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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.

Single anaerobic digestion of rubber latex effluent (LTE) is known to be difficult and low yield which produces biogas containing high sulfur dioxide and ammonia. This article investigates the potential of co-digestion of palm oil mill effluent (POME) and LTE both in terms of synergistic, inhibitory effects and process stability particularly in inferring what would happen in an industrial-scale biogas plant if this type of co-digestion is to be used. The article focuses on the biochemical methane potential (BMP) of POME-LTE at different mixing ratio within the temperature range of 30 - 45 °C, the range which is used in most commercial biogas power plants in Thailand. It was found that proper co-digestion between POME and LTE provided a good opportunity to optimize the bio-methane yield because of their synergistic effect. All mixing ratios provided stable biogas production up to at least 45 days. Co-digestion of POME and LTE had a synergistic effect that when mixing 80 - 90 % of POME with 10 - 20 % of LTE, it enhanced the BMP by 25 - 35 %. It is also recommended that, in mesophilic range, 45 °C would be the best for both methane yield and high methane content in the biogas. We also have illustrated that 2-substrate models (in this case the Gompertz 2 substrate (GTS) model) is very suitable for representing and describing co-digestion data because of their inherently multiple substrate tendency. In most cases, Gompertz-type equations for single substrate did not represent the accumulated biogas/methane data adequately.

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.

Strong and fair intellectual property rights legislation is an essential foundation for the 4th Industrial Revolution. It is required to protect the increasingly rapid advances in all areas of technology and science as well as the pursuits of human endeavor. Nevertheless, it is an emotive issue especially in developing countries which seek to balance the need for access to essential products, such as pharmaceutical products, at a cost that consumers can afford and the need to protect intellectual property rights. Key areas of concern are: what intellectual property should be protected; the length of protection; and remedies for violating intellectual property rights. At the same time countries must be allowed to adopt measures necessary to protect public health and nutrition, and to protect the public interest in sectors of vital importance to their socio-economic and technological development. Thailand is party to intellectual property treaties under both the World Intellectual Property Organization and the World Trade Organization. This paper describes the protections afforded under Thailand’s intellectual property laws. The analysis shows that the coverage of the Thai legislation is extensive and robust - protecting the intellectual property rights of Thailand as well as those of the wider world community. What is missing is a rigorous and consistent enforcement regime. It must be acknowledged that the enforcement has improved over the last few years. This has been recognized by the United States Trade Representative who, in December 2017, moved Thailand from the Priority Watchlist to its Watchlist because of Thailand’s engagement on intellectual property issues with the United States and resolved their concerns across a range of intellectual property issues.

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.

Chlorophyll-a mapping is widely used in the coastal environment. The mapping results can be utilized as guidance for fishing activities. The presence of chlorophyll-a in phytoplankton is much investigated concerning the existence of fish as a source of livelihood for fishermen around the globe. One method extensively developed is the use of satellite imagery to map the chlorophyll-content in the coastal region from a small area to a global scale, such as Aqua MODIS image data. This study aims to monitor the distribution of chlorophyll-a on the north coast and south coast of Lombok island. Analysis of variance and parametric statistical tests with t-distribution was utilized to examine the correlation between the two types of chlorophyll-a distribution of the coast area, Lombok Island. The result shows that the distribution of chlorophyll-a concentrations on the north coast and the south of the coast is not the same abundance; the south coast of Lombok island has smaller variances, with the concentration distribution is relatively the same. It differs from the north part; the distribution shows less diversity. This result indicates that a reasonably wide interval wherein some coordinates has a relatively diffuse chlorophyll-a concentration with a sufficiently high distribution level. Analysis of variance result also shows that both the north and south coasts have different fertility levels for their coastal waters, which are characterized by the growth rate of chlorophyll-a on the surface water along the coastal region examined

Egg-shell, a locally obtainable biowaste material, was successfully used for common textile dye (congo red) removal from synthetic wastewater solution. All adsorptive experiments were carried out in a batch method. Experiments were conducted to understand the consequence of different functioning parameters, for example, the pH of the solution, adsorbent dosage, reaction time, and initial adsorbate concentration. The surface morphology of the egg-shell was analyzed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) images of the adsorbent (before as well as after adsorption) showed that there was a change in surface morphology, which ensured the congo red adsorption on the adsorbent surface. The adsorbent dose was determined to be 1g as optimum value, while the solution pH 5 was seemingly the best operating pH at the tested conditions. Complete adsorption was achieved in 120 min while the pseudo-second-order kinetic model portrayed the sorption kinetics quite nicely. Langmuir adsorption model (monolayer adsorption) was the best-suited model for describing the sorption process in the concern of the correlation coefficient. The values of dimensionless separation parameters (RL) signified that the adsorption process was promising for all studied concentrations. A considerably great extent of sorption capacity (153.85 mg/g) of egg-shell adsorbent indicated that it could be employed for wastewater treatment in textile and related industries

The productivity of Arabica coffee in low-altitude areas in Aceh have been declined, caused by an increase in temperatures, and by pests and diseases attack. This study aims to develop adaptation strategies to climate change in Aceh trough understanding how coffee productivity correlates with the management practices across the altitude. To find out a correlation between farming practices variables and coffee productivity, Spearman's rank test was used. To assess whether farming practice explanatory variables affected by the altitudes, a non-parametric with the Kruskal-Wallis Test, with Tukey’s post-hoc test (P0.05) with Chi-square distance were used. The results showed that coffee productivity was positively and significantly correlated to pruning, weeding, application of fertilizer, and application of pest and disease control, but was not to coffee plant density, sustainability certification, land conservation, and age of the coffee plant. Adaptation strategies for farmers in higher altitudes are to maintain the coffee plant density as well as shade density at an optimum level, followed by increasing management practices such as pruning, weeding, application of fertilizer, and pest and diseases control; in lower altitudes, those are to increase shade density both with Leucaena and multipurpose plants such as avocado and citrus, as well as increasing management practices such as land conservation, pruning, weeding, application of fertilizer and pest and diseases control. In middle altitudes, those are to maintain and improve management practices applied

The Baiturrahman Grand Mosque is well-known as the identity of Banda Aceh town, Indonesia. The extensive renovation was carried out in 2015 to the Mosque, presenting an open piazza coated with glossy white marble replacing the previous greeneries and grass. This change creates a much different thermal sensation of the prior environment. This condition also invites the contrast to respond and define spatial comfort, including thermal and visual comfort. Therefore, this study conducts an assessment of thermal and visual comfort at the open piazza, which was done through field measurements. The outdoor thermal comfort was calculated using the equations proposed by Sangkertadi that are appropriate for the tropics. The visual comfort was examined using the De Boer glare scale. The result shows the discomfort appearance for both thermal and visual comfort. The study gives recommendations, such as planting greeneries, providing more shades for achieving lower outdoor air temperature. Replacing the glossy marble with the diffusing and rough surface will reduce the glare for getting the more acceptable visual comfort against the marbles.

Soil surface charge and cation exchange are important parameters of soil fertility in tropical soils. This study was conducted to investigate characteristics of surface charges and cation exchanges on four soil orders of the dryland in Aceh Besar district. The soil order includes Entisols Jantho (05o16’58.41” N; 95o37’51.82” E), Andisols Saree (05o27'15.6" N; 95o44'09,1" E), Inceptisols Cucum (05º18’18,37” N; 95º32’48,04” E), dan Oxisols Lembah Seulawah (05o27’19,4” N; 95o46’19,2” E). The charge characteristics of surface charge are evaluated from the parameter of DpH (pHH2O-pHKCl), variable charge (Vc), permanent charge (Pc), and point of zero charges (PZC). In contrast, cation exchange properties are evaluated from several soil chemical properties, such as soil organic matter (SOM), base saturation (BS), cation exchange capacity (CEC), and effective CEC (ECEC). The results show that the four pedons of soil in the hilly dryland of Aceh Besar include a variable charge because it has a PZC, which is characterized by a negative surface charge with a PZC of pHH2O and has CEC dependent soil pH. PZC value varies from 3.21 – 5.26 and sequentially PZC Andisols Oxisols Entisols Inceptisols. The total CEC value differs considerably from ECEC and the sum of cations. CEC total of the soils varies from 12.8 – 34.4 cmol kg-1, whereas the ECEC values vary from 2.72 – 8.66 cmol kg-1. The highest variable charge percentage is found in Andisols Saree. In contrast, the highest permanent charge is found in Inceptisols Cucum and is positively correlated with pHH20, PZC, CEC, and sums of cations or ECEC. Improving soil quality in hilly dryland soils in Aceh Besar District can be done by decreasing the PZC status of soils with organic amendments and fertilizers or increasing the pH by using liming.

Several researchers have arranged an approach to estimating the P-wave velocity, but none of them specifically relates to the pore attribute. Pore attributes are one of the main factors that affect pore complexity and rock quality. If P-wave velocity is influenced by the pore complexity, then it should be possible to arrange a simple relationship of P-wave velocity with the pore attribute. This study is intended to construct an empirical relationship of P-wave velocity with a combination of pore attributes, shape factor, and tortuosity (Fsτ) so that the P-wave velocity can be easily estimated. This study used two sandstone datasets from 2 different basins, which are the northern part of the West Java basin and the Kutai basin. This research shows that a simple empirical equation can be arranged to relate the P-wave velocity with Fsτ. This relationship provides a good correlation coefficient. It offers an easy and straightforward approach to estimating P-wave

En el presente artículo se describe el desarrollo de un programa que permita la estimación de propiedades de Presión, Volumen y Temperatura (PVT) en los pozos del Oriente Ecuatoriano. El prototipo cuenta con la recopilación de correlaciones más adecuadas para crudo Ecuatoriano, visualización y generación de reportes de los pozos que se encuentren perforados sujeta a información geográfica. Como primer punto, es necesario contar con expresiones matemáticas PVT calibradas a datos de laboratorio correspondientes a la arena U inferior del crudo de la región. Para esta parte, la metodología desarrollada constituye la adquisición, procesamiento y ajuste de datos de información de laboratorio, con el fin de obtener un manejo adecuado de los mismos. La aplicación desarrollada proporcionará la estimación de las propiedades PVT del petróleo más acordes a la Cuenca Oriente. En tal virtud, los resultados experimentales podrán ser utilizados en los diferentes cálculos requeridos para la producción de hidrocarburos de la industria local y para la academia permitirá ampliar las fronteras de estudio.

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.

This research evaluates achira starch modification via gamma radiation, chemical modification and the subsequent adhesives formulation. Native starch was irradiated using a linear accelerator; the mean dose rate used was 19.5 kGy/min at ambient temperature and normal pressure. The chemical modification of irradiated starch consisted of a hydrolysis process, followed by the obtention of carbamates from the hydrolyzed starch with urea, sulphuric acid and ethanol. In order to prepare adhesives; native, modified and dual-modified starches were tested in different proportions with a polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) solution. Fourier Transformed Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) analysis showed all modified starches had a lower intensity in the band between 1100 and 900 cm-1 due to the damage in the glycosidic bonds. Only single modified starches evidenced a characteristic band at 1715 cm-1, which corresponds to the group carbonyl (C=O) of carbamates. The viscosity of native starch adhesives increased with the starch-PVA, unlike, single and dual-modified starch adhesives. The shear bond strength did not change significantly in the adhesives formulated either with starch modified by urea or electron beam irradiation. The combination of hydrolysis with gamma radiation caused strong damage in the starch structure. However, despite the molecular destruction of polysaccharide, the adhesion capacity for non-irradiated starches is similar in all cases.

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

En el Ecuador, el principal consumidor final de energía es el sector transporte. En el año 2014, el consumo de energía alcanzó el 42% del consumo nacional total. El Estado ecuatoriano debe importar un importante volumen de derivados de petróleo para garantizar la demanda total de los combustibles fósiles empleados en el sector transporte. Además, el expendio de combustible fósil está subvencionado, implicando un sustancial gasto de recursos económicos. En el presente artículo, se simula la estrategia de una futura implementación de vehículos eléctricos en el sistema nacional de transporte terrestre. El estudio de prospectiva y planificación energética en el sector transporte se realizó con ayuda del Modelo de Simulación y Análisis de la Matriz Energética – SAME, perteneciente a la Organización Latinoamericana de Energía OLADE. A través de un tablero virtual, se simula en el año 2035 la sustitución de combustibles fósiles: gasolina y diésel por electricidad, minimizando así el volumen de importaciones de los derivados del petróleo. El objetivo del presente trabajo es demostrar la viabilidad técnica de electrificación del sector de transporte y desacoplamiento de los derivados del petróleo. Como resultados de una primera aproximación estratégica en esta sustitución implicaría una reducción de 86.223,0 kbep de diésel del consumo nacional, además, una importante reducción de importaciones de gasolina. De esta manera, al año 2035, sólo se importaría alrededor de 19.650,9 kbep, destinados al consumo de sectores comercial, residencial y construcción.

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.

El Módulo estático de elasticidad del hormigón es un parámetro que se utiliza para el cálculo y control de desplazamientos y deformaciones en una estructura de hormigón armado. El valor del módulo estático de elasticidad del hormigón depende en gran medida del módulo estático de elasticidad del agregado con el cual se fabrica el hormigón. El código ACI establece que, para calcular el módulo estático de elasticidad de un hormigón de peso normal, se debe usar como dato la resistencia a la compresión del hormigón. En el presente estudio se elaboraron probetas de hormigón armado utilizando agregados obtenidos de la mina San Roque ubicada en la provincia de Imbabura, Ecuador y se obtuvo el módulo estático de elasticidad del hormigón usando el método ASTM C 469. Los resultados obtenidos mostraron que la forma de cálculo del módulo estático de elasticidad del hormigón propuesto por el ACI no es aplicable para hormigones fabricados con agregados obtenidos de la mina San Roque.

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.

En este trabajo se presenta una solución sencilla para el diseño de un controlador de un conversor integrado al panel fotovoltaico basado en un inversor tipo Flyback de baja potencia con control nolineal de la corriente del primario con el propósito de controlar la potencia inyectada a la red eléctrica con factor de potencia unitario. La corriente de referencia es obtenida utilizando el algoritmo de Conductancia Incremental (IC) y en consecuencia obtener la potencia máxima del panel solar ante cualquier cambio de las condiciones atmosféricas. El controlador no-lineal es diseñado para trabajar en el modo de conducción discontinua (DCM) y de esta manera facilitar el diseño si se compara con la complejidad de diseño que presenta este tipo de conversores cuando funciona en el modo de conducción continua (CCM) debido a que la función de transferencia de la corriente del inversor tipo Flyback presenta un cero en el semiplano derecho (RHP). Adicionalmente, se desarrolla el análisis de estabilidad utilizando el método de Lyapunov para demostrar la estabilidad y delimitación de las señales del sistema en lazo cerrado. Los resultados de la simulación validan el funcionamiento y robustez del controlador.

An immersion experiment was conducted in the Manila South Harbor to document the development of sessile biofouling communities. Test panels were submerged below the sea surface in April 2012 for short- (one and three months) and long-term (one year) exposures in seawater, then foauling types and occurrences were scored based on digital images of panel surfaces. The short-term immersed panels were found with significant cover of soft fouling (undet.), slime, and the invasive Balanus (=Amphibalanus) amphitrite. These also filled the long-term immersed panels, although some fell off due to mortality from crude oil smothering. Perna viridis, native but also invasive, successfully established and then dominated the fouling cover by the 12th month (April 2013). Oysters, bryozoans (Watersipora sp.), colonial tunicates, polychaetes (Hydroides sp.), and green algae contributed minor to fouling cover. These fouling communities in the Manila South Harbor consisted of organisms that were cosmopolitan in port waters of SE Asia. A similar study must be carried out in other major ports of the country and then compared.

The objectives of this study were to determine the effect of boron concentration on total dose rate for lung cancer treatment, and to determine the effect of boron concentration on the length of irradiation time for lung cancer treatment. This study was computer simulation-based using the Particle and Heavy Ion Transport code System (PHITS) by defining the geometry and components of lung cancer and the surrounding organism as the object being studied and the source of radiation used. The type of phantom used was the ORNL of an adult Asian male. The neutron source used was Kartini Reactor. The independent variable was the boron concentration of 30, 40, 50, 60, and 70 ?g/g cancer tissue and the dependent variables were the dose rate and the irradiation time. The results of this study indicated that the larger the amount of boron concentration that was injected, the higher the rate of total dose the organ received, where the total dose rate for each variation of boron concentration were 1.34 × 10-3 Gy/s, 1.71 × 10-3 Gy/s, 2.07 × 10-3 Gy/s, 2.42 × 10-3 Gy/s, and 2.78 × 10-3 Gy/s, and the larger the amount of boron concentration that was injected, the faster the irradiation time for the treatment of lung cancer was, where the irradiation time required for each variation of boron concentration was 37294 s, 29240 s, 24180 s, 20633 s, and 17996 s.

In education, students attempt to copy previous works and are relying on prepared solutions available on the Internet in order to meet their requirements. This action leads to plagiarism, which is becoming part of educational institutions’ concern to reduce growing academic dishonesty. With regards to the aforementioned issue, this study aims to design and develop a plagiarism checker capable of registering documents, granting access to users, and calculating the similarity between documents. Thus, the software was constructed using HTML, PHP, JavaScript, CSS, and MySQL. The developed system is composed of three main modules; the Document Search which enables users to browse documents, the Document Registration which enables the administrator to add and manage the stored documents, and the document Comparison, which serves as the system plagiarism detection mechanism. The algorithm Normalized Compression Distance was used to measure similarity and the Boyer-Moore Algorithm to highlight the suspected plagiarized document. Moreover, tests were conducted to determine if the system is functioning as expected and to measure the accuracy of the output produced by the system. The developed system was evaluated using the ISO 25010 software quality model in terms of Product Quality and was rated by one hundred respondents. The system obtained a mean of 4.70 which is equivalent to “excellent” in descriptive terms. This validates that the objectives of the study were met and achieved. This further indicates that the system was developed according to its desired functions and requirements.

Las losas con vigas banda en estructuras de hormigón armado son ampliamente usadas en el Ecuador debido a su bajo costo, facilidad de construcción y aspecto arquitectónico. Las losas planas han demostrado que tienen un buen comportamiento ante cargas verticales, sin embargo, se han reportado numerosos colapsos estructurales en edificaciones con este sistema constructivo durante eventos sísmicos. El colapso producido en este tipo de estructuras es preocupante pues las fallas se han producido debido al punzonamiento de las losas alrededor de las columnas. Este tipo de falla ocurre de forma repentina y por lo tanto es necesario evitarla. No existe en el ACI la recomendación para el diseño de la conexión Losa – Columna, cuando se trata de pórticos sin muros o paredes estructurales. Para el diseño se siguió la recomendación de la referencia 5 y 6. En este estudio, se construyeron dos modelos de prueba a escala real. Se construyeron 2 nudos interiores de un edificio con losas planas y fueron ensayadas ante una combinación de cargas verticales y laterales para observar el comportamiento de la conexión losa columna. La carga horizontal fue aplicada de forma cíclica y se colocó una sobre carga en la losa para simular la carga vertical de una edificación en servicio normal. Estos experimentos mostraron que el tipo de falla que se produce en estructuras de hormigón con losas planas es frágil. En ambos modelos la falla fue debido a corte en dos direcciones o punzonamiento antes de que se produzca agotamiento por flexión

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%).