South Thailand Research Articles

Measurement and Analysis of Specific Activities of Natural Radionuclides (40K, 226Ra and 232Th) in Beach Sand Samples from Talo Kapo Beach of Yaring District in Pattani Province using Gamma Ray Spectrometry

The Specific Activities of 40K, 226Ra and 232Th were studied and determinate for 30 beach sand samples collected from Talo Kapo beach of Yaring district in Pattani province. Experimental results were obtained by using a high-purity germanium (HPGe) detector and gamma spectrometry analysis system. The IAEA-SOIL-6 reference materials obtained from the International Atomic Energy Agency were also used to analyze and compute the 40K, 226Ra and 232Th specific activity in all 30 beach sand samples. The measuring time of each sample is 10,000 seconds. It was found that specific activity range from 1805.37 – 3323.05, 40.96 – 2137.36 38.63 – 4329.28 Bq/kg for with mean values of 2242.79 ± 117.40, 250.18 ± 8.21 and 458.42 ± 7.68 Bq/kg for 40K, 226Ra and 232Th, respectively. Moreover, the results were also compared with research data in the south of Thailand, the Office of Atoms for Peace (OAP) annual report data and the recommended values which were proposed by United Nations Scientific Committee on the Effects of Atomic Radiation (UNSCEAR,)

Investigation of Excess Sludge Generated from Activated Sludge Treatment Plant of Concentrated Latex Factories: An Investigative Case Study in Southern Thailand

Activated sludge technology has been employed for wastewater treatment in the concentrated latex factories in the south of Thailand. This paper highlights the survey results of the excess sludge generated from activated sludge treatment plants of the concentrated latex factories, including sludge generation rate, sludge characteristics, as well as sludge management and its problems. The total number of 11 factories was investigated. The findings showed that 20% of the investigated factories using activated sludge did not know how much the excess sludge generation rate was. With an in-depth investigation, the excess sludge generation rate was determined as for 28 kg/ton concentrated latex product or 10 kg/ton of field latex used in the concentrated latex factories. The excess sludge had a low C/N ratio with an average value of 4.7 and contained N, P, and K with the average of percentage values of 8.0, 2.0, and 1.0% dry basis, respectively. However, the excess sludge consisted of Zn with an average of 3.01% dry basis. 60% of the investigated factories using an activated sludge system had issues concerning the management of excess sludge. Moreover, various aspects of the excess sludge management were discussed and lessons were learned on the current excess sludge management of the concentrated latex industry in the south of Thailand.

Age-Related Differences in Socio-demographic and Behavioral Determinants of HIV Testing and Counseling in HPTN 043/NIMH Project Accept

Youth represent a large proportion of new HIV infections worldwide, yet their utilization of HIV testing and counseling (HTC) remains low. Using the post-intervention, cross-sectional, population-based household survey done in 2011 as part of HPTN 043/NIMH Project Accept, a cluster-randomized trial of community mobilization and mobile HTC in South Africa (Soweto and KwaZulu Natal), Zimbabwe, Tanzania and Thailand, we evaluated age-related differences among socio-demographic and behavioral determinants of HTC in study participants by study arm, site, and gender. A multivariate logistic regression model was developed using complete individual data from 13,755 participants with recent HIV testing (prior 12 months) as the outcome. Youth (18–24 years) was not predictive of recent HTC, except for high-risk youth with multiple concurrent partners, who were less likely (aOR 0.75; 95% CI 0.61–0.92) to have recently been tested than youth reporting a single partner. Importantly, the intervention was successful in reaching men with site specific success ranging from aOR 1.27 (95% CI 1.05–1.53) in South Africa to aOR 2.30 in Thailand (95% CI 1.85–2.84). Finally, across a diverse range of settings, higher education (aOR 1.67; 95% CI 1.42, 1.96), higher socio-economic status (aOR 1.21; 95% CI 1.08–1.36), and marriage (aOR 1.55; 95% CI 1.37–1.75) were all predictive of recent HTC, which did not significantly vary across study arm, site, gender or age category (18–24 vs. 25–32 years).

Drying characteristics of whole Musa AA group ‘Kluai Leb Mu Nang’ using hot air and infrared vacuum

Dried Musa AA group ‘Kluai Leb Mu Nang’ are the famous processing goods of Chumphon province, the south of Thailand. In this paper, we improved the qualities of whole Musa AA group ‘Kluai leb Mu Nang’ by using the hot air and infrared vacuum (HA and infrared vacuum) drying method which has two stages. The first stage of the method is the hot air (HA) and hot air-infrared (HAI) drying for rapidly reducing the moisture content and the drying times at atmospheric pressure, and the second stage, the moisture content, and color of the samples can be controlled by the HA and infrared vacuum drying. The experiment was evaluated by the terms of firmness, color change, moisture content, vacuum pressure and energy consumption at various temperatures. The results were found that the suitable temperature of the HAI and HA and infrared vacuum drying stages at 70°C and 55°C, respectively, while the suitable vacuum pressure in the second process was -0.4 bar. The samples were dried in a total of 28 hrs using 13.83 MJ/kg of specific energy consumption (stage 1 with 8.8 MJ/kg and stage 2 of 5.03 MJ/kg). The physical characteristics of the 21% (wb) of dried bananas can be measured the color change, L*=38.56, a*=16.47 and b*=16.3, was approximate the goods from the local market, whereas the firmness of them was more tender and shown a value of 849.56 kN/m3.

Respiratory symptoms and ventilatory function defects among Para rubber wood sawmill workers in the south of Thailand

ABSTRACTThe aim of this study was to assess the associations between respiratory symptoms and pulmonary defects of Para rubber sawmill workers in the South of Thailand. A cross-sectional study was conducted among 687 workers in Para rubber wood sawmills and a subset of sawmill workers from four factories participated in spirometric measurements and personal dust samplings. Multiple logistic regression analysis was used to explore risk factors pulmonary impairment. The exposed workers had higher respirable wood dust exposure (0.902 mg/m3) compared with the unexposed groups (0.185 mg/m3). The exposed group had significantly higher prevalence than the unexposed group for chest tightness (odds ratio (OR) = 2.79) and shortness of breath (OR = 2.27). The ventilatory function values (FEV1 and FVC) were lower for the exposed group compared with the unexposed group (2.41 vs 2.55 L/s and 2.91 vs 3.01 L/s, respectively). The results suggest that sawmill factories using Para rubber tree wood should implement appropriate exposure control measures to reduce wood dust exposure to protect their employees.

The long term tsunami impact: Evolution of iron speciation and major elements concentration in tsunami deposits from Thailand

The article describes the unique studies of the chemical composition changes of new geological object (tsunami deposits in south Thailand – Andaman Sea Coast) during four years (2005–2008) from the beginning of formation of it (deposition of tsunami transported material, 26 December 2004). The chemical composition of the acid leachable fraction of the tsunami deposits has been studied in the scope of concentration macrocompounds – concentration of calcium, magnesium, iron, manganese and iron speciation – the occurrence of Fe(II), Fe(III) and non-ionic iron species described as complexed iron (Fe complex). The changes of chemical composition and iron speciation in the acid leachable fraction of tsunami deposits have been observed with not clear tendencies of changes direction. For iron speciation changes the transformation of the Fe complex to Fe(III) has been recorded with no significant changes of the level of Fe(II).

Editorial

Editorial

The Comparative Study of Middle School Chinese Teaching between South Korea and Thailand on the Basis of Questionnaire Survey

The Comparative Study of Middle School Chinese Teaching between South Korea and Thailand on the Basis of Questionnaire Survey

Ideo Art: Psychological Status of Orphans from the Unrest in the Three Southern Thai Province

The greatest loss caused by the insurgency in Narathiwat province which is in the south of Thailand is the lives of the orphans whose parents or beloved ones have been deprived among conflicts and violence. Even though the affected people have received different aids, such cases are not as important as the situation faced by the orphans. After the losses, no one truly pays attention to the extent to which the southern crisis affects these unfortunate children. Even in time of peace, the children who will become adults in future have to face and suffers from severe social biases at home and elsewhere. They also have to face violence and the lack of safety in their lives. This is a result of the fire of vengeance between local people and the government’s suppression which is a game of those villains in power. The orphans will have to sustain their lives alone despite some aids from the government and private sectors. In order to create social awareness of the orphans’ daily lives in Narathiwat province, which affects their psychological status, education, and security of individual, social, and country’s levels, the awareness is raised through video art creation. Video art is a form of art which can reflects the way of lives of those who suffer from losses by presenting the stories of those who have lost, especially in terms of mental status after the loss. Video arts also present views and cultures of the locals with motion pictures, picture placement, and actions and contemporary artistic framework to convey the important message to the society so that people will understand the reality. Video arts are produced based on the researcher’s viewpoints and attitudes gained from the five senses – vision, hearing, smell, taste and touch. Video art is also a type of media that fully responds to human’s imaginations.

DAMPAK KONFLIK DAN RESOLUSI KONFLIK TERHADAP SISTEM PENDIDIKAN AGAMA ISLAM DI SEKOLAH SONGSERM ISLAM SEKSA PATANI, THAILAND SELATAN

This study describes the conflict and its resolution as well as the impact on the system of Islamic Education in Schools Songserm Seksa Islam Patani (SSIS) South Thailand. The discussion focused on three issues. First, how the conflict and its resolution is. Second, how the impacts of the conflict on the education system of the Islamic religion. And third, how the impacts of conflict resolution on the Islamic education system. The results showed that the conflict in Pattani is due to several factors: injustice, discrimination, mistrust each other, the differences of culture, media propaganda, political conflicts and interests. The impact of conflict on the education system in SSIS is the reduction of school hours, the decline of student achievement and teacher performance, the uncertainty caused by the changes of government’s policy on conflict resolution, and the school should be off abruptly during the conflict. While the impact of the conflict resolution toward Islamic Education System in SSIS is the increased quality of teacher performance, the growth of the spirit of educators in the learning process, and a culture of effective and conducive learning in SSIS.

IMPACT OF SOUTHERN BORDER PROVINCES OF THAILAND TOWARDS ASEAN COMMUNITY

INTRODUCTION:Southern Border Provinces of Thailand have a very long history of conflict from the historical wounds of the Pattani state under the Siam to its present. The conflicts covered the area, particularly the three provinces of the Southern Border of Thailand, namely Pattani, Yala, and Narathiwat, also includes the four districts of Songkhla province, Jana, Nathawee, Tepa and Sabayoy as a consequence of conflicts in the Southern Border Provinces. There were many factors caused the problem of violence, such as good governance, problem of ethnicity, the gab between religion and culture, lack of education, human trafficking, money laundering, crime, drug, etc. The most important problem is the anti-government sentiment which the group of the movement feels that they are not treated with the justice. On the other hand, misunderstanding between people to people, government authority and people were caused of the complicated situation affected to the entire society in the region which is known as Lankasuga or Malayu. Certainly, the people in the region are the ones who suffering from the impact.With the emerging of ASEAN's moto One Vision, one Identity and one community. The situation in the south of Thailand might be one of the majors, the impact of the development of the ASEAN community especially in term of security and economic cooperation among its members. ASEAN may lose the benefit and suffer from this region due to the important strategic locations connected between the southern Thailand and the northern Malaysia and it is the inland transportation from Singapore to Myanmar in the northwest and Laos in the northeast. Without the proper management of the Thai government, with the assistance of ASEAN members, it could be affected by the development of ASEAN, not only the political and security pillar but also the in various aspects as economic and cultural pillars too.THE CAUSE OF CONFLICT IN SOUTHERN BORDER PROVINCES OF THAILAND:The major cause of conflict in the Southern Border Provinces occurs from disagreement in certain people with the government policy and its implementation in the past. Some are not happy with negative behavior of certain government officers, this situation has subsequently created gradual displeasure among the local people and turned them toward violence under the influences of radical leaders. Thus, underground movements were formed with the intention to use violence to achieve their goals which remain unknown to the public.Analyzing the root causes of conflict can clarify on the following:1) The lack of true mutual understanding between the two races, the Thai and Malay-Pattani race; Pattani people were rooted from the historical prosperity, the people's identity based on the way of life and religion. Pattani was considered as the place of prosperity in term of religion, and culture. With misunderstanding may increase the violation rather than peace. Some Thai officer has ignored to understand the reality by stating that We must tell them that they are Thai, they are not Malay, they are of the Thai race, born in (Siyarngnork, 2009) This statement shown the untruly understanding of people in southern border province.2) With the varieties of ethics in the area concern, the mutual understanding between the Malay-Pattani ethics (Thai-Malays) and the Thai is also one of the roots caused by a problem in the Southern Border Provinces of Thailand. Naturally, there is a Muslim majority within the region and the social structure is also different from the other parts of the country. Particularly, the people in the southern border do not like to speak Thai language except Satun and Songkhla province. (Maluleem, The Coming of Islam to Thailand. PROSEA Occasional, 1998)Actually, to force people for speaking the same language of us is not the key to make understanding.3) The Pattani state's historical wounds that occurred in the past; It is very significant matter that the Kingdom of Siam was colonized the Pattani state. …

A Classification of Sleep Disorders with Optimal Features Using Machine Learning Techniques

Background: Sleep disorders become one of the early warnings of potential Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs). Polysomnography (PSG) or sleep test is a formal method to diagnose sleep disorders. However, the PSG is limited in many hospitals due to its high costs. It also requires various sensors attached to a patient, which may cause inconvenience. Moreover, trained sleep specialists are required to interpret the gigantic PSG data. Researchers attempt to identify sleep disorders using alternative techniques. Method: This study proposed an alternative technique for sleep-related syndrome and sleep disorder classification with optimal features. Patient PSG datasets were retrieved from a hospital in the south of Thailand. In the data preprocessing stage, the datasets were analyzed and normalized using feature extraction and selection mechanisms. Optimal feature selection using the average information gain values was evaluated with the 10-fold cross validation. Four Machine Learning (ML) techniques, k MC, k NN, SVM and MLP, were used in our experiments. The selected ML techniques have been performed and evaluated with the 10-fold cross validation in data preprocessing and model construction phases. Results: The k NN achieved the highest overall classification results. The optimal features with k NN ( opf - k NN) was proposed. The selected features were PULSE, SAO2, CANR and CHEST. With the selected optimal features, only the ordinary oxygen oximeter and the ECG machine were required. Overall classification result of the opf-k NN achieved at 95.17%±3.91. Conclusion: Although the PSG is the formal sleep disorder diagnosis, alternative diagnostic techniques are beneficial especially to patients. Our study proposed the opf - k NN technique to classify sleep disorders with two concerns, the limited access to high-priced medical equipment and patient comfortability. Finally, sleep specialists also obtain benefits in optimizing bio-signal interpretations with only four optimal features.

Portfolio diversification opportunities across stock markets of Asian tigers, Thailand and India: a vector autoregression approach

This paper explores the possibility of the creation of a collective investment vehicle that replicates the equity indices of South Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Singapore, Thailand and India. To begin with, a portfolio of these indices was created using the mean variance theory. Thereafter vector autoregression was applied to examine the dynamic linkages among these markets. Since the trading hours of these markets overlap and there is no a priori for specifying how shock transmits among them, Granger causality test was applied to ascertain which markets are influential to decide the ordering of the VAR approach. The results of variance decomposition show that the impact of these markets on each other is not much and is limited to a range of 5-6%. Impulse response graphs confirm no clear leading markets among the chosen six and the transmission of shock from one market to other disappears in 2-3 days.

Industrial Policy, Multinational Strategy and Domestic Capability: A Comparative Analysis of the Development of South Africa’s and Thailand’s Automotive Industries

For developing countries seeking to promote the automotive industry, it has been essential to attract foreign investment, and the terms under which this takes place are key determinants of the resulting development impact. This article examines the development of the sector in South Africa (SA) and Thailand. Both industries have been driven by growing domestic demand, government support and rapid international integration, but the Thai industry has grown at a significantly faster pace. The article demonstrates that the Thai automotive industry has major firm-level cost and market advantages. The combination of a favourable location, supportive trade and industrial policy and supply-side strengths has led to large-scale investment and Thailand’s development as a major regional hub. Foreign investment in SA on the other hand has been at a lower level, aimed primarily at accessing the domestic market. The consequence has been more limited development of the automotive cluster.

Portfolio diversification opportunities across stock markets of Asian tigers, Thailand and India: a vector autoregression approach

This paper explores the possibility of the creation of a collective investment vehicle that replicates the equity indices of South Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Singapore, Thailand and India. To begin with, a portfolio of these indices was created using the mean variance theory. Thereafter vector autoregression was applied to examine the dynamic linkages among these markets. Since the trading hours of these markets overlap and there is no a priori for specifying how shock transmits among them, Granger causality test was applied to ascertain which markets are influential to decide the ordering of the VAR approach. The results of variance decomposition show that the impact of these markets on each other is not much and is limited to a range of 5-6%. Impulse response graphs confirm no clear leading markets among the chosen six and the transmission of shock from one market to other disappears in 2-3 days.

A review of the genus Orionis Shaw (Hymenoptera: Braconidae: Euphorinae) and first records of the genus from South America and the Oriental Region.

Orionis is a small Neotropical euphorine genus, currently in the tribe Perilitini. Although the biology of the genus is unknown, Orionis eximius (Muesebeck) was described from a single female specimen reared from a cocoon associated with Lantana camara. Here, we present a taxonomic revision of Orionis and the first records of the genus from South America and Thailand, with descriptions of three new species: O. brasiliensis sp. nov., O. ecuadoriensis sp. nov. and O. orientalis sp. nov. We also report the first record of O. eximius from South America (Ecuador). A revised key for the described species is presented.

PCV38 - A Systematic Review of Cardiovascular Event Utilities in Asia

This systematic literature review (SLR) aimed to identify and evaluate utilities reported for stroke, acute coronary syndrome (ACS), and heart failure in Asia. A SLR was conducted to identify English-language articles in Embase, PubMed, and the grey literature published between 1992 and August 2015 using keywords for cardiovascular (CV) events and utilities. Primary studies reporting utilities for stroke, ACS (including myocardial infarction and angina), and heart failure in adults were included. Utilities were evaluated by population, health state, and methodology. Twenty-three articles reported on studies in Asia, including South Korea (8), China (5), Thailand (3), Taiwan (2), India, Japan, Malaysia, Singapore, and Vietnam (1 each). Nearly all studies (20/23) reported EQ-5D utilities and only two used direct methods of elicitation; all utilities were elicited from patients experiencing the conditions rather than general population respondents. Seventeen studies reported utility values for stroke, 12 studies for ACS, and no studies reported on heart failure. Average utilities ranged widely for stroke (-1.99–0.96) and ACS (0.11–1). These wide ranges were seen with most methods of elicitation (EQ-5D [n=20]: -0.14–1; standard gamble [n=3]: -1.99–0.72; HUI-3 [n=1]: -0.23–0.62). SF-6D range was narrow (0.68–0.69) with all values from the same ACS population (n=3 papers). In stroke, severe disease was associated with lower utility values (-1.57–0.49; n=3) than mild disease (0.62 to 0.96; n=4); disease severity was not reported for ACS. This SLR identified a wide range of utility values for stroke and ACS in Asia. Method of elicitation and severity of disease may impact utility values. Substantial data gaps were observed, particularly for heart failure, levels of disease severity for ACS, and direct methods of utility elicitation; further study is needed to determine whether data from outside Asia can be used to fill such gaps.

Folk Taxonomy and Uses of Local Mangoes in South Thailand

Folk Taxonomy and Uses of Local Mangoes in South Thailand

Isolation, genomic characterization, and pathogenicity of a Chinese porcine deltacoronavirus strain CHN-HN-2014

Porcine deltacoronavirus (PDCoV) is an emerging swine coronavirus that causes diarrhea in piglets. Since the first outbreak of PDCoV in the United States in 2014, this novel porcine coronavirus has been detected in South Korea, Canada, Mexico, Thailand, and China. In this study, a Chinese PDCoV strain, designated CHN-HN-2014, was isolated from piglets with severe diarrhea on a pig farm in Henan Province, China, and examined with a specific immunofluorescence assay and electron microscopy. Genomic analysis showed that CHN-HN-2014 shares 91.6%–99.4% nucleotide identity with other known PDCoV strains. The pathogenicity of CHN-HN-2014 was further investigated in 5-day-old and 21-day-old piglets. Both kinds of piglets developed clear clinical symptoms, including vomiting, anorexia, lethargy, and severe diarrhea, by 2days postinoculation (DPI), and diarrhea persisted for about 5–6 days. Viral shedding was detected in rectal swabs until 14 DPI in challenged 5-day-old pigs and until 18 DPI in challenged 21-day-old pigs. At necropsy at 4 DPI, macroscopic and microscopic lesions were observed and viral antigen was detected in the small intestines with immunohistochemical staining. These data demonstrate that Chinese PDCoV strain CHN-HN-2014 shares high nucleotide identity with previously reported PDCoV strains and is pathogenic in 5-day-old and 21-day-old piglets.

Investigation of Z-R Relationships for Monsoon Seasons over Southern Thailand

This research aimed to study the rainfall estimation with weather radar in southern Thailand. Both precipitation data from Sathing-Phra radar station, Songkhla, and hourly rainfall data from automatic tipping bucket rain gauges are of the Thai Meteorological Department (TMD) in 2012-2013. These data were used to study the relationship between radar reflectivity (Z) and intensity of the rainfall (R) in both monsoon season. The rain-rate obtained from radar with Z-R equation was a precise rain estimate method. The calculation provided the rain-rate more accurate than original equation often used. The equation of this study was best used during the northeast monsoon which occurred in rainy season in eastern coast of the South (Thailand's Gulf). However, the result of this study should be improved to estimate rain-rate by radar for southern Thailand and, as input data, applied for applications of early warning systems.