National Chengchi University

About: National Chengchi University is a education organization based out in Taipei, Taiwan. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Population & China. The organization has 3465 authors who have published 6342 publications receiving 118821 citations. The organization is also known as: NCCU & Chengda.

The anti-aging effects of Ludwigia octovalvis on Drosophila melanogaster and SAMP8 mice

Abstract: We investigated the anti-aging effects of Ludwigia octovalvis (Jacq.) P. H. Raven (Onagraceae), an extract of which is widely consumed as a healthful drink in a number of countries. Using the fruit fly, Drosophila melanogaster, as a model organism, we demonstrated that L. octovalvis extract (LOE) significantly extended fly lifespan on a high, but not a low, calorie diet, indicating that LOE may regulate lifespan through a dietary restriction (DR)-related pathway. LOE also attenuated age-related cognitive decline in both flies and in the senescence-accelerated-prone 8 (SAMP8) mouse, without causing any discernable negative trade-offs, including water intake, food intake, fecundity, or spontaneous motor activity. LOE contained high levels of polyphenols and flavonoids, which possess strong DPPH radical scavenging activity, and was shown to attenuate paraquat-induced oxidative damage and lethality in flies. Gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC-MS) analyses identified 17 known molecules, of which β-sitosterol and squalene were the two most abundant. We further demonstrated that β-sitosterol was capable of extending lifespan, likely through activating AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) in the fat body of adult flies. Taken together, our data suggest that LOE is a potent anti-aging intervention with potential for treating age-related disorders.

Influence of the Environment on Innovation Performance of TQM

Abstract: How can a firm use TQM practices for both quality performance and innovation performance? Why does the business environment have to be suitable when TQM practices are implemented, before innovation performance can be shown? This paper proposes a framework and illustrates a case study to argue that (1) TQM practice has a primary effect, in which TQM practices obtain quality performance, and a secondary effect, which leverages features extracted from TQM practices for innovation performance; (2) the secondary effect of TQM practices must have business environment changes to match claims for valuable features before innovation performance can be seen. The case study depicts how a leading global firm innovated by taking a chance on resolving a critical quality issue in TQM practices through innovation. The innovation initially had no effect on sales when the business environment was unchanged despite of marketing/sales efforts, but the innovation was a critical success after business environment chan...

Culture, Paradigm, and Communication Theory: A Matter of Boundary or Commensurability?

Abstract: The discussion on geocultural theory has underscored the urgency for us to re-examine the way cultural differences are handled in academic discourse. Boundaries need to be drawn, because European universality neglects cultural and also paradigm differences. This article argues that as locking universality and particularity in a dualist paradigm is part of the problem, drawing boundaries to concepts and theories will lead to further problems. Borrowing from the Chinese yin/yang dynamic worldview and the Kuhnian notion of incommensurability, the author proposes a methodological framework in which commensurability, rather than universality, is the major concern. The commensurability model and the universality model are compared with examples to illustrate how the former may help advance theory development from a local perspective.