plueme/wizJson huggingface dataset:
Pythiosis is a life-threatening infectious disease of both humans and animals living in Asia, Americas, Africa, and parts of Australia and New Zealand. The etiologic pathogen is the fungus-like organism Pythium insidiosum. The disease has high mortality and morbidity rates. Use of antifungal drugs are ineffective against P. insidiosum, leaving radical surgery the main treatment option. Prompt treatment leads to better prognosis of affected individuals, and could be achieved by early and accurate diagnosis. Since pythiosis has been increasingly reported worldwide, there is a need for a rapid, userfriendly, and efficient test that facilitates the diagnosis of the disease. This study aims to develop an immunochromatographic test (ICT), using the bacterial protein A/G, to detect anti-P. insidiosum IgGs in humans and animals, and compare its diagnostic performance with the established ELISA. Eighty-five serum samples from 28 patients, 24 dogs, 12 horses, 12 rabbits, and 9 cattle with pythiosis, and 143 serum samples from 80 human and 63 animal subjects in a healthy condition, with thalassemia, or with other fungal infections, were recruited for assay evaluation. Detection specificities of ELISA and ICT were 100.0%. While the detection sensitivity of ELISA was 98.8%, that of ICT was 90.6%. Most pythiosis sera, that were falsely read negative by ICT, were weakly positive by ELISA. In conclusion, a protein A/G-based ICT is a rapid, user-friendly, and efficient assay for serodiagnosis of pythiosis in humans and animals. Compared to ELISA, ICT has an equivalent detection specificity and a slightly lower detection sensitivity.
Purpose To investigate the immunity of Diptheria from Corynebacterium diphtheriae, pertussis from Bordetella pertussis and tetanus from Clostidium tetani in Thais Subject and method Firstly, commercial kit for the detection of antibodies to diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis using indirect ELISA (EUROIMMUN, Germany) were pre-evaluated. Secondly, the seroprevalence of antibodies to diphtheria toxin IgG (anti-DT), tetanus toxin IgG (anti-TT) pertussis toxin IgG (anti-PT) were performed in 965 sera from blood volunteers in 2014, aged between <20 and >60 years, who attending at regional blood center from the North (240 sera from Chiangmai, Pitsanulok, Lampang and Nakon Sawan provinces), the Central (243 sera from Lopburi, Ratchaburi, Chonburi and Bangkok provinces), the Northeastern (240 sera from Khonkaen, Nongkhai, Nakhon Phanom and Ubon Ratchatani provinces) and the South parts (242 sera from Krabi, Songkha, Pattani and Prachuap Khiri Kan provinces). Result Overall the seroprevalence at the protective level (>0.1 IU/ml) of anti-DT was 62.9% [GMT (geometric mean titer) 0.19 IU/ml, 95%CI 0.13-0.25)] and anti-TT was 87.8% (GMT 1.16, 95%CI 0.73-1.59). Anti-DT level from provinces in the South was higher than other parts (p<0.05, Chi square and Kruskal Wallis). Anti-DT level in Bangkok was the lowest prevalence (43.3%) and low anti-DT level might be seen at all age groups in some area such as Nakornsawan, Lopburi and Ubonrachatanee provinces. Regarding to pertussis, no information of the protective level of anti-PT was documented. In this study, the prevalence of anti-PT was 52% based on the presence of antibody in subjects bearing at 5 IU/ml (criteria for vaccine trial) and was only 12.9% based on antibody at 40 IU/ml (criteria for diagnosis based on kit) with GMT of anti-PT 10.16 (95%CI 6.93-13.39). This will be implied that Thai population might be risk of pertussis due to low prevalence of anti-PT antibody. No significant difference of gender was found in these 3 specific antibodies. Conclusion The information from this study might be the useful for the consideration to stimulate the immunity by vaccination at high risk group of waning antibodies. In Thailand, booster vaccination against diphtheria, tetatnus and including pertussis should be considered in Thai adult.
Wheezing is an important health problem in Thailand. Estimating costs of wheezing treatment in preschool children under societal, provider and patient’s perspectives were also studied. Cost data of 234 six participants who admitted with asthma and wheezing at Thammasat hospital, King Chulalongkorn Memorial hospital, Bhumiphol hospital and Saraburi hospital were available for this analysis. Data from hospital financial database and caregivers’ expenses were collected. Cost-to-charge ratio method was employed for valuation of direct medical costs.Informal care cost was determined by human capital approach. It is found that societal, provider and patient costs per admission were 20,269±20,537, 18,126±16,898 และ 3,119±6,655THB, respectively. The main cost component in all perspective was hoteling cost during admission.  The economic burden of asthma and wheezing admission of preschool children in Thailand was estimated as 759 million THB per year. To decrease length of stay and admission rate will save costs of asthma and wheezing care in preschool children. 
	The participants in this study were 240 pediatric patients hospitalized with acute wheezing in Thammasat hospital, King Chulalongkorn Memorial hospital, Bhumiphol hospital and Saraburi hospital. The participants were boys (62.7 %), recurrent wheezing (59.1%). According to laboratory results, Atopy (specific IgE level >0.35 kUA/L of  any allergens being tested) was found in 75.5 percent. He highest prevalence of hypersensitivity was cow’s milk protein (75.5%), following by egg’s white (52.9%). Vitamin D insufficiency (25-hydroxy-vitamin D level < 30 ng/ml) was found in 24.8 percent. Concerning 12 months of follow-up, completed data for analysis was available in 195 cases (81.3%). The one-year incidence of re-hospitalization with acute wheezing was 23.1 percent (95% confidence interval: 17.5% - 30.0%). The one-year incidence of emergency visits with recurrent wheezing was 49.7 percent (95% confidence interval: 42.5% - 57.0%).
This study aimed to determine in vitro sensitivities of artemisinin derivatives and their partner drugs in artemisinin derivative based combination therapy (ACT) and genetic characterization of resistant genes in 95 Plasmodium falciparum isolates collected from Thai-Myanmar and Thai-Cambodia borders. Almost all isolates were sensitive to artesunate และ dihydroartemisinin. Approximately seventy seven percent of the samples had a mutation on an artemisinin-resistant gene, Kelch13 propeller which C580Y mutation was predominant. All parasites isolated from Thai-Cambodia border contained 184F allele with 1 copy number of pfmdr1 gene. In contrast, the parasites collected from Thai-Myanmar border had the pfmdr1 184F allele at 47.2% and contained a few copy number of the pfmdr1 gene with the average of 2.5 copies. Most isolates were resistant to mefloquine which might lead to treatment failure of artesunate-mefloquine in Thailand. Consequently, The Ministry of Public Health has changed the first-line treatment for falciparum malaria to dihyroartemisinin-piperaquine. The present study shows that the parasites containing the pfmdr1 86Y allele exhibited reduced piperaquine sensitivity. Prior to nationwide implication of dihydroartemisinin-piperaquine usage in Thailand, efficacy testing should be conducted. In addition, regular monitoring should be properly performed especially in Thai-Malaysia border where most parasites contained the pfmdr1 86Y allele. Artesunate-pyronaridine is a new effective ACT. The parasites’ pyronaridine IC50 in this study were 3-220 times lower than the IC50 of a recrudescent parasite previously reported in Thailand. In addition, there was no significant difference of pyronaridine IC50 among the parasites with different haplotypes. Thus, artesunate-pyronaridine may be a suitable ACT of choice in the area containing parasites with varied resistant haplotypes especially the pfmdr1 haplotypes. In vitro sensitivities and genotypic characterization of the resistant genes of P. falciparum should be continuously monitored in order to detect the emergence of antimalarial resistance. Rationale drug use can be guided using this information.
Bats are natural reservoirs of Coronaviruses (CoV), which includes the genera
Alphacoronavirus (alphaCoV) and Betacoronavirus (betaCoV). Bat CoVs are also closely
related to human pathogens such as severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) and
the Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS). Thailand has previously detected viruses
in the same lineage as SARS-CoV, in the Hipposiderous larvatus, and MERS-CoV from
unidentified bat guano. Thailand houses 139 different bat species, including
Tylonycteris spp., Pipistrellus spp. and Taphozous spp. These species have been
reported to carry MERS-CoV in other countries. It is thus important to conduct a study
to monitor these bat species and identify the viruses they harbor. Specimens from 645
bats, 33 species, were collected between 2011 and 2015, from 10 provinces (13
locations). Rectal swabs from these bats were analyzed using PCR, specifically for the
RNA-dependent RNA polymerase gene. Fifty seven (8.8%) of the samples were positive
for CoV; alphaCoV (19/57) and betaCoV (36/57). Two bats were found to be coinfected
with viruses of 2 different genera. Eight samples were positive for MERS-CoV
lineage, which is classified under betaCoV lineage C. Two of these samples were from
Tylonycteris robustula, the same bat species previously reported to harbor the virus in
China. Six samples were found in the Chaerephon plicata, which has never been
known to harbor CoV. Two samples from Rhinolophus malayanus were also positive
for SARS-CoV lineage, also previously reported in China from the same bat genus.
Detection of viruses in the same lineage of MERS-CoV and SARS-CoV in Thai bats
indicates the need for vigilant zoonotic disease surveillance to monitor virus jump
species to new hosts that may cause severe disease in humans or other animals, in
addition to the measures in place to contain disease outbreak. Thailand’s
preparedness and prompt diagnosis of the two imported (from Oman) MERS cases,
whose genetic analyses from whole genome sequencing revealed to be the same
strain as the outbreak in South Korea, prevented an outbreak in Thailand. Early
detection for cause of disease in patient and pre-identification of new pathogens from
natural reservoirs that can potentially case disease in humans can reduce the scale
and severity of next outbreak.
Acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) remains a major public health problem in Thailand. Treatment of HIV-infected patient using highly active retroviral therapy (HAART) can suppress viral replication and increases maintain the level of CD4+ lymphocyte cells. Adherence to HAART can improve health and prolong life of HIV-infected patients. However, non-adherence to antiretroviral drugs leads to develop of HIV drug-resistance strains. Therefore, the high costs of new generation antiretroviral drugs are needed. In this study, we aimed to develop a high throughput assay for examining the enzymatic activity of HIV-1 protease (PR) and integrase (IN). These assays will be applicable for assessing the level of HIV-1 protease inhibitors (PIs) and integrase inhibitors in HIV-infected patients who recived antiretroviral treatment. The novel immunochromatographic (IC) strip test for determining of HIV-PR activity was developed by combining proteolysis activity of HIV-PR and an immunochromatographic reaction. This IC strip could adaped to evaluate the biological activity of PI and also semi-quantify the level of PI in HIV-1 infected individual. Furthermore, we established a non-radioisotopic testing based on real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay to determine HIV-1 integrase activity. This assay has been shown to be effective and inexpensive for a high-throughput screening of novel IN inhibitors. The novel development of enzymatic activity assay of HIV-1 protease and integrase using immunochromatographic strip test and real-time PCR assay could provide as a high-throuput screening platform for discovering new synthetic antiretroviral agents or natural compounds from Thai medicinal plants by Thai reseacher. This study might be able to reduce the importion of new generation antiretroviral drugs from other countires.
Obtaining quality research that can benefit country development requires systematic management
of relevant agencies including research funding agencies. This study aimed to provide research funding
agencies recommendations regarding the management of health research in Thailand. The study was
carried out by reviewing literature and documents related to experience in health research management of both national and international government research funding agencies. Additionally, key informant
interviews and focus group discussions with experts involved in research systems were conducted.
The study analyzed and compared research management components of various countries with
those of the Thai research funding agencies under 9 different dimensions. The study showed that health
research management in Thailand still needed to be developed. In particular, health research management
needs to focus on the coordination of relevant agencies in national health research policy formulation,
reduction of budget support in unclear strategies, development and increase in the role of research
managers in order to support research utilization, and lastly, monitoring and evaluation using comprehensive
indicators to measure input, process, output and impact of research.
The purposes of this review article were to determine situation changes affecting performance of
village health volunteers. The data were collected by reviewing documents and related research and then
synthesized data in accordance with the objectives. The results showed that from the past to the present,
there are many changes, from policy, finance, social and information technology. These changes affected
the performance of village health volunteers and community health. Managing community health problem,
governments could not manage alone. They needed participation of public sector, especially village
health volunteers who were the mainspring of the public sector because they have lived in the community
and known the background of their area, therefore, they have received the trust of the community. The
recommendations concerning increasing operational effectiveness of the village health volunteers included
the following: promoting income generation, strengthening information technology skills, and building
up the coordinator or community mentoring role.
The purpose of this study is to identify graduation rates of Doctor of Medicine (M.D.) program of
Khon Kaen University during the academic year 1973-2012, with total number of 5,598 students from 40
admission classes. There were 3,966 alumni from 34 graduated classes. The information was collected
from the Registrar Office, Student Development Unit, and School Alumni Database, using percentage for
data analysis. The M.D. program responded to the policy of the Human Resources for Health Committee,
the admissions of students (classes# 1-40) were under two core projects: 1) Normal Project (including the
extra quota admissions), and 2) Mega Project for producing medical practitioners (the Collaborative Project to Increase Production of Rural Doctor or CPIRD and the One District One Doctor or ODOD), at 81% (or
4,545 persons), and 19% (or 1,053 persons), respectively. The graduation rate of MD program from 34
classes, was 95.71% (3,796 persons). The on-time graduation rate was 84.06% (3,191 persons); while delayed
graduation rate was 15.75% (598 persons). Under the Normal Project, the graduation rate was 95.81%
(or 3,434 persons), of which on-time graduation was 83.49% (or 2,867 persons). Under the Mega Project
(CPIRD and ODOD), the graduation was 94.76% (362 persons), of which on-time graduation was 89.50%
(324 persons). The graduation rate under the Direct Admission group was 96.09% (or 2039 persons). Additionally,
the graduation rate of Central Admission group was 95.74% (1,348 persons), the CPIRD 1 with a
maximum rate of 96.55% (196 persons), the CPIRD 2 93.25% (152 persons), and the ODOD 87.5% (14
persons). When studied on graduation rate in every 10 years, Phase 1: Year 1st - 10th (1973-1982), the
Normal Project admitted 584 students with graduation rate of 93.87% (or 551 persons), and on-time graduation
rate of 82.94% (or 457 persons). Phase 2: Year 11th - 20th, the Normal Project and CPIRD 1 admitted
1,284 students with graduation rate of 95.87% (or 1,231 persons), and on-time graduation rate of 78.15%
(or 962 persons). Phase 3: Year 21rd - 32nd, the Normal Project and CPIRD 1, admitted 1,571 students with
graduation rate of 96.69% (or 1,519 persons), and on-time graduation rate of 87.29% (or 1,326 persons).
Phase 4: Year 33rd - 40th, only 2 classes, i.e. Class# 33 - 34 (538 students) wer e graduated at a rate of 94.42%
(or 508 persons), and on-time graduation rate of 90.75% (or 461 persons). The academic achievements of
Direct Admission and Central Admission, under Normal Project, were relatively similar and the CPIRD 1
reached maximum academic achievement.
Moving out from the area of health workforce affects staff shortages. Job satisfaction is the key factor
in the decision to remain or move. Satisfaction analysis will lead to a plan to tackle in the future. This
research aimed to identify the factors that were associated with job satisfaction and satisfaction level. The
instrument was a questionnaire of motivation, morale and satisfaction in their work. All health personnel
included health professional, supporting staff and employees. A questionnaire was filled out by hand.
Data collection was completed in June 2013 with response rate of 52.4%. The research found that most health personnel were satisfied with the work at a moderate level (31.4% satisfied at quartile 2). Quantile
regression showed that working relationships with colleagues and administrators had significant effect
on satisfaction of personnel who were satisfied at a moderate level (coeff. = 3.00; 95% CI: 0.33, 5.67). Life
balance had significant effect on those who had a high level of satisfaction (coeff. = 3.00; 95% CI: 1.60,
4.40), while advancement opportunities significantly influenced satisfaction at all levels. The researcher
proposed that the support of health worker should take into account the different levels of customer
satisfaction through organizational development, behaviors and shared value formation, including proper
appointment and special compensation.
Alcohol marketing and advertising are critical factors influencing youth’s attitude toward alcohol
consumption and consequently heavy drinking and related problems. This study describes situation on,
gaps of, and opportunities for alcohol marketing and advertising control in Thailand. The study analyzed
two issues: the policy or measure on alcohol marketing and advertising, and the body of knowledge on
alcohol marketing and advertising in Thailand. The documentary review of regulations on alcohol marketing
and advertising control in Thailand found that the current laws could partially control the marketing
and advertising of alcohol. There were technical problems in interpreting the laws. Furthermore, regulators
and the public lacked of understanding the laws. Additionally, alcohol marketing and advertising
strategies had been developed every time which led to needs of knowledge to understand the new situations.
Finally, there had been no study in Thailand in particular a longitudinal study to examine effects of
marketing and advertising on alcohol consumption. Therefore, the development of knowledge together
with improvement of the laws is urgently needed to effectively control alcohol marketing and advertising
in Thailand.
When getting old, health usually becomes decelerating. Generally, it is believed that health literacy
could replenish the elderly to good quality of life; hence the research tried to prove this belief. This study
is a descriptive research comprising two objectives. Firstly, it aimed to investigate the level of the elderly’s
health literacy according to the ABCDE behavioral campaign by the Ministry of Public Health (A: Alcohol
abandon, B: Baccy, no tobacco smoking, C: Coping with emotion, D: Diet consumption, and E: Exercise).
Secondly, the research examined the relationship between health literacy and the quality of life of the
elderly in the Central Region of the Northeast. The research was done with 600 elderly living in Roi-et,
Khon Kaen, Mahasarakham and Kalasin. The data were collected by interviewing conducted during January
to March, 2015 and were analyzed by frequency, percentage, mean, standard deviation and Pearson’s
correlation coefficient. The results revealed that the overall level of the elderly health literacy according to
the campaign was low but the quality of life of the elderly was high. The relationship between health
literacy and quality of life of the elderly was positive (r=0.305, p<0.01). From the findings, the researcher
suggested that there should urgently be wider assessment of the elderly health literacy at both individual
and community levels in order to know the real health status of the elderly. The result of the wider assessment
will be useful for creating qualified strategic plan appropriate to the situation of the elderly increase
in the future. The strategic plan in the future should focus on urgent needs in developing the elderly’s
skills such as; information access, communication, and media literacy.
Incidence of death and long-term disability of emergency patients could be reduced with prehospital
emergency medical service (EMS) utilization. Current reports indicated that emergency medical
services were used only 3.1 percent of cases in Thailand. This reflected that a review of causes related to
the use of pre-hospital EMS was urgently required. This research was then conducted to promote the EMS
utilization. After the review, 38 articles were found related to the topic, and the contents of 31 articles were
relatively relevant and credible with evidence-based data after verifying with rigorous methodology. Then all of the 31 articles were utilized in the process of content analysis. The findings indicated that
EMS utilization via 1669 hotline and others were related with various factors including population, socioeconomic
of the service users or relatives such as gender, age, education, marital status, income, and
vehicle ownership.
The important factors included attitude towards EMS, EMS past experience, social support, perception
on obstacles in using EMS, access to information, knowledge on urgent symptoms of EMS use, and
self-confidence on using pre-hospital EMS system. These findings may be used to develop further
research for promoting appropriate EMS utilization in Thailand.