocrit. Factors affecting NIHSS and mRS are fibrinogen and LDL. Conclusion: Fibrinogen and LDL affect the viscosity of blood and outcomes in acute ischemic stroke patients, so it is necessary to treat in the primary and secondary prevention of ischemic stroke. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]