National Cheng Kung University

About: National Cheng Kung University is a education organization based out in Tainan City, Taiwan. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Population & Thin film. The organization has 49723 authors who have published 69799 publications receiving 1437420 citations. The organization is also known as: NCKU.

Knowledge as a facilitator for enhancing innovation performance through total quality management

Abstract: Many organisations are facing competitive challenges due to the rapid pace of technological change Management theorists and practitioners alike have called for more creativity and innovation in product lines, management practices and production processes However, total quality management (TQM) has long been a major management practice Knowledge management (KM) initiatives have gained popularity in organisations recently In addition, innovation has also received considerable attention as critical to securing sustainable competitive advantage in the marketplace This study examined how KM initiatives, TQM and innovation performance are related A survey of 223 managers from 1139 Taiwanese high-tech companies provided the empirical data needed The study used structural equation modelling to analyse simultaneously the relationships between KM, TQM and innovation performance Findings were that KM is positively associated with both TQM and innovation performance and that TQM is a mediator between KM and i

Synthesis of hollow silica spheres with mesostructured shell using cationic-anionic-neutral block copolymer ternary surfactants.

Abstract: Hollow silica spheres with mesostructured shells (HSSMS) were prepared with a vesicle template of cetyltrimethylammonium bromide-sodium dodecyl sulfate-Pluronic P123 (C(16)TMAB-SDS-EO(20)PO(70)EO(20)) at a SDS/C(16)TMAB ratio of 06-08 following a fast silicification in dilute silicate solution at pH approximately 50 The mesostructure of the shell is disordered, and the mesopore size is about 55-75 nm Moreover, the direction and length of the nanochannels of the shell change with the SDS/C(16)TMAB ratios A bi-template model, in which the C(16)TMA(+)-DS(-) form the stable bilayer vesicle structure and the P123 copolymers anchored on C(16)TMA(+)-DS(-) vesicle act as the template for the mesoporous silica, was proposed to explain the formation of the HSSMS This bi-template model can be applied extensively to prepare the HSSMS with different diameters and pore sizes by using other C(n)TMAX-SDS-EO(n)PO(m))EO(n) ternary-surfactant mixtures

The dual-specific binding of dengue virus and target cells for the antibody-dependent enhancement of dengue virus infection.

Abstract: Using flow cytometric assay and monoclonal anti-dengue Ab, we observed that both anti-E and anti-prM Abs could enhance dengue virus infection in a concentration-dependent but serotype-independent manner. Increases were found in both the percentage of dengue-infected cells and the expression of dengue E and NS1 protein per cell. Dengue virion binding and infection were enhanced on FcR-bearing cells via the Fc-FcgammaRII pathway. Furthermore, anti-prM Ab also enhanced dengue virion binding and infection on cells lacking FcR, such as BHK-21 or A549 cells, by the mechanism of peptide (CPFLKQNEPEDIDCW)-specific binding. Anti-prM Ab cross-reacted with BHK-21 or A549 cells and recognized self-Ags such as heat shock protein 60. In summary, a novel mechanism of anti-prM Ab-mediated enhancement on dengue virus infection was found to be mediated by dual specific binding to dengue virion and to target cells, in addition to the traditional enhancement on FcR-bearing cells.

Differential effects of treadmill running and wheel running on spatial or aversive learning and memory: roles of amygdalar brain-derived neurotrophic factor and synaptotagmin I.

Abstract: Chronic exercise has been reported to improve cognitive function. However, whether and how different types of exercise affect various learning and memory tasks remain uncertain. To address this issue, male BALB/c mice were trained for 4 weeks under two different exercise protocols: moderate treadmill running or voluntary wheel running. After exercise training, their spatial memory and aversive memory were evaluated by a Morris water maze and by one-trial passive avoidance (PA), respectively. Levels of neural plasticity-related proteins, i.e. brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), tropomyosin-related kinase B (TrkB) and synaptotagmin I (Syt I), in hippocampus and amygdala were determined by ELISA or immunoblotting. Finally, the functional roles of these proteins in the basolateral amygdala were verified by locally blocking them with K252a (a TrkB kinase inhibitor), or lentivirus expressing Syt I shRNA. We found that (1) although both moderate treadmill running and wheel running improved the Morris water maze performance, only the former improved PA performance; (2) likewise, both exercise protocols upregulated the BDNF-TrkB pathway and Syt I in the hippocampus, whereas only treadmill exercise upregulated their expression levels in the amygdala; (3) local injection of K252a abolished the treadmill exercise-facilitated PA performance and upregulation of amygdalar TrkB and Syt I; and (4) local administration of Syt I shRNA abolished the treadmill exercise-facilitated PA performance and upregulation of amygdalar Syt I. Therefore, our results support the notion that different forms of exercise induce neuroplasticity changes in different brain regions, and thus exert diverse effects on various forms of learning and memory.