Journal of Science and Technology Mahasarakham University

Development of aerated lightweight concrete incorporating rice husk ash and recycled glass bottles under the circular economy approach

2025-06-06T10:48:33+07:00

The increasing amount of agricultural and municipal waste, such as rice husk ash from biomass power plants and
glass cullet from urban solid waste, raises concerns regarding waste management and the depletion of natural resources. This study aims to investigate the potential of these waste materials as components in aerated lightweight concrete by optimizing the water-to-binder ratio and mix proportions. The physical and mechanical properties evaluated include compressive strength, bulk density, and water absorption. The experimental design includes water-to-binder (w/b) ratios of 0.4, 0.5, 0.6, and 0.7; cement replacement with rice husk ash at 0, 10, 20, and 30% by weight; aluminum powder at 0.5, 1.0, 1.5, and 2.0%; and fine aggregate replacement with recycled glass cullet ranging from 0 to 100% by weight.

The optimal mix is identified as having a w/b ratio of 0.6, 30% rice husk ash, 1.0% aluminum powder, and 80% recycled glass cullet by weight of fine aggregate. After 28 days of curing, the mix achieves a compressive strength of 5.53 MPa, which exceeds the minimum requirement for Type C12 aerated concrete specified in TIS 2601 2556 (≥ 2.5 MPa). The bulk density is 1,070 kg/m³, which falls within the standard range for Type C12 (1,001–1,200 kg/m³). The water absorption is 24.97%, which slightly exceeds the standard limit (≤ 23%) but remains within an acceptable range for practical use, particularly in applications without direct moisture exposure. Overall, the findings highlight the potential of utilizing agricultural and municipal waste as sustainable alternatives to conventional construction
materials, contributing to cement reduction, greenhouse gas mitigation, and the development of environmentally friendly construction products.

Screening of antimicrobial-producing actinobacteria from peat soils against Candida albicans

2025-06-19T15:32:40+07:00

Yeast Candida albicans is the most frequent pathogen responsible for mucosal and systemic infections. Furthermore, it is the primary cause of approximately 70% of fungal infections globally. Microorganism-derived compounds are gaining attention as a promising alternative approach for controlling fungal diseases. The use of these compounds to combat C. albicans, which may develop drug resistance during therapy, is particularly promising. This study aimed to assess the anticandidal activity of actinobacteria obtained from peat soils against C. albicans CBS 562. Seventeen tested actinobacterial isolates exhibited anticandidal activity on starch casein agar and glucose yeast extract malt extract agar using the agar overlay method. The isolates 11A3 and 41N6, which showed the highest activity, were selected for evaluating the anticandidal efficacy of their crude extracts. The crude extracts of 11A3 and 41N6 demonstrated inhibitory effects on C. albicans CBS 562, with identical minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) values of 3.125 mg/mL and minimum fungicidal concentration (MFC) values of 6.250 mg/mL and 3.125 mg/mL, respectively. Based on 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis, isolates 11A3 and 41N6 belong to the genus Streptomyces, showing the highest sequence similarity to Streptomyces marinus NBRC 12799^T (99.54%) and Streptomyces malaysiense MUSC 136^T (99.37%), respectively. This research indicates that actinobacteria have a strong potential to inhibit C. albicans, suggesting applications in biotechnology and pharmaceuticals.

Leaf extracts from Chromolaena odorata and Euphorbia hirta suppress the growth of colorectal and bile duct cancer cells

2025-05-06T10:56:53+07:00

There is growing interest in the use of medicinal plants as alternative treatments for various diseases, including cancer, due to their diverse bioactive compounds and a perception of potentially lower toxicity compared to some synthetic drugs. This study aimed to evaluate the anticancer activity of extracts from Chromolaena odorata and Euphorbia hirta leaves against colorectal cancer (Caco-2) and bile duct cancer (KKU-213A) cell lines. Water and ethanol were used as extraction solvents, resulting in four types of extracts: Ch.o-W, Ch.o-EtOH, Eu.h-W, and Eu.h-EtOH. The total phenolic content differed significantly among the four extracts (P < 0.05), with Ch.o-EtOH showing the highest total phenolic content (7.18 ± 0.39 mg GAE/g DW), followed by Eu.h-EtOH (4.16 ± 0.20 mg GAE/g DW), Ch.o-W (3.16 ± 0.43 mg GAE/g DW), and Eu.h-W (1.95 ± 0.09 mg GAE/g DW). All extracts exhibited dose-dependent cytotoxic effects. The IC₅₀ values for Caco-2 ranged from 0.58 to 1.51 mg/mL and for KKU-213A from 0.65 to 1.42 mg/mL. For the normal oral keratinocyte cell line (NOK-SI), IC₅₀ values ranged from 1.03 to >2.5 mg/mL. In conclusion, extracts from C. odorata and E. hirta demonstrated inhibitory effects on colorectal cancer and bile duct cancer cells and tended to exhibit greater cytotoxicity toward cancer cells than normal cells, with differences in inhibitory activity depending on the extraction solvent. These findings suggest that both plant extracts have potential as sources of bioactive compounds for the development of anticancer agents. However, further studies are warranted to optimize extraction processes, identify key active compounds, elucidate mechanisms of action, and validate efficacy and safety through in vivo and clinical studies.

COVID-19 news classifcation using cosine similarity algorithm

2025-02-18T19:40:08+07:00

The COVID-19 pandemic caused severe, multifaceted global impacts. Amidst unclear guidelines from government
agencies, the digital age has allowed individuals to freely disseminate information via social media, leading to a ﬂood
of diverse and unregulated content regarding pandemic management. This research presents the use of cosine similarity to categorize health news and COVID-19-related news. This classifcation assists users in better understanding the situation and utilizing information to mitigate potential pandemic-related risks in Thailand. The research effectiveness was assessed using datasets from news websites such as Khaosod, Matichon, and MCOT. Experimental results demonstrate that the classifcation model using cosine similarity achieved an accuracy of up to 82.50%.

Development and comparative evaluation of large language models for automated test case generation in banking software testing

2025-08-08T09:30:26+07:00

1) Software testing and test case generation are critical steps that require signifcant time and expertise, especially in complex and high-risk environments such as banking transaction systems. Since creating test cases is time-consuming and prone to errors, it is essential to apply artifcial intelligence technologies to accelerate the process and enhance test coverage. 2) This research develops and compares the performance of four Large Language Models (LLMs): LLaMA3.2-3B, Typhoon2-8b, Gemma-3-4b, and Qwen3-8B, for automated test case generation in software testing. 3) The research methodology consists of four main steps: 3.1) Utilizing a dataset of 20,000 test cases, which covers 15,763 positive and 4,237 negative cases within the banking transaction domain. 3.2) Fine-tuning the models using the LoRA technique and the LangChain framework, integrated with the ChromaDB vector database through a
Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG) architecture. 3.3) Evaluating performance using vector-based metrics, including Cosine Distance, Euclidean Distance, and Manhattan Distance. 3.4) Assessing test case coverage using Test Coverage, Functional Coverage, and Requirement Coverage, combined with evaluations from software testing experts. 4) The results indicate that Qwen3-8B achieved the lowest loss (0.1558), demonstrating the highest learning accuracy, while Gemma-3-4b obtained the lowest Euclidean Distance (0.5494) and Manhattan Distance (11.8533), indicating the closest similarity to the ground-truth data. In terms of coverage, Gemma-3-4b achieved the highest Test Coverage (93%) and Functional Coverage (91%), whereas Qwen3-8B achieved the highest Requirement Coverage (92%). Furthermore, expert evaluations revealed that Gemma-3-4b received the highest average score of 43.2, equivalent to 86.4%. In conclusion, the study demonstrates that employing LLMs for test case generation can signifcantly improve the coverage, accuracy, and effciency of software testing. Additionally, these models can be seamlessly integrated into chatbot systems to automatically generate test cases based on software requirements, highlighting their high practical potential for real-world applications in the software development industry.

Physicochemical properties comparison of sugarcane bagasse pith and fiber as solid fuel for biomass power plants

2025-03-25T20:50:21+07:00

Sugarcane bagasse is the primary fuel used in biomass power plants. However, bagasse contains pith, which is one-third of its composition and has a structure that differs from fiber, which impacts the overall fuel properties of bagasse. Therefore, this research aimed to compare the physicochemical properties of bagasse pith and fiber for use as fuel in biomass power plants. The study began by mechanically separating the bagasse pith from the fiber, followed by analyzing both proximate and ultimate compositions, heating values, thermal decomposition, ash melting behavior, and the chemical composition of the biomass and ash. The results
indicated that bagasse fiber contains higher percentages of fixed carbon, volatile matter, carbon, and hydrogen than pith (14.4, 84.7, 48.4, and 5.8%, respectively). This led to higher heating values for bagasse fiber than pith (19.53 and 14.28 MJ/kg, respectively). Additionally, bagasse fiber had 22.8% less ash content than pith. Bagasse pith contained significantly higher inorganic content than sugarcane fiber in almost all components, especially silicon, which comprised 21.15%, approximately 19 times higher than fiber. Ash from bagasse pith did not melt even at 1,500 °C due to its high SiO₂ content of 89.89%, whereas ash from bagasse fiber began to melt at a lower temperature (1,100 °C). The research concludes that bagasse fiber has better fuel properties than pith. This study suggests that consideration should be given to separating the bagasse pith before using the remaining portion as fuel in power plants to reduce ash management issues and improve the thermal properties of bagasse as a fuel. Bagasse pith should be considered for utilization in the paper and packaging industries, as raw material for construction material production, or as soil amendment material in the agricultural sector.

Development of a low-emission 200-liter charcoal kiln for producing biochar and wood vinegar from bamboo: a comparison with traditional charcoal kilns for community use

2025-04-29T14:27:52+07:00

This research aimed to develop a 200-liter charcoal kiln designed for household-level production of biochar and wood vinegar. The thermal effciency was enhanced by modifying the condensation system to enable the reuse of pyrolysis gases as a co-fuel. The study comparatively analyzed the performance of the newly developed kiln and a traditional kiln commonly used in target communities. Furthermore, the properties of bamboo-derived biochar and wood vinegar produced by both kilns were evaluated.

The results showed that the improved 200-liter kiln produced biochar with a higher calorifc value (29.06 MJ/
kg) compared to the traditional kiln (26.78 MJ/kg). Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy revealed that biochar from the developed kiln exhibited -OH and aromatic C-H functional group peaks, which were absent in the traditional kiln’s biochar. Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET) surface area, pore volume analyses, and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) images indicated that while the traditional kiln produced biochar with a higher surface area, some of its pores appeared clogged or narrow.

Regarding the wood vinegar, products from both kilns conformed to the Thai Community Product Standard
(TCPS 659/2553). Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC/MS) analysis demonstrated similar main constituents
in both samples; however, the wood vinegar from the developed kiln was darker and contained a higher amount of tar oil. This difference was attributed to variations in the cross-sectional area and heat exchange surface of the
condensation units. In terms of performance, the improved kiln required less time per production cycle and consumed
less fuel. Ultimately, communities can utilize the resulting biochar and wood vinegar in agriculture to reduce chemical
dependency and promote farming practices aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Rammed earth from local materials of Kamphaeng Phet Province

2025-05-24T16:05:29+07:00

This study investigates the properties of rammed earth made from local materials in Kamphaeng Phet Province by
utilizing three types of waste materials: laterite from decorative applications, marble powder from the marble mining industry, and sugarcane bagasse ash from sugar factories. The cement-to-soil ratio was fxed at 1:5 with local materials. Samples were prepared to determine the optimum moisture content that yields the highest density for each type of rammed earth wall. Engineering properties including surface characteristics, density, water absorption, erosion resistance, and compressive strength were then tested. The results indicate that the optimum moisture content for rammed earth with laterite is 12.00%, producing a maximum density of 2.17 g/cm³. Rammed earth mixed with marble powder exhibited an optimum moisture content of 16.00%, with a maximum density of 1.86 g/cm³. Rammed earth mixed with sugarcane bagasse ash showed an optimum moisture content of 18.00%, with a maximum density of 1.49 g/cm³. Regarding physical properties, each type of rammed earth wall differed in color and weight: the laterite-based rammed earth exhibited a reddish-orange color and the highest weight, the marble powder mixture showed a brownish-white hue, and the sugarcane bagasse ash mixture was black, lightweight, and had the smoothest surface texture. In terms of compressive strength, the laterite rammed earth wall attained the highest strength of 70.50± 7.00 kg/cm², followed by the marble powder mixture at 38.50± 2.63 kg/cm², and the sugarcane bagasse ash mixture with the lowest strength at 22.50± 2.73 kg/cm². Nevertheless, the selection of rammed earth as an architectural building material remains dependent on preferences for naturalness, color, aesthetic appeal, and the unique charm of each material.

The potential of Alcaligenes faecalis No.4 in the treatment of Bisphenol A and organic compounds in airport wastewater

2025-02-25T22:29:57+07:00

This study evaluated the potential of Alcaligenes faecalis No.4 in combination with activated sludge from the biological nutrient removal (BNR) process to enhance the treatment efficiency of airport wastewater. Four experimental treatments were investigated: a control, activated sludge alone, A. faecalis No.4 alone, and a combination of activated sludge and A. faecalis No.4. Water quality parameters, including pH, dissolved oxygen (DO), suspended solids (SS), soluble biochemical oxygen demand (sBOD), chemical oxygen demand (COD), total Kjeldahl nitrogen (TKN), ammonia (NH₃), and bisphenol A (BPA), were analyzed. Statistical differences among treatments were evaluated using one-way ANOVA at a significance level of p<0.05. The results demonstrated that A. faecalis No.4 exhibited rapid growth with an initial cell concentration of 4.4 × 10¹³ cells/mL. The combined application of A. faecalis No.4 and activated sludge achieved higher removal efficiencies for sBOD, COD, NH₃, and BPA than either treatment alone. The first-order degradation rate constant for organic matter ranged from 0.02 to 0.03 h^-1, while the microbial growth rates of A. faecalis No.4 alone and in combination with activated sludge were 0.1267 h^-1 and 0.1463 h^-1, respectively. The biodegradation rate constants ranged from 0.011 to 0.3040 h^-1, indicating enhanced biodegradation performance in the combined treatment. These findings suggest that the combined use of A. faecalis No.4 and activated sludge is a promising approach for improving airport wastewater treatment and has potential for application in full-scale biological treatment systems.

Determination of total phenolic content and antioxidant capacity of Kombucha beverage fermented from black tea and Helianthus tuberosus L.

2025-04-18T00:12:36+07:00

Kombucha is a popular fermented tea beverage widely recognized for its potential health benefts. This study aimed
to investigate the total phenolic content and antioxidant activity of kombucha prepared from Assam black tea (Camellia sinensis) combined with Jerusalem artichoke (Helianthus tuberosus L.), using a symbiotic culture of bacteria and yeast (SCOBY) for fermentation. Kombucha samples were prepared from various formulations, including fermented black tea with Jerusalem artichoke (JT), fermented black tea (T), fermented Jerusalem artichoke (J), unfermented tea with Jerusalem artichoke (JTN), and fermented sucrose (S). Physicochemical properties, total phenolic content, and antioxidant activity were evaluated using the 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging assay and ferric-reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) assay after 14 days of fermentation. The results revealed a signifcant decrease in pH, clarity, and sugar content, along with an increase in viscosity across all fermented samples. The JT formulation exhibited the highest total phenolic content of 1.69±0.05 mg gallic acid equivalents/mL on day 5, which was slightly higher than J and signifcantly lower than T (p < 0.05). Antioxidant activity assessed by DPPH showed that JT had the highest percentage of inhibition of 96.14±0.15% on day 7, comparable to T but signifcantly higher than J (p < 0.05).
FRAP analysis demonstrated that JT exhibited the greatest ferric-reducing power of 24.12±0.88 mg ferrous equivalents/
mL on day 7, similar to J (day 14) but slightly lower than T (day 7) (p < 0.05). It can be concluded that fermentation
of black tea and Jerusalem artichoke with SCOBY signifcantly affected the physicochemical characteristics, total phenolic content, and antioxidant activity of the beverages. The black tea-Jerusalem artichoke kombucha (JT)
demonstrated high phenolic content and antioxidant activity during fermentation, indicating the potential of Jerusalem artichoke as an alternative substrate for the development of functional kombucha beverages.

Preliminary study on designing and developing a low-cost, real-time vein visualization device utilizing near-infrared technology

2025-04-03T10:59:50+07:00

Critically ill patients who are unable to care for themselves often require the intravenous administration of medication
and nutrients for treatment and survival. Additionally, blood sampling from veins is a common medical procedure
employed for health screening or blood donation. Currently, commercially available vein imaging devices designed to
facilitate the identification of needle insertion sites are prohibitively expensive. Therefore, this research focuses on
designing and developing a low-cost, real-time vein imaging device utilizing near-infrared (NIR) technology.

This research was conducted under the innovation development framework by Veena Jirapathet (2009), which
consists of the following steps: (1) analyzing the inadequacy of equipment for teaching and learning; (2) assessing
the needs for supporting materials in the Public Health program (Basic Health Assessment and Treatment course
group); (3) establishing collaboration and a working team involving faculty members and students; (4) determining
development issues to enhance the device’s efficiency; (5) systematically reviewing related literature on designing and
building vein imaging devices; (6) synthesizing knowledge from high-quality literature; (7) designing and developing
the device; (8) planning evaluation methods; (9) establishing usage guidelines; (10) trialing the device with volunteers; (11) evaluating the device’s usability; (12) documenting performance with relevant references used in the design and construction; and (13) disseminating the device for practical application.

The sample consisted of 10 male and female students and personnel aged 19-59 years from Chaiyaphum Rajabhat University. The sample size was determined using the G*Power 3.1.9.7 program, with a statistical power of
0.80, a significance level of 0.05, and an effect size of 0.90. Participants were selected using purposive sampling. The
research instruments included a data recording form and the vein imaging device. The content validity of the data
recording form yielded an Item-Objective Congruence (IOC) index ranging from 0.87 to 1.00. Data were analyzed
using descriptive statistics, including frequency, percentage, mean, and standard deviation.

The study successfully developed a vein imaging device capable of capturing clear images of subcutaneous
veins under normal ambient lighting. The device’s specifications are as follows: (1) an image capture area ranging from 6 × 6 cm to 6 × 10 cm; (2) an effective operating distance from the skin to the camera of approximately 14-34 cm; and (3) an image resolution of 800 × 480 pixels.

Future research should further investigate the device’s efficacy and accuracy in training venipuncture and
intravenous administration skills for health science students and medical professionals.

The influence of new drinkers' peer groups on a mathematical model of alcoholism epidemics

2025-05-23T16:12:18+07:00

This study aimed to develop and analyze a mathematical model for the transmission of alcohol addiction to new drinkers by using the standard method. In our model, the human population is divided into five compartments : susceptible drinkers (S), new drinkers (D), heavy drinkers (H), treatment drinkers (T), and recovered drinkers (R). We proposed the mathematical model of alcohol addiction transmission by nonlinear ordinary differential equation system and analyze the mathematical model by the standard method. We obtained an equilibrium point and the basic reproductive number by using the next generation method and spectral radius. Stabilities of the model are determined by the Routh-Hurwitz criteria and the numerical solutions are considered to support the results. In the model we found the alcohol- free equilibrium point E₀(1.45, 0, 0, 0, 0) is local asymptotically stable when the parameter values that we used in the numerical simulations are given ₁ = 0.01, ₂ = 0.5 and ₃ = 0.01. We calculated the basic reproduction number with given to be R₀ = 0.0878787 < 0. The alcohol-present equilibrium point E₁(1.20339, 0.01511, 0.00548, 0.04876, 0.17732) is local asymptotically stable with parameters ₁ = 0.5, ₂ = 0.01 and ₃ = 0.5 , and the basic reproductive number is estimated to be R₀ = 1.1068702 > 1. This implied that reducing the rate of interaction with a group of drinkers will reduce the outbreak of alcohol addiction.