NEW AGE ROBOTICS: IMPLICATIONS FOR A BLOCKCHAIN INTEGRATED PROTOTYPE FOR EDUCATION

In the 21st century, the rapid expansion of automated robots and intelligent devices in industries such as manufacturing, production, healthcare, and education ushered in the era of digital informatics. However, the emergence of a new era of robotics has presented significant security challenges in the supply chain of manufacturers, users, and data exchange between these smart devices, making them attractive targets for cybercriminals. This paper proposes the development of a new-age robotics prototype and a conceptual three-level framework for robotics prototypes by integrating blockchain technology with the robot order, ownership, and robot-to-robot communication processes. The objective was to provide a model for the safe development and use of robots with secure access to internal data with educational implications. The researchers adapted a prefabricated robot prototype for the ESP32 family of microcontroller boards and Raspberry Pi Pico as the receiver to accomplish this. Due to the large number of pins, the ESP32 board was used for the values from the primary sensors, while the Raspberry Pi Pico board was used for components that required precision and stable operation. Using an encryption mechanism with a hash function in conjunction with uploading the command set from the factory to the robot, the robotics prototype of the twenty-first century was able to secure instructions and data effectively. This also encrypted the owner's command set, including encrypted robot-to-robot communication, and divided the operation into three parts, making it simple to update the robot with new information. This mechanism could be combined with a language for creating Internet of Things (IoT) devices, such as MicroPython. The robotics prototype was implemented in education through the testing and evaluation of a pilot prototype by students, who reported high levels of satisfaction, improved academic performance, and acquired artificial intelligence (AI) skills. Lastly, the robotics prototype could serve as a blueprint for future innovation-generating research

Socio-Economic Resilience to Floods in Coastal Areas of Thailand

Krabi and Nakhon Si Thammarat are two coastal provinces in Thailand facing substantial threats from climate change induced hydrometeorological hazards, including enhanced coastal erosion and flooding. Human populations and livelihoods in these coastal provinces are at greater risk than those in inland provinces. However, little is known about the communities’ resilience and coping capacities regarding hydrometeorological hazards of varying magnitudes. The study conducted a quantitative socio-economic assessment of how people in Krabi and Nakhon Si Thammarat provinces manage and respond to hydrometeorological hazards, examining their resilience and coping capacities. This was a cross-sectional study based on secondary data collection on the social and economic dimensions of resilience, and a review of literature on coping mechanisms to hydrometeorological hazards within the study area. Measuring and mapping socio-economic resilience was based on the available data gathered from the social and economic dimensions, with existing or standard indicators on exposure and vulnerability applied uniformly across subdistricts. A combination of social and economic dimensions produced novel socio-economic resilience index scores by subdistrict, which were mapped accordingly for the two coastal provinces. The study also derived a coping capacity index scores by combining availability of skills or soft capacity and availability of structural resources or hard coping capacity. Socio-economic resilience index scores varied greatly amongst subdistricts. Combining the soft and hard coping capacities, the average score across districts in both provinces was 3 out of a possible 4, meaning that most of the districts were largely resilient. However, variations also existed by subdistrict. Few subdistricts in both Krabi and Nakhon Si Thammarat provinces had low coping capacity index scores between 1 and 2 out of 4. District averages of socio-economic resilience scores mask the variations at subdistrict level. More studies with rigorous methodologies at village or neighborhood level is needed to obtain a nuanced understanding of community resilience to hydrometeorological hazards

The Result of Stress Management Program in Freshman Nursing Students

This quasi-experimental research aimed to study stress level and the result of stress management program of freshmen nursing students. Simple random sampling technique was used to select 60 freshmen nursing students. They are divided equally into control group and intervention group. Stress management program was developed by investigators and implemented in the intervention group for 3 weeks. Stress level was assessed in both groups before and after the implementation in the intervention group by using Suanprung Stress Test-20 which is a standardized test with Cronbach’s Alpha of .87. Descriptive and Independent t-test were performed in statistical analysis. The results revealed that high level of stress in both groups (p < .05) before the intervention. However, the stress level of freshmen students who receive stress management program in the intervention group decreases (t = 2.20, p < .05). These findings suggest that instructors and administrators should develop and promote mental health activities for nursing students

Assessing Coastal Vulnerability to Climate Change: A Case Study of Nakhon Si Thammarat and Krabi

Climate change is increasingly impacting both environments and human communities. Coastal regions in Thailand are experiencing more severe impacts, which vary based on the unique physical and socio-economic characteristics of each area. To assess the vulnerability of coastal regions in Thailand, this study focused on two provinces, Nakhon Si Thammarat (NST) and Krabi, each representing distinct coastal environments. NST, situated on the Gulf of Thailand’s east coast, has an agriculture-based economy, while Krabi, on the Andaman Sea’s west coast, relies heavily on tourism. The study utilized a multi-criteria decision analysis approach (MCDA) and GIS to analyze the Coastal Vulnerability Index at the sub-district level. The results revealed that, although NST was more vulnerable than Krabi to socio-economic factors such as the poverty rate and the number of fishery households, Krabi was much more vulnerable in the physical environment, including wave height, tidal level, coastal erosion, and slope. However, overall, Krabi exhibited high to the highest levels of coastal vulnerability, while NST displayed moderate to high levels. These findings provide valuable insights for policymakers and government agencies, aiding in the development of strategies to mitigate vulnerability and enhance the quality of life for local residents in both province