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It is generally known that blocking can reduce unexplained variation, and in response surface designs block sizes can be pre-specified. This paper proposes a novel way of weighting D-optimality criteria obtained from all possible models to construct robust designs with blocking factors and addresses the challenge of uncertainty as to whether a first-order model, an interaction model, or a second-order model is the most appropriate choice. Weighted D-optimal designs having 2 and 3 variables with 2, 3, and 4 blocks are compared with corresponding standard D-optimal designs in terms of the DN -efficiencies. Effects of blocking schemes are also investigated. Both an exchange algorithm (EA) and a genetic algorithm (GA) are employed to generate the model-robust designs. The results show that the proposed Dw -optimality criterion can be a good alternative for researchers as it can create robust designs across the set of potential models.

Collisions between pedestrians and city buses are one of the severe casualties in Thailand. This research aims to develop an assessment program and to evaluate the front end of public city buses based on pedestrian injuries and mechanisms in Thailand. Therefore, vehicle preparation and marking, testing conditions, and HIC requirements, assessment criteria, and road map suggestions are studied for the development of the bus assessment. A grid will be marked on the outer surface of front-end of the city buses in terms of vehicle preparation and marking. The determination of grid size and grid location should refer to real-world accidents. Grid locations are defined based on anthropometric data. Testing conditions were identified by the realworld accidents in a preliminary study and also the Head Injury Criterion was adapted in the assessment. Moreover, chest and leg zone test information should be combined to improve the rating scores in future work.

High caloric density enteral nutrition contains high amounts of carbohydrates, proteins and fats. Therefore, it is likely to have either too high viscosity or unstable emulsion if not optimally formulated. Response surface methodology (RSM) is a tool for optimization. To obtain the optimal formula, numerous formulas are needed to be prepared and determined if classical RSM using a central composite design (CCD) is used since there are many involving factors. For this reason, the Iconographic Correlation (IC) could be compromising. In this study, 9 influencing factors were optimized. The desired response was the complex viscosity and a degree of emulsion separation. By using the IC, the number of experiments was reduced from 524 treatments if the CCD was used to 17 treatments. The model describing significant logical interactions between factors toward each response was proposed with excellent correlation, R2 adj = 0.99, and 0.93 for complex viscosity, and emulsion separation, respectively.

The aim of the current study was to describe the ultrastructure of Aspergillus spp. spores and conidiophores using Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) and their role in contaminating of clinical solid wastes. Aspergillus spp. were described on, Czapek Yeast Extract Agar (CYA), Malt Extract Agar (MEA), Sabouraud Dextrose Agar (SDA), Czapek-Dox Agar (CZ) and Potato Dextrose Agar (PDA), while the ultrastructure of spores and conidiophores were observed using light Microscope and SEM. Fungal isolates were identified as A. caesiellus, A. terreus var. terreus; A. flavus, A. parasiticus, A. sydowii and A. Fumigatus with two new strains identified as Aspergillus sp. strain no. 145, Aspergillus sp. strain no. 311. SEM analysis for Aspergillus spp. conidiophores and spores were more useful in the taxonomy of fungi. Microstructures of the spores play important role in the contamination of clinical wastes, where the spiny fungal spores surface have high adherence for the solid wastes.

Cyclea barbata has been reported as traditional food and medicinal plant. Although its morphology resembles Cissampelos pareira, Cyclea polypetala and Stephania japonica very closely, chemical compositions of them are significantly different. Here we showed the capability of a short ITS region (277 nucleotides) for C. barbata identification. The partial ITS and rbcL regions from 14 samples, collected in many areas of Thailand, were amplified. The results after DNA blast on NCBI showed that all short ITS sequences closely related to C. barbata. The phylogenic analysis from the ITS and combined ITS/rbcL data by maximum parsimony and maximum likelihood methods showed that all samples was recognized into C. barbata. The results of DNA analysis were consistent with morphological identification. Our findings indicated that this short ITS region was able to distinguish C. barbata from their adulterants. This in turn can reduce cost and time for C. barbata identification using DNA barcode.

The Late Eocene (?)/Oligocene-Recent Nakhon Basin located in the western portion of the Gulf of Thailand has a NWSE trending half-graben structure controlled by a NE dipping boundary fault on the SW margin of the basin. Six marker horizons were interpreted to determine significant geological events in the basin. Faults are subdivided into two sets based on orientation. The NW-SE, NE dipping boundary fault comprises two segments, Y and X. The two fault segments are inferred to follow NWSE pre-existing fabrics in the pre-rift section. The N-S trending fault sets are separated into two groups, early syn-rift faults and syn-rift faults. During the syn-rift stage (Oligocene-Middle Miocene), the basin was dominated by N-S early syn-rift faults then segment Y exhibited strong displacement in the Oligocene. The fault grew from several isolated strands, reached a maximum length then towards the end of extension. The western part of the fault remained active while the eastern part was inactive.

Kaempferia parviflora has been traditionally used in folk medicine. This study investigates the hypoglycemic effects of the methoxyflavone-enriched ethanol extract of K. parviflora (MKE) in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats. Compared to the control and vehicle groups, MKE at 150 and 300 mg/kg significantly decreased blood glucose, comparably to glibenclamide. The damage to the Islets of Langerhans was found to be ameliorated in the MKE-treated groups, with twice the increase in the cell count of the Islets. Immunohistological staining showed the loss of insulin as characterized by diffuse staining of the cells in the pancreas of the streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats. MKE-treated groups showed an increase in insulin density in the pancreas of the diabetic rats, similar to the glibenclamide-treated group. MKE at both doses and glibenclamide decreased the hepatic MDA content, but statistical significance was found only for the glibenclamide-treated group. The degeneration of renal tubules and cell necrosis in the kidneys decreased in the MKE-treated groups.

The present study was aimed to determine the effects of Torvoside A from methanolic extract of Solanum torvum on adipogenesis, fat accumulation, and adiponectin synthesis as well as glucose uptake activities. For adipogenesis assay, 3T3-L1- preadipocytes were treated with Torvoside A (0, 5, 25, 50 µM) during 7 days of adipocyte differentiation, while 3T3-L1 mature adipocytes were treated with Torvoside A for 2 days in the fat accumulation study. There were no significant differences in the intracellular triglyceride among Torvoside A treated cells and the untreated control (p>0.05) in both assays. Torvoside A did not significantly change adiponectin synthesis in both transcriptional and translational levels (p>0.05), measured by real-time RTPCR and western blot, respectively. Finally, Torvoside A did not affect glucose uptake activity and GLUT4 transcript as well. These results can be concluded that Torvoside A could not directly promote adipocyte hyperplasia and hypertrophy as well as the anti-diabetic activities.

Sinlek, a Thai rice cultivar, has a high iron content with a low glycemic index. Advantageous properties of this rice make it a functional ingredient in food. The research objective was to develop a brownie with iron fortification by substituting Sinlek brown rice flour for wheat flour. Sinlek brown rice flour was mixed with wheat flour at 0-100% (w/w). The Sinlek brown rice flour had high protein (15.83%) and iron (12.96 mg/kg) contents, but low amylose content (11.97%). Water solubility index gradually decreased while water absorption index increased with the substitution level of Sinlek brown rice flour in flour mixes. Brownie with Sinlek brown rice flour and wheat flour at 75:25 ratio gave the highest sensory scores for all attributes. This product has a high nutritional value in its iron content. Therefore, Brownie with Sinlek brown rice flour is a recommended health product for consumers who need high-iron food.

Effects of modified cages with perch and cage density on behavior, egg production, and bone strength were investigated in hens reared either in conventional or modified cages with three densities, i.e. 2, 3, and 4 hens/cage. Neither cage type effect nor their interactions with cage densities were found. Hens in two hens/cage displayed higher percentage of feeding and preening and lower percentage of standing and sham dust-bath with higher body weight change and femur strength than their counterparts (p

In this study, we analysed patterns of intraspecific structuring between populations of Leptobrachium hendricksoni from southern Thailand using qualitative and quantitative morphological characters. Furthermore, we compared the phenotypic divergence with neutral genetic variation based on the concatenated mtDNA 12S, 16S and ND4 sequences (2,452bp). Nonparametric ANOVA analyses in combination with Monte Carlo simulations and Chi-square test for qualitative characters, showed differences in phenotypical variation between populations of L. hendricksoni from southern Thailand. UPGMA clustering based on size-and-shape variation and size variation, and simulations under scenario where each population was represented by 100 individuals (structuring in consensus tree p = 0.5), yielded a similar pattern of population distribution. Our results highlight the role of ecological mechanisms of adaptation to local habitat types and climate conditions as a driving force affecting the distribution of morphological characters within L. hendricksoni rather than genetic differentiation due to random drift and/or genetic flow.

In this paper, a new probability model is produced, which is actually a modification of the Lomax distribution, called Flexible Lomax (FL). The Flexible Lomax performs better than Lomax and its other invariants. The statistical properties of the Flexible Lomax distribution including quantile function, maximum likelihood estimation, order statistics, and rth moments are derived. To illustrate the efficiency of the proposed distribution, we use two real-life data sets and the results are then compared by means of AIC, CAIC, BIC, and HQIC. It is shown that the proposed distribution fits these data better than Lomax and its different variants.

Titania (TiO2) photocatalyst was synthesized by the sol-gel method involving acid hydrolysis followed by oxidation with hydrogen peroxide. Cobalt and nickel metal ions were impregnated at 1, 5 or 10 % concentrations using metal nitrate salt solutions. The photocatalysts were characterized by various techniques. Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and Diffused Reflectance Spectroscopy (DRS) showed that the doped TiO2 were smaller in size and had smaller band gap than pure TiO2, while X-ray Diffraction (XRD) and X-ray Fluorescence (XRF) spectroscopy showed that all the photocatalysts were rutile phase and contained the expected elements. The percent degradation of Picric acid dye at pH 3, initial dye concentration 10 ppm, catalyst concentration 0.10 g/l, and temperature 55 oC, had rank order: TiO2 < 1 % doped < 5 % doped < 10 % doped TiO2, showing that the photocatalytic activities of the Co-TiO2 and Ni-TiO2 increased with dopant concentration.

Using non-solvent induced phase separation (NIPS), asymmetric porous membranes were prepared from polycarbonate (PC) derived from waste compact discs (CDs). The effects of recovered PC (PC-R) concentration (18-24 wt%) on the morphologies and mechanical and permeation properties were investigated. At all casting solution concentrations, PC-R membranes had asymmetric structures that consisted of a skin layer and a marcovoid sublayer. As the PC-R concentration increased, the macrovoid sublayer was suppressed as a sponge-like sublayer formed within the asymmetric structure. The tensile strength and elongation at break of membranes cast from solutions containing 20, 22, and 24 wt% PC-R ranged from 2.60 to 2.97 MPa and 7.69 to 11.45%, respectively. These values were sufficient to resist operating pressures during membrane filtration testing. The pure water flux through the membranes decreased as the PC-R concentration increased, whereas %R presented an inverse trend. These results indicated that PC recovered from waste compact discs could provide an alternative material for porous membrane fabrication.

Health benefits of GABA and GABA-enriched foods via anti-obesity activity have been demonstrated in animals. However, the functional roles of GABA especially as non-neurotransmitter in adipocytes have not been thoroughly clarified. Thus, this study aimed to assess the impact of GABA on adipogenesis and lipolysis using 3T3-L1 adipocytes. Oil Red O staining was used to assess lipid accumulation and glycerol release was determined as an indicator of lipolysis. The results showed that treatment with GABA (100-500 µM) during adipocyte maturation decreased lipid accumulation by 20-30%. GABA clearly induced the release of glycerol in a dose-dependent manner within 4 h of treatment, and GABA at 500 µM increased glycerol release about two-fold relative to control. GABA-mediated lipolysis depended on both GABA-A and GABA-B receptors as well as on β-adrenergic receptors. The findings suggest that GABA exhibits non-neuronal functions by promoting lipolysis and by suppressing fat accumulation in adipocytes, which potentially support anti-obesity activity of GABA and GABA-enriched products.

Rice bran is an essential source of natural bioactive compounds with widely applications. This study aimed to determine the effects of extraction methods on the bioactivities of the extracts. Jasmine and Riceberry rice bran were extracted using 50% ethanolic maceration, cold pressed and subcritical dimethyl ether (DME) extraction. The extracts were analyzed for antioxidant, pro-collagen type I synthesis and 5α-reductase inhibition activities. The results showed that Riceberry rice bran extract exhibited superior antioxidant activity than Jasmine rice bran extract. The highest pro-collagen type I synthesis of Jasmine and Riceberry rice resulted from subcritical DME extraction (50.91%) and maceration (46.99%) respectively. It is a newly found that the subcritical DME extract of Jasmine rice bran displayed the strongest 5α-reductase inhibition activity (73.14 %inhibition) resulting from the biological markers linoleic acid (22.39±0.61 %w/w) and oleic acid (39.48±1.07 %w/w). Therefore, subcritical DME extraction is suitable for preparing rice bran extract for 5α-reductase inhibitor application.

Epipactis flava Seidenf. is the only rheophytic orchid found in Thailand. Specific habitat requirements and environmental changes of the growing area have now resulted in E. flava becoming an endangered species and appropriate management protocol is essential. Genetic diversity and population structure of E. flava were evaluated using RAPD and SRAP markers. Nine RAPD primers were selected with 95.93% polymorphism and eight SRAP primer combinations showing 92.29% polymorphism. Nei’s genetic diversity (H) within populations from RAPD and SRAP was 0.2303 and 0.2016 and the Shannon diversity index (I) was 0.3380 and 0.2970, respectively. Among populations, H (0.3450 and 0.3237) and I (0.5156 and 0.4852) were also surveyed. Overall genetic diversity between and within populations was high. Results suggest that in situ conservation together with the introduction of plants from different locations is recommended to increase genetic variation.

Main objective of the study was to investigate the prior austenite grain size distribution on microstructures and mechanical properties of welded micro-alloyed ABS EH36 steel. Shielded metal arc welding (SMAW) is processed using AWS A5.1 E7016, Dia. 2.6 mm welding electrode to prepare the weldments. A relationship between diameter and number of austenite and ferrite grains is analyzed to evaluate the mean austenite and ferrite grain size of the steel using Spektor’s model. The large grain size dominates the nucleation of ferrite, where the kinetics information should be related to the large grain and will contribute to meet the increasing low temperature toughness requirement of weld metals for the shipbuilding industry. Effectiveness yield stresses are controlled by applying different mean ferrite grain size according to Hall-Petch model. It is found that all grain size distribution and yield stresses of the three welded zones steel are in good correlation.

In this paper, we find the explicit formulae of the Frobenius number for numerical semigroups generated by relatively prime three Lucas numbers 2 , L L i i and Lil  for given integers i ≥ 3, l ≥ 4 .

The tectonic setting of the lithosphere and upper mantle underneath Thailand varies and changes substantially over short distances. We have mapped these variations using shear wave splitting (SWS) analysis. We have determined the shear wave splitting fast polarization azimuth (Φ) and delay time (δt) using the grid search method with the assumption of a flat, single-layer upper-mantle anisotropy. The data set was constructed using 117 teleseismic earthquakes with magnitudes greater than 5.8, and epicentral distances between 80 and 180 degrees that occurred between 2009 and 2013, using earthquake information from USGS Comprehensive Earthquake Catalog. This resulted in 425 observations with clear P-wave arrivals, SKS, and SKKS phases. Our results show that 70% of the stations (15 of 22 stations) on the Shan-Thai terrane have N-S fast orientations and an average delay time of 0.7±0.2 seconds. 100% of the stations (14 stations) located on the Indochina terrane have dominantly E-W fast orientations and an average delay time of 0.8±0.2 seconds. This point supports the interpretation that on a lithospheric scale, Thailand consists of two major terranes.

Postural control is one factor related to falls. Many instruments are available to objectively evaluate postural control performance. However, feasibility and applicability is limited by setting and financial restraints. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to assess the concurrent validity between a developed accelerometry-based sway meter and 3D-motion analysis system. Twenty healthy volunteers participated in this study. Postural sway during quiet stance, and leaning (forward, backward, left and right) were collected using a 3D-motion analysis system and the developed accelerometry-based device simultaneously. Pearson’s product correlation coefficient was used to determine the relationship between the two instruments. Significant correlations were found between center of mass sway angle measured by 3D-motion system and the developed sway meter. These findings and the affordable sway meter device may provide support for the use of the accelerometry sway meter in evaluating sway when standing both static and dynamic conditions.

Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is a chronic disease of the nervous system that affects various parts of the body through its neuro signal impulses. This study focused on the development of quality control thresholds for the optimal health management of the MS disease. With the help of mean and variance from stochastic models of MS, the thresholds for quality assurance at the upper and lower limits of MS causing cells and oligodendrocytes are developed. Sampling distributions of simulated data were used to get the control limits. These control limits will act as guiding alerts used in designing quality specifications and healthcare decision support systems. The analysis is carried out with threshold limits at a required level of significance by considering natural tolerances.

This paper examined seasonal and annual rainfall trends of the Mae Klong River Basin in Thailand. Monthly rainfall data of eight stations were used for the period 1971‒2015. The non-parametric Mann-Kendall test was used to detect trends whereas the slope of the trends was determined by Sen’s slope method. Datasets with significant serial correlation were corrected by the pre-whitening approach. For the dry season, 5 out of 8 stations showed increasing rainfall trends while for the wet season, 50% of the stations showed increasing trends. On an annual scale, 75% of the stations exhibited increasing rainfall trends. The upper region of the basin which contributes inflows to the Srinagarind and Vajiralongkorn Dams had increasing annual rainfall trends. For the entire basin, the trend analysis found increasing rainfall on both seasonal and annual scales. The results of this study can help water resource managers prepare better assessments and planning of water resources in the basin.

The elastic and radiation shielding properties of lead-recycled cathode ray tube (CRT) glass were investigated in order to study the possible reduction in the use of toxic lead oxide glass by partial replacement using CRT glass waste. The elastic properties of lead-recycled glass were studied using the pulse-echo ultrasonic technique and it was found that the elastic properties varied with CRT content in the glass. This indicated the existence of some modifying cations in the CRT. The radiation shielding properties of the glass were also studied by means of the calculated mass attenuation coefficient, mean free path, and half-value layer using the WinXCom program. The addition of CRT glass was found to deteriorate the radiation shielding properties of lead glass. However, lead-recycled CRT glass still exhibited better radiation shielding properties than the conventional barite concrete. Therefore, lead-recycled CRT glass can be a potential candidate for radiation shielding applications.

Thin film sol-gel coatings on glass substrates for use in solar cells were studied. The precursor solution was made of tetraethoxyorthosilicate (TEOS 2.0-6.0% v/v) using hexadecyltrimethoxysilane (HDTMS 0.1-1.5% v/v) as hydrophobic modifier in the presence of NH4OH (0.05-1.0% v/v) as catalyst. Dip-coating was applied to glass and studied for the effects of sol preparation on water-contact angle, transmittance, and resistance to outdoor exposure of the coating. The results showed TEOS, HDTMS and NH4OH contents at 6.0, 1.0 and 1.0 vol.%, respectively, as optimal. Superhydrophobicity with a water-contact angle of 150.69o can be achieved with high transmittance and self-cleaning properties. The morphology and surface roughness were characterized by AFM and showed aggregates of silica particles in combination with the inherent microscale roughness of glass. The stable voltage of solar cells having a coatings of this type (dip-coating in sol-gel with NH4OH catalyst) meets the industrial requirements with potential for outdoor applications.

The 2D electrical resistivity tomography method was used to study the geometry of coal seams at two sites that differ in the local geological setting and type of coal. One site contains a lignite seam whereas the other contains an anthracite seam. The coal seam resistivity signatures were determined and the results were compared between the two study sites. The interpreted 2D resistivity tomograms showed that the lignite seam cannot be distinguished from the surrounding host rocks but the anthracite seam is clearly associated with high resistivity values up to 100 Ωm with respect to the low-resistivity background of shale. The type and age of coal affects the porosity and water saturation. Increases in these two parameters reduce the bulk resistivity of the formation. Type, age, and fluid content are important factors that determine the resistivity contrast of a coal seam with the surrounding rocks.

A study on fish species composition and catch per unit effort (CPUE) was conducted at the Nong Han wetland in Sakon Nakhon Province, Thailand. Fish were collected with 3 randomized samplings per season at 6 stations using 6 sets of gillnets. A total of 45 fish species were found and most were in the Cyprinidae family. The catch by gillnets was dominated by Parambassis siamensis with an average CPUE for gillnets set at night of 807.77 g/100 m2 /night. No differences were detected on CPUE between the seasonal surveys. However, the CPUEs were significantly different (P

The corrosion inhibition effect of expired naproxen on aluminum (Al) in a 3 M hydrochloric acid (HCl) environment was studied by gasometric, Tafel plot, impedance, quantum chemical, and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) studies. The gasometric results showed that expired naproxen behaves as a corrosion inhibitor for Al in a 3 M HCl medium. The protection efficiency was enhanced and the evolution of hydrogen gas decreased as the concentration of expired naproxen rose. The Tafel plots showed mixed corrosion inhibition properties of expired naproxen. Impedance spectroscopy showed that the expired naproxen inhibited the corrosion of Al by adhering to the surface. Quantum chemical calculations showed that the electron rich elements in the expired naproxen had an interaction capacity with the surface of Al in the 3 M HCl solution medium. SEM photographs showed the corrosion inhibition property of expired naproxen. Due to the presence of electron rich elements in the expired naproxen, the compound is considered to be a superior corrosion inhibitor.

The Epstein-Barr nuclear antigen 1 (EBNA1) is a crucial protein expressed by the Epstein-Barr virus (EBV). The EBNA1 is necessary for the replication and transcriptional regulation of latent gene expression of the EBV. Therefore, it is connected with some diseases, especially malignancies. Previous studies have shown that chalcone potentially inhibited the EBV virus; therefore, in this study a series of chalcones were screened in silico toward EBNA1 by the use molecular docking and molecular dynamics simulation. The results suggested that chalcone 3a displayed significantly greater binding affinity than the reported anti-EBV agents. The EBNA1 residues K477, I481, N519, K586, and T590 contributed mainly for the chalcone 3a binding at the recognition helix site. Altogether, this chalcone might serve as a lead compound acting against EBNA1.

Even though detergent surfactants are mandated to be biodegradable, the environmental fate of these surfactants when mixed together in bodies of water is still not established. The study aimed to determine the biodegradability of NaLAS/CTAB surfactant combinations by measuring the amount of evolved CO2 which was measured using the OECD 301b procedure. The 90/10 and 10/90 NaLAS/CTAB systems showed a decline in biodegradation behaviors which were recorded as 55.88% and 40.12% biodegradation, respectively, after a 28-day monitoring period. Conductivity results revealed changes in the availability of ions in the system. An inflection point was observed at a CTAB concentration of 700 ppm. The highest turbidity was noted at a NaLAS/CTAB molar ratio of 1.39:1 which indicated the formation of insoluble catanionic salts in the system. Conductivity and turbidity testing revealed the formation of anionic-cationic structures such as micelles and ion-ion complexes. These structures may alter the natural degradation mechanism of microorganisms, thus leading to the slower rate of biodegradation or incomplete degradation of the surfactants.

The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between lameness and reproductive performance in dairy cows. A retrospective case-control study was conducted at 20 farms in 326 cows with high prevalence (>30%) and at 20 farms in 331 cows with low prevalence (

This research aimed to evaluate the design of a Texon cutting tool which was done using the concept of integration of quality function deployment (QFD) and value engineering (VE). QFD was used to obtain the variable attributes desired by the operator, priority technical characteristics, and critical parts of the product while VE was used to provide an alternative improvement of materials used to reduce the manufacturing costs. The final stage of the design process was to increase the value of the products for consumers and reduce the costs to be incurred by the manufacturer. To reduce the cost, the design process modified the components by buying materials that have a lower price but have the same quality.

Properties of bio-composite product from Acacia mangium strand and Cocos nucifera veneer were ascertained. Different strand sizes (10 mm, 15 mm and 20 mm) were used to create different combinations of layer arrangement; strandveneer-strand (SVS) and veneer-strand-veneer (VSV). Comply, a bio-composite product, was assessed for the mechanical and physical properties accordance with the European Standard. The value of MOR and MOE were found to be not significant when comparing SVS (10 mm and 15 mm) with 100% strand. Meanwhile, it was found that SVS (10 mm) with 100% strand had the highest value of internal bond and thickness swelling. Both layer arrangements were then being compared with plywood made by coconut veneer. Results showed that plywood had the highest value of MOR (51.54 MPa) and IB (0.66 MPa), VSV had the highest value of MOE (8037.79 MPa). For physical property the plywood had the best value of TS (12.19%).

The present study investigates the flow problem of MHD viscous two-phase dusty flow and heat transfer over a permeable stretching isothermal Riga plate embedded in a porous medium in the presence of convective boundary condition. The wall boundary is subjected to a linear deformation as well as to a quadratic surface temperature. The governing partial differential equations are transformed into ordinary differential equations using similarity variables, which are solved by numerically using fourth order Runge-Kutta method with shooting technique. The impact of various pertinent parameters for the velocity and temperature fields are profiles are analyzed in detail through graphs. Also, friction factor and Nusselt numbers are discussed and presented through tables. The output reveals that higher values of permeability decelerate the velocity and accelerate the temperature profile of both phases and it is noted that the velocity phase is always larger than the dust phase.

Eco-driving is an emerging field of research. Due to its positive dimensions on fuel-economy and environmental emissions, it is becoming a well-known concept in transportation industry. Behavioral responses of drivers’ readiness to adopt eco-driving are studied. Questionnaires are collected from 87 truck drivers working for a logistics firm in Thailand. Eco-driving was introduced using three different strategies; changing driving behavior, competition with fellow drivers, and reward or penalty systems. A five-point Likert scaling system is adopted to record their self-evaluation scoring to practice eco-driving in given contextual motivations. Results are reported in the form of eco-driving scores and Statistical evaluations to check if the difference in behavioral response is statistically significant. Statistically significantly different results showed that in-relationship (score 3.75) and high school drivers (score 4.38) manifested strong motivations in penalty or reward systems while high school drivers exhibited great inclinations in changing their driving behavior (score 3.89).

It is well known that the study of many processes of the natural sciences can be reduced to solving Volterra integrodifferential equations. Recent studies on certain problems of the environment such as the HIV virus, bird flu virus, and diseases associated with mutations of viruses have become relevant. A solution to such problems is associated with finding solutions of VIDEs. There are several classes of methods for solving IDEs. In contrast to the known methods, this paper developed the finite difference hybrid method by a combination of power series and the shifted Legendre polynomial through a block method which is self-starting and helped in eliminating the problem inherent with finding special predictors to estimate 𝑦 ′ in the integrators. The method was analyzed and the result revealed that the method is consistent, zero stable and convergent. Some test examples were considered and the results compared favorably with some existing methods.

Response surface methodology was used to optimize the preprocessing and processing parameters to obtain the best quality of canned cowpeas. The independent variables of central composite rotatable design were sodium hexametaphosphate [(NaPO3)6] concentration, soaking, blanching, and cooking time and temperature, whereas the dependent variables were hardness, moisture content, leached solid, and splitting seeds. Thus, the 5-factor, 3-level Box–Behnken design was used to establish the optimum conditions and generate regression quadratic polynomial models. The adequacy of each dependent variable were significant at P0.90, and there was no lack of fit. The sterilization value (F0) was determined to evaluate the heat treatment efficiency under the necessary required conditions to obtain a canned cowpeas with optimum quality characteristics (i.e., soaking time of 12 h, (NaPO3)6 concentration of 0.5%, blanching time of 5 min, cooking time of 15 min, and processing temperature of 110 °C. However, the F0 value of 1.18 min obtained with canned TN 5-78 cowpeas under the optimum conditions was not sufficient enough to provide commercially stable food.

The flotation of oxide copper ore with sodium oleate was investigated to determine the optimum pH and dosages of chemical reagents. From the mineralogical analysis using X-ray diffraction, malachite was the major mineral and the gangue minerals were mostly silicates such as quartz and kaolinite. As a result this ore was characterized as oxide copper. This result related well with the chemical analysis using XRF which indicated that copper was the main element with some minor constituents. Oxide copper ore flotation with 800 g/ton sodium oleate at pH 9 yielded 14.4% Cu with 83.3% recovery in a rougher circuit. To enhance the flotation performance, in terms of %Cu, optimum dosages of sodium silicate, quebracho, and pine oil were examined. At the optimum dosages, the grade increased to 20.1% Cu with 76.4% recovery. To upgrade the rougher concentrate, sodium oleate was added in the cleaner stage and without any reagents added in the recleaner stage. The best performance was achieved in this rougher-cleaner-recleaner circuit with 70.7% recovery of 26.9% Cu. This finished concentrate complied with the copper market standard.

Extensive surveys of mangrove foliose lichens in Caliciaceae and Physciaceae on the Gulf of Thailand revealed eight species of the genera Dirinaria, Physcia, and Pyxine. Species density was highest in the mid-intertidal zone (46%), followed by the landward and seaward zones (31% and 23%, respectively). Fifty-one new internal transcribed spacer sequences were generated and the resulting phylogenies based on maximum likelihood and Bayesian approaches yielded monophyletic lineages of all three genera. However, within the Dirinaria clade formation of polyphyletic assemblages among D. aegialita, D. applanata, and D. picta indicated the presence of homoplasies in certain morphological traits used to characterize them. To address species boundaries of these lichens in Dirinaria picta species complex, methods of DNA barcode-based delineation of putative species were employed. Additional sampling of the Dirinaria species from elsewhere is required to provide further insight into species delimitation of this heterogeneous genus.

This manuscript describes a facile and environmentally benign protocol for the acetylation of various alcohol and amines catalyzed by onion peel ash under a base- and solvent-free condition. Various acetates were successfully prepared from the alcohols and amines using onion peel ash as a catalyst and the end-products were obtained in good to excellent yields (76−96%). The current reported protocol complies with green chemistry principles, such as a base- and solvent-free condition, mildness of the reaction, and a recyclable catalytic system up to four times. Furthermore, the current method allows the management of the abundant onion peel bio-waste into a more useful catalyst in the field of organic synthesis. The transformations of bio-wastes into catalysts for organic reactions are of interest and highly sought after by scientists to meet the goal for a more sustainable chemistry in the near future.

In applications, we often meet the problem where more than one response variable is observed at several values of predictor variables, and these responses are correlated with each other. The multiresponse nonparametric regression model approach is appropriate to model the functions which represent relationship between response and predictor variables. This relationship is drawn by the regression function. The principal problem of this model approach is estimating of the regression function of this model. The spline estimator is one of the most popular estimators used for estimating it. In this paper we discuss methods to obtain a smoothing spline estimator for estimating the regression function, to get a covariance matrix estimator, and to choose an optimum smoothing parameter. In addition, we investigate the asymptotic properties of the smoothing spline estimator.

The study aimed to determine the differences in stress and depression levels in students demonstrating behavior of smartphone addiction and students without smartphone addiction. The sample consisted of 460 university students nationwide in Thailand. The instruments used in the data collection were a demographic form, SAS-VS-T, SPST-20, and CES-D and the reliabilities were 0.958, 0.972, and 0.975, respectively. Data were analyzed and the stress and depression levels were compared in the participants based on independent t-test. According to the findings, it was shown that the males and females with addictive smartphone behavior spent more money and time on a smartphone than the males and females without addictive smartphone behavior. Furthermore, the stress and depression scores in the males and females with addictive smartphone behavior were statistically higher than the other group (t=16.223, P

Hirschsprung disease (HSCR) is complex genetic disorder of the enteric nervous system (ENS) characterized by an absence of ganglion cells in various parts of the intestine. The disease has a strong genetic association with RET-protooncogene (RET) and various genes involved in neural crest development. SOX10 is a transcriptional regulator whose expression is essential in the development of the ENS. The association between single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in SOX10, rs139883 and rs139884, and sporadic HSCR has not been reported. We evaluated the genetic associations between two SNPs in SOX10 and Thai sporadic HSCR, using a case-control design. The study included 120 HSCR and 242 sex-matched controls whose DNA was genotyped using the RFLP (rs139883) and Taqman SNP genotyping (rs139884) methods. The study found minor allele frequencies (MAF) at 0.25 and 0.24 for rs139883 (allele C) and rs139884 (allele A), respectively. Both SNPs complied with the Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium and were further examined through disease association. The association analysis found that the risk-genotype of rs139883 (CC) was associated with HSCR (odds ratio [OR] 2.09; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.07-4.08; P=0.03). When a subgroup analysis was performed, CC genotype of the rs139883 was significantly associated with HSCR only in females (OR 5.6; 95% CI 1.1-19.5; P=0.01). Moreover, the long segment disease group significantly harbored the risk genotype at a higher frequency (28.6%) compared to the short HSCR (12.0%, P=0.02). In conclusion, the study suggests a genetic association between rs139883 in SOX10 and Thai-female HSCR.

Candidiasis is the most prevalent fungal infection found in the oral cavity. Current interventions for oral fungal infections are not very successful and require a long treatment period. This research aims to study the in vitro and in vivo effects of lemongrass oil on Candida albicans. The antifungal activities of lemongrass oil towards C. albicans were determined by broth microdilution and time-kill assay. A lemongrass gel was formulated and its antifungal potential was evaluated in the rat model. The results from the in vitro study revealed that lemongrass oil possesses potent antifungal activity. In the in vivo study, 15 Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into 3 groups and treated with gel base, lemongrass gel, and Daktarin® gel. After 2 weeks, the quantity of C. albicans in the oral tissues of lemongrass gel- and Daktarin®-treated rats was significantly lower than the gel base group (P

Wetlands are crucial nesting areas for the little grebe (Tachybaptus ruficollis). Our study was conducted at a wastewater treatment facility at Khon Kaen University in northeastern Thailand to determine whether human disturbance affected the breeding success of the birds at wastewater treatment ponds in 2011, 2012, and 2016. We found 14, 8, and 14 active nests in 2011, 2012, and 2016, respectively. The results indicated that human disturbances likely caused the grebes to shift their nest locations. In the 2011 and 2016 seasons, when human disturbance was low, the hatching success was 70%. In 2012, a weed control program at the facility resulted in the dramatic hatching reduction to 9.7%. The results also indicated that some human activities, such as predation and habitat disturbance, could have dramatic effects on the nesting success of the T. ruficollis.

AGAMOUS (AG) is a class C MADS-box gene that plays an important role in the development of reproductive organs in angiosperms and gymnosperms. Here, an AGAMOUS homolog was isolated from male and female Zamia muricata. Lengths of nucleotide sequences were 1,262 and 1,537 bp, respectively, and both represented 672 bp of open reading frame corresponding to 224 amino acid residues of predicted protein. The amino acid sequences showed high similarity to AG protein from Cycas (C. elephantipes, C. nongnoochiae, C. taitungensis, C. pranburiensis and C. edentata) and revealed a conserved region at MADSbox (M) and Keratin-like box (K). A phylogenetic tree based on the amino acid sequences of AG protein of angiosperms and gymnosperms indicated that Zamia and gymnosperms were grouped together with high bootstrap support.

This study aims to alter the drawbacks of starch-based foam that include poor mechanical properties and high water absorption. Biodegradable cassava-starch cushion foams were prepared successfully by compression. Kaolin was selected as a reinforcing agent as well as a water resistance additive. All of the prepared foams showed a smooth and dense outer surface with high open-cell content inside. Elongation at break of the foams decreased (from 7.1 to 2.6%), while the bending modulus increased from 66 to 112 MPa with increasing kaolin content from 0 to 15 phr. The melting temperature and the glass transition of the foam decreased from 156 to 150 °C and from 62 to 60 °C, respectively, after the addition of kaolin at 15 phr. At 100% RH, the addition of 15 phr of kaolin could reduce the equilibrium moisture content of the foam by 22% and the foam can be assimilated into the environment within a short period of time.

The aim of the research was to study the complex effect of selenium-containing supplements and a vitamin premixture on the quality, nutritional value of enriched farmer’s cheese (tvorog). It was established for the first time that the combined introduction of selexen and the vitamin premixture ADE into the composition of farmer’s cheese in the studied concentrations makes it possible to preserve the organoleptic properties of the product; to reduce the rate of titratable acidity growth; to increase microbiological safety by reducing the number of yeasts, molds, and enterococci with stabilization of the number of lactobacilli when stored in a cooled state. The shelf life of enriched farmer’s cheese can be extended to 7 days. Consumption of a 100 g portion of the enriched product meets the percentage of daily adult needs in the following micronutrients: selenium - 47-46%, vitamin А – 43–42 %, vitamin Е – 27–26 %, and vitamin D3 – 16%.

An ethanolic glutinous black rice bran extract (RBE) was prepared and used in the experiments to determine the phenolic and flavonoid contents, antioxidation using DPPH and TBARS assay, anti-adipogenesis, and lipolysis induction in a 3T3-L1 pre-adipocyte model to discover its anti-obesity potential. The results showed that RBE was composed of phenolics, flavonoids, and anthocyanins and showed antioxidative activities (8.58±0.14 mg Vit C eq/g extract and 6.06±0.49 mg BHT eq/g extract). Interestingly, its anti-obesity potential was demonstrated in the interruption of the adipocyte life cycle, i.e. a significant anti-adipogenesis effect in the reduction of lipid accumulation (50.86±3.26 to 97.06±8.09% of the negative control, and triglyceride content in 3T3-L1 pre-adipocytes (36.89±2.08 to 90.56±0.67% of the negative control), and lipolysis induction (relative glycerol content 117.62±1.44 and 163.72±10.18% of control). Therefore, implementation into obesity therapy requires further research.

This study was conducted to evaluate the biodegradability of used lubricating oil (ULO) in soil slurry system using bioaugmentation and biostimultion approaches. Bioaugmentation with SC9 consortium isolated from ULO-contaminated soil and biostimulation with biosurfactant obtained from Acinetobacter calcoaceticus subsp. anitratus SM7 as well as nutrients were investigated. Soil concentration, initial pH, type and concentration of nutrients, and inoculum size of SC9 consortium affected by the rate of microbial degradation of ULO in soil slurry system. Maximal degradation rate of ULO (63.3%) was obtained when SC9 consortia was incubated under the optimized conditions for 7 days. The maximum biodegradation and bacteria growth were 88.6% and 10.9 log CFUml-1 in unsterilized soil slurry supplemented with SC9 consortium and crude biosurfactant after 30 days of incubation. Biosurfactant derived from A. calcoaceticus subsp. anitratus SM7 and/or SC9 consortium are significant factors in supporting indigenous microbial growth and added to soils to enhance degradation of ULO in soil slurry bioremediation. Therefore, both SC9 consortium and biosurfactant have potential for apply in soil slurry bioremediation of ULO and other hydrocarbonscontaminated soil.