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 & Medicine. The organization has 6842 authors who have published 9512 publications receiving 171005 citations. The organization is also known as: FJU & Fu Jen.

A Robust Remote User Authentication Scheme Using Smart Card

Abstract: Remote user authentication is important to identify whether communicating parties are genuine and trust- worthy using the password and the smart card between a login user and a remote server. A number of password-based authentication schemes using smart cards have been proposed in recent years. We find that two most recent password-based authentication schemes (Hsiang and Shih 2009, Chen and Huang 2010) assume that the attacker cannot extract the secret information of the smart card. However, in reality, the authors in (Kocher et al. 1999 and Messerges et al. 2002) show that the secrets stored in the card can be extracted by monitoring its power consumption. Therefore, these schemes fail to resist smart card security breach. As the main contribution of this paper, a robust remote user authentication scheme against smart card security breach is presented, while keeping the merits of the well-known smart card based authentication schemes. http://dx.doi.org/10.5755/j01.itc.40.3.632

Activation of c-Jun N-terminal kinase is essential for mitochondrial membrane potential change and apoptosis induced by doxycycline in melanoma cells.

Abstract: Background and purpose: Tetracyclines were recently found to induce tumour cell death, but the early processes involved in this cytotoxic effect remain unclear. Experimental approach: Viability of human and mouse melanoma cells was determined by MTT assay and flow cytometry. Kinase/protein/caspase activation was measured by Western blotting and mitochondrial membrane potential (ΔΨm) was analyzed by fluorescence microscopy and flow cytometry. Key results: Human and mouse melanoma cells were treated with doxycycline or minocycline but only doxycycline was cytotoxic. This cell death (apoptosis) in A2058 cells involved activation of caspase-3, -7 and -9 and contributed to inhibition, by doxycycline, of matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) activity and migration of these cells. Doxycycline induced intra-cellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) production, apoptosis signal-regulated kinase 1 (ASK1), c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) and p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) activation at an early stage of treatment and induced mitochondrial cytochrome c release into cytosol and ΔΨm change during apoptosis. The JNK inhibitor/small interference RNA inhibited doxycycline-induced JNK activation, ΔΨm change and apoptosis, but did not affect ASK1 activation, suggesting a role of ASK1 for JNK activation in melanoma cell apoptosis. Two ROS scavengers reduced doxycycline-induced JNK and caspase activation, and apoptosis. Taken together, the results suggest the involvement of a ROS-ASK1-JNK pathway in doxycycline-induced melanoma cell apoptosis. Conclusions and implications: We have shown a promising cytotoxic effect of doxycycline on melanoma cells, have identified ROS and ASK1 as the possible initiators and have demonstrated that JNK activation is necessary for doxycycline-induced melanoma cell apoptosis.

Creativity in Eastern and Western Civilizations: The Lessons of Historiometry

Abstract: What are the fundamental factors that promote highly influential creativity? How do these factors differ in Western and Far Eastern civilizations? Many researchers have addressed these questions using historiometrics, a method that tests nomothetic hypotheses about human behaviour by subjecting historical and biographical data to objective and quantitative analyses. These investigations may entail either aggregate-level analyses (e.g., generational time series of creative activity) or individual-level analyses (e.g., cross-sectional studies of creative achievement). Moreover, the empirical findings in each of these two approaches fall into two categories of East-West comparisons: (i) shared variables and convergent results and (ii) shared variables and divergent results. After reviewing representative findings in each of these categories, we discuss what the results imply about the nature of high-impact creativity in the East and West and also explore areas of potential future historiometric research.

Comparison of photodynamic therapy using half-dose of verteporfin or half-fluence of laser light for the treatment of chronic central serous chorioretinopathy.

Abstract: Purpose:To compare the efficacy and the detrimental effects of half-drug dose and half-laser light fluence of photodynamic therapy (PDT) for the treatment of chronic central serous chorioretinopathy.Design:We conducted a prospective randomized, observer-masked comparison study.Methods:Forty eyes (40

Liquid crystals of silver complexes derived from simple 1-alkylimidazoles

Abstract: A homologous series of silver complexes of 1-alkylimidazoles (R-im, R = CnH2n+1, where n = 10, 12, 14, 16 and 18) was synthesized. All the CnH2n+1-im ligands are non-mesomorphic. Upon complexation, all the [Ag(CnH2n+1-im)2][NO3], except for n = 10, exhibit liquid crystalline properties. The crystal structure of [Ag(C12H25-im)2][NO3] shows that the silver center is two-coordinate and adopts a U-shaped conformation with bilayer packing. The non-mesomorphic [Ag(C16H33-bim)2][NO3] (bim = benzimidazole) has a three-coordinate silver ion and has a chair conformation with monolayer stacking. Non-mesomorphic [Ag(C16H33-bim)2][BF4] has a linear geometry around the silver ion and also has a chair conformation. The mesophase for the Ag–(CnH2n+1-im) complexes has been identified as the smectic A (SmA) phase. [Ag(C16H33-im)2]+ with four different anions, NO3−, BF4−, PF6− and CF3SO3− were compared. Of the four Ag–im complexes, only that with the CF3SO3− anion does not show liquid-crystal behavior.