FACTORS INFLUENCING PURCHASING DECISION TOWARD LUXURY VEHICLES: THE CASE STUDY OF PORSCHE CARS IN BANGKOK, THAILAND

This research examines consumer purchase behavior and intentions toward luxury vehicles in Thailand, using Porsche as a case study. Luxury vehicle purchases are growing in Thailand, even though automobile purchases in general have been stagnant. This suggests that certain consumer needs are being met by the purchase. The research was conducted as a consumer survey of Porsche owners in Bangkok (n = 400). Findings revealed that buyers were likely to be male, high income (BHT1 million/month+), highly educated and older. Older consumers, consumers with income of BHT1m to BHT5m, and Master degree holders had significantly higher purchase intentions. The study also revealed that information search, social factors, and psychological factors had a significant positive influence on the consumer purchase decision. This study implies that consumer wealth and psychological and social needs, rather than the product itself, drives luxury automobile consumption choices

Protective Effects of Curcumin on Gastric Inflammation and Liver Disease

Curcumin (diferuloylmethane), an anti-inflammatory and antioxidant compound, is isolated from the rhizomes of the plant Curcuma longa Linn. Most of the anti-inflammatory effects can be explained by the efficient inhibition of nuclear factor-κB–mediated and activation of PPARγ expression. These studies have been investigating the effects of curcumin on the gastric microcirculation, cytokine production after Helicobacter pylori–induced gastric inflammation, gastric cancer, drug-induced liver injury, and alcoholic liver disease (ALD). The results show that curcumin prevents indomethacin-induced gastropathy via decreased leukocyte-endothelium interaction at postcapillary venule, decreased ICAM-1 and TNF-α level, and improved gastric microcirculation. Curcumin attenuated gastric inflammation and gastric cancer via reduced NF-κB p65 expression, decreased vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) level, and macromolecular leakage in the gastric mucosa. Curcumin prevented liver injury through decreased oxidative stress, reduced liver inflammation, and restored GSH. Moreover, curcumin could decrease hepatocyte apoptosis and improved PPARγ protein expression in alcohol-induced liver injury

Nano-Zinc Oxide-Doped Activated Carbon from Popped Rice and Its Application for Feed Additive

This study synthesized nano-zinc oxide (ZnO)-doped activated carbon based on popped rice. The rice was prepared by heating unmilled rice using hot air to create a porous structure. The popped rice was chemically activated using zinc chloride (ZnCl2) solution at impregnation ratios of ZnCl2 to popped rice (1:1 and 1:2). Pyrolysis was conducted under constant nitrogen flow by raising the temperature at a heating rate of 10°C/min to 800°C and maintaining this temperature for 1 h. The adsorption properties of the activated carbon were investigated using methylene blue (MB). The results of ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy (UV-Vis) showed the prepared activated carbon had a high adsorption capacity of MB that could be compared to that of commercial activated carbon. The structure and morphology of the activated carbon containing ZnO nanoparticles were characterized using raman spectroscopy, field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM)/energy-dispersive spectroscopy (EDS). The specific surface area and porosity were analyzed using the Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) method.  The ability to bind 3 different types of mycotoxins was evaluated. The outcome indicates that high surface-area-activated carbon with ZnO nanoparticles exhibited the potential to bind aflatoxin B1, zearalenone, and fumonisin B1, which could be used as an animal feed additive

THE MEDIATING EFFECT OF SATISFACTION ON STUDENT LOYALTY TO HIGHER EDUCATION INSTITUTION

Main purposes of this study were to examine links between student perceived value, student trust, university image, and student satisfaction to student loyalty and to describing an influence relationship of mediator variables in student loyalty model. The model was tested through the use of Partial Least Squares (PLS) structural equations methodology. Empirical data were drawn from 100 private university students in the upper north of Thailand. Questionnaire method and multi - stage sampling techniques were used in collecting data with an error 1% sample size. Data analysis with descriptive statistics and structural equations model analysis were used to test hypothesis model. Results from this study indicated that the student satisfaction (SATIS) and three antecedent variables: university image (IMAGE), student trust (TRUST), and student perceived value (PERC) have positive influence to student loyalty (STULOY) with statistical significant level 0.05. This model was perfectly fit with an empirical data and was predicted by student satisfaction and antecedent variables up to 82.5%. Moreover, the results also show that student perceived value was the construct that most influence to university image and student trust, and strongly indirect influence to student satisfaction. The influence of perceived value is also relevant to student loyalty via student satisfaction. The most important issue is an impact of student satisfaction variable that has highest directly influence and transmits relative influence linkage between antecedent variables and dependent variable. In conclusion, student satisfaction was a mediating variable and it implied that the student satisfaction was the major driver of student loyalty

FACTORS AFFECTING THE IMPLEMENTATION OF SUFFICIENT ECONOMY PHILOSOPHY IN DUSIT COMMUNITY, BANGKOK

The research objectives are: 1) to study the level of success of sufficient economy philosophy implementation in a community; 2) to compare the level of success of sufficient economy philosophy implementation as characterised by personal factors; 3) to study factors affecting sufficient economy philosophy implementation in a community. The population of this study is 390 people living in Dusit community, Bangkok. Data collection is done by survey and statistics used are frequency, mean, standard deviation, t-test, and One-way ANOVA as well as multiple regression analysis. The research found: 1) the level of success of sufficient economy policy is at a high level overall (=3.67); 2) the hypothesis shown gender and level of education do not contribute to a significance difference in the level of sufficient economy philosophy implementation success whereas age, career, and income do alter the level of success; 3) multiple regression analysis found every sufficient economy philosophy factor is a significant predictor of sufficient economy philosophy implementation, and that the regression significantly predicted implementation success at 55.4 percent

Student Perceptions of Student-faculty Interactions and Academic Achievement in Undergraduate Dental Students at Prince of Songkla University

The purpose of this qualitative case study was to examine student perceptions of student-faculty interactions and their relationship to academic achievement in a dental school. Pascarella and Terenzini's (2005) lens of student-faculty interaction was used as the theoretical perspective of the study. Focus group interviews, review of laboratory and clinical instruction booklets, and unobtrusive observations in the dental library were conducted for gathering data. Students are very concerned about maintaining positive student-faculty interaction with their professors. Classroom interaction is the major type of interaction. Academic interaction took major part of non-classroom interaction whereas there was a lack of social-non-classroom interaction. Most non-classroom interaction is academic interaction. Students perceived a lack of social-contact with faculty. They would like to increase such activity because they believe that social interactions support their classroom interactions. The study findings emphasized that positive feedback is the most important aspect of faculty personal behaviors/characteristics that promote student learning and development. Demonstration is the most necessary element among teaching strategies that promote student professional learning. It can be concluded that student-faculty interaction is the essential element for dental students' achievement and professional development. The present study supports the usefulness of Western theory in studying Thai dental education.School of Hotel and Restaurant Administratio

Bioaugmentation of latex rubber sheet wastewater treatment with stimulated indigenous purple nonsulfur bacteria by fermented pineapple extract

AbstractBackgroundTreating latex rubber sheet wastewater often leads to the generation of a rotten-egg odor from toxic H2S. To increase the treatment efficiency and eliminate H2S, purple nonsulfur bacteria (PNSB), prepared by supplementing non-sterile rubber sheet wastewater (RAW) with fermented pineapple extract (FPE), were used to treat this wastewater under microaerobic light conditions. The following 3 independent variables: chemical oxygen demand (COD), initial pH and FPE dose were investigated using the Box–Behnken design to find optimal conditions for stimulating the growth of indigenous PNSB (PNSBsi).ResultsThe addition of 2.0% FPE into RAW, which had a COD of 2000mgL-1 and an initial pH of 7.0, significantly decreased oxidation reduction potential (ORP) value and stimulated PNSBsi to reach a maximum of 7.8logcfumL-1 within 2d. Consequently, these PNSBsi, used as inoculants, were investigated for their ability to treat the wastewater under microaerobic light conditions. A central composite design was used to determine the optimal conditions for the wastewater treatment. These proved to be 7% PNSBsi, 0.8% FPE and 4d retention time and this combination resulted in a reduction of 91% for COD, 75% for suspended solids, 61% for total sulfide while H2S was not detected. Results of abiotic control and treatment sets indicated that H2S was produced by heterotrophic bacteria and it was then effectively deactivated by PNSBsi.ConclusionsThe stimulation of PNSB growth by FPE under light condition was to lower ORP, and PNSBsi proved to be effective for treating the wastewater

Curcumin Attenuates Gastric Cancer Induced by N-Methyl-N-Nitrosourea and Saturated Sodium Chloride in Rats

To determine effects of curcumin on N-methyl-N-nitrosourea (MNU) and saturated sodium chloride (s-NaCl)-induced gastric cancer in rats. Male Wistar rats were divided into 5 groups: control (CO), control supplemented with 200 mg/kg curcumin (CC), MNU + s-NaCl, MNU + s-NaCl supplemented with 200 mg/kg curcumin daily for the first 3 weeks (MNU + s-NaCl + C3W), and MNU + s-NaCl supplemented with curcumin for 20 weeks (MNU + s-NaCl + C20W). To induce stomach cancer, rats except for CO and CC were orally treated with 100 mg/kg MNU on day 0 and 14, and s-NaCl twice-a-week for the first 3 weeks. The experiment was finished and rats were sacrificed at the end of 20 weeks. Cancers were found in forestomachs of all rats in MNU + s-NaCl. The expressions of phosphorylated inhibitor kappaB alpha (phospho-IκBα), 8-hydroxy-2′-deoxyguanosine (8-OHdG), and cyclin D1 significantly increased in MNU + s-NaCl compared with CO. Curcumin treatments for 3 and 20 weeks reduced the cancer incidence resulting in a decrease of phospho-IκBα expression in benign tumor-bearing rats compared with MNU + s-NaCl. Curcumin treatment for 20 weeks also decreased 8-OHdG expression in benign tumor-bearing rats compared with MNU + s-NaCl. Curcumin can attenuate cancer via a reduction of phospho-IκBα and 8-OHdG expressions, which may play a promising role in gastric carcinogenesis

A Study on Thailand Tourism Market Development Tactics

泰国旅游市场的发展速度很快，每年都给泰国带来巨大的外汇收入，旅游业是对泰国经济和社会发展贡献最大的产业之一。泰国旅游市场的发展也带动了地区的繁荣和社会其他产业的发展，例如交通运输、酒店和食品行业等。 泰国的旅游资源和旅游项目十分丰富。全年三季的最低温度不低于18度，两面环海，因此植被茂盛、沙滩海洋风景亮丽。由于旅游业起步较早，泰国旅游市场有健全和领先的旅游项目，另外，泰国的传统文化及佛教文化也是吸引游客的重要因素。目前，每年到泰国的入境旅游游客的数量都在持续地增加。但是，随着世界旅游经济的发展，世界旅游格局发生了改变，东南亚已成为仅次于欧洲的第二大旅游区域，东南亚新兴经济体之间的游客资源竞争...Tourism is a fast growing industry. It brings Thailand a huge foreign exchange income every year. Which is one of the largest contributive sectors for the economic and social development of Thailand . The expansion of tourism has also help on driving up the regional prosperity and the development on other industrial sector among the society, for example, transportation and hospitality. Thailand...学位：管理学硕士院系专业：管理学院_工商管理硕士(MBA)学号：1762010115432