bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
แผนกลยุทธ์การจัดตั้งคณะอุตสาหกรรมการกีฬามหาวิทยาลัยการกีฬาแห่งชาติ
Authors:   , เทียมทิพร จินตนา
Published: September 2023

การวิจัยครั้งนี้มีวัตถุประสงค์ คือ 1) เพื่อศึกษาและวิเคราะห์สภาพปัจจุบันเกี่ยวกับอุตสาหกรรมการกีฬา ความต้องการ และแนวทางในการจัดตั้งคณะอุตสาหกรรมการกีฬา มหาวิทยาลัยการกีฬาแห่งชาติ 2) เพื่อนำเสนอแผนกลยุทธ์การจัดตั้งคณะอุตสาหกรรมการกีฬา มหาวิทยาลัยการกีฬาแห่งชาติ 3) เพื่อนำเสนอโครงสร้างและแนวทางการบริหารจัดการคณะอุตสาหกรรมการกีฬา มหาวิทยาลัยการกีฬาแห่งชาติ กลุ่มตัวอย่างประกอบด้วย ผู้บริหารระดับสูงขององค์การทางการกีฬาและการอุดมศึกษา 10 คน ผู้ใช้บัณฑิตในภาคเอกชน 20 คน  ผู้บริหารระดับสูง 10 คณาจารย์ 15 คน และนักศึกษาของมหาวิทยาลัยการกีฬาแห่งชาติ 20 คน  ใช้แบบสัมภาษณ์และแบบสอบถามเป็นเครื่องมือในการวิจัย ตรวจสอบคุณภาพโดยผู้ทรงคุณวุฒิจำนวน 5 ท่าน คัดเลือกข้อคำถามที่มีค่าดัชนีความสอดคล้อง (IOC) ตั้งแต่ 0.50 และสูงกว่า การวิเคราะห์ข้อมูล โดยการวิเคราะห์เนื้อหา การวิเคราะห์สภาพปัจจัยภายนอกที่มีผลต่อการจัดตั้งคณะอุตสาหกรรมการกีฬา มหาวิทยาลัยการกีฬาแห่งชาติ ด้วยการใช้ PESTEL analysis  วิเคราะห์ปัจจัยภายในด้วย SWOT Analysis การกำหนดกลยุทธ์ โดยใช้ TOWS Matrix  นำเสนอข้อมูลโดยตารางแจกแจงความถี่ ค่าร้อยละ ค่าเฉลี่ย และส่วนเบี่ยงเบนมาตรฐาน

ผลการสำรวจความคิดเห็นเกี่ยวกับสภาพปัจจุบันของอุตสาหกรรมการกีฬา และความต้องการในการจัดตั้งคณะอุตสาหกรรมการกีฬา มหาวิทยาลัยการกีฬาแห่งชาติ พบว่า สภาพปัจจุบันของอุตสาหกรรมการกีฬามีปัญหาความต้องการบุคลากรของอุตสาหกรรมการกีฬา และควรจัดตั้งคณะอุตสาหกรรมการกีฬา สภาพแวดล้อมของมหาวิทยาลัยการกีฬาแห่งชาติ ประกอบด้วย 1) จุดแข็ง คือ โครงสร้างการแบ่งส่วนราชการและพันธกิจของมหาวิทยาลัยการกีฬาแห่งชาติสอดคล้องกับการจัดตั้งคณะอุตสาหกรรมการกีฬา มีความพร้อมด้านบุคลากร 2) จุดอ่อน คือ คุณลักษณะของบัณฑิตที่ยังไม่ค่อยมีลักษณะเป็นผู้ประกอบการ 3) โอกาส คือ นโยบายต่าง ๆ ของหน่วยงานภาครัฐต่างมุ่งส่งเสริมอุตสาหกรรมการกีฬา 4) อุปสรรค คือ ความก้าวหน้าทางเทคโนโลยีส่งผลต่อการจ้างงาน หลักเกณฑ์การจัดส่วนงานภายในสถาบันอุดมศึกษาทำให้การเพิ่มหน่วยงานเป็นไปได้ยาก

แผนกลยุทธ์การจัดตั้งคณะอุตสาหกรรมการกีฬา มหาวิทยาลัยการกีฬาแห่งชาติ ประกอบด้วย 6 กลยุทธ์หลัก ดังนี้ 1) ส่งเสริมการสร้างเครือข่ายความร่วมมือการจัดการศึกษาทั้งภาครัฐและภาคเอกชนในอุตสาหกรรมการกีฬา 2) พัฒนาคุณภาพอาจารย์และมาตรฐานการเรียนการสอนให้พร้อมกับการจัดตั้งคณะอุตสาหกรรมการกีฬา 3) ผลิตบัณฑิตสมรรถนะสูงเพื่อรองรับภาคการผลิตและบริการของอุตสาหกรรมการกีฬา 4) พัฒนานวัตกรรมจากผลงานวิจัยทางด้านอุตสาหกรรมการกีฬาที่สามารถสร้างมูลค่าเพิ่มทางเศรษฐกิจและสังคม 5) คณะอุตสาหกรรมการกีฬาเป็นแหล่งสนับสนุนทางวิชาการและวิชาชีพของอุตสาหกรรมการกีฬา และ 6) การบริหารจัดการมีประสิทธิภาพ ประสิทธิผลภายใต้หลักธรรมมาภิบาล

โครงสร้างและแนวทางการบริหารจัดการคณะอุตสาหกรรมการกีฬา มหาวิทยาลัยการกีฬาแห่งชาติ ประกอบด้วย 1) วิสัยทัศน์ 2) หลัการและเหตุผล  3) พันธกิจ 4) วัตถุประสงค์ 5) การจัดองค์การคณะอุตสาหกรรมการกีฬา 6) ระบบการบริหารงานบุคคล 7) เป้าหมายผลผลิต 8) การควบคุมมาตรฐานและคุณภาพในการดำเนินงาน 9) แหล่งที่มาของรายได้ 10) ระบบการบริหารจัดการงบประมาณและทรัพย์สินของคณะอุตสาหกรรมการกีฬา และ 11) แผนการดำเนินงานของคณะอุตสาหกรรมการกีฬา
Substrate binding mechanism of glycerophosphodiesterase towards pesticides and improvement of stability by mutational analysis
Authors:   , Bhat Nayana
Published: September 2023

Molecular dynamics studies have been providing a great number of atomistic details of biological systems to understand enzymatic activity and underlying reaction mechanisms. Herein, molecular dynamic (MD) simulations were employed to study the binding mechanisms of organophosphate pesticides towards two metallohydrolases, i.e., glycerophosphodiesterase (GpdQ) and methyl parathion hydrolase (MPH). OPH are the class of enzymes which breaks down harmful organophosphates, including the pesticides and warfare agents into less harmful byproducts. Hence, these enzymes are excellent candidates for bioremediation. In the present study, various nonspecific organophosphate pesticides were docked into GpdQ and MPH enzymes to construct the pesticide/protein complex for performing MD simulations for 500 ns. In the first part, profenofos, chlorpyrifos and diazinon in complex with GpdQ were carried out. From MD results, all three were well stabilized by the active site and the residues P228, Q166, M167, I170, Y230. However, the distance between the metal ions was increased to accommodate the bulkier substrates. In part II, methyl paraxon, dichlorvos and profenofos binding to the cobalt and zinc bound MPH enzyme were studied. It was observed that methyl paraxon and dichlorvos favored cobalt bound MPH, whereas the profenofos had better binding free affinity towards zinc bound MPH. All pesticides coordinated with beta metal ion with a distance of 1.90 – 1.98 Å. In part III, the inhibition activity of cobalt bound MPH by  carbamates such as carbofuran and carbaryl was investigated by in vitro and in silico studies. Enzyme kinetics study and Lineweaver-Burk plots exhibited uncompetitive inhibition for both carbamates. The molecular docking and MD simulations showed that among three possible binding sites, both carbamates preferred to bind at the groove between the two chains. The residues A260, P322 and L303 stabilized through π-alkyl interactions and H-bonds with S87, R319, and F320 were formed. This study has provided promising results of effective use of the organophosphate hydrolases in bioremediation.
The use of corpus consultation to enhance the acquisition of l2 English infinitive and gerund complements among low English proficiency l1 Thai learners
Authors:   , Suriyapee Passaraporn
Published: September 2023

This study aimed to investigate how the corpus-based teaching approach could enhance L2 acquisition of English infinitive and gerund complements among low English proficiency L1 Thai young learners. Sixty-four secondary students were equally divided into an experimental group and a control group. The experimental group learned English verbal complements through the corpus approach, while the control group did through the traditional teaching approach. Data were collected through a pretest, a posttest, and an interview. The results from the pretest revealed quite low scores on English infinitive and gerund complements in both participant groups and, based on the statistical data from the T distribution, there was no significant difference regarding their English verbal complement background knowledge (p > .05). After the treatment, both groups showed satisfactory results in the posttest. The participants in the experimental group showed significant improvement from the pretest (x̄ = 1.19) to the posttest (x̄ = 7.69), p < .01, while the control group could also perform significantly better in the posttest (x̄ = 4.06) than the pretest (x̄ = 1.03), p < .01. The findings suggested the merit of both teaching approaches. However, what is worth observing is that the experimental group could get significantly higher posttest scores (x̄ = 7.69) than the control group (x̄ = 4.06), p < .01, indicating that the corpus approach is more effective than the traditional teaching approach. Moreover, qualitative data from the interview corroborated the statistical results in that the experimental group had positive attitudes toward the corpus-based teaching approach. The results were in line with those in previous research (Dazdarevic et al., 2014; Poocharoensil, 2012; and Kulsitthiboon and Pongpairoj, 2018). The implications of this research were twofold: SLA and pedagogy. That is, the findings shed some light on the effectiveness of the corpus-based teaching approach on L2 acquisition of grammar.
A Learner corpus-based study on the use of spoken discourse markers by Thai EFL learners
Authors:   , Pan Zhaoyi
Published: September 2023

This research investigated and compared the use of English spoken discourse markers by Thai EFL learners and by native English speakers. Six English spoken discourse markers, namely like, so, well, you know, I think and I mean, are compared in two aspects: frequency and pragmatic function. A total of 60 learners were involved in the research: 30 Thai B1-level learners and 30 Thai C1-level EFL learners according to the CEFR standard. Spoken data in the genre of English daily conversation was collected and transcribed into written form to build a learner corpus for the analysis. The research examined the significant difference in the use of English spoken discourse markers between Thai EFL learners and native English speakers. Meanwhile, pragmatic functions of each spoken discourse marker used by Thai EFL learners were identified and compared to native English speakers.

The data and its analysis indicated a significant difference in the use of four spoken discourse markers – so, well, you know and I think – resulting in underuse by Thai EFL learners. Moreover, Thai EFL learners proved to use each spoken discourse marker differently in comparison to native English speakers. On the whole, interpersonal functions were a factor less frequently than textual functions, indicating a larger deficiency in performing interpersonal functions by Thai EFL learners. These results lead to the conclusion that Thai EFL learners lack pragmatic competence in oral communication in terms of use discrepancy regarding spoken discourse markers compared to native English speakers.
Renewable energy transition towards Krabi’s sustainable energy
Authors:   , Senpong Chariya
Published: September 2023

The present study was conducted with an aim to investigate Krabi's electricity outlook, renewable energy transition timeline, and potential of renewable energy resources, key drivers, barriers, and challenges towards Krabi's sustainable energy. Guideline as well as policy recommendation for successful renewable energy transition was also developed. The study found that Krabi's electricity demand has continuously increasing and tends to increase up to 320 MW by the year 2037. Meanwhile, electricity supply has still relied on national grid since 1995. Meanwhile, Krabi Goes Green which is a provincial roadmap has set a target to be self-reliance and all electricity supply would be 100% renewable energy by 2026. This target is challenging and need actively implementation.

National Alternative Energy Development Plan (AEDP) as well as Krabi Goes Green Roadmap are key drivers for Krabi's renewable energy transition towards sustainable energy. Even though high potential of renewable energy resources has been reported, the domestic installed renewable energy power plants, gradually installed since 2007, can supply only about half of its annual demand. This is due to various barriers and obstacles to be overcome. Challenges or key success recommendation for each RE are briefly described. In case of biomass and biogas power plants, reconsideration of power purchasing policy is recommended which is green energy without combustion pollutants and also contributes large opportunity for GHGs mitigation. The solar PV case, revision of quota for solar rooftop equipment is highly recommend due to green energy without combustion pollutants and no more incentive need due to disruptive factor on rapidly price lowering of solar panel and equipment. By the way, the study found that waste-to-energy (WtE) power plant would be the first priority due to high potential and severe impacts on both environment and human health. Policy integration among relevant agencies as well as fair compensation for community around waste landfill sites and the WtE power plants should be sincerely consideration.
Perceptions and preparedness of the tourism workers linked to climate change and COVID-19 in Barbados
Authors:   , Mayers Natasha
Published: September 2023

The tourism industry is one of the main economic earners in the Caribbean and such is the same for the island of Barbados. With the focus on sustainable development goals and overall sustainability, tourism sustainability is at the forefront of discussions pertaining to sustainable development. The Tourism Master Plan (2013-2024) has taken it a step further and equated tourism sustainability to environmental sustainability. The aim of this research was therefore to explore the perceptions of workers and stakeholders on tourism sustainability in relation to COVID-19 and climate change, whether factors such as demographics can affect these perceptions and provide informed recommendations based on the results. A mixed-method approach was applied where 403 frontline tourism workers took a virtual survey and semi-structured interviews were conducted with 10 tourism stakeholders. Key findings indicate that perceptions and awareness on the topics of both climate change and COVID-19 do directly affect levels of preparedness as some responders noted a lack of knowledge on the subjects made them unaware of what to be prepared for. Most of the respondents agreed that climate change increases the probability of extreme weather events. Approximately, 38% showed disagreement that they are preparing to deal with climate change related issues in their work. Regarding to their perception on COVID-19 crisis, more than 50% of the respondents strongly agreed that they are in a high-risk group for COVID-19. Although most of the respondents believe that COVID-19 will continue to have a greater impact on the tourism industry in Barbados than climate change, very few respondents (1-18%) strongly agreed and agreed that they are prepared to deal with COVID-19 pandemic related issues in their work. The results of Kruskal-Wallis test and Mann-Whitney test found that there were no significant differences between preparedness actions for climate change and COVID-19 with regards to gender and age groups of the respondents. Besides, the key results of stakeholder interviews (n=10) revealed that stakeholders were informed to the extent of knowing the areas that affected their position within the industry directly. Recommendations include policies towards better information dissemination to all involved parties and constant interaction and cooperation. As a small island developing state Barbados has limited resources and opportunities, developing a sustainable tourism industry can serve to foster sustainable development practices in other sectors across the island.
Developing a system of community-based agritourism for sustainable local food systems: a multi-case study of rural livelihood diversification and sustainable urban consumption in city-regional Bangkok
Authors:   , Cavalleri Sofia
Published: September 2023

Current food systems fail to directly link rural producers and urban consumers. This research explores and categorizes emerging community-based agritourism practices as strategies to reconnect rural food producers with urban consumers. The main research question of this study is: how can community-based agritourism link rural food producers and urban consumers as a rural livelihood diversification strategy? Mixed methods for data collection were selected to answer this question and analyzed with a deductive and inductive approach. These include the review of secondary grey and academic literature, shadow observation in three rural provinces, content validity index calculation performed by experts (n = 17), semi-structured multistakeholder interviews (n = 40), in-depth interviews with rural community leaders (n = 10) and a survey questionnaire distributed to a sample of urban consumers living in Bangkok (n = 400). Research outputs include: (1) an integrated framework of indicators to categorize rural livelihood diversification practices, built on the four environmental, sociocultural, economic, and health dimensions; (2) a list of rural diversification practices emerging in Bangkok cityregion, with culinary tourism being a prominent one; (3) the statistical validation of the association between urban-rural relation and sustainable consumption, confirming that strong consumer-producer links lead to sustainable consumption and sustainable local food systems and (4) recommendations targeting community-based agritourism experiences to specific consumer niches. In this way, products and services can effectively leverage on context-specific environmental, sociocultural, economic and health assets of local rural communities.
Effects of ferulic acid and UV curing on properties of soy protein film
Authors:   , Shakil Md
Published: September 2023

The objective of this study was to explore the effect of UV-C curing on the properties of ferulic acid-added soy protein film. The films were fabricated from soy protein isolate and added with 1.5% ferulic acid. UV-C radiation was applied at four different doses (0.32, 1.56, 4.00, 12.00 J/cm2) to either preformed film or film-forming solution. The mechanical, physicochemical, and morphological properties of the film samples were investigated. Ferulic acid addition and UV-C curing at 0.32 J/cm2 posed a significant effect on film thickness while film density was slightly affected by ferulic acid addition and/or UV-C treatment. UV-C irradiation of ferulic acid-added film resulted in an increase in tensile strength and elongation at break. The films irradiated at the highest dose (12.00 J/cm2) exhibited about 1.3-fold increase in tensile strength and a 1.7-fold increase in elongation at break from the control. UV-C treatment on preformed film did not produce any difference in tensile properties from the treatment on the film-forming solution. Protein cross-linking via C-N and dityrosine bonds was confirmed using FTIR and fluorescence spectroscopic techniques. Apart from the mechanical properties, ferulic acid addition and UV-C curing also posed a significant effect on the film's optical properties, including transparency and colour. UV-C irradiation made the ferulic acid-added film become lower in transparency and higher in chroma, as the films appeared more opaque and more intense in yellowness to the naked eye. As compared to the control, UV-C treatment of ferulic acid-added films caused a slight increase in water vapour permeability. However, similar water vapour permeability was observed among the UV-treated ferulic-added films regardless of the UV-C dose used. Ferulic acid addition and/or UV-C irradiation also minimally affected the water solubility of the film samples. In spite of that, an increase in surface hydrophobicity was observed with increasing UV-C dose, especially for the treatments on preformed film. In conclusion, UV-C irradiation was demonstrated as an effective technique for improving the tensile properties of ferulic acid-added soy protein film. It should be noted that, upon utilizing this technique, the transparency and colour of the soy protein film were also affected.
Solid-state modification of tapioca starch using non-thermal plasma
Authors:   , Srangsomjit Natchanon
Published: September 2023

The objective of this research was to investigate the physical, chemical, and functional properties of tapioca starch subjected to solid-state modification by using nonthermal dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) plasma treatment using different gases (helium and argon), voltage levels (10 kV and 15 kV), and treatment times (5, 10, and 15 minutes). After treatment, an increase in L* value and a marginal decrease in pH value of all treated samples were noted. Scanning electron micrographs showed dented starch granules after the plasma treatment but showed birefringence. From XRD measurement, all samples showed a characteristic C-type diffraction pattern but a reduction in the relative crystallinity after plasma treatment. Native tapioca starch contained 99.06% carbohydrate, 0.15% crude fiber, 0.18% fat, 0.14% ash, and 0.46% protein on a dry weight basis. There was no significant difference in the moisture content of argon plasma-treated samples (P≥0.05), but a reduction in moisture content was found after using helium plasma treatment (P<0.05). The modified starch samples tended to have higher amylose content and reducing sugars with increasing voltage levels and times. However, increasing the treatment time from 5 to 15 minutes at 15 kV for helium plasma caused the amylose content to reduce (P<0.05). Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) spectra did not show the new formation of functional groups after treatments. No significant change in the intensity ratio of 1047/1022 cm-1 compared to native samples (P≥0.05) except for the treatment at 10 kV for 5 min of argon plasma (P<0.05). After treatment, the weight-average molecular weight of amylopectin was smaller than that of native starch. A significant reduction in peak viscosity, breakdown, and setback was observed (P<0.05). However, no significant change in the pasting temperature of treated samples was found compared to the native sample. The samples with lower breakdown and setback percentages were found for 5 minutes treatment using argon plasma (P<0.05). After increasing voltage levels and times of modification, an increase in solubility and water binding capacity was observed, while swelling power was reduced. The frequency sweep rheological test revealed that 6% (w/w) starch paste samples had higher G' than G", indicating dominant elastic behavior. The higher G' value of starch pastes was observed when using 5 minutes of argon and helium plasma treatment with lower tan δ. However, G' decreased with increasing treatment time due to depolymerization. Flow tests on 6% gelatinized modified starch pastes showed a lower thixotropy and consistency index (K) value after increasing both gas types' voltage levels and treatment time. The results confirmed the effectiveness of DBD plasma treatment in modifying tapioca starch properties.
Downhole water drainage from a gas reservoir for water dumpflood in an underlying oil reservoir
Authors:   , Naing Htet
Published: September 2023

For wells drilled in a bottom water-drive gas reservoir, water coning may lead to a considerable amount of water production which diminishes the gas recovery. If the gas reservoir has an oil reservoir underneath, a method called “Downhole Water Drain for Water Dumpflood" (DWDDF) can be performed to drain water from the aquifer underneath the gas reservoir and dump it into the oil reservoir to perform waterflooding. DWDDF technique can help increase gas production from the upper gas reservoir and oil production from the lower reservoir at the same time. In this study, a simple reservoir model having common rock and fluid properties found in Thailand was constructed using ECLIPSE100 numerical reservoir simulator in order to evaluate the performance of the conventional bottom-up production scenario and the proposed strategy of the DWDDF scheme.

The simulation study was divided into two parts: operating parameters and reservoir parameters. For the assessment of the operating parameter, results demonstrate that the best case of DWDDF produces 16.47% more barrels of oil equivalent (BOE) and 94.04% less water production when compared with the best case of the bottom-up scenario. Comparing between bottom-up and DWDDF schemes for different reservoir properties, it was found that gas reservoir thickness and column height of aquifer are key factors affecting BOE recovery as it is related to the amount of gas and water crossflows. Furthermore, the applicability of DWDDF is more effective when it is applied in a gas reservoir with good horizontal permeability and a lower kv/kh ratio.
Utilization of rain tree (Samanea saman) residue as modified adsorbent to treat oil and grease in canteen wastewater
Authors:   , Puteri Elga
Published: September 2023

The utilization of waste materials as adsorbent precursors is gaining intention to treat fats, oils, and greases (FOG), especially in wastewater treatment. Tree residue, an abundant waste, provides a potential feedstock to be converted into valuable materials. This research aimed to develop modified adsorbent prepared from rain tree (Samanea saman) residue for FOG treatment. The synthesis process of modified adsorbent was conducted by chemical pretreatment using different chemical agents (i.e., NaOH, ZnCl2, and H3PO4­). The pre-treated twigs and leaves (1:4 ratio) were continued by pyrolysis process at different temperatures (i.e., 350, 550, and 750oC) using a heating rate of 10oC min-1 for 2 h. A batch sorption screening test was initially conducted for removing FOG from synthetic oily wastewater, and the ANOVA was employed to define the best-modified adsorbent among treatments. The result confirmed that modified adsorbent by H3PO4-treated and produced at 350oC had the highest net efficiency of FOG removal, with a yield and removal percentage of 55.87±1.40 and 79.77±1.17%, respectively. The adsorption studies of the best-modified indicated that the pseudo-second-order kinetic and Langmuir isotherm models were well-fitted to the experiment data. The maximum adsorption capacity of FOG was found to be 6.89 mg g-1. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) result exhibits the present carbonyls, hydroxyls, and aliphatic groups. Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) image showed the porous structure on the surface. The subsequent identification of the best-modified adsorbent was carried out by fixed-bed column test and performed optimum condition for canteen wastewater treatment by setting 10 cm bed height and flow rate 5 ml min-1. However, the breakthrough point could not be identified due to the column clogging (12 h). Overall, modified adsorbents produced had the ability to remove FOG, which indicated that rain tree residue could be utilized as an alternative adsorbent precursor for FOG treatment.
Comparison of dashboard development between waterfall model and agile methodologies
Authors:   , Yooyongchuen Siribhop
Published: September 2023

Agile Methodology is a concept that focus on communication between product developers and users. The objective is to make product be rapidly developed and effectively meets users’ needs. Objective of this study is to compare dashboard development method between agile methodology and waterfall model. There are 3 dimensions in comparison; speed of development, users’ satisfaction, and efficiency of dashboard. The study used descriptive and experimental research. The sample is dashboard users in Company L. The study is conducted by establishing timeline of dashboard development, semi-constructed interview, and survey applying Technology Acceptance Model and Theory of Planned Behavior. The result of this study showed that dashboard developed by agile was developed faster, provided more users’ satisfaction, and provided higher efficiency compared to dashboard developed by waterfall model. This study is resourceful for developers or users those need to choose or compare between agile methodology and waterfall model. Nonetheless, this study had limitation that dashboards were not developed in parallel. To improve future study, agile dashboard and waterfall dashboard could be developed simultaneously to prevent bias.
A study of Covid-19 crisis communication in Myanmar (January 2020-January 2021) : Divergences between ministry of health and sports and state counsellor
Authors:   , Moe Aye
Published: September 2023

Effective crisis communication is critical in a country like Myanmar, which has a vulnerable population and a newly democratically elected government. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Myanmar's government established multi communication channels to interact directly with its citizens and other actors, including government agencies, allowing for active stakeholder participation in crisis management. The purpose of this research is to identify the Myanmar government's crisis communication strategy in managing the COVID issue at the national level from January 2020 to January 2021. The study will take a three-stage approach to crisis management, with pre-crisis, crisis, and post-crisis stages. It also explored Myanmar's government's public relations activities and its communication efforts during the COVID-19 crisis (first wave and second wave). The COVID-19 pandemic has pushed the Myanmar government to embrace or increase their use of digital platforms. The paper explores how, in reaction to the COVID infodemic, the Myanmar government used both traditional and new media—specifically, social media—to its advantage during the pandemic. Furthermore, the study identifies the strengths and weaknesses of Myanmar's crisis communication and management strategies, as well as the lessons learned and issues encountered in dealing with the COVID-19 crisis. The study employs a qualitative case study methodology with an explanatory approach because the government crisis communication in Myanmar has never been thoroughly investigated. Study analysis is based on document research and primary data of artefacts (the communication avenues) that reflected government work during COVID. The paper evaluates the Myanmar government's policies and frameworks, as well as its crisis communication strategy and model, from the COVID-19 crisis to January 2021.
A study of sustainability in the energy sector in Myanmar between 2011 and 2020
Authors:   , Tang Clara
Published: September 2023

In modern society, energy becomes a life supporting mechanism, as it is not only entangled with the environment pillar of sustainable development, but also inseparably related to the economic and social pillars of society. Taking advantage of a qualitative research method, this study critically examines the level of sustainability of Myanmar’s energy sector between 2011 and 2020, using 2011 as a baseline, by observing three critical components: energy security, environmental considerations in energy production and securing financial health for the sector.

Energy security, possessing uninterrupted availability of energy sources at an affordable price, is studied from available macro secondary data in conjunction with an analysis of existing energy policies. The study concludes that, although the two successive Myanmar’s Union governments were able to generate and import energy to meet its soaring demand and maintain its energy security, it still fell short to improve energy security during the studied period.

This thesis finds that environmental policy integration in the energy sector at the Union level is the most vibrant among the three components. Although there is still a long journey to undertake to meet international standards, the country was able to graduate from “traditional” environmental management and transitioned into a sound streamlined environmental safeguarding mechanism in the sector.

Furthermore, the examination of Myanmar’s energy sector financial health in this study reflects the vital role energy tariffs play in the sustainability of a market economy. Although the two successive governments were able to raise electricity tariffs twice during the studied period, which new tariffs resulted in some improvement in the energy sector’s financial health, the sector still needs massive subsidies from the Union’s budget. This insecure financial health has impacted the sector’s productivity and functionality, but it also has a negative effect on the country’s wider socio-economic development, specifically affecting those who do not have access to modern electricity.

Although this study does not find current satisfactory trends in any of the three studied components, it notes the improvements that the country was able to make especially considering the starting point of the journey - newly transitioning into a semi-democratic society from a military dictatorship. The study also provides pragmatic recommendations for the sector’s sustainability based on its research. By observing the energy sector from a bird’s eye view, this paper intends to initiate a deeper understanding of sustainability in Myanmar’s energy sector and potentially offer new premises and contentions for further debate on the subject.
The Karen diaspora : transnational sense of belonging and practices after the 2021 Myanmar Coup
Authors:   , Phuc Thinh
Published: September 2023

This research examines the Karen diaspora’s transnational sense of belonging, ideological transition and tactics embodied in transnational activities after the 2021 Myanmar military coup. Looking at young Karen people in 5 host countries including the United States, Australia, Canada, Norway and Thailand, it is evident that those people in the diaspora still perceive the notion of homeland and maintain an emotional sense of belonging to their homeland after a long period of resettlement in host countries. In the context of the 2021 coup, those young people have engaged actively in transnational activities with various tactics used both on-site and online. Quantitative methods were applied including semi-structured interviews and online participant observations to understand how those young refugees feel connected to their homeland, as well as how and why those young refugees  have engaged in transnational practices. After examining the narratives and ethnographic work, I argue that the transnational sense of belonging of young Karen people were shaped by narratives, memories, and Karen cultural practices in refugee camps; and those camps also become their memorial places. In addition, after the Myanmar military coup, those young Karen people expressed an ideological transition from ethno-nationalism to democracy and cosmopolitan orientation when engaging in transnational activities.
The healthcare information for patient referral
Authors:   , Aumpanseang Veerawan
Published: September 2023

Despite the cooperative sharing of Health Information Exchange (HIE), various distinct limitations and barriers are found, i.e., substantial time and resources are being used to achieve health information. This paper aims to investigate the limits of healthcare information sharing policy implementation and assorts the critical and shareable set of relevant healthcare information to patient referral systems in Thailand. Mixed-methods research methodology, both quantitative and qualitative mechanisms are conducted. The study results present the correlation between the current healthcare information exchange among the hospitals in patient referral systems and the limitations of implementing the HIE policy composed of technical, economic, political, and Legal Barriers. The statistical test reveals that these four main barriers could limit information sharing or impede Thailand's standard healthcare information sharing policy and practice development. Predominantly, it is further found that there is no standard for data collection and data archiving systems, unclear guidelines, practices, and procedures, lack of standard practice due to fragmented administration. Foremost of all, the data ownership of any competent authorities or related regulators could cause any constraints in information sharing, e.g., complexity and processing time. This study proposes healthcare information sharing in three categories: patient-specific, expert-based, and administrative data. This data categorization could be the primary relative step for the standard healthcare information for patients’ referral systems in Thailand for direct and query-based information exchange among several care providers. The findings of this paper will be beneficial to stakeholders interested in the effort to achieve meaningful use, facilitating the adoption and implementation of HIE at a national level to ensure patients’ safety and enhance healthcare quality.
A comparative study of gut microbiota in the healthy elderly and the elderly with colorectal cancer
Authors:   , Iadsee Nutta
Published: September 2023

Colorectal cancer is one of the third most common cancer worldwide. Dysbiosis of the human gut microbiota has been linked to sporadic colorectal cancer (CRC). This study aimed to compare the gut microbiota profile of a total of 80 Thai volunteers, who were above 50 years old, among 25 CRC patients, 33 adenoma patients, and 22 healthy controls (HC). The 16S rRNA sequencing was utilized to characterize the gut microbiome in both mucosal tissue and stool samples. Moreover, absolute quantitative PCR (qPCR) assay was conducted to quantify six CRC-associated bacteria including Fusobacterium nucleatum (FN), Parvimonas micra (PM), colibactin positive strains (EC), Streptococcus gallolyticus (SG), Blautia spp. (Bla) and Fusicatenibacter saccharivorans (FS), in both sample types, and these bacteria were evaluated the performance in CRC and adenoma detections. The results suggested that the fecal microbiota only partially reflected gut microbiota on the mucus layer. The mucosal microbiota of the CRC patients and HC group differed significantly but no difference between adenoma and HC groups was observed. The stepwise increase of  Bacteroides and Parabacteroides according to adenomas-carcinomas sequence were found whereas the butyrate-producing genus Faecalibacterium was significantly less abundant in CRC patients. Linear discriminant analysis effect size (LEfSe) showed a higher level of Erysipelatoclostridium ramosum, an opportunistic pathogen, in both sample types of CRC patients. The findings indicated the imbalance of gut microorganisms might be involved in CRC tumorigenesis. In addition, the qPCR assays revealed FN and PM were significantly overrepresented in both sample types of CRC subjects. The combined test of fecal FN and PM with qualitative fecal immunochemical test (FIT) could predict CRC with a sensitivity of 93.8% and a specificity of 95.2%. In a combined test of five fecal bacteria without SG together with the FIT, adenoma was detected with a sensitivity of 83.3% and a specificity of 64.7%. These results indicated E. ramosum may serve as a population-specific biomarker for CRC screening and the quantity of fecal bacteria could complement the current FIT in CRC and adenoma screening. Larger sample size is required for the validation of these candidate biomarkers in CRC and adenoma detections.
The effect of xylitol and erythritol in the presence of sucrose on single and mixed-species biofilm of early colonizer and cariogenic streptococci
Authors:   , Yuapibanrak Panadda
Published: September 2023

Dental caries is caused by multiple factors. An essential factor is sucrose. Dental caries is the result of an imbalance between early colonizers and cariogenic bacteria in biofilms. Sugar alcohols, xylitol and erythritol, become more popular because they do not cause cavities and are also effective at preventing caries. In everyday life, however, sucrose consumption is unavoidable. Thus, the aim of this study was to investigate the effect of xylitol and erythritol in the presence of sucrose on single- and mixed-species biofilm of early colonizers and cariogenic bacteria. Bacteria were cultured in broth containing 1% sucrose compared to broth containing xylitol or erythritol with and without sucrose for 36 h. Acid production was then measured using pH meter, biofilm formation using biofilm mass measurement, and colony count. Our result showed that even in the presence of sucrose, xylitol and erythritol slowed pH reduction in early colonizers and cariogenic bacteria during the first 2 h. Moreover, the high concentrations significantly reduced the biofilm mass of S. gordonii and the three-mixed species biofilm. The biofilm mass of S. mutans single- and mixed-species was also reduced. Furthermore, except for S. gordonii, the number of viable cells in the biofilm of both groups of bacteria grown in sugar alcohols with sucrose was greater than that of sucrose alone. In conclusion, sugar alcohols with sucrose influenced the pH, biofilm mass, and cell numbers of early colonizers and cariogenic bacteria.
Identification of α-glucosidase inhibitors from black garlic
Authors:   , Tantiwatcharachai Pattraporn
Published: September 2023

Black garlic has emerged as one of the fastest-growing health food products on the market. It is processed by incubating fresh garlic under high temperature and high humidity conditions. The process causes the changes in characteristics of black garlic such as texture, flavor, nutrient contents, chemical composition and it pharmacological properties, especially antidiabetic activity. In the present investigation, we applied α-glucosidase inhibition guided isolation to identify active compounds. Four compounds named 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (5-HMF), 5-hydroxymethyl-2-furancarboxylic acid (HMFCA), 4-(hydroxymethyl)phenol and 2-deoxy-ribono-1,4 lactone were isolated. On evaluation against α-glucosidase, HMFCA, 4-(hydroxymethyl)phenol, and 2-deoxy-ribono-1,4 lactone were active against maltase with IC50 values of 18.83 ±0.91, 23.70 ±1.52, and 9.26±0.31 mM respectively. Meanwhile, HMFCA and 4-(hydroxymethyl)phenol were also active against sucrase with IC50 values of 17.42 ±0.84 and 6.78 ±0.17mM, respectively. The kinetic study suggested that HMFCA and 4-(hydroxymethyl)phenol could inhibit the maltase and sucrase by uncompetitive manner. On the other hand, 2-deoxy-ribono-1,4 lactone was identified as a non-competitive inhibitor against maltase.
Baselines of daily quality assurance for proton pencil beam scanning using the Sphinx Compact
Authors:   , Tiajaroen Tanapat
Published: September 2023

Quality assurance (QA) is a systematic process used to determine whether the product meets specified requirements. The American Association of Physicists in Medicine (AAPM) published a comprehensive proton therapy machine QA in TG-224 to provide confidence in use. King Chulalongkorn Memorial Hospital (KCMH) recently operated the first proton therapy center in Thailand, and the data of daily QA are not available or established. This study aims to apply the control chart for establishing the baselines of daily QA for the proton pencil beam scanning system using the Sphinx Compact detector.

The Sphinx Compact was used to perform the proton daily QA test for a total of 93 days and analyzed by myQA software according to the AAPM TG-224 recommendation. The baselines obtained by a control chart were divided into 5 subjects: 1) the depth verification including the distal and proximal depth, distal falloff, and peak width of 100 MeV, 150 MeV, and 200 MeV, 2) spot characteristics including position, sigma, skewness, and intensity of 70 MeV, 100 MeV, 125 MeV, 150 MeV, 175 MeV, and 200 MeV, 3) x-ray/proton coincidence, 4) homogeneity and 5) dose output. The upper and lower control limits (UCL and LCL) of the control chart were calculated from 50 consecutive data in each test.
All the results of control limits were found to be less than the limits recommended by AAPM TG-224. The highest limits of distal depth, distal fall-off, proximal depth, and peak width were ± 0.5 mm in all tasks from 200 MeV. For spot characteristics, the highest limits of spot position, spot sigma, spot skewness, and intensity were ± 1.2 mm, ± 2.9 mm, ± 0.621, and ± 1.8 % respectively. For x-ray/proton coincidence, the limits were found to be ± 0.4 mm and ± 0.2 mm in X and Y directions, respectively. The limits of uniform field homogeneity and dose output consistency were ± 0.7 % and ± 0.010 nC, respectively.
In conclusion, the control charts obtained by Sphinx Compact can be applied to set the baselines of daily QA data for proton pencil beam scanning at Her Royal Highness Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn Proton Therapy Center, KCMH.
Production and characterization of mannanase from aureobasidium sp. For mannooligosaccharide preparation from spent coffee ground
Authors:   , Ibrahim Syahriar
Published: September 2023

The aims of this study are to produce and characterize mannanase from the selected Thai Aureobasidium strain and use the enzyme for hydrolysis of spent coffee ground extract (SCGE) to prepare mannooligosaccharide (MOs). The optimum condition for SCGE extraction by hot water was 1:30 solid to liquid ratio with 60 min incubation time at 121°C 15 lbs per in2. The maximum yield was 9.5 g/100 g substrate. The second dominant composition of SCGE was hemicellulose at 28 %. Aureobasidium pullulans NRRL 58524 was selected as the best mannanase producer with 8.07 U/mL. The mannanase production medium was optimized by using SCGE and ammonium sulphate without L-asparagine at a C/N ratio of 1.15. The highest enzyme yield was obtained after 72 hours. The optimal condition for mannanase was at 55 °C in 50 mM citrate buffer (pH 4.0). The enzyme was highly thermostable at 50 and 55 °C, retaining most of its activity after 6 h incubation. It was also stable in 50 mM citrate buffer (pH 4.0) with more than 80 % of initial activity remained after 6 h. The mannanase was highly specific to glucomannan and galactomannan, and its activity was enhanced by Cu2+, Ca2+ and Mg2+. The enzyme was inhibited by mannose and galactose at 40 mM and 30 mM, respectively. The optimal MOs preparation was by using the enzyme at 66.7 U/g substrate and incubating for 5 days 9 h and 36 min which yielded the maximal reducing sugars at 0.66 g/g substrate. The produced SCG MOs failed to enhance the growth of all probiotic bacteria tested.
Identification of shared neoantigens in BRCA1-related breast cancer
Authors:   , Ruangapirom Lucksica
Published: September 2023

Personalized neoantigen-based cancer vaccine has been shown to be safe and immunogenic in cancer patients; however, the manufacturing process can be costly and brings about delay in treatment. Using off-the-shelf cancer vaccine by targeting shared neoantigen may circumvent these problems. We identified BRCA1-mutated breast cancer as a candidate for shared neoantigens because of its clinical aggressiveness and its genotypic and phenotypic similarities suggesting common somatic mutational events within the group. Therefore, we hypothesized that shared-neoantigen may be identified among BRCA1-related breast cancer and may be used as targets for shared neoantigen vaccine. For analyses, we obtained genome sequencing data of breast cancer samples with or without somatic BRCA1 mutations (BRCA1-positive and BRCA1-negative, respectively) from the 3 public cancer databases; The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA), International Cancer Genome Consortium (ICGC), and Catalogue of Somatic Mutations in Cancer (COSMIC). We found that SNVs were the dominant mutation type with C>T being the most abundant SNV type found in both BRCA1-positive and -negative groups. The most frequently mutated genes were TP53 and TTN in BRCA1-positive and PIK3CA and TP53 in BRCA1-negative samples. Total variant counts, the number of SNVs and indels were higher in BRCA1-positive than -negative group. As for shared neoantigens, we found PIK3CA H1047R, E545K, E542K and N345K recurrently in BRCA1-negative groups across all databases, whereas BRCA1-positive groups were inconclusive. We analyzed samples with known germline BRCA1 mutations for shared neoantigens and found that TP53 R175H was the most frequent mutation but was not found among top somatic mutations in BRCA1-positive or -negative samples. Most of the top neoantigens identified in BRCA1-negative samples were not found in BRCA1-positive or germline BRCA1 samples. Our findings reflected different mutational consequences between somatic and germline BRCA1 breast cancers and should be further investigated.