• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• 제14권2호
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• pp.1127-1130
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• 2013

Background: The standard national protocol for treatment of acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) in children was implemented in 2006. A systematic evaluation of the treatment outcome is needed. This study examined the relapse-free survival among childhood ALL cases treated with this protocol and related factors. Materials and Methods: A descriptive study was conducted in children aged between 0-15 years, newly diagnosed with ALL between March 2006 and March 2011 at Srinagarind Hospital, Department of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, Khon Kaen University. The patients were treated on the basis of stratified risk as per the Thai national protocol. Data were compiled from the hospital records. The Kaplan-Meier method was used to describe relapse-free survival and the Cox proportional hazard model to investigate the associated factors. Results: Of the 103 children recruited, 86 (83.5%) achieved complete remission. The total follow-up time was 3132.5 person-months. Eighteen (20.9%) relapsed. The incidence density was 0.6 per 100 person-months (95%CI: 0.4, 0.9). The respective relapse-free rates at 1, 3 and 5 years were 93.0% (95%CI: 85.1, 96.8), 84.5% (95%CI: 74.0, 90.9) and 64.1% (95%CI: 45.6, 77.8). A factor associated with the relapse-free rate was age under 1 year (HR=6.0; 95%CI: 1.1, 33.8). Conclusions: The rate of being relapse-free in ALL children treated under the Thai national protocol at Srinagarind Hospital was better than with former protocols; however, it is still not as good as in developed countries. Further review of the treatment approach of ALL is needed.

• The Journal of Asian Finance, Economics and Business
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• 제9권3호
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• pp.181-193
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• 2022

This paper seeks to investigate major macroeconomic factors and bond yield interactions in Thai bond markets, with the goal of forecasting future bond yields. This study examines the best predictive yields for future bond yields at different maturities of 1-, 3-, 5-, 7-, and 10-years using time series data of economic indicators covering the period from 1998 to 2020. The empirical findings support the hypothesis that macroeconomic factors influence bond yield fluctuations. In terms of forecasting future bond yields, static predictions reveal that in most cases, the BVAR model offers the best predictivity of bond rates at various maturities. Furthermore, the BVAR model has the best performance in dynamic rolling-window, forecasting bond yields with various maturities for 2-, 4-, and 8-quarters. The findings of this study imply that the BVAR model forecasts future yields more accurately and consistently than other competitive models. Our research could help policymakers and investors predict bond yield changes, which could be important in macroeconomic policy development.

• Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases
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• 제80권2호
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• pp.159-168
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• 2017

Background: Streptomycin (SM) is recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO) as a part of standard regimens for retreating multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) cases. The incidence of MDR-TB in retreatment cases was 19% in Thailand. To date, information on SM resistance (SMR) gene mutations correlated to the SMR of Mycobacterium tuberculosis Thai isolates is limited. In this study, the mutations in rpsL, rrs, gidB, and whiB7 were investigated and their association to SMR and the lineage of M. tuberculosis were explored. Methods: The lineages of 287 M. tuberculosis collected from 2007 to 2011 were identified by spoligotyping. Drug susceptibility profiles were evaluated by the absolute concentration method. Mutations in SMR genes of 46 SM-resistant and 55 SM-susceptible isolates were examined by DNA sequencing. Results: Three rpsL (Lys43Arg, Lys88Arg, and Lys88Thr) and two gidB (Trp45Ter and Gly69Asp) mutations were present exclusively in the SM resistant M. tuberculosis. Lys43Arg rpsL was the most predominant SMR mutations (69.6%) and prevailed among Beijing isolates (p<0.001). No SMR-related mutation in was found rrs. The combination of rpsL and gidB mutations provided 76.1% sensitivity for detecting SMR in M. tuberculosis Thai isolates. whiB7 was not responsible for SMR in SM resistant isolates lacking rpsL and rrs mutations. The significance of the three gidB mutations, 276A>C, 615A>G, and 330G>T, as lineage signatures for Beijing and EAI were underscored. This study identified 423G>A gidB as a novel sub-lineage marker for EAI6-BGD1. Conclusion: Our study suggested that the majority of SMR in M. tuberculosis Thai isolates were responsible by rpsL and gidB polymorphisms constantly providing the novel lineage specific makers.

• Genomics & Informatics
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• 제20권4호
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• pp.44.1-44.13
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• 2022

Brugada syndrome (BS) is an autosomal dominant inheritance cardiac arrhythmia disorder associated with sudden death in young adults. Thailand has the highest prevalence of BS worldwide, and over 60% of patients with BS still have unclear disease etiology. Here, we performed a new viral metagenome analysis pipeline called VIRIN and validated it with whole genome sequencing (WGS) data of HeLa cell lines and hepatocellular carcinoma. Then the VIRIN pipeline was applied to identify viral integration positions from unmapped WGS data of Thai males, including 100 BS patients (case) and 100 controls. Even though the sample preparation had no viral enrichment step, we can identify several virus genes from our analysis pipeline. The predominance of human endogenous retrovirus K (HERV-K) viruses was found in both cases and controls by blastn and blastx analysis. This study is the first report on the full-length HERV-K assembled genomes in the Thai population. Furthermore, the HERV-K integration breakpoint positions were validated and compared between the case and control datasets. Interestingly, Brugada cases contained HERV-K integration breakpoints at promoters five times more often than controls. Overall, the highlight of this study is the BS-specific HERV-K breakpoint positions that were found at the gene coding region "NBPF11" (n = 9), "NBPF12" (n = 8) and long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) "PCAT14" (n = 4) region. The genes and the lncRNA have been reported to be associated with congenital heart and arterial diseases. These findings provide another aspect of the BS etiology associated with viral genome integrations within the human genome.

• 비교문화연구
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• 제48권
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• pp.391-417
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• 2017

동남아시아 언어들은 모음체계가 매우 복잡한 것으로 알려져 있어 자연언어 모음체계의 보편성을 논의하는 데 매우 중요한 위치를 차지하고 있다. 본 연구는 이를 위한 기초연구로 7개의 동남아시아 국어 또는 공식어 중 우선적으로 그 체계가 비교적 단순한 타갈로그어, 말레이어, 타이어의 3개 언어를 대상으로 모음체계의 보편성에 대해 논의한 것이다. 모음의 보편성에 대해서는 여러 학자들의 견해가 있지만 본 연구에서는 209개 언어의 분절음을 구축한 SPAP(Stanford Phonology Archive Project)나 451개 언어의 분절음을 구축한 UPSID(UCLA Phonological Segment Inventory Database)와 같은 대규모 말뭉치를 이용하여 모음체계의 보편성을 논의한 선행연구들을 바탕으로, 그 연구들에 제시된 6가지의 보편성 분석 기준을 위 세 언어의 모음체계에 실험적으로 적용하여 분석을 시도하였다. 그 6가지 기준은 유형적 보편성에 속하는 (1) 모음 수(또는 모음 목록 크기)와 (2) 단계성에 따른 모음 구성의 두 가지, 그리고 음성적 보편성이라 할 수 있는 (3) 저설성 (4) 균형성과 대칭성 (5) 전설성 (6) 원순성의 네 가지이다. 그리고 위의 세 언어에 이 6가지 기준을 적용함에 있어 보편성을 판별하는 또 다른 기준인 기술적 보편성과 분석적 보편성의 두 가지 관점 모두에서 분석하였다. 논의의 결과 분석적 보편성의 관점에서는 세 언어 모두 6가지 기준에서 '높음' 단계의 보편성을 보이지만 기술적 보편성에서는 타갈로그 어는 모음 수와 단계성에 따른 모음 구성, 그리고 저설성에서 상대적으로 보편성이 낮으며, 타이어는 균형성은 다른 두 언어와 마찬가지로 높은 보편성을 보이지만 대칭성에 있어서는 '보통' 단계의 보편성을 보이고 있다. 한편, 말레이어는 모든 기준에서 '높음' 단계의 보편성을 보이는 매우 안정적인 모음체계를 가지고 있음을 확인하였다.

• 동남아시아연구
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• 제27권1호
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• pp.53-94
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• 2017

타이 정치체제가 관료적 정체(bureaucratic polity) 혹은 반민주주의(semi-democracy)로 회귀하였다고 얘기된다. 그러나 이와 같은 시각은 국왕의 자문기구인 추밀원(Privy Council)의 정치적 개입을 제대로 드러내지 못한다. 이러한 맥락에서 이 논문은 근대적 절대군주제라는 분석적 개념을 통해 타이식 입헌군주제의 독특한 특징을 밝히고 있다. 요컨대 '네트워크 정치'(network politics)에 기반하는 타이식 입헌군주제(Thai way of constitutional monarchy)는 "국왕은 군림하되 통치하지 않는다"라는 규범에 토대한 전형적인 입헌군주제와 배치된다. 이는 타이 국왕이 실제로는 정치 위에 있는 것이 아니라 정치 안에 있음을, 또 정치적 갈등을 해결하고 군주제를 보위하기 위해 다양한 방식으로 정치에 개입하였음을 의미한다. 이 과정에서 국왕은 불교의 교리를 실천하는 반인반신이자 국가통합의 중심으로 추앙되었다. 심지어 왕실이 관여된 1976년 10월 6일 유혈참사 이후에도 국왕의 신성한 지위는 도전을 받지 않았고 국왕모독죄는 더욱 가혹한 처벌을 받게 되었다. 그 이후 국왕모독죄는 군부 쿠태타의 주된 명분이 되었다. 특히 군주 네트워크와 근대화 과정에서 성장한 탁신 네트워크에 기반한 부르주아 정체 간의 대격돌로부터 야기된 2006년 쿠테타와 이후 친탁신계 정부를 전복한 2014년 쿠테타를 계기로 국왕모독죄 사례가 급증하였다. 관료적 정체, 반민주주의, 민주주의를 포괄하는 타이에서의 근대적 절대군주제는 군부, 지식인, 민주당, 심지어 일부 시민사회조직들로부터 지지를 받는 국왕모독죄에 의해 지지되고 있다.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• 제17권3호
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• pp.1129-1134
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• 2016

Vulva and Vaginal cancers are rare among all gynecological cancers worldwide, including Thailand, and typically affect women in later life. Persistent high risk human papillomavirus (HR-HPV) infection is one of several important causes of cancer development. In this study, we focused on HPV investigation and specific type distribution from Thai women with abnormality lesions and cancers of the vulva and Vaginal. A total of ninety paraffin-embedded samples of vulva and Vaginal abnormalities and cancer cells with histologically confirmed were collected from Thai women, who were diagnosed in 2003-2012 at the National Cancer Institute, Thailand. HPV DNA was detected and genotyped using polymerase chain reaction and enzyme immunoassay with GP5+/bio 6+ consensus specific primers and digoxigenin-labeled specific oligoprobes, respectively. The human ${\beta}$-globin gene was used as an internal control. Overall results represented that HPV frequency was 16/34 (47.1%) and 8/20 (40.0%) samples of vulva with cancer and abnormal cytology lesions, respectively, while, 3/5 (60%) and 16/33 (51.61%) samples of Vaginal cancer and abnormal cytology lesions, respectively, were HPV DNA positive. Single HPV type and multiple HPV type infection could be observed in both type of cancers and abnormal lesion samples in the different histological categorizes. HPV16 was the most frequent type in all cancers and abnormal cytology lesions, whereas HPV 18 was less frequent and could be detected as co-infection with other high risk HPV types. In addition, low risk types such as HPV 6, 11 and 70 could be detected in Vulva cancer and abnormal cytology lesion samples, whereas, all Vaginal cancer samples exhibited only high risk HPV types; HPV 16 and 31. In conclusion, from our results in this study we suggest that women with persistent high risk HPV type infection are at risk of developing vulva and Vaginal cancers and HPV 16 was observed at the highest frequent both of these, similar to the cervical cancer cases. Although the number of samples in this study was limited and might not represent the overall incidence and prevalence in Thai women, but the baseline data are of interest and suggest further study for primary cancer screening and/or developing the efficiency of prophylactic HPV vaccines in Thailand.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• 제60권11호
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• pp.359-364
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• 2017

Purpose: The risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) has been shown to be associated with systemic inflammation in obese adults with metabolic syndrome (MetS). The aims of this study were to evaluate the prevalence of MetS and its relation to inflammatory markers in obese Thai children. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted. Children with history of endogenous obesity, chronic diseases, drug ingestion, and any acute illness within 2 weeks prior to enrollment were excluded. Their fasting blood glucose (FBG) levels, oral glucose tolerance tests, insulin, lipid profiles, and selected inflammatory markers, including interleukin-6, tumor necrosis factor-alpha, and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) levels, were tested. Results: In this study, 58 obese Thai children (female, 20; male, 38) with a mean body mass index z score of $5.1{\pm}2.2$ were enrolled. The prevalence of MetS and prediabetes was 31% and 17.2%, respectively. None of the children had diabetes. FBG levels, 2-hour glucose levels, and lipid profiles were not statistically different between those with and without MetS. However, obese children with MetS had higher insulin levels and homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance values. Elevated hs-CRP levels were found in 69% of the cases, although it was not statistically different between the 2 groups. Conclusion: We described a substantial prevalence of MetS in Thai obese children. Regardless of MetS status, two-thirds of the obese children had elevated hs-CRP level, indicating subtle ongoing inflammatory process. This chronic inflammation feasibly predisposes them to CVD in the future, even in children without MetS.

• Radiation Oncology Journal
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• 제37권3호
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• pp.201-206
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• 2019

Purpose: To observe the effectiveness of the practical instruction sheet and the educational video for left-sided breast treatment in a patient receiving deep inspiration breath hold (DIBH) technique. Two parameters, simulation time and patient satisfaction, were assessed through the questionnaire. Methods: Two different approaches, which were the instruction sheet and educational video, were combinedly used to assist patients during DIBH procedures. The guideline was assigned at least 1 week before the simulation date. On the simulation day, patients would fill the questionnaire regarding their satisfaction with the DIBH instruction. The questionnaire was categorized into five levels: extremely satisfied to dissatisfied, sequentially. The patients were divided into four groups: not DIBH technique, DIBH without instruction materials, the DIBH with instruction sheet or educational video, and DIBH with both of instruction sheet and educational video. Results: Total number of 112 cases of left-sided breast cancer were analyzed. The simulation time during DIBH procedure significantly reduced when patients followed the instruction. There was no significant difference in simulation time on the DIBH procedures between patient compliance via instruction sheet or educational video or even following both of them. The excellent level was found at 4.6 ± 0.1 and 4.5 ± 0.1, for patients coaching via instruction sheet as well as on the educational video, respectively. Conclusion: Patient coaching before simulation could potentially reduce the lengthy time in the simulation process for DIBH technique. Practicing the DIBH technique before treatment is strongly advised.

• STI Policy Review
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• 제7권1호
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• pp.17-39
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• 2016

Despite the importance of university-industry collaboration, issues pertaining to the characteristics of collaborating firms, their modes of interaction, and the relationship between these modes and outcomes are not well-researched. The impact of country's development on these issues is also unclear. This case study examines Japan and Thailand-respectively representing developed and developing countries-and features the following key findings: 1) the characteristics of firms affect modes, with large Japanese firms being more collaborative with universities, whereas Thai SMEs significantly collaborate more with universities; 2) the relationship between modes in Thai firms is stronger than those of Japanese firms because in Thailand, perhaps due to weak technological capacity, R&D collaboration is conducted alongside university consultancy services; and 3) in Japan, R&D and human resource development collaboration lead to product innovation, whereas different outcomes are expected from different modes in Thailand. Apparently, trivial informal collaborations do have significant impact on innovation.