Fooyin University

About: Fooyin University is a education organization based out in Kaohsiung City, Taiwan. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Population & Apoptosis. The organization has 1411 authors who have published 1823 publications receiving 58763 citations. The organization is also known as: FYU & Fǔyīng Kējì Dàxué.

Three Approaches to Qualitative Content Analysis

Abstract: Content analysis is a widely used qualitative research technique. Rather than being a single method, current applications of content analysis show three distinct approaches: conventional, directed, or summative. All three approaches are used to interpret meaning from the content of text data and, hence, adhere to the naturalistic paradigm. The major differences among the approaches are coding schemes, origins of codes, and threats to trustworthiness. In conventional content analysis, coding categories are derived directly from the text data. With a directed approach, analysis starts with a theory or relevant research findings as guidance for initial codes. A summative content analysis involves counting and comparisons, usually of keywords or content, followed by the interpretation of the underlying context. The authors delineate analytic procedures specific to each approach and techniques addressing trustworthiness with hypothetical examples drawn from the area of end-of-life care.

Relationship between antibacterial activity of chitosan and surface characteristics of cell wall.

Abstract: AIM: Five representative waterborne pathogens were used to illustrate the relationship between chitosan’s antibacterial activity and the surface characteristics of the bacterial cell wall. METHODS: Chitosan was prepared with averaged 75 % or 95 % deacetylated degree to examine its antibacterial activity against waterborne pathogens. Fresh microbial inoculants for the antibacterial assessment were prepared on nutrient agar at 37 oC for 24 h. The evaluation items of antibacterial mechanism included hydrophilicity and negative charge analysis of cell surface, and adsorptive characteristics of chitosan to bacterial cell. All the experiments were applied in triplicate tests at least. RESULTS: Although cell wall hydrophilicity was similar among Gram-negative bacteria, the distribution of negative charge on their cell surfaces was quite different. More negatively charged cell surfaces had a greater interaction with chitosan, a phenomenon further confirmed by transmission electron micrography (TEM). CONCLUSION: Results showed the hydrophilicity in Gram-negative bacteria was much higher than in Gram-positive ones. The correlation coefficient 0.988 between the amount of absorbed chitosan and its inhibition efficiency indicated a close relationship.

Hypolipidemic, Antioxidant, and Antiinflammatory Activities of Microalgae Spirulina

Abstract: Spirulina is free-floating filamentous microalgae growing in alkaline water bodies. With its high nutritional value, Spirulina has been consumed as food for centuries in Central Africa. It is now widely used as nutraceutical food supplement worldwide. Recently, great attention and extensive studies have been devoted to evaluate its therapeutic benefits on an array of diseased conditions including hypercholesterolemia, hyperglycerolemia, cardiovascular diseases, inflammatory diseases, cancer, and viral infections. The cardiovascular benefits of Spirulina are primarily resulted from its hypolipidemic, antioxidant, and antiinflammatory activities. Data from preclinical studies with various animal models consistently demonstrate the hypolipidemic activity of Spirulina. Although differences in study design, sample size, and patient conditions resulting in minor inconsistency in response to Spirulina supplementation, the findings from human clinical trials are largely consistent with the hypolipidemic effects of Spirulina observed in the preclinical studies. However, most of the human clinical trials are suffered with limited sample size and some with poor experimental design. The antioxidant and/or antiinflammatory activities of Spirulina were demonstrated in a large number of preclinical studies. However, a limited number of clinical trials have been carried out so far to confirm such activities in human. Currently, our understanding on the underlying mechanisms for Spirulina's activities, especially the hypolipidemic effect, is limited. Spirulina is generally considered safe for human consumption supported by its long history of use as food source and its favorable safety profile in animal studies. However, rare cases of side-effects in human have been reported. Quality control in the growth and process of Spirulina to avoid contamination is mandatory to guarantee the safety of Spirulina products.

Diffusion tensor magnetic resonance imaging mapping the fiber architecture remodeling in human myocardium after infarction: correlation with viability and wall motion.

Abstract: Background— Diffusion tensor magnetic resonance imaging (DT-MRI) provides a means for nondestructive characterization of myocardial architecture. We used DT-MRI to investigate changes in direction-...