Journal of Science Technology and Humanities

Ebola virus, a life-threatening virus: A review

Somsak Pantuwatana

Ebola virus is currently created a panic among scientists and people around the world. All information concerning the biology and facts of Ebola virus were then reviewed and analyzed in order to reveal the facts and the possibility of gaining better understanding, how to prevent an outbreak and control the epidemic of diseases that caused by Ebola virus

Distribution and partitioning of mercury in the Pradue bay, Map Ta Phut industrial estate, Rayong province, Thailand

Anuwat Yindeesuk, Waewtaa Thongra-ar

This study was aimed to assess the distribution and partitioning of mercury (Hg) in the Pradue bay toward coastal area of Map Ta Phut industrial estate, Rayong province, Thailand. It was found that the concentrations of Hg were reported by total, total dissolved and particulate Hg, which showed ranging from 7.18 to 63.77 ng/L, 2.30 to 5.29 ng/L, and 0.23 to 1.38 g/g of dry weight, respectively, where the concentrations of Hg in the sediment samples were ranged from 0.09 to 0.91 g/g of dry weight. It was observed that the concentrations of particulate Hg and total Hg were decreased in the coastal area. The results showed that the particulate Hg was a major fraction found in the bay area, which accounted for the variation of the total Hg concentration from 82.6 to 96.4%. The partitioning coefficient (K_D) varied from 0.4 X 10⁵ to 6.5 X 10⁵ L/kg, which could be effected from the sorption/desorption processes that played the important role in particle-water interaction of Hg. The concentrations of particulate Hg were positively correlated with the concentrations of Hg in the sediment. This study was emphasized that the dominate rate of suspended particulate matter (SPM) loading in the water might support the scavenging of Hg and deposited it into the sediment in the bay area.

Measuring optimal condition of rainfall-streamflow network model based on multivariate linear regression analysis for flood forecasting in Klong Luang sub-watershed, Chon Buri province, Thailand

Charoen Panant, Samakkee Boonyawat

A simplified rainfall-streamflow network model on the basis of multivariate linear regression (MLR) analysis has been proposed. To determine significant coefficient of streamflow network among the area of interests, eleven MLR models, i.e., models 1 to 11, were examined. We used the Geographic Information System (GIS) and Remotely Sensed Data (RS), where data were recorded from Klong Luang (KGT.19 Station) sub-watershed, Phanat Nikhom district, Mueang Chon Buri district, Ban Bueng district, and Phan Thong district, at Chon Buri province, Thailand. The experimental result showed that the MLR based models 8 and 11 were most applicable to be employed for this purpose. The proposed model could considerably be applied to flood forecasting, water resource management, flood hazard planning, and flood early warning.

Association between selected family and social factors and health behavior of school-age children in Thailand

Nujjaree Chaimongkol, Yunee Pongjaturawit

Health behaviors of school going children are resulted in their grown-up health-risk behaviors, while little is known about health behavior of these young children. This study aimed to determine the association among selected family, social factors, and health behavior of school-age children. This analytical cross-sectional study resulted from a multi-stage random sampling, which was used to recruit the sample of 246 school-age children that were currently studying in grade four to six at several elementary schools in the municipal areas of Chon Buri, Thailand. Using self-report questionnaires collected data, where descriptive statistics, an univariate general linear model and Pearson correlation were used to analyze the data. It was found that mean scores of school-age children’s overall health behavior, its subscales of daily care, and social and risk behaviors were at moderate to high levels. Girls who were either the second-born children of children who were living in a family with two children had more appropriate health behaviors than boys who were either the first of the third of later born children, or children living in a family with one and three of more children, respectively. However, grade levels and types of family were not significantly different, whereas child temperament of task persistence and motor activity, social support, and perceived self-efficacy were significantly associated with health behavior. It was also shown that child age, temperament of negative reactivity, year of study, GPA, and family income were not significant correlation. These findings suggest that several family and social factors are associated with health behavior of school-age children in Thailand. Further studies are needed to deeply explore. Wellness policy focusing on health of school-age children and role of school nurses to influence individual, family and social resilience need to be reformed for enhancing and strengthen school-age children’s healthy behaviors.

Metastructures of federations: analysis of consequences and solutions

Adreas Schneider

The European Union (EU) was recently plagued’ by economic disasters, violent protest of citizens, and an increasing inability to act independently from the interests of the international banking system. This has led to widespread pessimism about the benefits of large multinational federations. First I developed a dynamic model that allowed for the investigation of the interplay of agency and structure in a globalized system. The luxury of hindsight allowed me to indicate the major causes for the problems currently faced by the EU: overregulation and the consequent inability to adjust to global change. I showed how such overregulation had led to unanticipated consequences of growing structures, loss of resources, in the structure, and a loss of vision. Learning from the mistakes of established federations of nations provides potential solutions for the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), a federation that is still generating its regulatory body.

Effect of workplace violence on the intention of leave a nursing career

The nursing shortage is a worldwide problem, while effects of workplace violence on intention to leave a nursing career are less clear. This study aimed to examine the relationship between workplace violence and intention to leave a nursing career among registered nurses in Thailand using the data from Thai Nurse Cohort Study conducted in 2010. Data were collected by mailed questionnaires. It was found that 3.8% (95% CI = 3.54%-4.46%) out of 16,814 registered nurses were intended to leave a nursing career within 1-2 years, while 13.6% (95% CI = 13.06% - 14.14%) were intended to leave within 1-2 years or later. Multiple logistic regression analysis indicated that all types of workplace violence and non-physical workplace violence during the previous 12 months were associated with a higher risk of intention to leave a nursing career, where values of OR = 1.48 at 95% CI = 1.09-2.01; p-value = 0.012, and OR = 1.48 at 95% CI = 1.08-2.02; p-value = 0.014, respectively. After redefining intention to leave a nursing career to either within 1-2 years of later, both workplace violence and workplace violence with job absence remained as significant predictors, where values of OR = 1.58 at 95% CI = 1.35-1.86; p-value < 0.001, and OR = 1.98; 95% CI = 1.22-3.22; p-value = 0.006, respectively. It was concluded that workplace violence was associated with an increased rate of intention to leave a nursing career. An attention should be paid to the improvement of their work environments in order to reduce violence and nursing turnover resulted in to retain nurses.

Psychosocial aspect from thalassemia screening test of active-reproductive people in Tungsukhla subdistrict, Si Racha district, Chon buri province, Thailand

Suwanna Junprasert, Anna Sumano

This study was aimed to study the psychosocial aspect of active-reproductive people who came for a thalassemia-screening test during 2012 at Laem Chabang Hospital, Si Racha District, Chon Buri Province, Thailand. The psychosocial factors were investigated and analyzed against selected factors. One hundred and forty seven active-reproductive people selected by simple random sampling were used as samples for the thalassemia-screening test, where the specialist pediatrician gave them a counseling when they came to follow-up the results. Self-directory questionnaires were used for data collection. The questionnaires consisted of two parts dealing with personal and psychosocial aspect data, which were developed by researchers. Data were analyzed by using descriptive statistics, exploratory factor analysis, and Mann-Whitney U test.
It was found that the thalassemia-screening test yielded 35.1% of trait and 1.7% of disease. The hereditary group with trait and disease gene in the positive-test samples felt moderately frightened with doubts and anxiety. The body appearance of the positive group of participants was moderately healthy, whereas the normal group of participants felt relief at moderate levels, but still had slight feelings of doubt, fear and anxiety, while the body appearance was strongly healthy.
The factor analysis found that 68.08% were related to three factors of psychosocial aspects, i.e., factor 1, which consisted of 13 items that related to “bad feeling”, factor 2, which consisted of seven items that related to “poor health”, and factor 3, which consisted of three items that related to the body appearance “look blue”. The comparisons regarding to the three factors of psychosocial aspect between the hereditary group and the normal group were statistically significant different at the level p < 0.05.