bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Valuation of American commodity options
Authors:   , Nonsoong Piyapoom
Published: September 2023

In this dissertation, we present analytical option pricing formulas for European and American options in which the price dynamics of a risky asset follows a meanreverting process with time-dependent parameter. The process can be adapted to describe both nonseasonal and seasonal variation in price, especially, in commodity markets such as agricultural commodities. The formulas are derived based on the solutions of partial differential equations showing that the values of both European and American options can be decomposed into two parts: the payoff of the option at initial time and the time-integral over the lifetime of the option, which is driven by the time-dependent parameter, and in addition, by the optimal exercise boundary for the American option. Finally, numerical results and computational time obtained from the European option formula under various kinds of long-run mean functions have been compared with Monte Carlo simulations and Black-Scholestype formula obtained via probability approach. Moreover, examples of the option price behaviors under these time-dependent functions have been illustrated.
Exploring roles of miR-885-5p in hepatocellular carcinoma
Authors:   , Nokkeaw Archittapon
Published: September 2023

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), the most prevalent form of liver cancer, exerts a significant burden on Southeast Asian countries and stands as the third leading cause of cancer-related mortality worldwide. Despite this alarming impact, effective treatments for HCC are lacking, resulting in low survival rates and high recurrence rates. Therefore, a comprehensive understanding of the disease's underlying mechanisms is crucial for the development of novel and potent therapies. Recently, it has been recognized that microRNAs (miRNAs) play a vital role in tumorigenesis, including HCC. Our bioinformatic analysis has highlighted hsa-miR-885-5p as a potential candidate miRNA due to its downregulation in HCC tissue compared to normal tissue, particularly in higher-grade tumors. This intriguing finding prompted our study to investigate the function of hsa-miR-885-5p in HCC. In our research, we employed functional assays to demonstrate that hsa-miR-885-5p effectively suppresses cell proliferation and hinders the critical G1/S transition, a crucial step initiating cell proliferation. Through meticulous miRNA target prediction analysis, we identified CDK6, a gene associated with the G1/S transition, as a potential target of hsa-miR-885-5p. Further experimental validation confirmed that hsa-miR-885-5p directly targets CDK6, leading to reduced expression levels and perturbations in protein levels. Moreover, we conducted RNA-seq analysis, which not only supported the involvement of hsa-miR-885-5p in cell cycle processes but also indicated its potential as a negative regulator of the G1/S transition. These findings collectively highlight the interesting role of hsa-miR-885-5p in HCC, potentially through its interaction with CDK6. Consequently, further investigations into the precise functions and therapeutic potential of hsa-miR-885-5p are warranted to unlock its full therapeutic value in HCC.
A randomized controlled trial comparing the diagnostic yield of using Rapid On-Site Cytology Evaluation (ROSE) and without using ROSE in Radial Probe Endobronchial Ultrasound (R-EBUS) guided sheath transbronchial lung biopsy with bronchial brushing in peripheral pulmonary lesions
Authors:   , Silathapanasakul Kulchamai
Published: September 2023

BACKGROUND: Radial Probe Endobronchial Ultrasonography (RP-EBUS) guided transbronchial biopsy with bronchial brushing is an effective way of tissue assessment for evaluating peripheral lung lesion combined with Rapid on-site Evaluation (ROSE). Our study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of ROSE add on RP-EBUS guided sheath transbronchial lung biopsy to improve the overall diagnostic yield.

OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to compare the diagnosis yield of peripheral lung lesions or nodules from the ROSE add on Radial Probe Endobronchial Ultrasonography (RP-EBUS) guided sheath transbronchial biopsy with bronchial brushing compared to the control group.

METHODS: In this prospective randomized controlled trial study. All patients age > 18 years old who diagnosed with peripheral lung lesions size < 3 cm. from chest computed tomography are randomized into 2 subgroups underwent RP-EBUS guided sheath transbronchial lung biopsy with bronchial brushing with and without using ROSE. The diagnostic yield was compared.

RESULTS : 68 patients were enrolled. 34 patients were randomized equally to ROSE group and control group. The diagnostic yield was similar in both groups without statistically significant. There was no significant differences in baseline characteristic. There was a trend toward reduce the procedure durations and amount of sedatives used in the ROSE group with statistically significance difference (P=0.015 and P<0.001 respectively). Complications rates in both groups are not different.

CONCLUSION: The diagnostic yield of peripheral lung lesions was similar in ROSE add on RP-EBUS and RP-EBUS alone. However routine use of ROSE in RP-EBUS guided sheath transbronchial biopsy with bronchial brushing associated with a reducing in procedure times and decreased amount of sedative use. We recommended ROSE add on RP-EBUS in selected cases. Our study could be applicable only in experienced center which available intervention pulmonologists and cytologists.
Senescent white blood cells in colorectal carcinoma patients
Authors:   , Thin Khin
Published: September 2023

Colorectal cancer (CRC) and ageing can contribute to changes in immune cells including immuno-senescence. The objectives of the study were to determine if the senescence marker (p16INK4A) was expressed more at higher levels in peripheral white blood cells in CRC compared to age-matched healthy controls. Another aim was to determine the phenotypic changes of T cells, NK cells and monocytes during ageing and CRC in case-control studies. Cases were patients with CRC and controls were matched with cases based on age. Peripheral immune cells were analysed for p16INK4A using immunofluorescence and immunophenotypes were determined with flow cytometry. Correlation studies with age and clinical data were performed. Increased p16INK4A expression in peripheral immune cells had 78% sensitivity and 71% specificity. T lymphocytes and monocytes had increased intensity of p16INK4A. The proportion of monocytes increased alongside a reduction of lymphocytes, indicating myeloid skew in CRC and aging. Most T cells subsets decreased during ageing except helper T cells, and the reverse patterns were observed in CRC. NK cells expanded during ageing but showed a decreased trend in CRC. Immunophenotypes in monocytes were similar in ageing and CRC: classical monocytes decreased while intermediate monocytes and non-classical monocytes both increased. Most of the increased T cells and monocytes were senescent-like cells with immunosuppressive phenotypes in CRC. The potential of p16INK4A expression and CD4+ monocytes as disease-related and/or age-related biomarkers is discussed.
Development of an artificial intelligence model for prediction of dry weight in chronic hemodialysis patients and assessment of its accuracy compared to standard bioelectrical impedance analysis
Authors:   , Boonvisuth Nataphut
Published: September 2023

Proper determination of dry weight (DW) is crucial for achieving positive outcomes in hemodialysis (HD) patients. However, the traditional clinical assessment of DW (C-DW) is often inaccurate. Recently, bioimpedance spectroscopy (BIS) analysis using a Body Composition Monitor (BCM) device has emerged as a gold standard method for determining DW (BCM-DW). Despite its accuracy, the high cost of the BCM device limits its accessibility. To overcome this challenge, the current study proposes a machine learning (ML) model, which is a part of artificial intelligence (AI), to assess DW using available clinical and laboratory parameters.

Objective: To develop an ML model for predicting DW (ML-DW) and compare it with BCM-DW.

Methods: The study consisted of a model development phase and a performance assessment phase. Retrospective data from chronic HD patients between 2017 and 2022 from two dialysis centers in Bangkok were retrieved. The parameters for this ML model included demographic, dialysis prescription, laboratory, and intradialytic time-varying data. The data utilized during the ML model development phase consisted of a training group for optimizing the parameters of the models and a validation group for determining when to stop the optimization. The final output of the model was ML-DW. The primary outcome of the study was the agreement comparison between ML-DW and BCM-DW.

Results: All 56,000 time-varying data from 1,151 HD sessions were included in the ML model. The mean BCM-DW was 58.8±11.7 kgs, while the mean predicted ML-DW from the model was 59.5±11.3 kgs. The Bland-Altman plot showed the bias estimated by the mean difference was 0.78 kg, and the limit of agreement was -3.7 to 2.2 kg.

Conclusion: This was the first study that developed a machine learning model aimed at predicting BCM-DW. Compared to other models, this one tried to explore the utilization of time-series data in the input variables. It also demonstrated external validation across different institutions. This study served as a proof-of-concept that machine learning can be a useful tool for DW prediction, but it is not yet a replacement tool for BCM. This warrants further model development that can be widely used in real practice.
D-lactic acid fermentation platform from oil palm trunk sap by sporolactobacillus terrae SBT-1
Authors:   , Sukaiem Naphatsawan
Published: September 2023

Lactic acid is an organic acid that contains two enantiomers, L- and D-lactic acid, and is considered the most potential monomer for many industrial products. Lactic acid has versatile applications in the pharmaceutical, food, textile, chemical, and leather industries moreover in poly-lactic acid (PLA) manufacturing. While L-lactic acid is well known in many commercial products and studies, only a few studies on D-lactic acid were found. Lactic acid can be produced either by microbial fermentation or chemical synthesis. Approximately 90 percent of the total lactic acid produced worldwide is via microbial fermentation which provides an optically pure L- or D-lactic acid. To reduce the lactic acid production cost, agricultural waste which is second-generation biomass is applied for lactic acid fermentation. Oil palm trunk sap (OPT sap), the waste from the oil palm trunk recycle process, has the potential as a bacterial culture medium, due to the composition such as sucrose, glucose, fructose, and amino acid. In this study, by applying OPT sap as a carbon substrate together with other commercial sugars (glucose, sucrose, raw sugar, and molasses), fermented by Sporolactobacillus terrae SBT-1, the efficient D-lactic acid producer, the result from the enhancing D-lactic acid fermentation in shake flask provide a high D-lactic acid yield (0.87-0.91 g/g) and productivity (2.42-4.36 g/L·h) and also the high optical purity (96-99% ee). Thus, this platform was optimized in 5L fermenter, the results showed a good fermentation performance. The lactic acid production yield was high (0.84-.1.04 g/g), also the productivity (3.45-6.21 g/L·h), and the optical purity was almost higher than flask culture. In the fermentation using OPT sap supplemented with raw sugar as the carbon substrates, the most effective cost reduction by 14.65% was observed. From the result mentioned above, we can claim that OPT sap is a potential second-generation feedstock for lactic acid fermentation by S. terrae SBT-1.
The T cell senescence in breast cancer
Authors:   , Denariyakoon Sikrit
Published: September 2023

Background: The cancer-immune cell crosstalk is a common immune-evasion mechanism of cancer.  This crosstalk can result in epigenetic changes in immune phenotypes to accelerate tumor growth and metastasis.  Senescent T lymphocytes are formed during T cell differentiation, and are recently described as one of the dysfunctional T cells in cancer. In breast cancer, estrogen does not only regulate normal physiology in females, but is also involved in cancer development and cancer treatment. It may also attenuate senescent phenotypes, and increase DNA damage in several cell-lines. This thesis therefore examined for the presence of senescent T lymphocytes in breast cancer patients, the effects of breast cancer on epigenetic changes in circulating immune cells, and the effects of estrogen hormones on senescent T lymphocytes.

Methods: The in-vitro co-culture of cancer sera and normal leukocytes were examined for the methylation level by COBRA Alu technique.  Senescent T cells were examined for β-galactosidase, CD28, and CD57 in breast cancer patients by flow cytometry technique.  In addition, cellular senescence models were created by adding etoposide.  Addition of estrogen hormones were performed in cellular senescence models, and DNA damage markers, including phospho-γH2AX, p53, and p21 were examined by flow cytometry.  The statistical significance was considered as p-value < 0.05.  The analysis was performed using IBM SPSS software.

Results: The breast cancer serum was found to epigenetically modify to normal leukocytes.  The aging-associated epigenetic changes were correlated with cancer prognosis.  In clinical samples, the non-exhausted senescent phenotypes were correlated with the progression of age, and the increase in these phenotypes was found in breast cancer patients.  Moreover, these senescent phenotypes were prematurely presented in breast cancer patients.  In cellular senescence models, the supplement of estrogen improved senescent phenotypes, and seemed to have DNA damage attenuation effects.
Screening of Clostridium sp. For biohydrogen production from synthetic wastewater
Authors:   , Srimawong Chonticha
Published: September 2023

In this work, bacteria that can produce endospores were isolated from natural sources and industrial wastes, including mangrove forests, hot springs, and coconut factories. The bacterial isolates were identified as Clostridium spp. and Panibacillus spp. based on 16S RNA gene. When comparing the H2 produced by batch fermentation, two of the isolates with the best H2 production were selected for further study, namely CUEA01 and CUEA03. After genomics analysis, it was discovered that CUEA01 is a novel species named C. hydrogenum, and CUEA03 is C. felsineum. Both are capable of growing and producing H2 in alkaline conditions. The genomics data reveal that they contain genetic information capable of encoding a variety of enzymes that aid in the process of H2 production and also carbon source utilization. Following optimization of the H2 production conditions for the two species, it was discovered that CUEA01 produced the highest cumulative H2 yield of 3264 mL/L (3.11 molH2/molglucose) at 37 °C, pH 8, and 10 g/L of the initial carbon source, while CUEA03 is 5425 mL/L (1.70 molH2/molglucose) at 72 h of incubation was obtained from an initial glucose concentration of 35 g/L, pH 9, and an incubation temperature of 30 °C. Furthermore, different carbon sources were used as substrates to evaluate their feasibility of usage, and the results demonstrated that these species could secrete an effective enzyme capable of digesting various carbon sources to produce H2 gas. Moreover, industrial by-products and agricultural residues have been employed as feedstocks to produce H2 instead of simple sugar. It was found that CUEA01 was able to produce H2 from the three wastes and was able to produce H2 at an amount of 4639 mL/L from molasses and 4024 mL/L from cassava pulp, while CUEA03 could produce 5187 mL/L from molasses. Thus, this study indicates that both microorganisms have the potential to be used to produce H2 from organic wastes, which will help integrate bioprocesses into waste treatment and clean energy production, which can help fulfill future fuel generation goals.
Expression of superoxide dismutase 3 (SOD3) during orthodontic tooth movement in rats
Authors:   , Jindarojanakul Phanchanit
Published: September 2023

Hypoxia induces reactive oxygen species (ROS) production in periodontal tissues. Superoxide dismutase 3 (SOD3) is an enzyme protecting cells from ROS. This study investigated SOD3 expression and function during rat orthodontic tooth movement (OTM) and in hypoxia-exposed rat PDL cells. OTM of right maxillary first molars were performed in Sprague-Dawley rats for 1 and 14 days (n = 6 per group). SOD3 and HIF-1α expression were evaluated by immunohistochemistry. SOD3 effects on cell viability and proliferation, ROS production, and mRNA expression of Hif-1α, Rankl, and Opg in PDL cells and osteoclast differentiation were investigated under normoxia and hypoxia. SOD3 expression in PDL tissues decreased on compression side on day 1 and on both sides on day 14. HIF-1α levels significantly increased on compression side on day 14. Cell viability, cell proliferation, and Opg mRNA expression decreased, whereas ROS production and Hif-1α and Rankl mRNA expression increased in SOD3-silenced PDL cells. Hypoxia reduced Sod3 and Opg mRNA expression and increased ROS, Rankl mRNA expression, and osteoclast formation; SOD3 treatment attenuated these effects. Therefore, SOD3 plays a role in periodontal remodelling during OTM and in hypoxia-exposed PDL cells through ROS, HIF-1α, and RANKL/OPG pathways.
The effect of nano-silver fluoride in remineralization on artificial dentine caries: an in vitro study
Authors:   , Punpeng Peeraya
Published: September 2023

The aim of this in vitro study was to compare the remineralization efficiency among Nano-silver fluoride 400 ppm (NSF400), 38% Silver diamine fluoride (38% SDF) and 5% Sodium fluoride (5% NaF) on artificial dentine caries in permanent molar or premolar teeth. The teeth were sectioned to obtain 120 specimens (3 x 3 x 2 mm3). After artificial caries were created, the lesion depth (LD) was measured using Micro-computed tomography (Micro-CT) (n=15 specimens/group), and the surface microhardness (SMH) was measured using a Knoop microhardness tester (n=15 specimens/group). Subsequently, all specimens were randomly assigned to four groups: Group 1) NSF400, Group 2) 38% SDF, Group 3) 5% NaF, and Group 4) Deionized water (control group). Experimental treatments were applied. All specimens were immersed in culture media containing Streptococcus mutans and Candida albicans for 24 hours to create a biofilm and underwent a biofilm pH-cycling for 7 days. The measurements of lesion depth and surface microhardness were conducted after the treatment. The results before and after treatment were compared using the paired t-test. Then, the mean percentage change in lesion depth (%LD change) and the mean percentage of surface microhardness recovery (%SHR) among the groups were compared using One-way ANOVA with Tukey's post hoc test (p<0.05). The results showed that after treatment, Groups 1 and 2 had a significant decrease in mean LD, while Groups 1, 2, and 3 exhibited a significant increase in mean SMH compared to their pre-treatment values. The %LD change in Groups 1, 2, 3, and 4 were -7.80 ± 3.70, -12.69 ± 4.66, 1.66 ± 4.80, and 8.34 ± 3.62, respectively. Group 1 exhibited a significant decrease in %LD change compared to groups 3 and 4 (p<0.001), but it was significantly lower than group 2 (p=0.013). The %SHR of groups 1, 2, 3, and 4 were 7.86 ± 3.15, 10.49 ± 1.82, 1.60 ± 1.52, and -1.44 ± 0.79 respectively. Group 1 exhibited a significantly higher %SHR compared to groups 3 and 4 but it was lower than group 2 (p<0.001). In conclusion, the Nano-silver fluoride 5provided remineralization effects on artificial dentine caries better than 5% Sodium fluoride varnish but not as effectively as 38% Silver diamine fluoride.
Deuteration of organic compounds by hydrothermal process
Authors:   , Phaisarn Nattasiri
Published: September 2023

Deuterium-labeled compounds are in great demand in many applications, especially as reference standards for various analytical techniques. The objective of this study is to develop two complementary methods for deuterium labeling of organic compounds including the hydrogen-deuterium exchange (HDx) and halogen-deuterium exchange (XDx) reactions under hydrothermal conditions. For HDx, several aliphatic, alicyclic, aromatic, heterocyclic, and amino acid compounds were used as model substrates to determine the reactivity pattern and scope of the reaction. It was found that the HDx at the ortho- and para-Hs of phenolic compounds and a-position of amino acids as well as certain heteroaromatic compounds occurred efficiently in D2O under the developed hydrothermal reaction without the need for any catalyst or additive. However, the addition of acid or base could accelerate the HDx reaction or change the reactivity pattern. Epimerization at the a-position of amino acids also occurred along the deuteration. On the other hand, the HDx at the a-position of carboxylic acids or esters proceeded poorly in the absence of a catalyst. To avoid the limitation of HDx that occurs only at specific types of C-H, the complementary strategy of deuterium labeling – namely halogen-deuterium exchange (XDx) was also developed. In the XDx, halogenated aromatic compounds bearing various functional groups were dehalogenated efficiently by formate salts in the presence of Pd/C as a catalyst in D2O under hydrothermal conditions. Importantly, normal (i.e. non-deuterated) formates gave acceptable XDx:XHx ratios (>80:20) in several instances. In the case of phenol substrates, ortho-HDx was observed as a competing side reaction that could be minimized by performing the reaction at a lower temperature and with less basic reagents. In some cases where the XDx:XHx ratios were poor, the use of DCOONa generated in situ from DCOOD and Na2CO3 instead of HCOONa offered better results. The two developed methods provided a green, efficient, and practical method for the synthesis of deuterium-labeled compounds, although further improvements are still required to increase the efficiency and broaden the scope of the reactions.
Improving chromatographic analysis of phenolic compounds
Authors:   , Lomcharoenwong Tarika
Published: September 2023

Phenolic compounds are important chemicals and are applied in many fields. Moreover, they are found as contaminants in the environment. This research aimed to improve the chromatographic analysis of phenolic compounds and was divided into two parts. The first part focused on improving the separation of a mixture containing eighteen phenols using gas chromatography with derivatized cyclodextrin stationary phases. Results showed that all three cyclodextrin-based stationary phases, with different ring sizes, improved the separation of the mixture in comparison to polysiloxane OV-1701 stationary phase. The best separation was obtained from the small-size alpha-cyclodextrin with a capillary column of 15-meter long and a temperature program from 130 to 220 °C. Complete separation of all 18 phenols was obtained in 9.4 minutes. Some incomplete separations were observed when beta- and gamma-cyclodextrin stationary phases were used. The second part investigated optimum conditions for bisphenol A analysis using TLC combined with MALDI-TOF MS. These conditions included the use of graphene as a matrix, laser concentrations of 50% nitrogen, and a graphene-to-analyte ratio of 1:1. To validate the quantitative method, a suitable concentration range for BPA analysis using TLC combined with MALDI-TOF MS was determined to be 80 to 160 mM (or 18.3 to 36.5 µg), with an acceptable linear regression value (R2 = 0.9634).
Effect of vernonia cinerea lozenges as a smoking cessation aid in patients with non-communicable diseases
Authors:   , Bunditanukul Krittin
Published: September 2023

Background: This study aims to investigate the effect of Vernonia Cinerea (VC) lozenges on smoking cessation when compared with a placebo.
Methods: This study is designed as a randomized, paralleled, double-blinded, controlled trial. Ninety-three patients who are the age 18 years or over at five hospitals and two community pharmacies were randomized to receive VC lozenges (n=45) or placebo (n=48) for 12 weeks. The primary outcome in this study is the continuous abstinence rate (CARs) at 4 and 12 weeks after the quit date.

Results: There was no statistically significant difference in CARs rates at week 4 in the study and the control group (18% vs 3%; p = 0.083; Odds ratio [OR] 6.86, 95% confidence interval [CI] (0.78-60.47)). There was also no statistically significant difference in CARs rates at week 12 in the research and the control group (14% vs 4%; p = 0.244; OR 3.84, 95% CI 0.40-36.86). The most common adverse events in the study group were tongue numbness , dry mouth, and anorexia.
Conclusion: The study’s findings show that VC lozenges do not increase smoking cessation rates.
Development of an extraction method of mucuna pruriens seeds for a chemically and physically stable extract
Authors:   , Vilairat Chayarit
Published: September 2023

Levodopa (L-DOPA) is a drug for the treatment of Parkinson's disease (PD). Currently, it derives from chemical synthesis and plants, especially Mucuna Pruriens (MP) seeds.  The results of clinical studies found using the L-DOPA-containing MP  for the treatment of PD could reduce side effects more than the synthetic one but patients must take MP powder in high amounts per a single dose which may cause inconvenience. Therefore, using the extract can help in the reduction of the dose. Unfortunately, the water extract from the MP seeds can be easily degraded physically and chemically; especially the physical appearance e.g., darkening color, melting, or a solid lump. Moreover, the reduction of L-DOPA content in the extract was commonly observed. Therefore, it is necessary to develop an extraction procedure to solve these problems. This study aimed to modify the extraction of MP using the traditional acidification approach to obtain a higher stable MP extract by comparing the extraction efficiency of a set of previously studied acid solutions (hydrochloric acid, citric acid, and ascorbic acid) and acid extraction from Phyllanthus emblica water (PE), which has antioxidant effects and is also useful in treating PD as well. From the comparative extraction results of the two strains of MP seeds, it was found that the amount of levodopa was not statistically different. While using the sonication-assisted extraction method can improve the extraction efficiency. When comparing different acid solutions used for extraction, it was found that PE yielded an extract with a similar amount of levodopa as using hydrochloric acid as the control solution, and also helps to maintain the quality of the extract when stored under the accelerated condition for 12 months. In addition, qualitative analysis of chemicals in PEW and MP extracted with PE by HPTLC and HPLC techniques revealed that L-DOPA in the MP extract did not interfere with the chemicals in PEW. All these studies showed that PEW is beneficial for the L-DOPA extraction process and is a safe natural solvent. The obtained extract can be used as a starting material for herbal products.
Chemical constituents and nitric oxide inhibitory activity of capparis micracantha and maerua siamensis
Authors:   , Nukulkit Sasiwimon
Published: September 2023

The chemical investigation of two plants in Capparaceae family, which are Capparis micracantha and Maerua siamensis, leads to the isolation of 13 compounds. The structures of the isolates were elucidated using spectroscopy techniques and comparison of the previous reports. Of five known compounds from the stems of C. micracantha were an indole alkaloid (methyl 6-methoxy-3-indolecarbonate), a benzoic acid derivative (vanillic acid), a lignan [(−)-syringaresinol], and two stilbene dimers [(+)-ampelopsin A and (−)-pauciflorol E]. In addition, eight new indole alkaloids named (+)-maeruanitrile A, maeruanitrile B, maeroximes A-C and maeruabisindoles A-C were isolated from the roots of M. siamensis,. All isolates were tested for inhibition of nitric oxide production in lipopolysaccharide-induced RAW 264.7 macrophage cells compared with a positive control (indomethacin). (−)-Pauciflorol E and methyl 6-methoxy-3-indolecarbonate from C. micracantha stems exhibited half maximum inhibitory concentration (IC50) values of 123.40 ± 4.51 and 198.00 ± 5.57 µM, respectively. Moreover, maeruabisindoles B - C, maeroxime C, (+)-maeruanitrile A and maeruanitrile B from M. siamensis roots showed IC50 values of 31.1±1.04, 56.7 ± 2.2, 92.2 ± 5.1, 186.4 ± 13.0 and 186.8 ± 13.3 µM, respectively, while the IC50 of indomethacin was in the range of 150.0 - 166.3 µM. This study supports the use of C. micracantha stems and M. siamensis roots for anti-inflammation according to Thai traditional medicine knowledge.
Microencapsulation of basil oil and its effect on replacement of antibiotic growth promoter, antioxidant status and gut functions of broilers
Authors:   , Thuekeaw Sureerat
Published: September 2023

The objectives of this work were 1) to study the preparation and characterization of microencapsulated basil oil (MBO), 2) to determine the stability of MBO against simulated gastrointestinal tract and storage 3) to investigate the antimicrobial and antioxidant properties of MBO and 4) to evaluate the supplementation of MBO on growth performance, antioxidant status, ileal digestibility and intestinal morphology in broiler chickens. The present work demonstrates the use of double-layered polymers (chitosan, CS and sodium alginate, SA) with opposite charges leading to a dual pH responsiveness. The double-layered microcapsule was studied on physicochemical characteristics, the swelling performance as well as the release efficiency and the antioxidant and antimicrobial stabilities under the storage. A total of 288 one - day - old female broilers (Ross 308) were randomly allocated into 4 groups (6 replicates of 12 birds), based on a completely randomized design. Dietary treatments were (i) basal diet (NC), (ii) basal diet with avilamycin at 10 ppm (PC), (iii) basal diet with free basil oil (FBO) at 500 ppm, and (iv) basal diet with MBO at 500 ppm, respectively. Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) and thermogravimetric analyses (TGA) proved successful loading of BO in CS-SA and improved its thermal stability. Swelling showed great performance, whereas CS-SA displayed the cumulative release of BO in gastric stage (63.3 ± 4.6%) and in intestinal stage (86.8 ± 4.4%), respectively. CS-SA retains the antioxidant and antimicrobial activities of BO under storage in addition to a great tolerance of acids, bile, trypsin, including the thermal conditions. MBO improved average daily gain (ADG), and feed conversion ratio (FCR) of broilers throughout the 42-d trial (P < 0.05). The broilers fed MBO diet exhibited a greater AID of crude protein (CP) and gross energy (GE) compared with those in other groups (P < 0.05). Lactobacillus spp. and E. coil populations were not affected by feeding dietary treatments. Both FBO and MBO had positive effects on jejunal villus height (VH), villus height to crypt depth ratio (VH:CD) and villus surface area (VSA) of broilers compared to NC and PC groups (P < 0.05). Superoxide dismutase (SOD) level in the duodenal mucosa of MBO group was significantly increased (P < 0.01), whereas malondialdehyde (MDA) level was significantly decreased (P < 0.01). The concept of double-layered polymer in microcapsule form could be considered as a promising driver of the BO efficiency, consequently MBO could be potentially used as a feed additive for improvement of intestinal integrity and nutrient utilization, leading to better performance.
Persistence of height fluctuation in molecular-beam epitaxy model
Authors:   , Sanseeha Pipitton
Published: September 2023

Persistence probability is an interesting quantity in stochastic process which is the dynamics of surface growth in this study. Persistence probability of height f luctuation is the probability that the height fluctuation does not return to its initial value throughout a time interval. In this work, we use a numerical simulation approach to investigate the persistence probability in Molecular-Beam Epitaxy (MBE) model which is associated with Molecular-Beam Epitaxy technique. First half, we study the effects of temperature and deposition rate on the growth exponent () and persistence exponent (). For the temperature corresponds to 1 diffusion length, we get 017 and positive steady-state persistence exponent, S+ 078. When the temperature increases, the growth exponent value decreases while the persistence exponent rises. The same results happen when the deposition rate is decreased. On the second half, we investigate how the persistence probabilities change with a particular initial value of height fluctuation. The negative persistence probability of positive initial height shows power lawwhentheinitial height is slightly greater than sat. The positive persistence probability of negative initial height does not show power law decay unless the initial height is much greater than sat. We measure the relationship of persistence probability on initial height fluctuation (0), system size, and discreate sampling time to investigate the scaling relation. The persistence probability is a function of three parameters.
Random walks on quasi-1d infinite structures
Authors:   , Sasom Srawut
Published: September 2023

In the present thesis a random walk on quasi-1d lattices as a model for transport processes on quasi-1d materials is analytically investigated. The scope of the present work is to shed light on the asymptotic behavior of basic statistical properties of the random walk on such structures including the first and the second moments of the walker location along the structure axis, the probability of return to the starting site, the probability of ever reach a given site, the conditional mean first-passage time to a given site and the expected number of distinct sites visited.

The first part of the thesis deals with developing a method for obtaining these basic properties by employing the concepts of generating functions and the Fourier-Laplace transform. Based on this developed method, in the remaining parts, the random walks on different quasi-1d lattices, i.e., a perfect-1d lattice, branched lattices, ladder lattices and cylindrical lattices, and their feasible applications are discussed.
Standardization and DNA barcoding of cannabis in Thailand and pharmacological properties of cannabis-based Thai traditional medicine formula extract (Kealomkeasan)
Authors:   , Nakkliang Kanittha
Published: September 2023

Cannabis sativa L. subsp. Indica (Cannabaceae) has been used as a medicinal plant in various aspects. C. sativa has been part of Thai medicine for more than three centuries and its Ingredients in herbal medicine recipe. Kealomkeasan (KLKS) remedy is one of the Thai traditional medicines, consists of seven plants with an unequal part by weight (1:2:3:4:5:20:40) as follows: Cuminum cyminum L. fruits, Nigella sativa L. seeds, Foeniculum vulgare Miller fruits, Zingiber officinale Roscoe rhizomes, Plumbago indica L. roots, Cannabis sativa L. leaves and Piper nigrum L. seeds for relief of muscle pain and anti-inflammation. Recently, medical cannabis was officially legalized for research and medical purpose in Thailand. Therefore, scientific evidence to support the use of medical cannabis is still limited. This study was divided the aim of the study into 3 parts; 1. To evaluate and develop a pharmacognostic standardization of C. sativa leaves collected from 12 various locations of Thailand according to WHO guidance including pharmacognostic specification, macroscopic-microscopic examination, TLC fingerprinting, physicochemical parameter, and preliminary phytochemical screening using standard methods. 2. To establish DNA barcoding of C. sativa from 20 samples and suggested the most suitable one for C. sativa identification. 3. To evaluate in vitro biological activities of ethanolic extract of KLKS remedy including antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-diabetic and acute toxicity activities. The results indicated that 1. pharmacognostic standardization evaluation of the loss on drying, water content, total ash and acid insoluble ash were 4.07 ± 0.09, 7.95 ± 0.12, 14.36± 0.13, 2.73 ± 0.09% , respectively. Water and ethanol extractive vales were 11.10 ± 0.15 and 23.04 ± 0.16%, respectively. Phytochemical screening showed the present of alkaloids, phenolics, flavonoids, triterpenes, steroids and diterpenes. 2. Establishing DNA barcoding of 20 samples of C. sativa from three candidate DNA regions (ITS, matK, and rbcL), the phylogenetic tree was constructed and genetic distance was investigated using a maximum likelihood and the result found that the ITS region was suitable marker for C. sativa species identification. 3. In vitro biological activities of ethanolic extract of KLKS remedy, the results indicated that KLKS remedy and its ingredients showed antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-diabetic properties.  The ethanolic extract of KLKS remedy against brine shrimp lethality tasting showed week toxicity (LC50 = 503.13 µg/ml) whereas each ingredient of KLKS remedy showed median toxicity to non-toxic (LC50 = 150.07 - > 1,000 µg/ml). The finding results provide highly useful information for establishing standardization and identification of C. sativa leaves, and also contribute to the quality control, safety and effectiveness of medical cannabis for health benefits.
Glocalization of bronze drums in Southeast Asia: the case of bronze drums in state ceremonies of Thailand
Authors:   , Li Taixing
Published: September 2023

The Bronze Drum is a living specimen of Southeast Asian culture and a testimony to the development of Southeast Asian societies for more than 2,000 years. The Bronze Drum has been inherited dynamically hitherto, and the Thai state ceremonies still adopt it. However, current scholarship on Bronze Drums is confined chiefly to static studies, which caused the omission of the essence of glocalization. This thesis adopts the theory of glocalization, namely that the Bronze Drum is the result of the interpenetration of the global and the local, resulting in unique outcomes in a specific geographic location, and then applies an interdisciplinary research methodology that draws on multiple lenses from Western, Chinese, and Thai sources. In addition to this, the theoretical framework of this thesis argues for the Southeast Asianness of the Bronze Drum and the cultural identity of Yunnan and Guangxi as one with Southeast Asia at the civilizational dimension. This study devotes to answering the question: how are the Bronze Drums used in state ceremonies of Thailand? Based on an analysis of the dynamic glocalization of the Ayutthaya dynasty and the Rattanakosin dynasty, this study finds that the bronze drum is used as a musical instrument in Thai state ceremonies, and is a symbol of fertility and represents one of the cornerstones of Thai society. Eventually, while answering the question, there is a theoretical vista for glocalization in broader Southeast Asian Studies.
Spatio-temporal copula-based graph neural networks for traffic forecasting
Authors:   , Khlaisamniang Pitikorn
Published: September 2023

Modern cities heavily rely on complex transportation, making accurate traffic speed prediction crucial for traffic management authorities. Classical methods, including statistical techniques and traditional machine learning techniques, fail to capture complex relationships, while deep learning approaches may have weaknesses such as error accumulation, difficulty in handling long sequences, and overlooking spatial correlations. Graph neural networks (GNNs) have shown promise in extracting spatial features from non-Euclidean graph structures, but they usually initialize the adjacency matrix based on distance and may fail to detect hidden statistical correlations. The choice of correlation measure can have a significant impact on the resulting adjacency matrix and the effectiveness of graph-based models. This thesis proposes a novel approach for accurately forecasting traffic patterns by utilizing a multi-view spatio-temporal graph neural network that captures data from both realistic and statistical domains. Unlike traditional correlation measures such as Pearson correlation, copula models are utilized to extract hidden statistical correlations and construct multivariate distribution functions to obtain the correlation relationship among traffic nodes. A two-step approach is adopted, which involves selecting and testing different types of bivariate copulas to identify the ones that best fit the traffic data, and utilizing these copulas to create multi-weight adjacency matrices. The second step involves utilizing a graph convolutional network to extract spatial information and capturing temporal trends using dilated causal convolutions. The proposed ST-CopulaGNN model outperforms previous approaches such as DCRNN and Graph WaveNet, indicating the effectiveness of incorporating copulas in trafficforecasting. Experiments on theMETR-LA and PEMS-BAY datasets show that the proposed model outperforms previous approaches with a slight improvement.
Brand communication with transmedia storytelling of Riot Games: transmedia engagement, brand attitudes, and brand experience.
Authors:   , Tsai Hao-When
Published: September 2023

This study seeks to understand how brands communicate through the application of transmedia storytelling from the message and to the receivers. While existing studies mainly aim at conceptualizing the term ‘transmedia storytelling’, this study explores the term from a game-centric narrative perspective. Using Riot Games as a case study due to its global success and popularity, this research applies a qualitative mixed-method approach of documentary research (qual) and in-depth interview (QUAL). The investigation places special emphasis on undercovering consumer attitude and experience upon engagement with brand transmedia stories. To do so, Jenkins’ (2003) concept of transmedia storytelling was adopted as indicators towards the exploration of Riot Games’ brand communication strategy.

As a result, 17 products across 6 media categories were found from documentary research, and 6 informants were selected for the in-depth interview. Upon cross examination, the findings of this study illuminate the significance of narrative application as a way brands can communicate to form stronger connections with their consumers. Such as the incorporation of mysteries and the continuous efforts in story expansion were found to promote positive consumer attitudes and experiences. Moreover, the usage of transmedia was found to support consumer engagement and community formation.  

It is hoped that the results from this research can contribute to marketers’ understanding of transmedia storytelling and how components towards engagement, attitude, and experience can be more effectively designed to reach the consumers.
Effects of project-based English instruction on learner autonomy of lower secondary school students
Authors:   , Suwannaphim Suphawadee
Published: September 2023

Learner autonomy is widely accepted as one of the educational goals in the 21st century. Additionally, learner autonomy has been found to affect success in language learning. This study aimed to investigate the effects of project-based English instruction on learner autonomy of lower secondary school students. This study employed a one-group pretest-posttest design to collect both quantitative and qualitative data from 39 lower secondary school students attending 14-week project-based English instruction. The quantitative data obtained from the learner autonomy questionnaire were triangulated with the qualitative data collected from the learning logs and the semi-structured interviews. The findings revealed that the learner autonomy of lower secondary school students increased with statistical significance, changing from “low” level to “high” level. All dimensions of learner autonomy were increased significantly. The socio-cultural dimension was developed the most, followed by technical dimension, psychological dimension, and political-philosophical dimension. The two emerging themes from the learning logs and interviews were “using various learning strategies to learn English” and “motivation to learn English”. It could be assumed that the implementation of the project-based English instruction could effectively enhance learner autonomy. Therefore, it is a good option for any English classrooms aimed at fostering learner autonomy. To implement the effective project-based instruction, the English teachers should conceptualize the principles of project-based learning and change the role to become a facilitator. For further studies, the researchers should investigate the effects of the project-based English instruction on the socio-cultural dimension in the onsite classroom.
Molecular characterization and antimicrobial susceptible profiles of Thai mycoplasma synoviae and immune response chickens received live mycoplasma synoviae vaccine
Authors:   , Limpavithayakul Kriengwich
Published: September 2023

Mycoplasma synoviae infection in chickens which has been increasing worldwide is mostly controlled by pathogen-free flocks’ maintenance, medication in infected flocks and vaccination in high-risk flocks.  The effective control strategy requires the information of diagnostic assays for detecting and differentiating M. synoviae strains, the understanding of immune response mechanisms in vaccinated chickens, and the reliable drug susceptible evidents for making decision in antimicrobial usage.  This study aimed to develop a convenient assay for evaluation of quality or uniformity of vaccination with live MS-H vaccine, to characterize the immune response mechanisms in chickens receiving 3 different vaccination programs immunizing single dose at either 9 or 12 weeks of age or two doses at both 9 and 12 weeks of age, and to determine the antimicrobial susceptible profiles of current Thai M. synoviae isolates.  Based on sequence analysis of partial vlhA gene in this study, Thai M. synoviae isolates collected from articular joint and respiratory tract of chickens during 2020, consisted of types E and L with 19 and 35 amino acid length, respectively, differing from MS-H vaccine strain classified as type C with 32 amino acid length.  Consequently, the developed PCR-RFLP assay using restriction enzyme TasI to digest vlhA gene-targeted PCR amplicons, was verified to detect MS-H vaccine strain in vaccinated chickens and differentiate it from non-vaccine strains; WVU1853 reference strain (ATCC 25204) and Thai M. synoviae field strains.  Besides, this study also demonstrated that vaccination with live MS-H, whether single or two doses, could similarly stimulate immune response mechanisms including both humoral and cellular immune responses.  Antibody response in vaccinated chickens were initially detected at 2 weeks post first vaccination, and continuously increased to the highest level at 3 and 5 weeks post first vaccination examined by RPA assay and ELISA, respectively.  Cellular immune response against both homologous and heterologous antigens, examined by MTS Tetrazolium assay, were similar at early period post immunization while the responses against homologous antigen was better at late period post immunization.  Furthermore, antimicrobial susceptible profiles of current Thai M. synoviae isolates was performed strong susceptible to tylvalosin, tylosin, and tiamulin at MIC50 value of 0.0098, 0.0391 and 0.0781 µg/ml, respectively; moderate susceptible to doxycycline, oxytetracycline and lincomycin-spectinomycin at MIC50 value of 0.1563, 0.1563 and 0.625 µg/ml, respectively; and resistance to enrofloxacin at MIC50 value of 10 µg/ml.  Interestingly, at least three subpopulations of Thai M. synoviae isolates were presented with different MIC values; ranging 0.0195-0.625 µg/ml; from strong susceptibility to resistance to tilmicosin.