Payap University

Against the backdrop of China’s “Dual Carbon” objectives and the global imperative for sustainable development, this study investigates the environmental implications of Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) investments in heavily polluting industries in China. Drawing upon a sample of A-share listed companies between 2015 and 2024, the Huazheng ESG Rating Index, and key environmental performance indicators including air pollutant emission intensity, clean energy consumption ratio, and carbon emission intensity a fixed-effects model is employed to examine the relationship. The empirical results demonstrate that ESG investments significantly mitigate both air pollutant and carbon emission intensities, while simultaneously fostering the adoption of clean energy. Quantitatively, a one-unit rise in the Huazheng ESG score is associated with a 0.178-log-point (~18%) reduction in SO₂ emission intensity, a 2.298 percentage-point increase in the clean-energy consumption ratio, and a 0.210-log-point (~21%) reduction in CO₂ emission intensity (all p < 0.01), with stronger effects under tighter environmental regulation and greater industrial upgrading. Furthermore, the moderating roles of governmental environmental regulation and industrial upgrading are found to reinforce these effects. This study contributes to the growing body of evidence supporting ESG as a mechanism for advancing pollution reduction and carbon abatement, and it offers actionable implications for policymakers and corporate stakeholders in guiding China’s transition toward a green economy.

BackgroundFalls are the second leading cause of unintentional injury-related deaths globally, causing approximately 684,000 deaths annually, with over 80% occurring in low- and middle-income countries. In rural Thailand, older adults are especially vulnerable due to limited access to healthcare, rehabilitation services, and safe home environments. Despite their impact, falls are often overlooked in injury prevention, particularly in resource-limited settings.ObjectivesThis initiative aimed to reduce fall-related risks among older adults in rural Thailand through: (1) training Village Health Volunteers (VHVs) in the use of the CDC’s STEADI tool for fall risk screening and early intervention; (2) equipping VHVs to conduct home safety assessments and implement personalized fall prevention strategies; and (3) promoting social connection and health literacy through community activities, including intergenerational fall prevention fairs.ResultsTwelve VHVs completed online STEADI-based training adapted to the local context. Over one month, they conducted 439 home visits across rural Chiang Mai, identifying risks and delivering targeted interventions. Two fall prevention fairs, held in collaboration with international high school students, encouraged intergenerational engagement and public awareness. The program improved perceptions of safety, increased health knowledge, and reinforced VHVs’ roles as trusted public health agents.ConclusionTraining VHVs in evidence-based fall prevention is a scalable, cost-effective strategy to reduce injuries and promote healthy aging in low-resource communities. This model highlights the value of early intervention, local leadership, and social connection in strengthening community resilience.Key messages• Empowering Village Health Volunteers with fall prevention training and tools like STEADI enables early intervention, home safety assessments, and injury reduction among older adults in limited-resource rural communities.• Community engagement through intergenerational activities and fall prevention fairs fosters social connection, combats isolation, and promotes emotional well-being among older adults in resource-limited settings.TopicFall prevention, healthy aging, social connection

Human serum albumin,the most abundant plasma protein, plays vitalroles in maintaining oncotic pressure, modulates drugs pharmacokineticsand pharmacodynamics, and features antioxidant and enzyme-like properties.This protein also exhibits high-affinity binding to a wide range ofendogenous and exogenous molecules. Combined with its excellent solubility,biocompatibility, biodegradability, low toxicity, and nonimmunogenicity,these properties make human serum albumin an attractive platform forbiomedical applications, particularly in drug delivery. This studyreports a detailed physicochemical characterization of human serumalbumin microparticles obtained via the coprecipitation-cross-linking-dissolutionmethod. The resulting submicron particles are peanut-shaped, exhibituniform morphology, and show robust mechanical properties, includinghigh stiffness and colloidal stability. However, we observed thatthe microparticle agglomeration process induces significant structuralchanges in the protein. Notably, Raman and FTIR spectroscopies highlighteda partial switch from α-helices to β-sheets secondarystructure, which leads to diminished HSA binding capability as heredemonstrated in the case of hemin. This trade-off between mechanicalintegrity and biological activity poses challenges for applicationsrequiring native protein interactions, such as the HSA-dependent efficientdrug binding and controlled release. Conversely, the reduced bindingcapability of HSA molecules localized on the surface of MPs impliesthat these HSA-MPs cannot bind to plasma ligands (e.g., drugs, heme,bacteria toxins). This prevents unwanted ligands from being transportedto cellular targets, ensuring that only those located within the HSA-MPare transported. Our findings open new avenues for engineering microsystemsthat could couple the structural resilience of these microparticleswith restored functional surfaces.

In Hindu tradition, the syllable "OM" holds significant spiritual and cultural value in Hindu tradition and is believed to produce positive psychological and physiological effects. Despite its prominence in spiritual practices, the neurophysiological basis for these benefits remains underexplored. In this study, electroencephalography (EEG), a non-invasive method for measuring electrical activity in the cerebral cortex, was employed to investigate the physical changes in brain wave patterns that occur when listening to OM chanting. Five frequency bands, namely delta, theta, alpha, beta, and gamma, are associated with brainwaves recorded through EEG, which define different states of cognitive and emotional nature. With these, this research analyzes EEG signals before and after chanting to identify and quantify changes, and to discuss the therapeutic implications. Several signal processing techniques, such as time and frequency domain analysis, assess variations in amplitude, frequency, and coherence across different brain regions. These findings show an increase in alpha amplitudes (34.2%) and an 85.4% improvement in the theta/beta ratio, related to relaxation, emotional regulation, and additional focus, as well as a decrease in beta waves, linked to stress and cognitive overload. This would show stronger neural integration between the brain hemispheres. The OM chanting evoked these results as a possible neurotherapeutic tool for stress management and cognitive enhancement. In bridging ancient spiritual practices with modern neuroscience, this study provides information on how such seemingly nonsensical meditations as OM chanting can enhance brain function, which is favorable for the third Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) of the United Nations, regarding the goal of healthy life and wellbeing throughout all ages. Further research should be done into these effects in different populations and over long periods to confirm that this is a long-term therapeutic effect.

This chapter examines the evolving landscape of translation pedagogy, highlighting the shift from traditional methodologies to innovative practices shaped by technological advancements and a deeper understanding of multilingual contexts. Through a systematic literature review, we analyze trends from 2018 to 2025, with a particular emphasis on how translation technology is reshaping teaching methodologies, the challenges related to trainer preparedness, curriculum adaptability, learner engagement, and attitudes toward translation. Additionally, we offer recommendations for the meaningful integration of technology within educational frameworks. The chapter culminates in a call for culturally inclusive and ethically grounded pedagogical practices, urging a transition from an emphasis on linguistic accuracy to one focused on critical engagement with translation tools. This approach aims to foster a comprehensive educational experience that equips students for success in a diverse, multilingual world.

This chapter presents a comparative analysis of the development and professionalization of conference interpreting in Southeast Asia, focusing on Thailand, Vietnam, and Malaysia. It examines the historical, institutional, and sociocultural factors that have shaped distinct national trajectories, highlighting Malaysia's association-mediated maturity, Vietnam's state-integrated model, and Thailand's market-driven fragmentation. The discussion also addresses ongoing challenges related to professional standing, compensation, and the integration of technology, including AI and Remote Simultaneous Interpreting (RSI). Additionally, the chapter evaluates existing certification standards and training programs. By synthesizing these elements, it provides a comparative perspective on interpreter professionalism in emerging countries. The chapter offers evidence-based recommendations for professional advocacy, curriculum development, and policy changes aimed at enhancing the sustainability, quality, and recognition of the interpreting profession in the region.

This study investigates COVID-19’s impact on quality of life (COVID-19 QoL) via its effect on employee creativity performance in Thailand and Bangladesh, drawing on Terror Management Theory. Data were collected from 491 full-time employees (Thailand: 208; Bangladesh: 283). A positive relationship was found between the creative environment and employee’s creativity performance (β = .308, p < .01). In addition, COVID-19 QoL exerted a negative moderating effect on the relationship between the creative environment and employee’s creativity performance (β = −.092, p < .05), but this effect varied between Thailand and Bangladesh. In Bangladesh, COVID-19 QoL amplified the negative impact on creativity performance, whereas in Thailand, no such effect was found; instead, it was positively related to creativity. Thailand’s collectivist and feminine orientation transforms existential threat into positive creative engagement, while Bangladesh’s hierarchical and masculine orientation channels it into conformity and inhibition, explaining the divergent outcomes between the two nations. These findings highlight how cultivating a creative environment can enhance creativity performance, while also emphasizing the importance of considering employees’ quality of life and cultural context during crises.

This comprehensive study explores the role of Banach spaces and fixed point theory in the analysis of linear differential equations, with a focus on proving the existence and uniqueness of solutions. The research presents a detailed overview of the theoretical foundations of Banach spaces, the properties of linear differential equations, and the principles of fixed point theory. It further provides extensive practical applications of these concepts in diverse fields such as physics, engineering, economics, and biology, illustrating how they can be utilized to understand and predict the behavior of complex real-world systems. The aim is to offer a deep and integrated understanding of these advanced mathematical concepts and their practical implications.

This study constructs an analytical framework grounded in the principles of Poisson distribution and the process of discontinuous variation. Through empirical examinations conducted on all publicly listed firms in Chinese stock markets, the research uncovers an inverse relationship between the discontinuous variance of stock returns from the preceding month and the stock returns of the subsequent month. Statistically, the average monthly return of the portfolio with the lowest discontinuous variation is 1.32%, and the average monthly return of the portfolio with the highest discontinuous variation is 0.30%, indicating that an increase in discontinuous variance by 1 unit is associated with a subsequent decrease in stock returns of 1%, on average. Furthermore, portfolios engaged in long-short arbitrage, which are formulated based on sorting portfolios of different discontinuous variances, exhibit superior performance compared to the market portfolio. The effective annual return of this long-short portfolio is 1.44%, which is larger than that of the market index (1.19%). Also, the Sharpe ratio of the long-short portfolio is 0.19, which is almost double that of the market index (0.10). The results of portfolio performance suggest that trading strategies based on Poisson distribution and discontinuous variation sorting possess a significant capacity to generate abnormal returns.