Khon Kaen University

Understanding how farmers adapt to climate change requires tools that capture livelihood diversity and unequal access to resources particularly in drought-affected regions. This study presents the first application of a Sustainable Livelihood Framework (SLF)–based typology to assess farmers’ adaptive capacity in Thailand. Data from 154 rice-farming households in Khon Kaen Province, Northeast Thailand, were analyzed using 22 expert-weighted indicators across five livelihood capital domains to construct an Adaptive Capacity Index (ACI). K-means clustering revealed three distinct groups: Water-Secure Diversified (26 %), Moderately-Resourced Adaptors (41.6 %), and Rain-fed Vulnerable (32.5 %). Key differentiators among the groups include access to irrigation, financial diversification, and adaptive water management. The Water-Secure group demonstrates a pathway of accumulation through diversified assets and irrigation, whereas the Rain-fed group remains trapped by limited capital and exposure to drought risk. These results highlight that adaptive capacity depends on the interaction rather than the quantity of livelihood capitals. Beyond Thailand, this SLF-based typology may offer useful insights for identifying farmer groups and informing adaptation policies in other drought-affected regions with comparable livelihood structures.

The study addressed how a NeuroReading-based teaching model through an educational Inequality context (Neuro-RI model) can be designed and evaluated to enhance attention, working memory, and reading skills in disadvantaged contexts. This study designed and developed the Neuro-RI model to enhance attention, working memory, and Thai reading skills among sixth-grade students in disadvantaged contexts. Conducted using the Educational Design Research (EDR) methodology, the study comprised three phases: analysis and exploration of stakeholder perspectives; model design and construction; and model evaluation and reflection. Data was collected through focus group discussions with 73 stakeholders, including students, parents, and educational professionals, and the model was piloted with 23 students. Additionally, the model was implemented with another group of 23 students. The quantitative assessment used repeated measures of attention, working memory, and reading skills, while qualitative data collected through structured observations and focus groups were analyzed via content analysis. Findings demonstrated significant improvements in attention, working memory, and reading skills, affirming the model's effectiveness in addressing cognitive gaps common in disadvantaged settings. Additionally, the study highlighted challenges tied to educational inequality and minimal access to cognitive development resources in under-resourced environments. This research underscores the Neuro-RI model's potential as a neuroscience-informed, strategic teaching approach to support equitable cognitive and reading skill development across diverse educational contexts. The model's adaptability offers promise for broader implementation, with significant implications for reducing educational disparities and promoting equity in learning outcomes. The findings of this study demonstrate that the Neuro-RI model is effective in enhancing attention, working memory, and Thai reading skills among Grade 6 students in educationally disadvantaged contexts in Thailand. These results should be interpreted primarily within the specific sociocultural, economic, and policy conditions of the Thai educational system. Caution is therefore warranted in extending the findings beyond this context. While the Neuro-RI model may offer conceptual insights into other high-inequality settings, such transferability should be regarded as theoretical rather than empirical and requires further context-sensitive investigation. From an EDR perspective, the Neuro-RI model is best understood as a context-responsive design case that contributes locally grounded design knowledge rather than a universally generalized intervention. • The Neuro-RI innovative model enhances attention, memory, and reading for underprivileged students. • The study uses Educational Design Research (EDR) to tailor the model to Thai educational needs. • Sequential neurological strategies improve language and cognitive ability skills. • Significant improvements observed in attention, working memory, and reading skills. • Model provides scalable solutions of a modified neuroreading approach for equitable education in low-resource settings.

Cardiac valve surgery is associated with significant postoperative morbidity and mortality. This study evaluated the impact of intraoperative hemodynamic optimization using FloTrac/EV1000 on postoperative outcomes in patients undergoing cardiac valve surgery. In this single-center, prospective, randomized controlled trial, 82 patients undergoing elective cardiac valve surgery were randomly allocated to either FloTrac/EV1000 management (EV1000 group, n = 42) or conventional management (Control group, n = 40). The primary outcome was ICU length of stay. Secondary outcomes included mechanical ventilation duration, hospital length of stay, vasoactive drug requirements, fluid balance, and postoperative complications. The EV1000 group had significantly shorter ICU (30.2%) and hospital (13.6%) stay (p = 0.007 and 0.047, respectively) compared to the Control group. The EV1000 group required more vasoactive drugs during pre-bypass (p = 0.018) but fewer before ICU transfer (p = 0.003) and during their ICU stay (p < 0.05). The incidence of postoperative ventricular fibrillation (0 vs. 15.0%, p = 0.011), bradycardia (11.9 vs. 35.0%, p = 0.016), atrial fibrillation with rapid ventricular response (14.3 vs. 25.0%, p = 0.032), acute respiratory distress syndrome (0 vs. 5.0%, p = 0.045), and acute kidney injury (0 vs. 5.0%, p = 0.045) was lower in the EV1000 group. Goal-directed hemodynamic management using FloTrac/EV1000 monitoring in cardiac valve surgery was associated with shorter ICU and hospital length of stay, reduced postoperative vasoactive drug requirements, and fewer postoperative complications compared with conventional management. Whether this benefit derives from the monitoring technology, the structured hemodynamic algorithm, or their combination warrants confirmation in future multicenter trials. Trial registration: NCT04292951 (The full date of first registration on https://ClinicalTrials.gov: March 1, 2020).

Fluoride shuttle batteries (FSBs) are promising energy-storage systems, because of their exceptionally high theoretical energy densities, based on multielectron metal fluoride redox chemistry. However, their practical development has been hindered by the low activity of fluoride ions in liquid electrolytes, originating from the poor solubility of fluoride salts and excessive fluoride complexation by anion acceptors. Here, we demonstrate that potassium tetrafluoroborate (KBF4), a simple and inexpensive inorganic salt, functions as an effective fluoride activity modulator in tetraglyme-based electrolytes. The introduction of KBF4 into a CsF–G4 electrolyte increases the dissolved Cs concentration, indicating promoted dissociation of CsF without strong fluoride immobilization. Cyclic voltammetry reveals a wide electrochemical stability window, while reversible fluorination and defluorination of bismuth electrodes are clearly demonstrated. Galvanostatic cycling of BiF3 composite electrodes showed well-defined charge plateaus at −0.75 V vs ref. This is more negative than the previously reported value with electrolytes using organic anion acceptors. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy–energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy analyses confirm the reversible Bi0 ⇄ BiF3 conversion reaction during cycling. These results establish KBF4 as a chemically robust, low-cost inorganic additive that enables effective fluoride-ion transport by regulating fluoride activity rather than maximizing complexation. In this paper, we introduce an electrolyte design strategy for practical liquid-electrolyte FSBs based on minimal and scalable inorganic chemistry.

Neonatal jaundice is most commonly caused by blood group incompatibility but may also result from hereditary elliptocytosis (HE) associated with heterozygous SPTB mutations. A retrospective descriptive study was conducted among 1,584 neonates presenting with jaundice over a 3-year period. Seventy-six neonates (4.8%) were diagnosed with HE, all carrying heterozygous SPTB mutations (Providence variant, n = 67; Buffalo variant, n = 9). Five had coexisting hemoglobinopathies. Early-onset jaundice occurred in 71 patients, with a median onset of 38 h. Peak total bilirubin levels ranged from 12.2 to 22.3 mg/dL. Most neonates required single phototherapy; seven required double phototherapy, and none underwent exchange transfusion. Anemia developed in 23 patients, of whom 17 required red cell transfusion. HE is an under-recognized cause of early-onset neonatal jaundice and anemia. Despite early hyperbilirubinemia, most neonates have a benign clinical course with minimal long-term complications and infrequent need for transfusion.