The Social Movement of Spiritually Engaged Alternative Education in Thailand Agains the Background of Reform and Globalization.

Thesis (Ph.D.) - Indiana University, School of Education, 2008The establishment of alternative education, private foundations, and networks linked to socio-political and spiritual advocacies distinguishes the Thai social movement in this research. This research is a qualitative study that has made use of historical accounts to associate with data gathered from extensive interviews and case studies in order to inquire as to whether alternative education represents an historical spiritual tradition of opposition to reform hegemony, and whether it has had an impact on state reform efforts. Also investigated was whether there are some historical patterns associated with the manner in which the state of Thailand has dealt with the forces of globalization and whether the collective action by informal movements of Thai people also has the same predictable pattern of response to the global. Analysis and comparison of these issues contribute in determining the values associated with people in the alternative education movement and the motives and intentions associated with state-initiated reforms. A further related aspect explored is the degree of "Thai-ness" and the embedded historical pattern of both the alternative education movement and education reform. These inquiries were answered through the collection of data from three different trips to Thailand over a four-year period, the last trip a one-year stay that permitted case studies and observations at three alternative schools, and the interview of a host of participants from home-school parents and students to Ministry of Education staff and officers. In examining the data, a clearer notion of what lies underneath the idea of Buddhist education and spirituality became clearer and how educational reform based on Western ideals and notions has not taken into account Buddhism and culture as education. This illumination brings new insight and also raises a new question as to the difference between social movements in a Buddhist nation such as Thailand and social movements in the West

A Comprehensive Anatomical Characterization and Radiographic Study of Stage III Testicular Cancer in a 31-Year-Old Male Patient

Presented as a poster at 2020 IUSM Education Day.The purpose of this investigation was to characterize an unusual case of stage III testicular germ cell tumor (TGCT) in a 31-year-old male with metastases to nodes, bone, viscera and brain, and to understand all possible routes of metastatic disease. Testicular cancer (TC) has an increasing incidence worldwide, and its etiology, risk factors and pathogenesis are not completely understood. Medical records were reviewed, and the cadaveric specimen evaluated by physical examination and gross dissection. Paraffin embedded tissue sections of the primary tumor were stained with Hematoxylin and Eosin (H&E) for histological study. To examine metastatic spread, pre- and post-mortem digital radiologic image acquisition was done using x-ray films, and high-resolution CT Scans and MRI Scans. Image analysis, multi-planar reformatting, and three-dimensional (3-D) reconstruction were done on radiographic series. Dissection showed masses bilaterally from the apex through the lung base; masses on the internal thoracic wall, and hepatomegaly and splenomegaly with multiple tumor masses. Testicular parenchyma was composed of primitive germ cells that formed glomeruloid or embryonal-like structures, as well as areas with a micro-cystic histologic pattern and areas of fibrous dysplasia. Medical imaging 3-D video radiographic dissection was notable for a 38.45 mm diameter, mid-brain tumor; extreme hepatomegaly with numerous tumors, a large penetrating tumor of the left ilium, and multiple tumors throughout both lungs and the thoracolumbar spine (T5-S1). This study provides insight into the histology and metastatic spread of TGCT that is essential for clinicians to understand in the evaluation and treatment of TC patients

Decision-Support System for LID Footprint Planning and Urban Runoff Mitigation in the Lower Rio Grande Valley of South Texas

To address regional flooding in the United States, federal and state agencies are adopting strict drainage policies in any large-scale commercial development within the watershed boundary. The conventional approach of implementing a wet detention pond (WP) reduces the land cover and causes operation and maintenance challenges eventually. The present study developed a decision-support system (DSS) in the Lower Rio Grande Valley region of South Texas for optimal selection of Best Management Practices (BMPs) by substituting a portion of the WP footprint with three regionally promising low-impact development practices, namely, porous concrete pavement (PCP), bioretention (BR), and bioswale (BS). Source Load Assessment and Management Model for Windows (WinSLAMM) was used as the foundation for the DSS database and algorithm development. This tool suggested that the implementation of bioswale alone can considerably reduce the footprint and construction cost. Less than 0.95 ha of installation of BR and BS can mitigate 79–91% of runoff from a maximum of 5 ha of commercial development. A combination of BR, BS, and WP was found to reduce runoff significantly (~100%), which suggests that the successful adoption of DSS might support better planning of the urban stormwater management in the Lower Rio Grande Valley (LRGV)

Selling a story: a survey investigating the willingness of consumers in the Midwest to acquire specialty crops viewed in an online environment

Master of Science - Agricultural Education and CommunicationDepartment of Communications and Agricultural EducationLauri M. BakerThe underpinning of this work is focused on small-scale family-operated farms of specialty crops within the U.S. Midwestern region. The Midwestern region, encompassing the states of: Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota and Wisconsin was selected for this study, in part, because of the concentration of specialty crop growers which represent an important and diverse industry. For instance, the value of domestically grown tree nuts, citrus, and noncitrus fruits has increased from $9.1 billion in 1995 to$30.6 billion in 2017. Against this backdrop, the aim of this research is to explore if the manipulation of narratives and or storytelling, prices, and logistics can influence consumers’ willingness to purchase specialty crops viewed in an online environment. Many small-scale family-farms promote their agricultural produce locally to prospective buyers. The types of promotion vary from farm to farm but typically include farmer markets, stores selling locally-grown food and garden centers. Additionally, the local-food movement has redirected consumers’ interest toward agricultural produce emerging from small-scale family-farms. The shift in consumers’ interest can be attributed in part to heightened public concerns with food security at the community level, environmental impact associated with the distribution of food, and perceptions of large agricultural entities. The foregoing concerns have motivated many consumers to acquire cognizance of the origin of their food with the ultimate aim of patronizing local farmers. The aim of this study is to investigate the facets that persuade consumers to purchase specialty crops hinged upon what is observed online. Against this backdrop, this study will embrace the variables of storytelling/narrative, travel distance, door-to-door delivery, and price to explore consumers’ interest to acquire specialty crops. This study referenced the elaboration likelihood model, as persuasive communication is an acknowledged element in selling efforts. This work reviewed literature pertaining to credible sources and how credible sources can contribute to the profitability of selling specialty crops online. The review also included framing messages with an emotional appeal which are best suited for an audience with little or no knowledge of specialty crops. Results indicate that there is interest among consumers to acquire specialty crops viewed in an online environment, as 85.6% of respondents chose to purchase over not purchasing specialty crops. In particular, this study revealed that consumers are willing to have specialty crops delivered door-to-door within the price intervals of $15 to$17.50 for eight to twelve pounds of seasonal local produce–with an additional fixed-delivery fee of $5.00. Although a price of$20.00 resulted in a lesser degree of interest. Also, growers should target technologically savvy consumers comfortable with being online