Samut Songkhram Research Articles

A study of factors affecting attitudes after visiting eco-tourism destination Don Hoi Lot, Samut Songkhram

A study of factors affecting attitudes after visiting eco-tourism destination Don Hoi Lot, Samut Songkhram

Communication in the Era of Media Convergence and Tourism Enhancement in Samut Songkhram Province Based on the Digital Economy

This qualitative research aims to explore the problems and obstacles of communication in the era of media convergence for tourism promotion and the ability to enhance tourism in Samut Songkhram Province based on the digital economy. An in-depth interview was used to collect data from 27 people: Samut Songkhram representatives or community leaders, tourists, and communication and tourism scholars. The data was analyzed by content analysis and interpretation to present a descriptive narrative. The findings revealed that problems and obstacles to communication in the era of media convergence include the need for a more concise communication process in tourism. Many steps in coordinating cause inconvenience and slowness, which is considered a high cost and expenditure for communication in tourism. As for communication, the era of media convergence and the ability to enhance the provincial tourism of Samut Songkhram based on the digital economy, the respondents thought that they should use integrated communication that combines all platform media to foster innovation in development and support the economy from the grass root which creates and distributes income to residents in Samut Songkhram community. They should develop technological skills and creativity to achieve excellence so the community can adapt to the current and future changes. In this regard, the discussion revealed interesting information that communication in the era of media convergence, where content is delivered across multiple platforms simultaneously, can be used as a guideline to elevate Samut Songkhram tourism with the concept of "Digital Economy Creative Tourism," which Samut Songkhram communities must adjust to keep up with changes that occur all the time.

The Affordable Virtual Learning Technology of Sea Salt Farming across Multigenerational Users through Improving Fitts’ Law

Sea salt farms are the source of salt, an indispensable essential ingredient in various foods and products. Further, they act as frontlines to protect marine disasters from entering domestic residential areas. However, sea salt farming has decreased in popularity among recent-generation farmers in Samut Songkhram Province, Thailand. This paper presents the development of an affordable virtual learning (AVL) application for Thailand’s sea salt farming. Fitts’ law was applied to optimize user-interactive objects’ size and placement to reduce selection time. The sample consisted of 127 multigenerational users, namely those in Generation X, Generation Y, and Generation Z. This study found that the developed AVL applied Fitts’ law to be used harmoniously with VR economical equipment. A total of 90.55% of multigenerational users were satisfied with the developed AVL. The “Looking” and “Executing by eye focus” activities were enjoyed by 100% of participants. The following activities were “Walking” and “Listening”, with 82.68% and 77.95% enjoying them, respectively. Generation Z users responded more to the “Walking” activity than Generation X and Y users. In addition, the hypothesis testing result of learning outcomes through AVL was consistent among multigenerational users. Therefore, the developed AVL should be used as a medium to conserve sea salt farming in Thailand.

Discrimination model of geographical area from coconut milk by near-infrared spectroscopy: Exploration in tandem with classical chemometrics, machine learning, and deep learning

This work proposes exploring the discrimination model by near-infrared (NIR) spectroscopy (FT-NIR and Micro-NIR) for geographical source areas of coconut milk in tandem with the classical to modern chemometrics classifier. The discrimination model was developed using qualitative chemometrics techniques from classic (Principal Component Analysis-PCA, Partial Least Squares Discriminant Analysis-PLS-DA, Linear Discriminant Analysis-LDA) to modern, including classifiers from machine learning (Support Vector Machine-SVM, k-Nearest Neighbor-KNN, Artificial Neural Network-ANN) and deep learning (Simple Convolutional Neural Networks-S-CNN, S-AlexNET, Residual Networks-ResNET). Three sources as geographical areas of coconut milk originally from Thailand were used, including the south region (Chumphon Province), middle region (Samut Songkhram Province), and east region (Chonburi Province). Our findings showed that a classifier from SVM and ResNET could yield the optimal performance for discriminating the geographical source area of coconut milk using FT-NIR. Furthermore, when using Micro-NIR, the classifier from LDA, SVM, KNN and ResNET delivered the highest accuracy. The performance discrimination models above were excellent when classified based on the kappa coefficient. This study concluded that both FT-NIR and Micro-NIR supported by classical to modern chemometric classifiers could be used to evaluate the geographical area source from coconut milk. Also, the method in this study includes a strategy for discovering feature-important NIR spectra for interpretability purposes, thereby facilitating the qualitative interpretation of results for all types of classifiers.

Perception and Attitude towards Electronic Cigarettes among Rural Thai Young Adults

Objective: This study examined perceptions and attitudes toward electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) among young adults aged 15-20 years in Samut Songkhram Province, Thailand, and their relationship. Materials and Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted between July and October 2023. The study included 328 young adults aged 15-20 selected from an educational institution in Samut Songkhram Province using simple random sampling. Data were collected using a self-administered questionnaire and analyzed using descriptive statistics and Pearson’s correlation coefficient. Results: The participants had a good level of knowledge about e-cigarettes. They exhibited a positive attitude towards electronic cigarettes regarding health aspects (M=3.05, SD=0.97) and a positive attitude towards the legal dimensions of e-cigarettes (M=3.12, SD=0.80). However, no statistically significant correlation was found between the perception of e-cigarettes and health-related attitudes toward them (r=0.013, p=0.820). On the other hand, there was a statistically significant positive correlation between the perception of e-cigarettes and legally oriented attitudes (r=0.192, p<0.001). Furthermore, a borderline positive correlation emerged between the perception of electronic cigarettes and the general attitudes toward them (r=0.102, p=0.065). Conclusion: Young adults in rural Thailand have a good knowledge of e-cigarettes. However, they exhibit positive attitudes towards the health aspects and legal dimensions of e-cigarettes. Moreover, no significant relationship exists between perceptions and health-related attitudes. These insights emphasize the need for targeted strategies to address misperceptions and raise awareness about the health risks of e-cigarette use among rural youth.

Bio responsive block: The performance of bio waste material with reduced environmental impact

The key purpose of this research is to establish guidelines on how to manage Bio Waste Material. A field study was performed to examine the environmental problems caused by Bio Waste Material that is made up of Perna Viridis (PV) shells, the latter of which is a common type of mussel found in Bang Ja Kreng Community, Samut Songkhram Province. This area is a fishery location and experiences vast quantities of shell waste, which ultimately impacts community pollution. It is not possible to dispose of this waste in a traditional manner and there are no specific locations where the shells can be dumped. Consequently, most people secretly dispose of them in mangrove forests or along public roadsides. Thus, in order to facilitate future use, the researcher conducted an analytical investigation to examine material performance. The temperatures at which mussel shells were burned were 400, 800, and 1200 °C. An X-ray diffractometer (XRD), a device that examines X-ray diffraction through layers of atoms or molecules in materials or sample substances, was Utilised to Analyse their elements. Furthermore, this analytical investigation also included X-ray fluorescence (XRF) as a tool to examine the elemental compositions. It was discovered that burning altered the chemical structure at different temperatures. Portland cement contained the same components. It was revealed that CaO constituted as much as 80.14 % of the weight below 1200 °C. In general, CaO was discovered to constitute up to 64.73 % of the weight when comparing cement. It is a substance that is used to research cement reduction when manufacturing Bio-Responsive Blocks. In order to compare lower costs and larger profits, the compound was divided into different ratios. An ANSYS simulation was used to Analyse the material properties and create three models: one for a single concrete Block and another for an 80 × 80 cm wall. The experiments did not involve the use of columns or beams. Instead of using the wall as a load-bearing wall, the goal was to add value to the product processing of mussel shell waste and determine how it can be recycled and reused beneficially (i.e., to improve sustainability or create a pleasant community environment.

“Bang Chang”, Thai Cultivar Chili Pepper (Capsicum annuum var. acuminatum) Extract in Rice Bran Oil and its Biological Activities

The Thai cultivar Capsicum, namely “Bang Chang chili pepper” (C. annuum var. acuminatum), is originally planted in Samut Songkhram, Thailand. Rice bran oil (RBO) is a healthy oil for preventing cardiovascular diseases. The study aimed to extract this chili pepper using RBO maceration, which was deemed safer. Capsicum extract was determined for capsaicin and β-carotene contents as bioactives of Capsicum and γ-oryzanol and γ-tocopherol as bioactives of RBO. Total phenolic content (TPC) was also monitored. The extract was further evaluated for in vitro biological activities, including antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-obesity and anti-diabetic properties. Capsaicin contained in the extract was 0.002±0.0 mg/100 g non-pungent (0-700 SHU). Therefore, β-carotene was 3,489.5±15.2 μg/100 g, higher than dried chili pepper. γ-oryzanol and α-tocopherol contained in the extract were 4,939.6±11.0 mg/kg and 20,090±45.3 μg/100 g, which may affect its biological activities. However, TPC was a low amount (1.05±0.05 mg GAE/g). Capsicum extract moderately scavenged DPPH radicals (IC50 = 72.46±8.8 mg/mL) and preferred anti-inflammatory activity by inhibiting albumin degradation (IC50 = 1.09±0.04 mg/mL) and inhibiting NO production from macrophage cells (21.31±4.26%, at 0.1 mg/mL). Capsicum extract exerted in vitro anti-diabetic activity by inhibiting α-amylase and α-glucosidase (IC50 = 1.35±0.26 and greater than 1,000 mg/mL), while there was a lack of anti-lipase. Capsicum extract (0.0001-1.0 mg/mL) was non-toxic against human fibroblast cells. In conclusion, the simple extraction of this Capsicum within RBO contained bioactive compounds with non-pungency and exhibited biological properties for health benefits with non-toxicity that can be applied for external medicinal use and food seasoning.

Exophiala amphawaensis sp. nov., a novel black yeast isolated from the gut of amphipods in Thailand.

The genus Exophiala is polymorphic, able to transition between yeast, hyphal and pseudohyphal forms. Species of the genus Exophiala are ubiquitous fungi that are distributed in various environments around the world. During a survey of fungal diversity in the gut of amphipods (Floresorchestia amphawaensis and undescribed Dogielinotid amphipods) from the Amphawa estuary, Samut Songkhram province, Thailand, five black yeast strains (DMKU-MG01, DMKU-MG07, DMKU-MG08, DMKU-HG10 and DMKU-FG04) were identified as representing a novel taxon on the basis of a combination of morphological and molecular phylogenetic features. The five strains did not produce filamentous hyphae or pseudohyphae. Only budding yeast cells were observed. On the basis of the phenotypic characteristics and the results of molecular analyses of the D1/D2 region of the large subunit (LSU) rRNA gene and the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region, the five strains were identified as representing a novel species via applied nucleotide pairwise analysis. They differed from the most closely related species Exophiala alcalophiala by 3.54 % nucleotide substitutions (20 nucleotide substitutions in 572 bp) in the D1/D2 domains of the LSU rRNA gene. Moreover, the sequences of the ITS region of the five strains differed from those of the most closely related species E. alcalophiala, by 7.44-9.62 % nucleotide substitutions, and Exophiala halophiala, by 7.2-7.53 % nucleotide substitutions. The results of phylogenetic analyses based on the concatenated sequences of the ITS regions and the D1/D2 domains of the LSU rRNA gene confirmed that the five black yeast strains represented a single novel species of the genus Exophiala. In this study, Exophiala amphawaensis sp. nov. is proposed to accommodate these strains. The holotype is TBRC 15626T and the isotype is PYCC9020. The MycoBank accession number of the novel species is MB 851477.

Development of marketing management for pomelo products in Samut Songkhram province, Thailand

The study presents a comprehensive examination of the market potential for Pomelo products in Samut Songkhram Province, Thailand, aiming to enhance marketing management strategies. It delves into consumer motivations, attitudes, and purchasing intentions towards Pomelo products, utilizing structural equation modeling to assess influencing factors. Samut Songkhram is identified as a prime region for Pomelo cultivation due to its unique river estuary soil enriched with minerals, creating a distinct taste profile influenced by a mix of saltwater, brackish water, and freshwater, dubbed the three-water area. This geographical and environmental advantage contributes to the high quality and consumer preference for the large white Pomelo variety indigenous to the area. The study explores two primary agricultural practices for growing large white Pomelos: self-cultivation by landowners and orchard leasing by other farmers. Additionally, it investigates two main distribution methods: direct sales at the farm and self-managed sales by farmers or orchard owners. A quantitative analysis involving 400 potential customers, including tourists and out-of-area customers, was conducted to gauge purchase intentions. Results from structural equation modeling indicate a significant and positive relationship between consumer motivations, attitudes, and purchase intentions, underlining the integrated influence of these factors on consumer behavior towards Pomelo products. These findings highlight the critical role of understanding consumer dynamics and the environmental uniqueness of Samut Songkhram’s Pomelos in developing targeted marketing strategies. The research underscores the significance of leveraging the unique characteristics and cultivation heritage of Samut Songkhram Pomelos to foster product differentiation and appeal, suggesting a need for innovative marketing approaches that resonate with the distinct quality and taste profiles of these local fruits.

Monitoring Agricultural Land Loss by Analyzing Changes in Land Use and Land Cover

The agricultural sector's output holds paramount significance for the global population, serving as an indispensable resource for survival and consumption. Consequently, alterations in agricultural landscapes bear substantial implications for the world's food supply. The objectives of this research are to investigate the depletion of agricultural land, with a specific focus on Samut Songkhram Province—an agriculturally prominent region in Thailand renowned for supplying seafood and fruits to Bangkok. By employing advanced remote sensing and change detection methods and incorporating indices like NDVI, NDWI, and NDBI, the study meticulously analyzed land-use changes. The outcomes were rigorously scrutinized through supervised classification, validated by on-site inspections, and corroborated with data from pertinent agencies. Findings revealed that Samut Songkhram had sustained its prominence in agricultural land, constituting around 70% of the province's total area over the past two decades. However, this expanse has undergone persistent transformation during the last 20 years. Notably, the most substantial surge was observed in the conversion of agricultural land to urban and developed areas, particularly in the urban zones of Amphawa District, followed by Mueang Samut Songkhram and Bang Khonthi districts. This investigation illuminates a consistent downward trend in agricultural land, a vital source of sustenance for Thailand's population and the global community. Doi: 10.28991/ESJ-2024-08-02-020 Full Text: PDF

Factors Related to Health Literacy in the Prevention of COVID-19 Disease in the Elderly in Lad Yai Subdistrict, Mueang District, and Samut Songkhram Province

Factors Related to Health Literacy in the Prevention of COVID-19 Disease in the Elderly in Lad Yai Subdistrict, Mueang District, and Samut Songkhram Province

Environmental dynamics and seasonal wing physiological changes of coastal mosquito vectors (Diptera: Culicidae) in Central Thailand

Mosquitoes (Diptera: Culicidae) are small hematophagous insects that serve as disease vectors by transmitting pathogens to humans and animals. This study was conducted on the coastline of Samut Songkhram Province in Thailand's central region to evaluate the impact of environmental factors on coastal mosquitoes, namely Anopheles epiroticus and Culex sitiens. A zero-inflated negative binomial (ZINB) regression was employed to assess the relationship between the density of larval mosquitoes and water quality factors. Spearman's rank correlation was used to examine the relationship between the number of adult mosquitoes and meteorological factors, and the geometric morphometric (GM) technique was used to study the wing size and shape of adult mosquitoes throughout different seasons. The ZINB analysis revealed a significant negative relationship (p < 0.05) between dissolved oxygen, high-range phosphate, and the number of An. epiroticus larvae. Conversely, in the case of Cx. sitiens, there was a significant positive relationship between nitrate-nitrogen and larval density (p < 0.01), while dissolved oxygen exhibited a significant negative relationship (p < 0.05). Regarding adult mosquitoes, relative humidity was positively correlated with the abundance of adult Cx. sitiens (r = 0.85, p < 0.01), whereas each meteorological parameter—temperature, relative humidity, rainfall, wind speed, and atmospheric pressure—was negatively correlated with adult An. epiroticus abundance (p < 0.05 for each). The GM analysis revealed statistically significant seasonal variations in wing shapes for both species (p < 0.05 for all seasonal comparisons), underscoring their adaptation to seasonal environmental conditions in coastal habitats.

Population genetic structure and wing geometric morphometrics of the filarial vector Armigeres subalbatus (Diptera: Culicidae) in Thailand

Armigeres subalbatus (Diptera: Culicidae) is a mosquito species of significant medical and veterinary importance. It is widely distributed across Southeast and East Asia and is commonly found throughout Thailand. This study assessed the genetic diversity and population structure of Ar. subalbatus in Thailand using the cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) gene sequences. Additionally, wing shape variations among these populations were examined using geometric morphometrics (GM). Our results demonstrated that the overall haplotype diversity (Hd) was 0.634, and the nucleotide diversity (π) was 0.0019. Significant negative values in neutrality tests (p < 0.05) indicate that the Ar. subalbatus populations in Thailand are undergoing a phase of expansion following a bottleneck event. The mismatch distribution test suggests that the populations may have started expanding approximately 16,678 years ago. Pairwise genetic differentiation among the 12 populations based on Fst revealed significant differences in 32 pairs (p < 0.05), with the degree of differentiation ranging from 0.000 to 0.419. The GM analysis of wing shape also indicated significant differences in nearly all pairs (p < 0.05), except for between populations from Nakhon Pathom and Samut Songkhram, and between those from Chiang Mai and Mae Hong Son, suggesting no significant difference due to their similar environmental settings. These findings enhance our understanding of the population structure and phenotypic adaptations of mosquito vectors, providing vital insights for the formulation of more efficacious vector control strategies.

Perception, attitudes and expectations among people toward emergency medical services system in Samut Songkhram Province, Thailand

The emergency medical service system is a pre-hospital medical service that effectively helps reduce the severity of emergencies and mortality rates before transferring patients to the hospital. This cross-sectional study investigated people's perceptions, attitudes, and expectations toward the emergency medical services system and aimed to find the relationship between the perceptions, attitudes, and expectations toward the emergency medical services system in Samut Songkhram province, Thailand. The samples consisted of 491 individuals who were selected using a multi-stage sampling method. Data were collected through a self-administered questionnaire and analyzed using linear regression analysis to identify correlations. Results revealed that most participants demonstrated a good overall perception of the use of the emergency medical service system (M = 2.46, SD = 0.27), a good attitude towards the emergency medical service system (M = 2.40, SD = 0.23), and a high level of expectation towards the emergency medical service system (M = 2.85, SD = 0.25). Perception of the use of emergency medical services and attitude towards the emergency medical service system showed positive correlation with expectation towards the emergency medical service system, with R2 = 0.23 (p-value &lt; 0.05). These findings can be used to plan and develop strategies for improving the utilization of emergency medical services, ensuring that the public is informed, understands, and accesses the emergency medical service system correctly and effectively.

Development of kombucha-like beverage using butterfly pea flower extract with the addition of tender coconut water

Kombucha, a non-alcoholic beverage with multiple health benefits, is generally produced by fermenting sweetened tea with a symbiotic culture of bacteria and yeasts (SCOBY). This study applied butterfly pea flower extract as an alternative substrate to tea for preparing kombucha-like beverages. The experiment was carried out by mixing butterfly pea extract with different sugar concentrations of 15, 20, and 25 % (w/v). The fermentation was performed at room temperature for 14 days and the samples were collected at the initial stage and on day 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 7, and 14 for physicochemical, chemical, sugar content and organic acid contents analysis. The results revealed that the total phenolic content, total flavonoid content and organic acids in the extracts increase over the fermentation time. The addition of coconut water from various sources, including commercial, local farm at Samut Songkhram province, and local farm at Chachoengsao province affected to the generation of organic acids in kombucha-like beverages, which may influence on their taste. The results in this study suggests that butterfly pea flower extract can be used as an alternative substrate for developing kombucha-like fermentation combined with coconut water, in order to create a novel beverage with enhanced physicochemical properties, chemical properties and sensory characteristics.

In-vitro Antioxidant and Anti-Inflammation Activities of Ethanol Extract from “Bang Chang” Thai Cultivar Chili Pepper (Capsicum annuum Var. acuminatum)

Chili peppers (Capsicum spp.) are really important crops in several Asian countries. In Thailand, chili pepper cultivars are also a wide range of flavors, colors, shapes, and spiciness levels. The cultural importance in Thai cuisine. The “Bang Chang chili pepper” (Capsicum annuum var. acuminatum), a Thai cultivar of capsicum, had first cultivated in Bang Chang subdistrict, Samut Songkhram, Thailand. This study aimed to determine capsaicin, phenolic compounds and flavonoids and screen ethanol extract’s biological activities. The extract’s average capsaicin and total phenolic content (TPC) was 10.4 ± 0.3 (g/100 mL and 2.50 ± 0.13 mg GAE/g, while it could not determine flavonoids. The low amount of capsaicin in extract was defined this cultivars as non-pungent capsicum (0-700 Scoville Heat Units, SHU). This extract was strongly scavenged NO and DPPH radicals (IC50 = 0.09 ± 0.02 and 14.88 ± 1.59 mg/mL). There was also exerted in-vitro anti-inflammation activity by suppression of albumin breakdown (IC50 = 0.51 ± 0.05 mg/mL), which, can comparable to control, diclofenac diethyl ammonium (IC50 = 0.45 ± 0.01 mg/mL). Therefore, lipid peroxidation was weakly inhibited (IC50 &gt;1,000 mg/mL) and unable to trap metals compared to vitamin E and EDTA. According to our finding, this extract was exerted biological properties like antioxidant and anti-inflammation, as well as being non-pungent, it can be used externally for medicinal purposes like as a muscle relaxant and massage oil to reduce subcutaneous fat. This extract can be used as a condiment in Asian recipes and other healthful dishes

Antimicrobial Activity and Cytotoxicity of “Bang Chang” Thai Cultivar Chili Pepper (Capsicum annuum Var. acuminatum)

Capsaicin is found naturally in the Solanaceae family of plants and linked to numerous health advantage. Capsaicin is also responsible for the antimicrobial properties of chili pepper. Thai Capsicum cultivar “Bang Chang chili pepper” (Capsicum annuum var. acuminatum), initially cultivated in Bang Chang subdistrict, Samut Songkhram, Thailand. This study aims to determine bioactive substances such as capsaicin and phenolic content, as well as antimicrobial activity against pathogenic bacteria, Staphylococcus aureus, S. epidermidis, Escherichia coli and Cutibacterium acnes) and yeast, Candida albicans, and cytotoxicity with human skin fibroblast cells. The TPC and capsaicin in the ethanol extract were 2.50 ± 0.13 mg GAE/g and 0.0104 ± 0.0 mg/100 mL, while in the oil extract were 0.0020 ± 0.0 mg/100 mL and 1.05 ± 0.05 mg GAE/g. Antimicrobial of this chili pepper was found in only oil extract that was inhibited against to C. albicans (inhibition zone = 10.68 ± 0.49 mm) There was preferrable when compared to fluconazole ((inhibition zone = 24.65 ± 0.25 mm). Both extracts (0.0001-1.0 mg/mL) had no effect on human fibroblast cells, implying that they are non-toxic. The finding may imply that non-pungent capsicum strains cannot inhibit bacterial growth due to low amount of phenolics and capsaicin contained. Capsicum variety and temperature of extraction were also affected on their property. As a result, oil extract was favored for C. albicans suppression. This pepper extract can be used as an antifungal agent, and a pharmaceutical formulation must be developed.

Health literacy and coronavirus disease 2019 prevention behaviors of village health volunteers in Samut Songkhram Province, Thailand

Village health volunteers (VHVs) play crucial leadership roles in promoting health behavior changes including searching for, controlling, and preventing the spread of COVID-19 within their communities. This cross-sectional study investigated the association between health literacy and COVID-19 prevention behaviors of 425 VHVs in Samut Songkhram Province, Thailand, who were selected using a multistage sampling method. Data were collected through a self-administered questionnaire and analyzed using Pearson correlation coefficient and linear regression analysis to determine correlations. Results revealed that most participants demonstrated good overall health literacy (63.3%), with COVID-19 prevention behaviors at a high level (53.6%). A positive correlation was observed between overall health literacy and COVID-19 prevention behavior (r = 0.103, p-value &lt; 0.05). After adjusting for age in years, the overall health literacy score was found to be significantly related to the COVID-19 prevention behavior score (Beta = 0.146). These findings can be utilized to further enhance health literacy among VHVs in Samut Songkhram Province, Thailand and serve as a guideline to promote effective disease prevention behaviors within local communities.

Microplastic Contamination in the Coastal Environment: A Case Study from the Mae Klong Estuary, Samut Songkhram

The mangrove sediment from the Mae Klong River (MK) and Klong Khon Canal (KK) revealed the microplastics contamination in the Mae Klong Estuary environment. Microplastic analyses were analyzed by using ZnCl2 density separation and H2O2 digestion process. The average concentrations of microplastic was 580 and 1690 items kg-1 dry weight in the samples from MK and KK. MK sediment contained more coarse grain than KK sediment. The lower microplastic concentration in MK was mainly related to the runoff through the sea. In contrast, the abundant microplastic in KK was possibly caused by the low transportation energy of sediment in the tidal flat that associated with deposition of fine grain. In addition, the microplastics were mainly polyester fiber originating from laundry processes or transport from the vicinity. The contamination in mangrove sediment in this study may encourage communities and the government to be more aware of waste management.

The study of the happiness of bedridden elderly in Samut Songkhram District, Samut Songkhram Province

The research was mixed-method research employed both quantitative and qualitative techniques to prove the levels of happiness of the bedridden elderly based on family and society. The target group in this research was 70 bedridden elderlies live in Samut Songkhram District. Data analysis was done by t-test, and the results of this research were: 1) contrast to sex, religious, status and educational level at the significance level .05. 3) Levels of happiness of bedridden elderly base on family and society: (3.1) Base on the role of responsibility in the family, levels of happiness of bedridden elderly were varied from caregiving allocation and handling techniques for the abnormal condition in the elderly. Caregiving allocation and handling techniques were significantly different that affected to varying levels of happiness of bedridden elderly at significance level .05. Conversely, levels of happiness of bedridden elderly were not significantly different for the amount of caregiver and activity for the elderly at significance level .05. (3.2) Base on a relationship in family, the results suggested that the family members who expressed love and care, and family members participated in the family conditions had an effect on levels of happiness of bedridden elderly at significance level .05. In contrast, family members and bedridden elderly satisfied each other did not have an impact on levels of happiness of bedridden elderly at significance level .05. (3.3) Base on social support, welfare and other supports were significantly different that affected to different levels of happiness of bedridden elderly at significance level .05. In contrast to satisfaction on the social support, that the levels of happiness of bedridden elderly were not a significant difference at significance level .05.