Muborakshoeva, M. Routledge Contemporary South Asia Series: Islam and Higher Education. New York: Routledge Press, 2009.

Book review

Historical Practices and Modern Interpretations: Understanding the Wai Khru Ceremony as a Thai Educational and Cultural Tradition

While working in Thailand, education professionals from Western backgrounds often remark on a certain social eminence accorded to teachers by Thais, and many will also experience, especially in abridged form, the rituals of the Wai Khru, or Homage to Teachers, ceremony. However, it could be that few without direct cultural orientation can appreciate these traditions to the depth such long-standing cultural practices deserve. More detrimentally, they may not be aware of the social expectations these traditional views place on educators within Thai society. Drawing on primary sources from Thai literature and media and their own experiences as educators in Thailand, the authors of this article—both Thai-American and foreign—place the Wai Khru ceremony, along with the social status and responsibilities implicit on being an educator in Thailand, into historical and social context, with the aim of shedding light on these topics for other professionals looking to work or conduct research in this Southeast Asian nation

Simulation-based analysis of trial design in regional anesthesia

BACKGROUND: In regional anesthesia, the efficacy of novel blocks is typically evaluated using randomized controlled trials (RCTs), the findings of which are aggregated in systematic reviews and meta-analyses. Systematic review authors frequently point out the small sample size of RCTs as limiting conclusions from this literature. We sought to determine via statistical simulation if small sample size could be an expected property of RCTs focusing on novel blocks with typical effect sizes. METHODS: We simulated the conduct of a series of RCTs comparing a novel block versus placebo on a single continuous outcome measure. Simulation analysis inputs were obtained from a systematic bibliographic search of meta-analyses. Primary outcomes were the predicted number of large trials (empirically defined as RESULTS: Simulation analysis predicted that a novel block would be tested in 16 RCTs enrolling a median of 970 patients (interquartile range (IQR) across 1000 simulations: 806, 1269), with no large trials. Among possible modifications to trial design, decreasing the statistical significance threshold from CONCLUSION: Small sample size of regional anesthesia RCTs comparing novel block to placebo is a rational outcome of trial design. Feasibly large trials are unlikely to change conclusions regarding block vs. placebo comparisons

Integrating Human Indoor Air Pollutant Exposure within Life Cycle Impact Assessment

Neglecting health effects from indoor pollutant emissions and exposure, as currently done in Life Cycle Assessment (LCA), may result in product or process optimizations at the expense of workers’ or consumers’ health. To close this gap, methods for considering indoor exposure to chemicals are needed to complement the methods for outdoor human exposure assessment already in use. This paper summarizes the work of an international expert group on the integration of human indoor and outdoor exposure in LCA, within the UNEP/SETAC Life Cycle Initiative. A new methodological framework is proposed for a general procedure to include human-health effects from indoor exposure in LCA. Exposure models from occupational hygiene and household indoor air quality studies and practices are critically reviewed and recommendations are provided on the appropriateness of various model alternatives in the context of LCA. A single-compartment box model is recommended for use as a default in LCA, enabling one to screen occupational and household exposures consistent with the existing models to assess outdoor emission in a multimedia environment. An initial set of model parameter values was collected. The comparison between indoor and outdoor human exposure per unit of emission shows that for many pollutants, intake per unit of indoor emission may be several orders of magnitude higher than for outdoor emissions. It is concluded that indoor exposure should be routinely addressed within LCA

Globalization, Cross Border Education, and Student Migration: Determining Student Institutional Choice Factors

Presently, there are more than two million students studying outside their home countries and the total number is expected to grow to eight million by 2025. This trend has inspired research into the “push” and “pull” factors that drive student mobility within the global higher education environment. However, despite the growing presence of cross border student enrollments throughout the United States, which is also the number one location for cross border students to study in the world, limited efforts have been made to identify what characteristics motivate particular groups of cross border students to leave their home countries to attend particular types of higher education in the United States. This chapter addresses that gap in the literature. In response, this study sought to build upon existing global higher education literature by determining the relationship between the perceived importance of institutional characteristics and cross border students\u27 age, gender, and country of origin