<p>SUPPLEMENTARY DATA FOR STATISTICAL ANALYSIS (APPENDIX)</p><p> a) Swelling degree and gel fraction measurement</p><p> i) One-way ANOVA: NGM versus ratio </p><p>Analysis of Variance</p><p>Source DF Adj SS Adj MS F-Value P-Value ratio 5 37.8357 7.56713 35750.24 0.000 Error 24 0.0051 0.00021 Total 29 37.8407</p><p>Model Summary</p><p>S R-sq R-sq(adj) R-sq(pred) 0.0145488 99.99% 99.98% 99.98%</p><p>Means ratio N Mean StDev 95% CI 30 5 19.7480 0.0084 (19.7346, 19.7614) 60 5 21.8700 0.0187 (21.8566, 21.8834) 120 5 22.5220 0.0130 (22.5086, 22.5354) 240 5 22.7260 0.0114 (22.7126, 22.7394) 360 5 22.9140 0.0167 (22.9006, 22.9274) 480 5 22.9680 0.0164 (22.9546, 22.9814)</p><p>Pooled StDev = 0.0145488</p><p>Tukey Pairwise Comparisons </p><p>Grouping Information Using the Tukey Method and 95% Confidence ratio N Mean Grouping 480 5 22.9680 A 360 5 22.9140 B 240 5 22.7260 C 120 5 22.5220 D 60 5 21.8700 E 30 5 19.7480 F</p><p>Means that do not share a letter are significantly different.</p><p>Tukey Simultaneous Tests for Differences of Means</p><p>Difference Difference SE of Adjusted of Levels of Means Difference 95% CI T-Value P-Value 60 - 30 2.12200 0.00920 (2.09357, 2.15043) 230.62 0.000 120 - 30 2.77400 0.00920 (2.74557, 2.80243) 301.47 0.000 240 - 30 2.97800 0.00920 (2.94957, 3.00643) 323.64 0.000 360 - 30 3.16600 0.00920 (3.13757, 3.19443) 344.08 0.000 480 - 30 3.22000 0.00920 (3.19157, 3.24843) 349.94 0.000 120 - 60 0.65200 0.00920 (0.62357, 0.68043) 70.86 0.000 240 - 60 0.85600 0.00920 (0.82757, 0.88443) 93.03 0.000 360 - 60 1.04400 0.00920 (1.01557, 1.07243) 113.46 0.000 480 - 60 1.09800 0.00920 (1.06957, 1.12643) 119.33 0.000 240 - 120 0.20400 0.00920 (0.17557, 0.23243) 22.17 0.000 360 - 120 0.39200 0.00920 (0.36357, 0.42043) 42.60 0.000 480 - 120 0.44600 0.00920 (0.41757, 0.47443) 48.47 0.000 360 - 240 0.18800 0.00920 (0.15957, 0.21643) 20.43 0.000 480 - 240 0.24200 0.00920 (0.21357, 0.27043) 26.30 0.000 480 - 360 0.05400 0.00920 (0.02557, 0.08243) 5.87 0.000</p><p>Individual confidence level = 99.50%</p><p> ii) One-way ANOVA: NSD versus ratio </p><p>Analysis of Variance</p><p>Source DF Adj SS Adj MS F-Value P-Value ratio 5 1.92242 0.384483 1318.23 0.000 Error 24 0.00700 0.000292 Total 29 1.92942</p><p>Model Summary</p><p>S R-sq R-sq(adj) R-sq(pred) 0.0170783 99.64% 99.56% 99.43%</p><p>Means ratio N Mean StDev 95% CI 30 5 1.74600 0.01140 (1.73024, 1.76176) 60 5 1.47400 0.02074 (1.45824, 1.48976) 120 5 1.15000 0.02000 (1.13424, 1.16576) 240 5 1.10800 0.01483 (1.09224, 1.12376) 360 5 1.09000 0.01414 (1.07424, 1.10576) 480 5 1.06200 0.01924 (1.04624, 1.07776)</p><p>Pooled StDev = 0.0170783</p><p>Tukey Pairwise Comparisons </p><p>Grouping Information Using the Tukey Method and 95% Confidence ratio N Mean Grouping 30 5 1.74600 A 60 5 1.47400 B 120 5 1.15000 C 240 5 1.10800 D 360 5 1.09000 D E 480 5 1.06200 E</p><p>Means that do not share a letter are significantly different. Tukey Simultaneous Tests for Differences of Means</p><p>Difference Difference SE of Adjusted of Levels of Means Difference 95% CI T-Value P-Value 60 - 30 -0.2720 0.0108 (-0.3054, -0.2386) -25.18 0.000 120 - 30 -0.5960 0.0108 (-0.6294, -0.5626) -55.18 0.000 240 - 30 -0.6380 0.0108 (-0.6714, -0.6046) -59.07 0.000 360 - 30 -0.6560 0.0108 (-0.6894, -0.6226) -60.73 0.000 480 - 30 -0.6840 0.0108 (-0.7174, -0.6506) -63.33 0.000 120 - 60 -0.3240 0.0108 (-0.3574, -0.2906) -30.00 0.000 240 - 60 -0.3660 0.0108 (-0.3994, -0.3326) -33.89 0.000 360 - 60 -0.3840 0.0108 (-0.4174, -0.3506) -35.55 0.000 480 - 60 -0.4120 0.0108 (-0.4454, -0.3786) -38.14 0.000 240 - 120 -0.0420 0.0108 (-0.0754, -0.0086) -3.89 0.008 360 - 120 -0.0600 0.0108 (-0.0934, -0.0266) -5.55 0.000 480 - 120 -0.0880 0.0108 (-0.1214, -0.0546) -8.15 0.000 360 - 240 -0.0180 0.0108 (-0.0514, 0.0154) -1.67 0.565 480 - 240 -0.0460 0.0108 (-0.0794, -0.0126) -4.26 0.003 480 - 360 -0.0280 0.0108 (-0.0614, 0.0054) -2.59 0.138</p><p>Individual confidence level = 99.50%</p><p> b) Moisture absorption analysis</p><p> i) One-way ANOVA: weight irradiated versus day </p><p>Analysis of Variance</p><p>Source DF Adj SS Adj MS F-Value P-Value day 9 173.15 19.2388 60.85 0.000 Error 50 15.81 0.3162 Total 59 188.96</p><p>Model Summary</p><p>S R-sq R-sq(adj) R-sq(pred) 0.562296 91.63% 90.13% 87.95%</p><p>Means day N Mean StDev 95% CI 5 6 16.215 0.325 ( 15.754, 16.676) 10 6 16.6150 0.1316 (16.1539, 17.0761) 15 6 17.042 0.317 ( 16.581, 17.503) 20 6 17.615 0.260 ( 17.154, 18.076) 25 6 18.310 0.431 ( 17.849, 18.771) 30 6 19.300 0.466 ( 18.839, 19.761) 35 6 19.638 0.410 ( 19.177, 20.099) 40 6 20.142 0.703 ( 19.681, 20.603) 45 6 20.800 0.938 ( 20.339, 21.261) 50 6 21.255 0.963 ( 20.794, 21.716)</p><p>Pooled StDev = 0.562296</p><p>Tukey Pairwise Comparisons </p><p>Grouping Information Using the Tukey Method and 95% Confidence day N Mean Grouping 50 6 21.255 A 45 6 20.800 A B 40 6 20.142 B C 35 6 19.638 C 30 6 19.300 C D 25 6 18.310 D E 20 6 17.615 E F 15 6 17.042 F G 10 6 16.6150 F G 5 6 16.215 G</p><p>Means that do not share a letter are significantly different.</p><p>Tukey Simultaneous Tests for Differences of Means</p><p>Difference Difference SE of Adjusted of Levels of Means Difference 95% CI T-Value P-Value 10 - 5 0.400 0.325 (-0.674, 1.474) 1.23 0.963 15 - 5 0.827 0.325 (-0.248, 1.901) 2.55 0.270 20 - 5 1.400 0.325 ( 0.326, 2.474) 4.31 0.003 25 - 5 2.095 0.325 ( 1.021, 3.169) 6.45 0.000 30 - 5 3.085 0.325 ( 2.011, 4.159) 9.50 0.000 35 - 5 3.423 0.325 ( 2.349, 4.498) 10.54 0.000 40 - 5 3.927 0.325 ( 2.852, 5.001) 12.10 0.000 45 - 5 4.585 0.325 ( 3.511, 5.659) 14.12 0.000 50 - 5 5.040 0.325 ( 3.966, 6.114) 15.52 0.000 15 - 10 0.427 0.325 (-0.648, 1.501) 1.31 0.946 20 - 10 1.000 0.325 (-0.074, 2.074) 3.08 0.088 25 - 10 1.695 0.325 ( 0.621, 2.769) 5.22 0.000 30 - 10 2.685 0.325 ( 1.611, 3.759) 8.27 0.000 35 - 10 3.023 0.325 ( 1.949, 4.098) 9.31 0.000 40 - 10 3.527 0.325 ( 2.452, 4.601) 10.86 0.000 45 - 10 4.185 0.325 ( 3.111, 5.259) 12.89 0.000 50 - 10 4.640 0.325 ( 3.566, 5.714) 14.29 0.000 20 - 15 0.573 0.325 (-0.501, 1.648) 1.77 0.752 25 - 15 1.268 0.325 ( 0.194, 2.343) 3.91 0.010 30 - 15 2.258 0.325 ( 1.184, 3.333) 6.96 0.000 35 - 15 2.597 0.325 ( 1.522, 3.671) 8.00 0.000 40 - 15 3.100 0.325 ( 2.026, 4.174) 9.55 0.000 45 - 15 3.758 0.325 ( 2.684, 4.833) 11.58 0.000 50 - 15 4.213 0.325 ( 3.139, 5.288) 12.98 0.000 25 - 20 0.695 0.325 (-0.379, 1.769) 2.14 0.509 30 - 20 1.685 0.325 ( 0.611, 2.759) 5.19 0.000 35 - 20 2.023 0.325 ( 0.949, 3.098) 6.23 0.000 40 - 20 2.527 0.325 ( 1.452, 3.601) 7.78 0.000 45 - 20 3.185 0.325 ( 2.111, 4.259) 9.81 0.000 50 - 20 3.640 0.325 ( 2.566, 4.714) 11.21 0.000 30 - 25 0.990 0.325 (-0.084, 2.064) 3.05 0.095 35 - 25 1.328 0.325 ( 0.254, 2.403) 4.09 0.006 40 - 25 1.832 0.325 ( 0.757, 2.906) 5.64 0.000 45 - 25 2.490 0.325 ( 1.416, 3.564) 7.67 0.000 50 - 25 2.945 0.325 ( 1.871, 4.019) 9.07 0.000 35 - 30 0.338 0.325 (-0.736, 1.413) 1.04 0.988 40 - 30 0.842 0.325 (-0.233, 1.916) 2.59 0.248 45 - 30 1.500 0.325 ( 0.426, 2.574) 4.62 0.001 50 - 30 1.955 0.325 ( 0.881, 3.029) 6.02 0.000 40 - 35 0.503 0.325 (-0.571, 1.578) 1.55 0.865 45 - 35 1.162 0.325 ( 0.087, 2.236) 3.58 0.025 50 - 35 1.617 0.325 ( 0.542, 2.691) 4.98 0.000 45 - 40 0.658 0.325 (-0.416, 1.733) 2.03 0.584 50 - 40 1.113 0.325 ( 0.039, 2.188) 3.43 0.037 50 - 45 0.455 0.325 (-0.619, 1.529) 1.40 0.921</p><p>Individual confidence level = 99.83%</p>