• Mycobiology
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• v.51 no.6
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• pp.379-387
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• 2023

In this study, twenty-five yeast strains were isolated from soil samples collected in the gold mining ore in Gia Lai, Vietnam. Among them, one isolate named GL1^T could highly tolerate Cu²⁺ up to 10 mM, and the isolates could also grow in a wide range of pH (3-7), and temperature (10-40 ℃). Dried biomass of GL1 was able to remove Cu²⁺ effectively up to 90.49% with a maximal biosorption capacity of 18.1 mg/g at pH 6, temperature 30 ℃, and incubation time 60 min. Sequence analysis of rDNA indicated this strain was closely related to Rhodotorula mucilaginosa but with 1.53 and 3.46% nucleotide differences in the D1/D2 domain of the 28S rRNA gene and the ITS1-5.8S rRNA gene-ITS2 region sequence, respectively. Based on phylogenetic tree analysis and the biochemical characteristics, the strain appears to be a novel Rhodotorula species, and the name Rhodotorula aurum sp. nov. is proposed. This study provides us with more information about heavy metal-tolerant yeasts and it may produce a new tool for environmental control and metal recovery operations.

• Journal of Distribution Science
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• v.22 no.2
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• pp.71-82
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• 2024

Purpose: Despite significant research on decision-making, researchers struggle to comprehend the decision-making process. This paper aims to not only examine the relationship between problem-solving skills, cognitive competency, and decision-making but also develop measurement instruments for cognitive competency and problem-solving skills to better model decision-making. Research Design, Methodology and Approach: A cross-sectional study was conducted by surveying 292 university students in HCM City, Vietnam, via email sent randomly by Google Forms. This study identifies the conceptual framework and tests the hypotheses using a deductive approach. The SPSS program was used to evaluate the scales' reliability, and the SmartPLS program was used to assess the measurement and structural models. Results: The results show that the research model better modelled the relationship between problem-solving skills, cognitive competency, and decision-making. Although thinking ability has no direct impact on decision-making, both creativity and problem-solving skills have a positive impact on decision-making. The mediating role of problem-solving skills is also determined by the positive relationship between cognitive competency and decision-making. Conclusions: This study highlights decision-making efficiency through the cognitive process from low to high levels and provides for policymakers and managers to explain the decision-making process in a variety of sectors, such as distribution chains, marketing, and human resource distribution.

• Imaging Science in Dentistry
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• v.53 no.4
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• pp.313-323
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• 2023

Purpose: This study aimed to investigate the potential factors that could affect the reduction rate of odontogenic cysts following decompression using cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) for 3-dimensional volumetric analysis. Materials and Methods: The study sample consisted of CBCT images of 41 individuals who underwent decompression of odontogenic cysts at the Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Faculty of Dentistry, Chulalongkorn University, between 2010 and 2022. Preoperative and postoperative CBCT results were collected, and a volumetric analysis was conducted to evaluate the differences in the reduction rate and the percentage of volume reduction of cystic lesions based on different parameters. Correlations between these parameters were analyzed to determine associations. Results: In this study, the average time of decompression for odontogenic cysts was 316 days. Males demonstrated a higher reduction rate than females (P<0.05). The reduction rate was directly proportional to initial cyst volume, with higher reduction rates for cysts with large initial volume than those with small initial volume (P<0.05). Spearman's rank correlation coefficient indicated a weak positive correlation between the initial cyst volume and the duration of decompression. Additionally, a strong positive correlation was observed between the initial volume and the reduction rate. Conclusion: Knowledge of the reduction rate of odontogenic cysts is vital for surgeons to evaluate the duration of decompression before enucleation and to determine a definitive treatment plan. Sex and initial lesion volume had significant effects on the reduction rate.

• Journal of Hydrogen and New Energy
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• v.35 no.1
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• pp.40-47
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• 2024

Ammonia is drawing attention as carbon free fuel due to its ease of storage and transportation compared to hydrogen. This study suggests ammonia fueled solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) system with electrochemical hydrogen compressor (EHC)-based recirculation. Performance of electrochemical hydrogen pump is based on the experimental data under varying hydrogen and nitrogen concentration. As a result, the suggested system shows 62.04% net electrical efficiency. The efficiency is 10.33% point higher compared to simple standalone SOFC system (51.71%), but 0.02% point lower compared to blower-based recirculation system (62.06%). Further improvement in the EHC-based SOFC recirculation system can be achieved with EHC performance improvement.

• Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology & Nutrition
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• v.27 no.3
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• pp.168-175
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• 2024

Purpose: The presence of alcoholic stool in biliary atresia (BA) patients is the basis of a stool color card (SCC), a screening tool that has led to more patients receiving Kasai portoenterostomy earlier. This study aimed to evaluate the color image processing of stool images captured using smartphones. We propose that measuring digital color parameters is a more objective method for identifying BA stools and may improve the sensitivity of BA screening. Methods: A prospective study was conducted in five hospitals in Thailand between October 1, 2020, and December 31, 2021. Stools from infants presenting with jaundice, acholic stool, or dark-colored urine were photographed. Digital image color analysis was performed, and software was developed based on the color on the original SCC. Sensitivity and specificity for predicting BA stools were compared between the SCC and the software. Results: Of 33 infants eligible for data collection, 19 were diagnosed with BA. Saturation and blue were two potential digital color parameters used to differentiate BA stools. The receiver operating characteristic curve was used to determine the optimum cutoff point of both values, and when saturation ≤56 or blue ≥61 was set as a threshold for detecting BA stool, high accuracy was achieved at 81.8% and 78.8%, respectively. Conclusion: Digital image processing is a promising technology. With appropriate cutoff values of saturation in hue, saturation, value and blue in red, green, blue color models, BA stools can be identified, and equivocal-colored stools of non-BA patients can be differentiated with acceptable accuracy in infants presenting with jaundice.

• Journal of Electrochemical Science and Technology
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• v.15 no.2
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• pp.291-298
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• 2024

Due to its high theoretical capacity, Silicon (Si) has shown great potential as an anode material for lithium-ion batteries (LIBs). However, the large volume change of Si during cycling leads to poor cycling stability and low Coulombic efficiency. In this study, we synthesized Si/Carbon C45:Graphene composites using a ball-milling method with a fixed Si content (20%) and investigated the influence of the C45/Gr ratio on the electrochemical performance of the composites. The results showed that carbon C45 networks can provide good conductivity, but tend to break at Si locations, resulting in poor conductivity. However, the addition of graphene helps to reconnect the broken C45 networks, improving the conductivity of the composite. Moreover, the C45 can also act as a protective coating around Si particles, reducing the volume expansion of Si during charging/discharging cycles. The Si/C45:Gr (70:10 wt%) composite exhibits improved electrochemical performance with high capacity (~1660 mAh g^-1 at 0.1 C) and cycling stability (~1370 mAh g^-1 after 100 cycles). This work highlights the effective role of carbon C45 and graphene in Si/C composites for enhancing the performance of Si-based anode materials for LIBs.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.51 no.6
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• pp.679-695
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• 2024

This paper presents a novel technique that combines machine learning (ML) with moth-flame optimization (MFO) methods to predict the axial compressive strength (ACS) of concrete filled double skin steel tubes (CFDST) columns. The proposed model is trained and tested with a dataset containing 125 tests of the CFDST column subjected to compressive loading. Five ML models, including extreme gradient boosting (XGBoost), gradient tree boosting (GBT), categorical gradient boosting (CAT), support vector machines (SVM), and decision tree (DT) algorithms, are utilized in this work. The MFO algorithm is applied to find optimal hyperparameters of these ML models and to determine the most effective model in predicting the ACS of CFDST columns. Predictive results given by some performance metrics reveal that the MFO-CAT model provides superior accuracy compared to other considered models. The accuracy of the MFO-CAT model is validated by comparing its predictive results with existing design codes and formulae. Moreover, the significance and contribution of each feature in the dataset are examined by employing the SHapley Additive exPlanations (SHAP) method. A comprehensive uncertainty quantification on probabilistic characteristics of the ACS of CFDST columns is conducted for the first time to examine the models' responses to variations of input variables in the stochastic environments. Finally, a web-based application is developed to predict ACS of the CFDST column, enabling rapid practical utilization without requesting any programing or machine learning expertise.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.57 no.1
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• pp.83-90
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• 2024

Objectives: Professional firefighters face various health hazards and are required to maintain both physical and mental fitness to effectively mitigate crises and respond to emergencies. Moreover, the long working hours and shift work of this profession impact sleep quality. This study investigated the quality of sleep and its associated factors among firefighters in Bangkok, Thailand. Methods: This was a cross-sectional study of firefighters affiliated with the Bangkok Fire and Rescue Department, Bangkok Metropolitan Administration, Thailand between January 2023 and March 2023. A cluster random sampling technique was utilized to distribute 600 questionnaires to firefighters in 15 fire stations. The questionnaire addressed demographic, work-related, and environmental factors. Sleep quality was assessed using the Thai version of the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI). Data analysis involved both descriptive and inferential statistics. Bivariate and multiple logistic regressions were performed. Results: The response rate was 78.7% (n=472), and 44.1% of the firefighters reported poor sleep quality (PSQI score >5). Sleep quality was statistically associated with conflicting family relationships (odds ratio [OR], 1.8; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.1 to 2.9), additional part-time jobs (daytime, OR, 2.4; 95% CI, 1.3 to 4.4; or nighttime, OR, 4.3; 95% CI, 1.1 to 16.7), noisy sleeping areas (OR, 1.7; 95% CI, 1.1 to 2.8), and the availability of adequate bedding (OR, 3.0; 95% CI, 1.8 to 4.9). Conclusions: Poor sleep quality among firefighters was associated with various personal, work-related, and environmental factors. Organizations should promote policies that improve sleep quality through good sleep hygiene practices and facilities.

• Food Science of Animal Resources
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• v.44 no.3
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• pp.662-683
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• 2024

Thai-Native×Anglo-Nubian goat meat cooked by grilling (GR), sous vide (SV), and microwave (MW), was compared to fresh meat (Raw) in terms of flavor development. Non-volatile [i.e., free amino acids, nucleotide-related compounds, taste active values (TAVs) and umami equivalency, sugars, lipid oxidation, Maillard reaction products] and volatile compounds, were investigated. Notably, inosine monophosphate and Glu/Gln were the major compounds contributing to umami taste, as indicated by the highest TAVs in all samples. Raw had higher TAVs than cooked ones, indicating that heat-cooking removes these desirable flavor and taste compounds. This could be proportionally associated with the increase in aldehyde, ketone, and nitrogen-containing volatiles in all cooked samples. GR showed the highest thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (1.46 mg malonaldehyde/kg sample) and browning intensity (0.73), indicating the greatest lipid oxidation and Maillard reaction due to the higher temperature among all cooked samples (p<0.05). In contrast, SV and Raw exhibited similar profiles, indicating that low cooking temperatures preserved natural goat meat flavor, particularly the goaty odor. The principal component analysis biplot linked volatiles and non-volatiles dominant for each cooked sample to their unique flavor and taste. Therefore, these findings shed light on cooking method selection based on desirable flavor and preferences.

• Anatomy and Cell Biology
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• v.57 no.2
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• pp.246-255
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• 2024

Knowledge of the superficial radial nerve (SRN) relationship and anatomic variations of the first extensor compartment (1st EC) will contribute to a better outcome of de Quervain tenosynovitis treatment. We dissected 87 embalmed cadaveric wrists to determine the relationship of the SRN, the 1st EC length, distance from the proximal and distal 1st EC borders to radial styloid process (RSP), abductor pollicis longus (APL) and extensor pollicis brevis (EPB) tendon slip numbers, and the presence of septum. Our results revealed SRN crossing over the 1st EC in 59.5%. The lateral branch of the superficial radial nerve to the 1st EC midline in most cases (61.9%) except for one specimen, where lateral antebrachial cutaneous nerve was the closest. Distances from proximal and distal 1st EC borders to the RSP were 19.7±4.1 mm and 7.6±1.8 mm, respectively. Extensor retinaculum (ER) width over 1st EC (1st EC length) was 14.8±3.2 mm. Complete and incomplete septa were found in 17.2%, and 42.5%, respectively. The most frequent APL tendon slip number in the compartment was two in overall 47 specimens (54.0%). Almost all compartments (85 specimens; 97.7%) contained one EPB tendon slip. We detected bilateral EPB absence in one cadaver. Moreover, we recorded a tendon slip from extensor pollicis longus traveling into 1st EC bilaterally in one cadaver and observed the EPB muscle belly extension into 1st EC in 9 wrists. Awareness of 1st EC anatomic variations would be essential for successful surgical and nonsurgical outcomes.