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

Realizing Mutually Beneficial Association through International Conference: The Scope of Intercultural Learning and Community Engagement (Annual Conference ILCOME2017 x Rajamangala University of Technology Lanna)

This paper is based on our continual trial to hold international conferences annually in order to revitalize local cities, as same as learn from and have engagement with that regional community [in addition to normal academic purpose]. The conference and subsequent excursion this year located at Oita prefecture Japan from 11th to 13th October 2017, on the base of annual conference “Intercultural Learning and Community Engagement”(ILCOME). Thus this year with Rajamangala University of Technology Lanna (RMUTL), we titled “ILCOME2017 × RMUTL” focusing on “Small and Medium Entrepreneurs and One Village One Product Development”

Chinese herbal recipe versus diclofenac in symptomatic treatment of osteoarthritis of the knee: a randomized controlled trial [ISRCTN70292892]

BACKGROUND: Duhuo Jisheng Wan (DJW) is perhaps the best known and most widely used Chinese herbal recipe for arthralgia, but the clinical study to verify its efficacy is lacking. The purpose of this study was to compare the efficacy of DJW versus diclofenac in symptomatic treatment of osteoarthritis (OA) of the knee. METHODS: This study was a randomized, double-blind, double-dummy, controlled trial. The 200 patients suffering from OA of the knee, were randomized into the DJW and diclofenac group. The patients were evaluated after a run-in period of one week (week 0) and then weekly during 4 weeks of treatment. The clinical assessments included visual analog scale (VAS) score that assessed pain and stiffness, Lequesne's functional index, time for climbing up 10 steps, as well as physician's and patients' overall opinions on improvement. RESULTS: Ninety four patients in each group completed the study. In the first few weeks of treatment, the mean changes in some variables (VAS, which assessed walking pain, standing pain and stiffness, as well as Lequesne's functional index) of the DJW group were significantly lower than those of the diclofenac group. Afterwards, these mean changes became no different throughout the study. Most of the physician's and patients' overall opinions on improvement at each time point did not significantly differ between the two groups. Approximately 30% of patients in both groups experienced mild adverse events. CONCLUSION: DJW demonstrates clinically comparable efficacy to diclofenac after 4 weeks of treatment. However, the slow onset of action as well as approximately equal rate of adverse events to diclofenac might limit its alternative role in treatment of OA of the knee

Anti-Inflammatory Activity of Essential Oil from <i>Zingiber ottensii</i> Valeton in Animal Models

Zingiber ottensii (ZO) Valeton, a local plant in Northern Thailand, has been widely used in traditional medicine. Many studies using in vitro models reveal its pharmacological activities, including the anti-inflammatory activity of ZO essential oil, extracted from ZO rhizomes. However, the scientific report to confirm its anti-inflammatory activity using animal models is still lacking. The present study aimed to evaluate the anti-inflammatory activity and explore the possible mechanisms of action of ZO essential oil in rats. The results revealed that ZO essential oil significantly reduced the ear edema formation induced by ethyl phenylpropiolate. Pre-treatment with ZO essential oil significantly reduced the carrageenan-induced hind paw edema and the severity of inflammation in paw tissue. In addition, pre-treatment with ZO essential oil exhibited decreased COX-2 and pro-inflammatory cytokine TNF-α expression in paw tissue, as well as PGE2 levels in serum. On this basis, our study suggests that ZO essential oil possesses anti-inflammatory activity in animal models. Its possible mechanisms of action may involve the inhibition of TNF-α expression as well as the inhibition of COX-2 and PGE2 production. These findings provide more crucial data of ZO essential oil that may lead to new natural anti-inflammatory product development in the future

Thailand Vegetable Marketing Project : phase 1, fresh and processed vegetable market survey

Project no. represents IDRC's support for the commercial reprinting of the project final repor

Gastroprotective Activities of Ethanol Extract of Black Rice Bran (Oryza sativa L.) in Rats

Black rice is a type of rice in the Oryza sativa L. species. There are numerous reports regarding the pharmacological actions of black rice bran, but scientific evidence on its gastroprotection is limited. This study aimed to evaluate the gastroprotective activities of black rice bran ethanol extract (BRB) from the Thai black rice variety Hom Nil (O. sativa L. indica) as well as its mechanisms of action, acute oral toxicity in rats, and phytochemical screening. Rat models of gastric ulcers induced by acidified ethanol, indomethacin, and restraint water immersion stress were used. After pretreatment with 200, 400, and 800 mg/kg of BRB in test groups, BRB at 800 mg/kg significantly inhibited the formation of gastric ulcers in all gastric ulcer models, and this inhibition seemed to be dose dependent in an indomethacin-induced gastric ulcer model. BRB could not normalize the amount of gastric wall mucus, reduce gastric volume and total acidity, or increase gastric pH. Although BRB could not increase NO levels in gastric tissue, the tissue MDA levels could be normalized with DPPH radical scavenging activity. These results confirm the gastroprotective activities of BRB with a possible mechanism of action via antioxidant activity. The major phytochemical components of BRB comprise carotenoid derivatives with the presence of phenolic compounds. These components may be responsible for the gastroprotective activities of BRB. The 2000 mg/kg dose of oral BRB showed no acute toxicity in rats and confirmed, in part, the safe uses of BRB

Thailand Vegetable Marketing Project : Phase 1, Fresh and Processed Vegetable Market Survey

Project no. represents IDRC's support for the commercial reprinting of the project final repor

Analgesic, Anti-Inflammatory, and Chondroprotective Activities of Cryptolepis buchanani Extract: In Vitro and In Vivo Studies

Cryptolepis buchanani Roem. & Schult. is widely used in folk medicine in Southeast Asia for treating muscle tension and arthritis. This study aimed to investigate an analgesic activity of the methanol extract of C. buchanani (CBE) in acetic acid-induced writhing response in mice, and to examine its anti-inflammatory activity in ethyl phenylpropiolate- (EPP-) induced ear edema and carrageenan-induced paw edema in rats. Its effects on cartilage degradation induced by interleukin-1β (IL-1β) in porcine cartilage explant culture were also determined. This study demonstrated that CBE significantly reduced acetic acid-induced writhing response. It also inhibited edema formation in both EPP-induced ear edema and carrageenan-induced paw edema models. In cartilage explant culture, CBE significantly reduced the sulfated glycosaminoglycan and hyaluronan released into culture media while it reserved the uronic acid and collagen within the cartilage tissues. It also suppressed the matrix metalloproteinase-2 activity with no effect on cell viability. In conclusion, CBE shows analgesic, anti-inflammatory, and chondroprotective effects in this preliminary study. Therefore, CBE may be useful as an alternative treatment for osteoarthritis