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.

Measuring behavioral regulation in four societies.

Abstract: The present study examined the psychometric properties of scores from a direct measure of behavioral regulation, the Head-Toes-Knees-Shoulders task (HTKS) with 3- to 6-year-old children in the United States, Taiwan, South Korea, and China. Specifically, we investigated (a) the nature and variability of HTKS scores, including relations to teacher-rated classroom behavioral regulation; and (b) relations between the HTKS and early mathematics, vocabulary, and literacy skills. Higher HTKS scores were significantly related to higher teacher ratings of classroom behavioral regulation in the United States and South Korea but not in Taiwan and China. Also, higher HTKS scores were significantly related to higher early mathematics, vocabulary, and literacy skills beyond the influence of demographic variables and teacher-rated classroom behavioral regulation. These initial findings suggest that HTKS scores may be interpreted as reflecting early behavioral regulation in these 4 societies and that behavioral regulation is important for early academic success in the United States and in Asian countries.

The discovery of potential acetylcholinesterase inhibitors: a combination of pharmacophore modeling, virtual screening, and molecular docking studies.

Abstract: Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the most common cause of dementia characterized by progressive cognitive impairment in the elderly people. The most dramatic abnormalities are those of the cholinergic system. Acetylcholinesterase (AChE) plays a key role in the regulation of the cholinergic system, and hence, inhibition of AChE has emerged as one of the most promising strategies for the treatment of AD. In this study, we suggest a workflow for the identification and prioritization of potential compounds targeted against AChE. In order to elucidate the essential structural features for AChE, three-dimensional pharmacophore models were constructed using Discovery Studio 2.5.5 (DS 2.5.5) program based on a set of known AChE inhibitors. The best five-features pharmacophore model, which includes one hydrogen bond donor and four hydrophobic features, was generated from a training set of 62 compounds that yielded a correlation coefficient of R = 0.851 and a high prediction of fit values for a set of 26 test molecules with a correlation of R2 = 0.830. Our pharmacophore model also has a high Guner-Henry score and enrichment factor. Virtual screening performed on the NCI database obtained new inhibitors which have the potential to inhibit AChE and to protect neurons from Aβ toxicity. The hit compounds were subsequently subjected to molecular docking and evaluated by consensus scoring function, which resulted in 9 compounds with high pharmacophore fit values and predicted biological activity scores. These compounds showed interactions with important residues at the active site. The information gained from this study may assist in the discovery of potential AChE inhibitors that are highly selective for its dual binding sites.

Hospital safety culture in Taiwan: a nationwide survey using Chinese version Safety Attitude Questionnaire.

Abstract: Safety activities have been initiated at many hospitals in Taiwan, but little is known about the safety culture at these hospitals. The aims of this study were to verify a safety culture survey instrument in Chinese and to assess hospital safety culture in Taiwan. The Taiwan Patient Safety Culture Survey was conducted in 2008, using the adapted Safety Attitude Questionnaire in Chinese (SAQ-C). Hospitals and their healthcare workers participated in the survey on a voluntary basis. The psychometric properties of the five SAQ-C dimensions were examined, including teamwork climate, safety climate, job satisfaction, perception of management, and working conditions. Additional safety measures were asked to assess healthcare workers' attitudes toward their collaboration with nurses, physicians, and pharmacists, respectively, and perceptions of hospitals' encouragement of safety reporting, safety training, and delivery delays due to communication breakdowns in clinical areas. The associations between the respondents' attitudes to each SAQ-C dimension and safety measures were analyzed by generalized estimating equations, adjusting for the clustering effects at hospital levels. A total of 45,242 valid questionnaires were returned from 200 hospitals with a mean response rate of 69.4%. The Cronbach's alpha was 0.792 for teamwork climate, 0.816 for safety climate, 0.912 for job satisfaction, 0.874 for perception of management, and 0.785 for working conditions. Confirmatory factor analyses demonstrated a good model fit for each dimension and the entire construct. The percentage of hospital healthcare workers holding positive attitude was 48.9% for teamwork climate, 45.2% for perception of management, 42.1% for job satisfaction, 37.2% for safety climate, and 31.8% for working conditions. There were wide variations in the range of SAQ-C scores in each dimension among hospitals. Compared to those without positive attitudes, healthcare workers with positive attitudes to each SAQ dimension were more likely to perceive good collaboration with coworkers, and their hospitals were more likely to encourage safety reporting and to prioritize safety training programs (Wald chi-square test, p < 0.001 for all). Analytical results verified the psychometric properties of the SAQ-C at Taiwanese hospitals. The safety culture at most hospitals has not fully developed and there is considerable room for improvement.

Kaempferol induced apoptosis via endoplasmic reticulum stress and mitochondria-dependent pathway in human osteosarcoma U-2 OS cells.

Abstract: Kaempferol is a natural flavonoid. Previous studies have reported that kaempferol has anti-proliferation activities and induces apoptosis in many cancer cell lines. However, there are no reports on human osteosarcoma. In this study, we investigate the anti-cancer effects and molecular mechanisms of kaempferol in human osteosarcoma cells. Our results demonstrate that kaempferol significantly reduces cell viabilities of U-2 OS, HOB and 143B cells, especially U-2 OS cells in a dose-dependent manner, but exerts low cytotoxicity on human fetal osteoblast progenitor hFOB cells. Comet assay, DAPI staining and DNA gel electrophoresis confirm the effects of DNA damage and apoptosis in U-2 OS cells. Flow cytometry detects the increase of cytoplasmic Ca(2+) levels and the decrease of mitochondria membrane potential. Western blotting and fluorogenic enzymatic assay show that kaempferol treatment influences the time-dependent expression of proteins involved in the endoplasmic reticulum stress pathway and mitochondrial signaling pathway. In addition, pretreating cells with caspase inhibitors, BAPTA or calpeptin before exposure to kaempferol increases cell viabilities. The anti-cancer effects of kaempferol in vivo are evaluated in BALB/c(nu/nu) mice inoculated with U-2 OS cells, and the results indicate inhibition of tumor growth. In conclusion, kaempferol inhibits human osteosarcoma cells in vivo and in vitro.