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Publication Open Access Factors affecting computer game addiction and mental health of male adolescents in Mueang District, Si Sa Ket Province(2008) Supaket, P; Munsawaengsub, C; Chokchai Munsawaengsub; Nanthamongkolchai, S; Sutham Nanthamongkolchai; Apinuntavech, S; โชคชัย หมั่นแสวงทรัพย์; สุธรรม นันทมงคลชัย. The study suggests that the family should set up the computer in a common room so that the parents can observe and participate; in order to interrupt their children from playing unwholesome games. The family should make friends with their child’s peerPublication Open Access Quality of intrapartum care by skilled birth attendants in a refugee clinic on the Thai-Myanmar border: a survey using WHO Safe Motherhood Needs Assessment(2015) Gabie Hoogenboom; Thwin, May Myo; Kris Velink; Marijke Baaijens; Prakaykaew Charrunwatthana; François Nosten; Rose McGready; Mahidol University. Faculty of Tropical Medicine. Mahidol-Oxford Tropical Medicine Research UnitBackground: Increasing the number of women birthing with skilled birth attendants (SBAs) as one of the strategies to reduce maternal mortality and morbidity must be partnered with a minimum standard of care. This manuscript describes the quality of intrapartum care provided by SBAs in Mae La camp, a low resource, protracted refugee context on the Thai-Myanmar border. Methods: In the obstetric department of Shoklo Malaria Research Unit (SMRU) the standardized WHO Safe Motherhood Needs Assessment tool was adapted to the setting and used: to assess the facility; interview SBAs; collect data from maternal records during a one year period (August 2007 – 2008); and observe practice during labour and childbirth. Results: The facility assessment recorded no ‘out of stock’ or ‘out of date’ drugs and supplies, equipment was in operating order and necessary infrastructure e.g. a stand-by emergency car, was present. Syphilis testing was not available. SBA interviews established that danger signs and symptoms were recognized except for sepsis and endometritis. All SBAs acknowledged receiving theoretical and ‘hands-on’ training and regularly attended deliveries. Scores for the essential elements of antenatal care from maternal records were high (>90%) e.g. providing supplements, recording risk factors as well as regular and correct partogram use. Observed good clinical practice included: presence of a support person; active management of third stage; post-partum monitoring; and immediate and correct neonatal care. Observed incorrect practice included: improper controlled cord traction; inadequate hand washing; an episiotomy rate in nulliparous women 49% (34/70) and low rates 30% (6/20) of newborn monitoring in the first hours following birth. Overall observed complications during labour and birth were low with post-partum haemorrhage being the most common in which case the SBAs followed the protocol but were slow to recognize severity and take action. Conclusions: In the clinic of SMRU in Mae La refugee camp, SBAs were able to comply with evidence-based guidelines but support to improve quality of care in specific areas is required. The structure of the WHO Safe Motherhood Needs Assessment allowed significant insights into the quality of intrapartum care particularly through direct observation, identifying a clear pathway for quality improvement.Publication Open Access Assessing the role of undetected colonization and isolation precautions in reducing methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus transmission in intensive care units(2010-02) Kypraios, Theodore; O'Neill, Philip D.; Huang, Susan S.; Rifas-Shiman, Sheryl L.; Cooper, Ben S; Kypraios, Theodore; Mahidol University. Faculty of Tropical Medicinesingle-bed adult intensive care units (ICUs) over 17 months. Detected MRSA-positive patients were isolated using single rooms and barrier precautions. Data were analyzed using stochastic transmission models and model fitting was performed within aPublication Open Access Development of piezoelectric DNA-based biosensor for direct detection of mycobacterium tuberculosis in clinical specimens(2010) Thongchai Kaewphinit; Somchai Santiwatanakul; Chamras Promptmas; Kosum ChansiriThis study was focused on establishment of piezoelectric biosensor for direct detection of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB) in clinical specimens. The quartz crystal immobilized via 3-mercaptopropionic acid (MPA)/avidin/DNA biotinylated probe on gold surface and hybridization of the DNA target to DNA biotinylated probe. The optimal concentration of MPA, avidin and 5’-biotinylated DNA probe for immobilization of specific DNA probe on gold surface were 15 mM, 0.1 mg/ml and 1.5 μM, respectively. The detection of genomic DNA digestion in the range from 0.5 to 30 μg/ml. The fabricated biosensor was evaluated through an examination of 200 samples. No cross hybridization were observed against M. avium complex (MAC) and other microorganism. This target DNA preparation without amplification will reduce time consuming, costs, and the tedious step of amplification. This study can be extended to develop the new method which is high sensitivity, specificity, cheap, easy to use, and rapid for detection of MTB in many fields.Publication Open Access Sound absorption capacity of Oil Palm Frond Fiberboard with different finishing(2010-04) Tanasri Sihabut; Nikhom Laemsak; Mahidol University. Faculty of Environment and Natural Resource StudiesThis research studied primarily the sound absorption of oil palm frond fiberboard with different finishing, i.e. rough, screen and perforated surfaces. All boards confirmed that the higher the frequencies, the better the sound absorption coefficients. Although the density of the samples with rough surface was the lowest, their sound absorption capacity was the highest at every measured octave band frequencies. Perforated samples showed the better sound absorption coefficients than the ones with screen surface. When comparing their sound absorption coefficients with those of the sound absorbing materials in commercial use, oil palm frond fiberboards generally showed a better sound absorption capacity.Publication Open Access Primaquine: the risks and the benefits(2014) Ashley, Elizabeth A; Judith Recht; White, Nicholas J; Mahidol University. Faculty of Tropical Medicine. Mahidol-Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unitlow dose (0.25 mg base/kg) to block falciparum malaria transmission confers a very low risk of haemolytic toxicity.Publication Open Access นโยบายสาธารณะในการควบคุมเครื่องดื่มที่มีแอลกอฮอล์(2559) นิทัศน์ ศิริโชติรัตน์; Nithat Sirichotiratana; มหาวิทยาลัยมหิดล. คณะสาธารณสุขศาสตร์. ภาควิชาบริหารงานสาธารณสุขในการกำหนดนโยบายที่มีประสิทธิผลเพื่อลดการบริโภคเครื่องดื่มแอลกอฮอล์ จำเป็นที่ จะต้องศึกษาประวัติความเป็นมาของอุตสาหกรรมเครื่องดื่มแอลกอฮอล์ ซึ่งมีพลังอำนาจของ องค์กรธุรกิจมหาศาล เมื่อพิจารณาการดำเนินการของอุตสาหกรรมเครื่องดื่มที่มีแอลกอฮอล์ใน ฐานะองค์กรธุรกิจแล้ว หลักการทางด้านสาธารณสุขไม่สามารถแยกออกจากการเมือง เศรษฐกิจ และสังคม จะเห็นได้ชัดเจนว่านโยบายต่างๆ ทางเศรษฐกิจในระดับนานาชาติมีการจำกัด ความสามารถของชาติต่างๆ และของรัฐบาลท้องถิ่นเป็นอย่างมาก ที่จะควบคุมการบริโภคเครื่องดื่ม แอลกอฮอล์และปัญหาที่ตามมา และแทบจะไม่มีการดำเนินการใดๆ ในระดับนานาชาติซึ่งจะเอื้อให้ รัฐบาลต่างๆ มีความสามารถที่จะควบคุมปัญหาต่างๆ จากการบริโภคเครื่องดื่มแอลกอฮอล์ ถึงแม้ว่าข้อตกลงการค้าระหว่างประเทศและความตกลงด้านเศรษฐกิจจำกัดความสามารถของ รัฐบาลที่จะดำเนินการมาตรการต่างๆ ในการควบคุมผลิตภัณฑ์เครื่องดื่มแอลกอฮอล์ ประเทศต่างๆ และองค์กรสุขภาพนานาชาติยังมีโอกาสและความเป็นไปได้มากมายที่จะลดอันตรายจากการ บริโภคผลิตภัณฑ์เครื่องดื่มแอลกอฮอล์ซึ่งในปัจจุบันอาจจะยังไม่ได้ใช้โอกาสเหล่านั้นอย่างเต็มที่ เท่าที่ควรPublication Open Access Ex-vivo cytoadherence phenotypes of Plasmodium falciparum strains from Malian children with hemoglobins A,S, and C.(2014-03-19) Beaudry, Jeanette T.; Krause, Michael A.; Diakite, Seidina A. S.; Fay, Michael P.; Joshi, Gyan; Diakite, Mahamadou; White, Nicholas J.; Fairhurst, Rick M.; Fairhurst, Rick M.; Mahidol University. Faculty of Tropical Medicine. Mahidol-Oxford Tropical Diseases Research Unit.Sickle hemoglobin (Hb) S and HbC may protect against malaria by reducing the expression of Plasmodium falciparum erythrocyte membrane protein 1 (PfEMP1) on the surface of parasitized red blood cells (RBCs), thereby weakening their cytoadherence to microvascular endothelial cells (MVECs) and impairing their activation of MVECs to produce pathological responses. Therefore, we hypothesized that parasites causing malaria in HbAS or HbAC heterozygotes have overcome this protective mechanism by expressing PfEMP1 variants which mediate relatively strong binding to MVECs. To test this hypothesis, we performed 31 cytoadherence comparisons between parasites from HbAA and HbAS (or HbAC) Malian children with malaria. Ring-stage parasites from HbAA and HbAS (or HbAC) children were cultivated to trophozoites, purified, and then inoculated in parallel into the same wildtype uninfected RBCs. After one cycle of invasion and maturation to the trophozoite stage expressing PfEMP1, parasite strains were compared for binding to MVECs. In this assay, there were no significant differences in the binding of parasites from HbAS and HbAC children to MVECs compared to those from HbAA children (HbAS, fold-change = 1.46, 95% CI 0.97-2.19, p = 0.07; HbAC, fold-change = 1.19, 95% CI 0.77-1.84, p = 0.43). These data suggest that in-vitro reductions in cytoadherence by HbS and HbC may not be selecting for expression of high-avidity PfEMP1 variants in vivo. Future studies that identify PfEMP1 domains or amino-acid motifs which are selectively expressed in parasites from HbAS children may provide further insights into the mechanism of malaria protection by the sickle-cell trait.Publication Open Access Risky alcohol use among reproductive-age men, not women, in Mae La refugee camp, Thailand, 2009(2012) Ezard, Nadine; Supan Thiptharakun; Nosten, François; Rhodes, Tim; McGready, Rose; Mahidol University. Faculty of Tropical Medicine. Mahidol–Oxford Clinical Research UnitBackground: Globally, alcohol use contributes to close to 4% of all deaths and is a leading cause of ill health and premature death among men of reproductive age. Problem alcohol use is an unaddressed public health issue among populations displaced by conflict. Assessing the magnitude of the problem and identifying affected groups and risk behaviours is difficult in mobile and unstable populations. Methods: From 15–28 December 2009 we conducted a simple rapid screening test of risky alcohol use using the single item modified Short Assessment Screening Questionnaire (mSASQ) by all women currently enrolled in the antenatal care clinic in Mae La refugee camp, a long standing displaced setting on the Thai Burma border. Women self- reported and gave a secondary report of their male partners. Gender differences in alcohol use were further explored in semi-structured interviews with camp residents on attitudes, behaviours, and beliefs regarding alcohol and analysed thematically. Results: Of 636 women screened in the antenatal clinic, almost none (0.2%, 95CI 0.0-0.9%) reported risky alcohol use prior to pregnancy, whereas around a quarter (24.4%, 95CI 21.2-27.9%) reported risky alcohol use by their male partners. Interviews with 97 camp residents described strong social controls against women’s alcohol use and men’s drinking to intoxication, despite a dominant perception that the social context of life in displacement promoted alcohol use and that controls are loosening. Conclusions: As a stigmatised behaviour, alcohol use is difficult to assess, particularly in the context of highly mobile adult male populations: the simple assessment methods here show that it is feasible to obtain adequate data for the purposes of intervention design. The data suggest that risky drinking is common and normalised among men, but that the population may have been partially protected from rapid rises in problem alcohol use observed in nation-wide data from Thailand. The changing social context contains vulnerabilities that might promote problem alcohol use: further investigation, ongoing monitoring, and development of targeted interventions are warranted.Publication Open Access Effects of thymidine phosphorylase on tumor aggressiveness and 5-fluorouracil sensitivity in cholangiocarcinoma(2010) Jongkonnee Thanasai; Temduang Limpaiboon; Patcharee Jearanaikoon; Banchob Sripa; Chawalit Pairojkul; Srisurang Tantimavanich,; Masanao MiwaAIM: To evaluate the role of thymidine phosphorylase (TP) in cholangiocarcinoma using small interfering RNA (siRNA). METHODS: A human cholangiocarcinoma-derived cell line KKU-M139, which has a naturally high level of endogenous TP, had TP expression transiently knocked down using siRNA. Cell growth, migration, in vitro angiogenesis, apoptosis, and cytotoxicity were assayed in TP knockdown and wild-type cell lines. RESULTS: TP mRNA and protein expression were decreased by 87.1% ± 0.49% and 72.5% ± 3.2%, respectively, compared with control cells. Inhibition of TP significantly decreased migration of KKU-M139, and suppressed migration and tube formation of human umbilical vein endothelial cells. siRNA also reduced the ability of TP to resist hypoxia-induced apoptosis, while suppression of TP reduced the sensitivity of KKU-M139 to 5-fluorouracil. CONCLUSION: Inhibition of TP may be beneficial in decreasing angiogenesis-dependent growth and migration of cholangiocarcinoma but may diminish the response to 5-fluorouracil chemotherapy.