Northeast Province Research Articles

Exploiting time in Green Visions for Thailand: How Green Finance Leverages Past Infrastructure for Future Returns

AbstractThe climate crisis calls for a reassessment of infrastructure's role in the energy transition. This urgency has catalysed an expanding green finance paradigm, which is reshaping the roles of states and private actors through the creation of green infrastructural projects. This article examines Thailand's northeast province, an emerging renewable energy hub, to explore how Cold War‐era geopolitical and military infrastructures are being repurposed as green assets. These upgrades, both technological and financial, align with reframing their historical political roles. The study reveals how infrastructure transformation involves shifts in the actors and mechanisms of financing. Once converted into green assets, these infrastructures serve as eco‐temporal fix, allowing the military junta to address political instability while promoting a green future. The article ultimately shows how speculative processes in transforming infrastructure enable financial capital accumulation and reinforce political legitimacy.

Shedding Lights on the Syriac Community in the Hattākh/ Lice District, Northeast Province of Diyarbakir

Shedding Lights on the Syriac Community in the Hattākh/ Lice District, Northeast Province of Diyarbakir

Mortality Burden of Liver Cancer in China: An Observational Study From 2008 to 2020.

China accounts for nearly half of liver cancer deaths globally. A better understanding of the current liver cancer mortality will be helpful to establishing priorities for intervention and to decreasing the disease burden of liver cancer. The study aimed to explore and predict the mortality burden of liver cancer in China. Data were extracted from the Disease Surveillance Point system of the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention from 2008 to 2020. Crude and age-standardized liver cancer mortality rates were reported by sex, urban or rural residence, and region. Trends in liver cancer mortality rates from 2008 to 2020 were estimated as average annual percentage change (AAPC). The changing trend of live cancer mortality in the future is also predicted. In 2020, the crude mortality of liver cancer was 25.57/100,000, and males and people lived in rural areas had higher age-standardized liver cancer mortality rates than females and people lived in people in urban areas. Crude mortality and age-standardized mortality rates in southwest provinces (Guangxi, Sichuan, Tibet) and in a northeast province (Heilongjiang) were higher than that in other provinces, and age-specific mortality rates increased with age. From 2008 to 2020, liver cancer mortality rates decreased, but people under 50 years of age had a higher AAPC than those over 50 years of age, possibly because of the adoption of hepatitis B virus vaccination in newborns and children. Furthermore, the mortality of liver cancer in 2021-2030 is predicted to have a downward trend. Liver cancer mortality rates declined in China from 2008 to 2020. Future interventions to control liver cancer mortality need to focus on people of male sex, older age, and living in rural areas or less developed provinces.

Zeolite for Increasing the Compressive Strength of Adobe in the Historical Site of Belqis

Abstract“Belqis” is a historical and archeological site located in Khourasan province in northeast of Iran close to the city of Esfarayen. This study was conducted to consider the composition of the soil used to make the adobe in these structures, which has been exposed to deterioration processes followed by accelerate erosion. In response to this problem, Zeolite was used as an additive to improve soil quality. The finegrained soil texture is full of sand and silt with small amounts of clay. Zeolites has been used in the study in the form of granules (maximum 5 mm). X‐ray diffraction (XRD) and X‐ray fluorescence (XRF) used to define chemical composition and crystalline phase. Scanning electron microscope (SEM) was used for Determination surface characteristics and morphology. The presence of sand in the soil of the region and its decrease in adhesion is the reason for the decrease the compressive strength of clay. The results showed that the amount of 6% zeolite is most effective in improving the compressive strength of adobe. This amount of zeolite increases the compressive strength of clay compared to the samples without zeolite.

Climate change perception and adaptation strategies to multiple climatic hazards: Evidence from the northeast of Thailand

Thailand is highly susceptible to climate variability and change, driven by the escalating occurrence of natural hazards. Certain regions of the country, especially in the northeast, continue to endure food insecurity as a consequence of these climatic hazards. While numerous studies have already investigated the interlinkages between natural hazards and food security, there is limited evidence regarding local perceptions of climate change and specific adaptation strategies in this region. Therefore, we conducted a household survey in four districts across the Mahasarakham province in Thailand's northeast, with a total sample size of 400 households, where 80% of the area is outside of the provincial irrigation system. Survey data on climate change perception and adaptation were analysed using descriptive statistics and a series of binary logistic regressions. The results show that over the last 20 years, 96.9% of all farmers perceived changes in climate and that television and radio were the major sources of climate change information. Most of the farmers attempted to adopt agricultural practices, such as buying insurance, borrowing money, or applying for credits and loans (22.4%), followed by increasing the amount of fertilizer usage (18.6%), changing cropping patterns (12.4%), and starting off-farm activities (11.3%). The results of regression modelling show that dependency ratio, geographical location, current engagement in labor and agriculture, knowledge of climate change and global warming, and perceived benefits from new kinds of plants/technologies are the main predictors of adaptation choices. Overall, knowledge of climate change and global warming is more likely to influence the shift to off-farm jobs and activities (OR = 1.55, p < 0.01) and participation in community-based natural resource management activities (OR = 1.90, p < 0.01). In addition, the farmers who already work as laborers are typically more likely to shift to off-farm jobs and off-farm activities (OR = 4.64, p < 0.01) and temporary migration (OR = 20.03, p < 0.01). This evidence may contribute to creating holistic local development plans that could further enhance the economic well-being of the farming households.

Paleodiets of hunter‐gatherers from the central Patagonian coast: Reviewing scopes and limitations of stable isotope analyses

AbstractThis work reviews paleodietary reconstructions of hunter‐gatherers from the northeast province of Chubut, Argentina. The isotopic record of human bone can complement information from zooarchaeological and technological studies with its particular resolution on the long‐term diet of individuals. Previous δ13C and δ15N studies found dietary differences between the coastal area and the lower basin of the Chubut River, both in the proportion of marine resources in the diet and the trophic positions of prey. However, it is challenging to test hypotheses concerning human diets in northeastern Patagonia, where C3 and CAM plants grow and terrestrial, riverine, and marine prey are available. Here, we focus on the local isotopic ecology to assess the scopes and limitations of δ13C and δ15N stable isotopes analyses. We provide new data on native faunas spanning different trophic levels of terrestrial, riverine, and marine environments. After establishing the basic patterns in the local isotope record, we reanalyze the available δ13Ccol, δ15N, and δ13Capa measurements from 23 individuals studied 15 years ago. That analysis reveals a relatively continuous distribution of several overlapping resources on the coast of northeastern Patagonia. Bayesian mixing models identified a combination of terrestrial and riverine resources aggregated as the main component of long‐term diets. However, it generated diffuse estimations. The Bayesian ellipses, describing isotopic niches, emphasized more the spatial variations in diet between coastal and valley groups.

Two-way SMS Reminders for Medication Adherence and Quality of Life in Adults with Type 2 Diabetes: A Randomized Controlled Tria

Non-adherence to a medication regime often has a negative impact on patient outcomes. With a relatively low cost, many countries are using short messaging services to reduce non-adherence rates. In Thailand, research using a short messaging service reminder for people to take their medications is understudied. This multi-center randomized controlled trial, 2-arm, parallel-group research aimed to determine the effects of 2-way SMS reminders on the medication adherence and quality of life of adults with type 2 diabetes mellitus. Data were collected from 63 participants with diabetes in a treatment group (33) and a control group (30). The sample consisted of adults aged 18 and older who were diagnosed with diabetes living in a northeast province of Thailand. All participants received standard care, but those in the treatment group also received a tailored 2-way short message service as a mobile health (mHealth) treatment for four months. Medication adherence was measured by the level of hemoglobin A1c. Quality of life was measured using the Thai version of a Quality-of-Life Questionnaire developed by the World Health Organization and the Diabetes-39 Questionnaire. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics. One-way repeated measures ANOVA was used to compare hemoglobin A1c levels and quality of life mean scores across three-time points (0, 2, and 4 months). The results revealed that at the completion of the study, the participants in the treatment group had significantly lower hemoglobin A1c than those in the control group and significantly better health-related quality of life, demonstrating that the 2-way SMS reminder service improved their health outcomes. Thus, it is recommended that nurses should employ mHealth, such as 2-way SMS reminder solutions tailored to patients’ daily routines. A future investigation comparing the cost-effectiveness and patient outcomes of different mHealth technologies is suggested.

Identification of a novel HIV-1 second-generation circulating recombinant form (CRF136_0107) among men who have sex with men in China.

To investigate the molecular epidemiology of HIV-1 in Heilongjiang, China, and try to spot signs of new circulating recombinant form (CRF) in this region. A molecular epidemiological study was conducted in Heilongjiang, China during 2011-2020. Plasma samples were collected from three HIV-1 positive patients. The near full-length genome sequences (NFLGs) of a novel circulating recombinant form (CRF) were then obtained and subjected to phylogenetic analysis using Mega 7.0.26. Recombination analysis was performed by the jumping profile Hidden Markov Model (jpHMM). Finally, the origin time of this novel CRF was inferred using the Bayesian phylogenetic analysis in Beast v1.10.4. The three NFLGs formed a distinct monophyletic cluster in the neighbor-joining (NJ) tree. Recombination analysis revealed that the recombinant genome was composed of five segments derived from CRF01_AE, subtypes B, and C, but further confirmed to be a second-generation recombinant form of CRF01_AE/CRF07_BC by a comparison of genome maps and subregion phylogenetic analysis and therefore designated as CRF136_0107. With Bayesian phylogenetic analysis, CRF136_0107 was estimated to originate around 2010-2011. A novel HIV-1 CRF01_AE/CRF07_BC second-generation CRF called CRF136_0107 was identified among men who have sex with men (MSM) in Heilongjiang, a northeast province of China.

Clinical and epidemiologic evaluation of a 2020 chikungunya outbreak in Cambodia

BackgroundIn 2020, the Kingdom of Cambodia experienced a nationwide outbreak of chikungunya virus (CHIKV). Despite an increase in the frequency of outbreaks and expanding geographic range of CHIKV, diagnostic challenges remain, and limited surveillance data of sufficient granularity are available to characterize epidemiological profiles and disease dynamics of the virus.MethodsAn ongoing and long-standing cross-sectional study of acute undifferentiated febrile illness (AUFI) in Cambodia was leveraged to describe the disease epidemiology and characterize the clinical presentation of patients diagnosed with CHIKV during the 2020 outbreak. Participants presenting with AUFI symptoms at ten study locations provided acute and convalescent blood samples and were tested for CHIKV using a reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and serological diagnostic methods including IgM and IgG. Acute and follow-up clinical data were also collected.ResultsFrom 1194 participant blood samples tested, 331 (27.7%) positive CHIKV cases were detected. Most CHIKV positive individuals (280, 84.6%) reported having a fever 3 to 4 days prior to visiting a health facility. Symptoms including chills, joint pain, nausea, vomiting, and lesions were all statistically significant among CHIKV positive participants compared to CHIKV negative AUFI participants. Cough was negatively associated with CHIKV positive participants. Positivity proportions were significantly higher among adults compared to children. No significant difference was found in positivity proportion between rainy and dry seasons during the outbreak. Positive CHIKV cases were detected in all study site provinces, with the highest test positivity proportion recorded in the rural northeast province of Kratie.ConclusionsSurveillance data captured in this study provided a clinical and epidemiological characterization of positive CHIKV patients presenting at selected health facilities in Cambodia in 2020, and highlighted the widespread distribution of the outbreak, impacting both urban and rural locations. Findings also illustrated the importance of utilizing both RT-PCR and serological testing for effective CHIKV surveillance.

Assessment of growth ability and removal efficiency of the Hydrilla (Hydrilla verticillata) in wastewater

The present quasi-experimental research investigated the growth ability and removal efficiency of Hydrilla verticillata in freshwater from Nong Han Lake (NHL), domestic wastewater from constructed wetlands (CW) and wastewater from university canteen wastewater (UCW) in Sakon Nakhon, a north-east province in Thailand. The growth rate was measured by evaluating the fresh mass of H. verticillata and comparing the removal efficiency of the biochemical oxygen demand (BOD), the chemical oxygen demand (COD) and phosphate at the hydraulic retention time on days 7, 14, 21 and 28. The efficiency of BOD removal of H. verticillata in UCW, NHL and CW was 26, 80 and 84%, respectively, whereas the COD removal efficiency was 25, 72 and 63%, respectively, and that of phosphate was 6, 44 and 87%, respectively. No difference was found in growth rates between H. verticillata from NHL and CW. Further, CW provided a good growth rate of H. verticillata, and the domestic wastewater discharges could provide a rapid growth of H. verticillata. Finally, H. verticillata might be used in aquatic ecosystems.

THE PERCEPTIONS OF NURSES ABOUT PATIENT SAFETY CULTURE: AN EXAMPLE PROVINCE IN NORTH EAST OF TURKEY

Objectives&#x0D; The purpose of this study is to evaluate the perceptions of nurses about the patient safety culture and include five hospitals which are in a province in north east of Turkey. &#x0D; Methods&#x0D; The research universe consists of 1299 nurses working in different five hospitals. It was used for sample selection in this study. The data were collected by “Nurse Information Form” and “Patient Safety Culture Scale”. In analysis of the data were used Kolmogrov-Smirnov, Kruskal-Wallis, Mann-Whitney U, T-test and Anova Test.&#x0D; Results&#x0D; Nurses’ the main score of scale was 2.90 ± 0.379. There were significantly differences between the hospitals about the mean score of scale and subscales (p

Detecting degraded, prone and transition ecosystems by environmental thresholds and spectral functions

For determining of the desert ecosystem based on transition zones, a quantitative approach was applied in Khorasan Razavi province in northeast of Iran. The spectral and morphological algorithms were implemented in remote-sensing images of MODIS surface reflectance in order to determine the ecogeomorphic thresholds between the transition zones of the semi-arid ecosystems. Furthermore, the spectral angle mapper analysis was applied for the surface conditions and the mathematical morphology algorithm of dilation was used for identifying the recovery and erodibility potential trends in the heterogeneous land surface covers. A detailed assessment of the mapping was achieved by implementation of an iterative self-organized clustering technique (ISODATA) and calculation of separability of formed typologies classes using the transformed divergence algorithm. The assessment of NDVI (normalized difference vegetation index) in each cluster indicates an increasing trend of standard deviation, which shows maximum values near desert thresholds. According to the results, several desert thresholds were detected in susceptible ecosystems to desertification in Khorasan Razavi that were affected by natural and anthropogenic factors. Further evaluation shows the location of the transition zones and the thresholds under changing climatic conditions. In synopsis, in prone areas with the high potential to desertification, the ecosystem is susceptiblt to shift to desert state.

Iodine nutrition and prevalence of sonographic thyroid findings in adults in the Heilongjiang Province, China.

BackgroundThyroid disease and thyroid nodules are common clinical problems. Iodine nutrition plays an important role in thyroid disease evolution. Here, we aimed to estimate the iodine nutritional status and prevalence of thyroid disease in the adults of the Heilongjiang Province in northeast China.MethodsWe performed a cross-sectional ultrasound (US)-based survey on volunteers aged 20–70 years from 30 regions of the Heilongjiang Province. The participants were recruited using the probability proportional to size (PPS) method, and consent for US screening was obtained from them. The survey was performed by trained technicians using the same US equipment with a 6–15 MHz linear transducer (MyLab 30 cv, Italy) and was hosted in public community locations such as local hospitals and outpatient departments. Information on basic demographic characteristics, such as urinary iodine and iodine intake were collected. The age- and sex-adjusted prevalence of thyroid disease was determined through direct standardization and reported using the province’s population in 2016 as reference.ResultsFrom December 12, 2017, to March 10, 2019, 3,754 participants with a mean age of 48.65 (±12.39) years participated in the study. Of them, 3,643 had reliable urinary iodine data. The median urinary iodine and salt iodine concentrations within the normal range were 163.30 µg/L and 24.30 mg/kg, respectively. The age- and sex-adjusted prevalence of thyroid disease was 52.91%. Diffuse thyroid disease (DTD), focal thyroid lesions (FTL), and coexistence of both diseases were prevalent in 8.68%, 36.58%, and 7.65% of the participants, respectively. The prevalence of the five categories according to US-based survey features in the ACR TI-RADS (i.e., TR1, TR2, TR3, TR4, and TR5) was 7.71%, 14.53%, 3.44%, 14.82%, and 3.51%, and the prevalence of nodules that needed fine-needle aspiration was 2.55%.ConclusionsIn Heilongjiang Province, adults aged 20–70 years belong to the optimal iodine status. Further, the salt iodine levels are in the normal range. Thyroid diseases are highly prevalent in this age group; however, the intervention rate is low. We provided population-based estimates of the prevalence of thyroid disease and the iodine status in adults of Heilongjiang Province. These findings are useful to support effective intervention planning for thyroid disease.

Effect of Topography on Maize Grains Elemental Profile: A Chemometric Approach

Background: The elemental composition of maize grains depends on the soil, land and environment characteristics where the crop grows. These effects are important to evaluate the availability of nutrients with complex dynamics, such as the concentration of macro and micronutrients in soils, which can vary according to different topographies. There is available scarce information about the influence of topographic characteristics (upland and lowland) where culture is developed with the mineral composition of crop products, in the present case, maize seeds. On the other hand, the study of the topographic effect on crops using multivariate analysis tools has not been reported. Objective: This paper assesses the effect of topographic conditions on plants, analyzing the mineral profiles in maize seeds obtained in two land conditions: uplands and lowlands. Materials and Methods: The mineral profile was studied by microwave plasma atomic emission spectrometry. Samples were collected from lowlands and uplands of cultivable lands of the north-east of La Pampa province, Argentina. Results: Differentiation of maize seeds collected from both topographical areas was achieved by principal components analysis (PCA), cluster analysis (CA) and linear discriminant analysis (LDA). PCA model based on mineral profile allowed to differentiate seeds from upland and lowlands by the influence of Cr and Mg variables. A significant accumulation of Cr and Mg in seeds from lowlands was observed. Cluster analysis confirmed such grouping but also, linear discriminant analysis achieved a correct classification of both the crops, showing the effect of topography on elemental profile. Conclusions: Multi-elemental analysis combined with chemometric tools proved useful to assess the effect of topographic characteristics on crops.

Partial melting of zoisite eclogite from the Sanddal area, North-East Greenland Caledonides

Abstract. Metamorphic textures and a pressure–temperature (P–T) path of zoisite eclogite are presented to better understand the metamorphic evolution of the North-East Greenland eclogite province and this particular type of eclogite. The eclogite contained the mineral assemblage garnet, omphacite, kyanite, phengite, quartz and rutile at peak pressure. Partial melting occurred via breakdown of hydrous phases, paragonite, phengite and zoisite, based on (1) polymineralic inclusions of albite and K-feldspar with cusps into host garnet, (2) small euhedral garnet with straight boundaries against plagioclase, (3) cusps of plagioclase into surrounding phases (such as garnet), and (4) graphic intergrowth of plagioclase and amphibole next to anhedral zoisite grains. Isochemical phase equilibrium modeling of a melt-reintegrated composition, along with XNa-in-omphacite and Si-in-phengite isopleths, yields a peak pressure of 2.4±0.1 GPa at 830±30 ∘C. A peak temperature of 900±50 ∘C at 1.9±0.2 GPa is determined using the rim composition of small euhedral garnet, as predicted by modeling a crystallized melt pocket. Zoisite growth at the expense of kyanite suggests that the P–T path crossed the fields of zoisite growth at ∼1.9 GPa, 800–900 ∘C on the modeled phase diagram of the bulk rock. A point on the exhumation path at ∼1.3 GPa and 750 ∘C is derived from hornblende-plagioclase thermometry and Al-in-hornblende barometry. The study demonstrates that paragonite, phengite and zoisite could contribute to partial melting of eclogite at near-peak P and during exhumation.

The power of the health belief model (HBM) to predict water demand management: A case study of farmers’ water conservation in Iran

The purpose of the present study was to explore the power of the Health Belief Model (HBM) to explain water conservation behavior in Northeastern Iran. The research population consisted of farmers who were farming in Neyshabur plain in Khorasan Razavi Province in northeast of Iran. A cross-sectional study was conducted among 235 farmers recruited using a multistage random sampling design. To collect data, the questionnaire was used which its validity and reliability were confirmed. The results of a structural equation modeling (SEM) indicated that perceived susceptibility, perceived benefits, and cue to action accounted for approximately 41% of the variance in farmers’ water conservation behavior. Moreover, the perceived benefit was the strongest predictor of water conservation behavior, while perceived severity, perceived barriers, self-efficacy, and general beliefs not significant on behavior. These results confirmed the practicability and effectiveness HBM for examining water conservation behavior among farmers in Iran.

Computer vision-based techniques and path planning strategy in a slope monitoring system using unmanned aerial vehicle

Unmanned aerial vehicle is a typical field robot which can work in many unstructured environments like mines, forests, and even radiation areas. In our mine monitoring system built in a northeast province of China, special designed unmanned aerial vehicle is applied to take photos and perceive the environment. We select a series of image-based techniques to process aerial pictures to monitor the slope. The visual features are initially refined by histogram equalization. Then, the rocks and cracks can be detected by different digital image processing operators, like Canny, so as to assess displacements. Advanced semantic segmentation model, U-Net, is also selected to process the problem. Experimental results show that both Canny and U-Net can perceive the edges in pictures effectively, better than other operators. In addition, we model the inspection mission for mine slopes into a traveling salesman problem, then plan the path for unmanned aerial vehicle by swarm intelligence-based optimization.

Ortaokul Matematik Öğretmenlerinin Öğretmen Bilgilerinin İncelenmesi: Olasılık Örneği

This study was conducted in order to examine the content knowledge of mathematics teachers and to determine their views on probability issues. In the study, the case study model was used from the qualitative research designs. The participants of the study were six elementary mathematics teachers who is Turkey's north-east province who served. Teachers participating in the study were selected by quota sampling method. The criteria of the study were determined as teachers' masters and professional seniority. The data of the study were collected by semi-structured interview form. In the form of semi-structured interviews, teachers were asked questions of cognitive and affective questions related to the adequacy of probability information. Content analysis method was used in the data analysis. As a result of the analyzes show that the teachers considered the probability content knowledge is sufficient, but did not find the pedagogical content knowledge sufficient. Another result of the study is that some teachers do not know the concept of discrete event and independent event. Therefore, teachers have difficulty in distinguishing between discrete event and independent event concepts.

일본 도호쿠(東北)지방에선 왜 아베정권의 ‘메이지유신 150주년’을 ‘보신(戊辰)전쟁 150주년’으로 기념하고 있을까?

일본 도호쿠(東北)지방에선 왜 아베정권의 ‘메이지유신 150주년’을 ‘보신(戊辰)전쟁 150주년’으로 기념하고 있을까?

Research on PM2.5 estimation and prediction method and changing characteristics analysis under long temporal and large spatial scale - A case study in China typical regions

High concentration of fine particulate matter (PM2.5) has been shown to be a major contributor to haze weather, which has been associated with an increased prevalence in lung cancer. An accurate estimation and predication of PM2.5 historical levels, and its spatial-temporal variability can assist in strategically improving regional air quality and reducing its harmful effects on population health. This paper targets Beijing, Tianjin, and Hebei province (BTH), three northeast province of china (TNPC), Yangtze river delta (YRD) and pearl river delta (PRD) as the study areas. Data used in this study include PM2.5 measurements from April 2013 to December 2016, MODIS AOD raster imageries and five meteorological factors from 2000 to 2016. By combining back propagation artificial neural network (BPANN) and ε-support vector regression (ε-SVR), a novel hybrid model was constructed to impute the historical PM2.5 missing values in the long time series from 2000 to 2012, and to predict the concentration of PM2.5 from April 2014 to December 2017. The hybrid model produced results superior to BPANN and ε-SVR with a higher accuracy, lower error rate, and a stable performance. This model can be applied to the other four regions with consistent results. Results of spatial-temporal analysis indicated that the PM2.5 concentration has increased along with a pollution range expansion in BTH from 2000 to 2010. In addition, the PM2.5 concentration decreased slowly in PRD. The concentration and pollution range of PM2.5 in TNPC and YRD showed a stable trend. In 2012, the four research areas all showed decreased trend, and the pollution range narrowed. From 2013 to 2016, the PM2.5 concentration increased shortly then decreased; in particular, the high pollution areas saw a decrease in PM2.5 concentration, which correlated with control measures adopted by the state during the same time period. The hot spots of PM2.5 were mainly distributed in the inland cities.