Rydberg atom scattering in K(12p)-CH3NO2 collisions: role of transient ion pair formation

Studies of K(12p)-CH3NO2 collisions reveal unusually strong Rydberg atom scattering which is attributed to the formation of transient K+..CH3NO2 − ion-pair states

Kernels over Sets of Finite Sets using RKHS Embeddings, with Application to Bayesian (Combinatorial) Optimization

We focus on kernel methods for set-valued inputs and their application to Bayesian set optimization, notably combinatorial optimization. We investigate two classes of set kernels that both rely on Reproducing Kernel Hilbert Space embeddings, namely the ``Double Sum'' (DS) kernels recently considered in Bayesian set optimization, and a class introduced here called ``Deep Embedding'' (DE) kernels that essentially consists in applying a radial kernel on Hilbert space on top of the canonical distance induced by another kernel such as a DS kernel. We establish in particular that while DS kernels typically suffer from a lack of strict positive definiteness, vast subclasses of DE kernels built upon DS kernels do possess this property, enabling in turn combinatorial optimization without requiring to introduce a jitter parameter. Proofs of theoretical results about considered kernels are complemented by a few practicalities regarding hyperparameter fitting. We furthermore demonstrate the applicability of our approach in prediction and optimization tasks, relying both on toy examples and on two test cases from mechanical engineering and hydrogeology, respectively. Experimental results highlight the applicability and compared merits of the considered approaches while opening new perspectives in prediction and sequential design with set inputs

Dynamics of heavy-Rydberg ion-pair formation in K(14p,20p)-SF6, CCl4ﾠcollisions

The dynamics of formation of heavy-Rydberg ion-pair states throughﾠelectron transferﾠin K(np)-SF6, CCl4ﾠcollisions is examined byﾠmeasuringﾠtheﾠvelocity,ﾠangular, and bindingﾠenergyﾠdistributions of the product ion pairs. The results areﾠanalyzedﾠwith the aid of a Monte Carlo collision code that models both the initial electron capture and the subsequent evolution of the ion pairs. The model simulations are in good agreement with the experimental data and highlight the factors such asﾠRydberg atomﾠsize, the kineticﾠenergyﾠof relativeﾠmotionﾠof theﾠRydberg atomﾠand target particle, and (in the case of attaching targets that dissociate) the energetics ofﾠdissociationﾠthat can be used to control the properties of the product ion-pair states

Path Analysis of Factors Influencing Smoking Behavior and Nicotine Dependence Level among Motorcycle Taxi Drivers in Songkhla Province

บทคัดย่อ วัตถุประสงค์: เพื่อศึกษาพฤติกรรมการสูบบุหรี่ และวิเคราะห์เส้นทางปัจจัยที่ส่งผลต่อพฤติกรรมการสูบบุหรี่และระดับการติดนิโคติน ในคนขับรถจักรยานยนต์สาธารณะ จังหวัดสงขลา วิธีการศึกษา: เป็นการศึกษาเชิงพรรณนาภาคตัดขวาง กลุ่มตัวอย่างคือคนขับรถจักรยานยนต์สาธารณะในอำเภอเมืองสงขลาและอำเภอหาดใหญ่ที่สูบบุหรี่ ทั้งหมด 90 คน เก็บข้อมูลด้วยแบบสอบถามการสำรวจพฤติกรรมการสูบบุหรี่ แบบทดสอบวัดระดับการติดนิโคติน และแบบประเมินบันไดของความพร้อมในการเลิกสูบบุหรี่ เครื่องมีมีความเชื่อมั่นสูง (ค่าสัมประสิทธิ์แอลฟาของครอนบาค เท่ากับ 0.859, 0.903 และ 0.969 ตามลำดับ) และวิเคราะห์ข้อมูลโดยใช้สถิติเชิงพรรณนาและวิเคราะห์เส้นทางปัจจัย ผลการศึกษา: กลุ่มตัวอย่างเป็นเพศชายทั้งหมด ส่วนใหญ่อายุ 51-60 ปี สูบบุหรี่ไม่เกิน 10 มวนต่อวัน (52.2%) และสูบทุกวัน (91.1%) มักสูบบุหรี่ขณะนั่งพักที่คิวรถจักรยานยนต์ (42.2%) พบว่าโมเดลเส้นทางปัจจัยที่ส่งผลต่อพฤติกรรมการสูบบุหรี่และระดับการติดนิโคตินสอดคล้องกับข้อมูลเชิงประจักษ์ (χ2 = 19.558, df = 21, χ2/df = 0.931, P-value = 0.549, CFI = 1.000, TLI = 1.000, RMSEA < 0.001, SRMR = 0.057, R2 = 0.686) โดยพฤติกรรมการสูบบุหรี่ในด้านระยะเวลาที่สูบบุหรี่ได้รับอิทธิพลจากอายุ การรับรู้ผลกระทบต่อสุขภาพ การรับรู้กฎหมายห้ามสูบบุหรี่ในที่สาธารณะ ส่วนพฤติกรรมการสูบบุหรี่ในด้านความพยายามเลิกบุหรี่ได้รับอิทธิพลจากการรับรู้กฎหมายห้ามสูบบุหรี่ในที่สาธารณะ และระดับการติดนิโคตินได้รับอิทธิพลจากพฤติกรรมการสูบบุหรี่ในด้านปริมาณการสูบบุหรี่ ความพยายามเลิกบุหรี่ ปัญหาทางด้านสุขภาพหรือโรคที่เกิดจากการสูบบุหรี่ ทัศนคติต่อการสูบบุหรี่ และการรับรู้กฎหมายห้ามสูบบุหรี่ในที่สาธารณะ สรุป: สามารถนำผลการศึกษาเป็นแนวทางจัดโปรแกรมเลิกบุหรี่ให้คนขับรถจักรยานยนต์สาธารณะโดยเน้นการสร้างความตระหนักเกี่ยวกับผลกระทบต่อสุขภาพ กฎหมายห้ามสูบบุหรี่ในที่สาธารณะ และส่งเสริมทัศนคติเชิงลบต่อการสูบบุหรี่ คำสำคัญ : การวิเคราะห์เส้นทาง, พฤติกรรมการสูบบุหรี่, การติดนิโคติน, คนขับรถจักรยานยนต์สาธารณะAbstract Objective: To determine levels of and factors influencing smoking behavior and nicotine dependence level of motorcycle taxi riders in Songkhla province. Method: This cross-sectional descriptive survey recruited 90 motorcycle taxi drivers in Mueang Songkhla district and Hatyai district. Data were collected by the questionnaire on smoking behavior, the Fagerstrom Test for Nicotine Dependence, and the readiness to quit ladder. These questionnaires had high internal consistency reliability (Cronbach's alpha coefficients of 0.859, 0.903 and 0.969, respectively). The data were analyzed by descriptive statistics and path analysis. Results: All participants were male. The majority were 51 - 60 years old, smoked no more than 10 cigarettes per day (52.2%), smoked daily (91.1%), and smoked at the motorcycle taxi queue (42.2%). Factors influencing smoking behavior and nicotine dependence level fit well with empirical data (χ2 = 19.558, df = 21, χ2/df = 0.931, P-value = 0.549, CFI = 1.000, TLI = 1.000, RMSEA < 0.001, SRMR = 0.057, R2 = 0.686). The smoking duration was influenced by age, health impact perception, and perception of the law prohibiting smoking. The quit attempt was influenced by perception of the law prohibiting smoking. The nicotine dependence level was influenced by smoking amount, the quit attempt, health problem or smoking related diseases, attitude towards smoking, and perception of the law prohibiting smoking. Conclusion: The results could be used as a guideline to develop a proper smoking cessation program for motorcycle taxi riders that focuses on awareness of the health issues, the law prohibiting smoking, and the negative attitude towards smoking. Keywords: path analysis, smoking behavior, nicotine dependence, motorcycle taxi drive

Tourism Carrying Capacity Toward Sustainable Tourism Development: A Case Study of Phuket World Class Destination

This study aims to seek a deeper understanding of tourism carrying capacity and tourism impacts in the case of a world-class travel destination such as Phuket, Thailand. A mixed-methods approach, combining qualitative and quantitative data collection, was adopted. 800 copies of the questionnaire were distributed to tourists in Phuket in order to measure the general tourism situation in Phuket and to investigate tourist satisfaction toward various tourism products and services. In-depth interviews were also conducted with both local Phuketians and local government members to explore Phuket tourism issues. It was found that tourism carrying capacity regarding the exploitation of resources (physical, environmental, social, and economic exploitation) exceeds the carrying capacity. Furthermore, it was determined that the recreation capacity of facilities poses a huge threat towards tourism. Several beaches in Phuket including Kamala and Rawai also welcomed a larger number of tourists than their physical carrying capacity. Moreover, results indicated a high cost of living in Phuket. The results have both theoretical and practical implications for sustainable tourism development in Phuket; the government sector, private sector, and public sector should make adjustments in their management direction as a first priority, in order to achieve the best response to the current needs of the people without diminishing the ability of people in the next generation to achieve their needs

กําลังรับแรงอัดและแรงดัดของทรายซีเมนต์เสริมเส้นใยปาล์ม

Cement is commonly used as a stabilizing agent to improve engineering properties of soils. However, the cement-treated soil exhibits more brittle behavior than non-treated soil. To overcome such a brittle nature of cement-treated soil, either natural or synthetic fiber have been included in cement-treated soil. In this research, the influence of palm fiber on the mechanical properties of cement-treated sand was investigated. A series of unconfined compression (UC) and flexural tests (FX) were conducted for different cement content (5 and 7%), fiber content (0.5, 1.0 and 2.0%) and fiber length (10, 20 and 40 mm). The results from the UC and FX tests indicated that the inclusion of fiber changed the brittle behaviour of cement-treated sand to a ductile behaviour and decreased the loss of post-peak strength. The compressive strength of cement-treated sand reinforced with fiber presented an initial increase followed by a decrease with increasing fiber content. The optimum fiber content was found to be 1.0%. The addition of fiber content slightly increased the flexural strength of cementtreated sand. However, the residual strength and toughness significantly increased with the increase in the fiber content. The equivalent flexural strength ratio (RT,150 D ) indicating the performance of fiber after cracking showed increase as the fiber increases. It was observed that the change of cement content slightly influenced on the value of RT,150 D . This indicated that the flexural performance of the cementtreated sand reinforced with fiber is controlled by the amount of fiber rather than the matrix strength

Associations between methamphetamine and alcohol use disorder, suicidal ideation, and lowered quality of life in methamphetamine users

Aim: There is a strong comorbidity between methamphetamine (MA) and alcohol use whereby MA use may contribute to increased alcohol consumption. This study aims to determine the associations between alcohol drinking and MA-associated behaviors among MA users in relation to mood disorders, suicidal ideation, and health-related quality of life (HR-QoL). Methods: Substance use characteristics were obtained in 106 participants with MA use at a substance abuse treatment center by using the Severity of Dependence Scale (SDS) and the Thai version of the Semi-Structured Assessment for Drug Dependence and Alcoholism (SSADDA). Current alcohol drinking behaviors were estimated using the Substance Outcomes Profile (SOP), which was developed and translated from the Treatment Outcomes Profile, by computing the number of alcohol units x days per month of alcohol use. The Mini-International Neuropsychiatric Interview (M.I.N.I.) was used to estimate lifetime histories of mood disorders and substance abuse and current suicidal ideation. Results: Current suicidal ideation in MA users is to a large extent predicted by the severity of current alcohol and MA use, female gender, and a lifetime history of mood disorders (major depression, dysthymia, and hypo-mania). Moreover, a lifetime history of mood disorders is positively associated with the severity of MA, but not with alcohol use. Partial least squares (PLS) path modeling shows that lowered HR-QoL in MA users is predicted by the SDS score and alcohol dosing (both inversely) and that lifetime diagnoses of mood disorders and MA use (both inversely) and alcohol dependence (positively) have significant effects on HR-QoL which are completely mediated via the SDS score. Conclusions: In MA users, the severity of dependence, and MA and/or alcohol use exert adverse effects on current suicidal ideation and HR-QoL. Mechanistic explanations are given which may explain the inverse associations between the severity of MA and alcohol use in MA abusers

pfmdr1 GENOTYPING AND IN VIVO MEFLOQUINE RESISTANCE ON THE THAI-MYANMAR BORDER

Molecular markers have been proposed as a method of monitoring malaria drug resistance and could potentially be used to prolong the life span of antimalarial drugs. Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the Plasmodium falciparum gene pfmdr1 and increased gene copy number have been associated with in vitro drug resistance but have not been well studied in vivo. In a prospective cohort study of malaria patients receiving mefloquine treatment on the Thai-Myanmar border, there was no significant association between either pfmdr1 SNPs or in vitro drug sensitivity and mefloquine resistance in vivo. Increased pfmdr1 gene copy number was significantly associated with recrudescence (relative risk 2.30, 95% CI 1.27–4.15). pfmdr1 gene copy number may be a useful surveillance tool for mefloquine-resistant falciparum malaria in Thailand

HEMATOLOGIC AND CLINICAL INDICES OF MALARIA IN A SEMI-IMMUNE POPULATION OF WESTERN THAILAND

This study examines hematologic profiles of persons with acute Plasmodium falciparum or P. vivax infection in Maesod on Thailand’s western border with Myanmar compared with febrile, non-parasitemic persons also reporting to malaria clinics. Nine hundred seventy-nine subjects were malaria-negative, 414 were infected with P. falciparum, and 646 were infected with P. vivax. Persons with patent parasitemia tended to have significantly lower white blood cell, red blood cell, platelet, and hemoglobin levels than those who were malaria-negative. For the first time, a parallel trend in thrombocytopenia with parasitemia was found to be associated with both P. falciparum, and P. vivax infection. Using logistic regression, persons with platelet counts < 150,000/µL were 12−15 times more likely to have malaria than persons with platelet counts ≥ 150,000/µL. This study supplements previous literature on the hematologic effects of malaria and helps define those alterations for a semi-immune population. Thrombocytopenia is identified as a key indicator of malaria in these febrile patients