Fu Jen Catholic University

About: Fu Jen Catholic University is a education organization based out in Taipei, Taiwan. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Population & Hazard ratio. The organization has 6842 authors who have published 9512 publications receiving 171005 citations. The organization is also known as: FJU & Fu Jen.

Review of influenza-associated pulmonary aspergillosis in ICU patients and proposal for a case definition: an expert opinion.

Abstract: PURPOSE: Invasive pulmonary aspergillosis is increasingly reported in patients with influenza admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) Classification of patients with influenza-associated pulmonary aspergillosis (IAPA) using the current definitions for invasive fungal diseases has proven difficult, and our aim was to develop case definitions for IAPA that can facilitate clinical studies METHODS: A group of 29 international experts reviewed current insights into the epidemiology, diagnosis and management of IAPA and proposed a case definition of IAPA through a process of informal consensus RESULTS: Since IAPA may develop in a wide range of hosts, an entry criterion was proposed and not host factors The entry criterion was defined as a patient requiring ICU admission for respiratory distress with a positive influenza test temporally related to ICU admission In addition, proven IAPA required histological evidence of invasive septate hyphae and mycological evidence for Aspergillus Probable IAPA required the detection of galactomannan or positive Aspergillus culture in bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) or serum with pulmonary infiltrates or a positive culture in upper respiratory samples with bronchoscopic evidence for tracheobronchitis or cavitating pulmonary infiltrates of recent onset The IAPA case definitions may be useful to classify patients with COVID-19-associated pulmonary aspergillosis (CAPA), while awaiting further studies that provide more insight into the interaction between Aspergillus and the SARS-CoV-2-infected lung CONCLUSION: A consensus case definition of IAPA is proposed, which will facilitate research into the epidemiology, diagnosis and management of this emerging acute and severe Aspergillus disease, and may be of use to study CAPA

Long-Term Risk of Coronary Events after AKI

Abstract: The incidence rate of AKI in hospitalized patients is increasing. However, relatively little attention has been paid to the association of AKI with long-term risk of adverse coronary events. Our study investigated hospitalized patients who recovered from de novo dialysis-requiring AKI between 1999 and 2008 using patient data collected from inpatient claims from Taiwan National Health Insurance. We used Cox regression with time-varying covariates to adjust for subsequent CKD and ESRD after discharge. Results were further validated by analysis of a prospectively constructed database. Among 17,106 acute dialysis patients who were discharged, 4869 patients recovered from dialysis-requiring AKI (AKI recovery group) and were matched with 4869 patients without AKI (non-AKI group). The incidence rates of coronary events were 19.8 and 10.3 per 1000 person-years in the AKI recovery and non-AKI groups, respectively. AKI recovery associated with higher risk of coronary events (hazard ratio [HR], 1.67; 95% confidence interval [95% CI], 1.36 to 2.04) and all-cause mortality (HR, 1.67; 95% CI, 1.57 to 1.79) independent of the effects of subsequent progression to CKD and ESRD. The risk levels of de novo coronary events after hospital discharge were similar in patients with diabetes alone and patients with AKI alone (P=0.23). Our results reveal that AKI with recovery associated with higher long-term risks of coronary events and death in this cohort, suggesting that AKI may identify patients with high risk of future coronary events. Enhanced postdischarge follow-up of renal function of patients who have recovered from temporary dialysis may be warranted.

Decisional factors driving organic food consumption: Generation of consumer purchase intentions

Abstract: Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to understand how information revealed on organic food labels and perceived organic knowledge drive consumer trust and attitudes towards organic foods, which in turn together with subjective norm eventually influence subsequent purchase intentions. Design/methodology/approach – The questionnaire surveys were administered to customers at four urban large-scale supermarkets and three health food stores at three major cities in Taiwan. In total, 693 valid questionnaires were obtained, yielding a response rate of 81.5 per cent. Findings – Trust, serving as the antecedent of attitudes, significantly mediates the relationships between revealing information, perceived knowledge, and organic purchase intentions. Additionally, both attitudes towards organic foods and subjective norm significantly influence consumer organic food choices. However, the impact of perceived organic knowledge on consumer attitudes has been found to be insignificant, indicating that the increase in ...

Effects of theatrical elements on experiential quality and loyalty intentions for theme parks.

Abstract: Issues surrounding hedonic consumption, experience economy and experiential marketing have become highly important in recent years. This study applies consumption experience and theater theory and proposes a model to explore the effects of theatrical elements of theme parks (including attractiveness of scripts, charm of setting, planning of activities and consistency of theme) on consumers' experiential quality (including immersion, surprise, participation and fun), experiential satisfaction and loyalty intentions. A survey composed of 408 customers in Hualien Ocean Park was conducted in Taiwan. The results of structural equation modeling indicate that most theatrical elements relate positively to experiential quality and that experiential quality in turn relates positively to experiential satisfaction. Furthermore, experiential satisfaction is positively related to loyalty intentions. Managers of theme parks could focus on improving the theatrical elements to satisfy customers and gain loyalty.

MicroRNA-135b promotes lung cancer metastasis by regulating multiple targets in the Hippo pathway and LZTS1

Abstract: Dysregulation of microRNAs has a critical role in cancer progression. Here we identify an intronic microRNA, miR-135b that is upregulated in highly invasive non-small-cell lung cancer cells. Expression of miR-135b enhances cancer cell invasive and migratory abilities in vitro and promotes cancer metastasis in vivo, while specific inhibition of miR-135b by a miR-135b-specific molecular sponge and antagomirs suppresses cancer cell invasion, orthotopic lung tumour growth and metastasis in a mouse model. miR-135b targets multiple key components in the Hippo pathway, including LATS2, β-TrCP and NDR2, as well as LZTS1. Expression of miR-135b, LZTS1, LATS2 and nuclear TAZ predicts poor outcomes of non-small-cell lung cancer. We find that miR-135b is dually regulated by DNA demethylation and nuclear factor-kappaB signalling, implying that abnormal expression of miR-135b in cancer may result from inflammatory and epigenetic modulations. We conclude that miR-135b is an oncogenic microRNA and a potential therapeutic target for non-small-cell lung cancer.