Factors Influencing Members’ Perceptions of Success in Agricultural Cooperatives in Cambodia: A Case Study in Tram Kak District, Takeo Province

Without members’ satisfaction, agricultural cooperatives would not be successful or sustainable. This study aims to determine members’ satisfaction regarding the degree of success in agricultural cooperatives and the relationship with members’ socioeconomic factors. This study should contribute to identify appropriate policies for maintaining and improving agricultural cooperatives in Cambodia. The results show that providing more training could increase the perception of success regarding economic benefits, livestock technical improvements, and marketing information. Furthermore, providing rice bank services could increase the perception of success regarding economic benefits, livestock technical improvements, credit access, and satisfaction with services. Moreover, helping increase the paddy yield could result in greater satisfaction among members with the services provided. Key words: agricultural cooperatives, perception of success, multiple linear regression

The Impact of Market Competition on High-Speed Rail Service Quality: Does Monopoly Slow Down a Bullet Train?

When Japan National Railways (JNR) was privatized into six regionally monopolistic railway corporations in 1987, there emerged exceptional areas where the industrial structure of railway transportation happened to be duopolistic due to an operational reason. Leveraging on this natural experimental setting arising from the privatization of JNR, we estimate the impact of market competition on the service quality i.e., speed and scheduling of a high-speed rail (HSR) run by an oligopolistic service provider. The paper shows that the change in time costs is significantly lower in those segments where HSR is competing with a conventional rail, and that such effect is larger for the shorter-distance markets where the competition is presumably more intensive.This work is partly supported by the Ministry of Education of Japan Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research #24530295, 16K03628, 16H03610, 16H03673

The estimated GFR, but not the stage of diabetic nephropathy graded by the urinary albumin excretion, is associated with the carotid intima-media thickness in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus: a cross-sectional study

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>To study the relationship between the intima-media thickness (IMT) of the carotid artery and the stage of chronic kidney disease (CKD) based on the estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) and diabetic nephropathy graded by the urinary albumin excretion (UAE) in the patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>A cross-sectional study was performed in 338 patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus. The carotid IMT was measured using an ultrasonographic examination.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The mean carotid IMT was 1.06 ± 0.27 mm, and 42% of the subjects showed IMT thickening (≥ 1.1 mm). Cerebrovascular disease and coronary heart disease were frequent in the patients with IMT thickening. The carotid IMT elevated significantly with the stage progression of CKD (0.87 ± 0.19 mm in stage 1, 1.02 ± 0.26 mm in stage 2, 1.11 ± 0.26 mm in stage 3, and 1.11 ± 0.27 mm in stage 4+5). However, the IMT was not significantly different among the various stages of diabetic nephropathy. The IMT was significantly greater in the diabetic patients with hypertension compared to those without hypertension. The IMT positively correlated with the age, the duration of diabetes mellitus, and the brachial-ankle pulse wave velocities (baPWV), and negatively correlated with the eGFR. In a stepwise multivariate regression analysis, the eGFR and the baPWV were independently associated with the carotid IMT.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Our study is the first report showing a relationship between the carotid IMT and the renal parameters including eGFR and the stages of diabetic nephropathy with a confirmed association between the IMT and diabetic macroangiopathy. Our study further confirms the importance of intensive examinations for the early detection of atherosclerosis and positive treatments for hypertension, dyslipidaemia, obesity, as well as hyperglycaemia are necessary when a reduced eGFR is found in diabetic patients.</p

Long-term effect of metformin on blood glucose control in non-obese patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>We aimed to investigate the long-term effect of metformin on the blood glucose control in non-obese patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>A retrospective study was performed in 213 patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus under the administration of metformin for more than one year. The clinical parameters were investigated for 3 years. The obese and non-obese individuals were defined as a body mass index (BMI) of 25 kg/m²or over (<it>n </it>= 105) and a BMI of less than 25 kg/m²(<it>n </it>= 108), respectively.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>HbA1c levels were significantly decreased compared with those at the baseline time. The course of HbA1c was similar between the non-obese and the obese groups, while the dose of metformin required to control blood glucose was significantly lower in the non-obese group than in the obese group. The reductions in HbA1c were 1.2% and 1.1% at 12 months, 0.9% and 0.9% at 24 months, and 0.8% and 1.0% at 36 months in the non-obese and obese groups, respectively. BMI did not change during the observation periods. Approximately half of all patients required no additional antidiabetic agents or a reduction in other treatments after the initiation of metformin in either of the two groups.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>The present study demonstrated the long-term beneficial effect of metformin in non-obese (BMI < 25 kg/m²) diabetic patients. This effect appears to be maintained even after the observation period of this study, because metformin was limited to a relatively low dose in the non-obese group and the observed worsening in glycemic control over time can probably be attenuated by increasing the dose of metformin.</p

Fabrication of Planar Power Inductor for Embedded Passives in LSI Package for Hundreds Megahertz Switching DC–DC Buck Converter

Recently, research and development of integrated low-voltage dc-dc converter to LSIs has been active. In order to realize such integrated dc power supply, power magnetic devices must be integrated in it. The authors have fabricated planar power inductor embedded in LSI package for hundreds megahertz switching dc-dc buck converter. In this study, two types of planar power inductors have been fabricated: one was spin-sprayed Zn-ferrite thick film magnetic core inductor, and the other was composite magnetic core (Fe-based amorphous/polyimide) inductor. Footprint of the fabricated inductors was 850 x 850 mu m(2), their inductance was about 10 nH, and the quality factor Q was about 20 at 100 MHz. The rating current which depends on the superimposed dc characteristic was at least up to 2 A.ArticleIEEE TRANSACTIONS ON MAGNETICS. 47(10):3204-3207 (2011)journal articl

Hypertension resistant to antihypertensive agents commonly occurs with the progression of diabetic nephropathy in Japanese patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus: a prospective observational study

BACKGROUND: We investigated 1) the frequency of hypertension in patients with type 2 diabetes graded by the new classification of chronic kidney disease (CKD) reported by the Kidney Disease: Improving Global Outcomes (KDIGO) and 2) the number of antihypertensive agents needed to achieve treatment goals using a prospective observational study. METHODS: A population of 2018 patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus was recruited for the study. The CKD stage was classified according to the eGFR and the urinary albumin excretion levels. RESULTS: Hypertension was found in 1420 (70%) of the patients, and the proportion of subjects showing a blood pressure < 130/80 mmHg was 31% at the baseline. Although the mean blood pressure was approximately 130/75 mmHg, the rate of patients with a blood pressure of < 130/80 mmHg became limited to 41-50% during the observation period. The number of antihypertensive agents required for treatment was significantly higher at the endpoint (2.0 ± 1.3) than at the baseline (1.6 ± 1.2). Furthermore, it increased with the progression of the CKD stage at both the baseline and the endpoint of the observation. However, the frequency of subjects who did not achieve the blood pressure target was found to increase in the group demonstrating the later stage of CKD. CONCLUSIONS: Hypertension resistant to antihypertensive agents was common in the patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus and increased with the progression of CKD. Although powerful combination therapy using antihypertensive agents is considered necessary for the strict control of blood pressure, this became difficult in individuals who were in advanced stages as graded based on the eGFR and the urinary albumin excretion levels

Fabrication of Planar Power Inductor for Embedded Passives in LSI Package for Hundreds Megahertz Switching DC-DC Buck Converter

Recently, research and development of integrated low-voltage dc-dc converter to LSIs has been active. In order to realize such integrated dc power supply, power magnetic devices must be integrated in it. The authors have fabricated planar power inductor embedded in LSI package for hundreds megahertz switching dc-dc buck converter. In this study, two types of planar power inductors have been fabricated: one was spin-sprayed Zn-ferrite thick film magnetic core inductor, and the other was composite magnetic core (Fe-based amorphous/polyimide) inductor. Footprint of the fabricated inductors was 850 x 850 mu m(2), their inductance was about 10 nH, and the quality factor Q was about 20 at 100 MHz. The rating current which depends on the superimposed dc characteristic was at least up to 2 A.ArticleIEEE TRANSACTIONS ON MAGNETICS. 47(10):3204-3207 (2011)journal articl

To Help or Ostracize? the Victims of Unexploded Ordnance from the Vietnam War in Northern Lao

Lao PDR inherited from the Vietnam war the most unexploded ordnance (UXO) contamination per capita in the world. Casualties still amount and even the survivors suffer serious disability. Recently, villagers are seriously injured and disabled by UXO in a village called Phonxay in northern Lao near the Vietnam border. As a small step in devouring causation between the heritage of Vietnam war and the affected people’s livelihood and wellbeing, this short paper aims to identify a causal relationship between UXO impacts and intra-village inter-household trade of locally produced products by using primary data obtained in this UXO-contaminated remote village. The paper identifies that the UXO-affected households give and receive significantly smaller amount of locally-produced commodities to/from others. This negative impact of disability on within-community trade suggests that, in the UXO-affected village it is difficult to expect autonomous cooperation and support for those disabled villagers from others; in other words, they are economically ostracized.This work is partly supported by Japan Society for the Promotion of Science Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research #16H05704