A Relationship between Tourism Image and Travel Experiences -An Exploratory Study in Huwei, Town, Taiwan-

( Jen Kuo Chang ) 한국문화관광학회 2013 문화관광연구 Vol.15 No.1

Tourism image and travel experiences are argued to be great influence factors in the development of tourism. The purposes of this study were exploring the tourists with different background towards the difference of the tourism image and travel experiences, and exploring the relationship of tourism image and travel experiences. The main research targets of this study were external tourists of Huwei town, and a total of 412 valid questionnaires were surveyed by convenience sampling. The results of analysis showed that: 1) the tourists with different background and tourism image had partial significant differences, 2) the tourists with different background and travel experiences had partial significant differences, 3) the hypothesis of significant relationship between tourism image and travel experiences were partial substantiated.

Cost Analysis of Impacts of Climate Change on Regional Air Quality

Liao, Kuo-Jen,Tagaris, Efthimios,Russell, Armistead G.,Amar, Praveen,He, Shan,Manomaiphiboon, Kasemsan,Woo, Jung-Hun Informa UK (Taylor Francis) 2010 Journal of the Air & Waste Management Association Vol.60 No.2

A Relationship between Tourism Image and Travel Experiences

Chang-Jen Kuo 한국문화관광학회 2013 문화관광연구 Vol.15 No.1

Tourism image and travel experiences are argued to be great influence factors in the development of tourism. The purposes of this study were exploring the tourists with different background towards the difference of the tourism image and travel experiences, and exploring the relationship of tourism image and travel experiences. The main research targets of this study were external tourists of Huwei town, and a total of 412 valid questionnaires were surveyed by convenience sampling. The results of analysis showed that: 1) the tourists with different background and tourism image had partial significant differences, 2) the tourists with different background and travel experiences had partial significant differences, 3) the hypothesis of significant relationship between tourism image and travel experiences were partial substantiated.

A Neuroprotective Action of Quercetin and Apigenin through Inhibiting Aggregation of Aβ and Activation of TRKB Signaling in a Cellular Experiment

Chiu Ya-Jen,Teng Yu-Shan,Chen Chiung-Mei,Sun Ying-Chieh,Hsieh-Li Hsiu Mei,Chang Kuo-Hsuan,Lee-Chen Guey-Jen 한국응용약물학회 2023 Biomolecules & Therapeutics(구 응용약물학회지) Vol.31 No.3

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative disease with progressive memory loss and the cognitive decline. AD is mainly caused by abnormal accumulation of misfolded amyloid β (Aβ), which leads to neurodegeneration via a number of possible mechanisms such as down-regulation of brain-derived neurotrophic factor-tropomyosin-related kinase B (BDNF-TRKB) signaling pathway. 7,8-Dihydroxyflavone (7,8-DHF), a TRKB agonist, has demonstrated potential to enhance BDNF-TRKB pathway in various neurodegenerative diseases. To expand the capacity of flavones as TRKB agonists, two natural flavones quercetin and apigenin, were evaluated. With tryptophan fluorescence quenching assay, we illustrated the direct interaction between quercetin/ apigenin and TRKB extracellular domain. Employing Aβ folding reporter SH-SY5Y cells, we showed that quercetin and apigenin reduced Aβ-aggregation, oxidative stress, caspase-1 and acetylcholinesterase activities, as well as improved the neurite outgrowth. Treatments with quercetin and apigenin increased TRKB Tyr516 and Tyr817 and downstream cAMP-response-element binding protein (CREB) Ser133 to activate transcription of BDNF and BCL2 apoptosis regulator (BCL2), as well as reduced the expression of pro-apoptotic BCL2 associated X protein (BAX). Knockdown of TRKB counteracted the improvement of neurite outgrowth by quercetin and apigenin. Our results demonstrate that quercetin and apigenin are to work likely as a direct agonist on TRKB for their neuroprotective action, strengthening the therapeutic potential of quercetin and apigenin in treating AD.

Traditional Chinese medicine attenuates hospitalization and mortality risks in diabetic patients with carcinoma in situ in Taiwan

Tsai Li-Jen,Chung Chi-Hsiang,Lin Chien-Jung,Su Sheng-Chiang,Kuo Feng-Chih,Liu Jhih-Syuan,Chen Kuan-Chan,Ho Li-Ju,Kuo Chih-Chun,Chang Chun-Yung,Lin Ming-Hsun,Chu Nain-Feng,Lee Chien-Hsing,Hsieh Chang-H 한국한의학연구원 2022 Integrative Medicine Research Vol.11 No.2

Background: Diabetic patients are at high risk of developing cancer. Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) has become increasingly popular as an adjuvant treatment for patients with chronic diseases, and some studies have identified its beneficial effect in diabetic patients with cancer. The purpoes of this study was to outline the potential of TCM to attenuate hospitalization and mortality rates in diabetic patients with carcinoma in situ (CIS). Methods: A total of 6,987 diabetic subjects with CIS under TCM therapy were selected from the National Health Insurance Research Database of Taiwan, along with 38,800 of 1:1 sex-, age-, and index year-matched controls without TCM therapy. Cox proportional hazard analysis was conducted to compare hospitalization and mortality rates during an average of 15 years of follow-up. Results: A total of 3,999/1,393 enrolled-subjects (28.62%/9.97%) had hospitalization/mortality, including 1,777/661 in the TCM group (25.43%/9.46%) and 2,222/732 in the control group (31.80%/10.48%). Cox proportional hazard regression analysis showed a lower rate of hospitalization and mortality for subjects in the TCM group (adjusted HR=0.536; 95% CI=0.367–0.780, P<0.001; adjusted HR=0.783; 95% CI=0.574– 0.974, P = 0.022). Kaplan-Meier analysis showed that the cumulative risk of hospitalization and mortality in the case and control groups was significantly different (log rank, P<0.001 and P = 0.011, respectively). Conclusions: Diabetic patients with CIS under TCM therapy were associated with lower hospitalization and mortality rates compared to those without TCM therapy. Thus, TCM application may reduce the burden of national medical resources.

Enhancing the Security of Credit Card Transaction based on Visual DSC

( Kuo-jui Wei ),( Jung-san Lee ),( Shin-jen Chen ) 한국인터넷정보학회 2015 KSII Transactions on Internet and Information Syst Vol.9 No.3

People have transferred their business model from traditional commerce to e-commerce in recent decades. Both shopping and payment can be completed through the Internet and bring convenience to consumers and business opportunities to industry. These trade techniques are mostly set up based on the Secure Sockets Layer (SSL). SSL provides the security for transaction information and is easy to set up, which makes it is widely accepted by individuals. Although attackers cannot obtain the real content even when the transferred information is intercepted, still there is risk for online trade. For example, it is impossible to prevent credit card information from being stolen by virtual merchant. Therefore, we propose a new mechanism to solve such security problem. We make use of the disposable dynamic security code (DSC) to replace traditional card security code. So even attackers get DSC for that round of transaction, they cannot use it for the next time. Besides, we apply visual secret sharing techniques to transfer the DSC, so that interceptors cannot retrieve the real DSC even for one round of trade. This way, we can improve security of credit card transaction and reliability of online business. The experiments results validate the applicability and efficiency of the proposed mechanism.

Computerized Color Separation System for Printed Fabrics by Using Backward-Propagation Neural Network

Kuo, Chung-Feng Jeffrey,Su, Te-Li,Huang, Yi-Jen The Korean Fiber Society 2007 Fibers and polymers Vol.8 No.5

Textile production must be coupled with hi-tech assistant system to save cost of labor, material, time. Therefore color quality control is one very important step in any textiles, however excellent the fabric material itself is, if it lacks good color, then it may still result in dull sale. Therefore, this paper proposes a printed fabrics computerized color separation system based on backward-propagation neural network, whose primary function is to separate rich color of printed fabrics pattern so as to reduce time-consuming manual color separation color matching of current players. What it adopted was RGB color space, expressed in red, green, and blue. Analyze color features of printed fabrics, use gene algorithm to find sub-image with same color distribution as original image of printed fabrics yet smaller area, for later color separation algorithm use. In terms of color separation algorithm, this paper relied on supervised backward-propagation neural network to conduct color separation of printed fabrics RGB sub-image, and utilized $PANTONE^{(R)}$ standard color ticket to do color matching, so as to realize accurate color separation.

Talents First!: Wu Ta-you and Science Policy Infrastructures in the Republic of China (1927-1970)

( Chang Kuo-hui ),( Gary Lee Downey ),( Shih Bono Po-jen ) 한국과학사학회 2020 한국과학사학회지 Vol.42 No.2

A main theme in the history of science policy in Taiwan concerns the positioning of science infrastructures in nation building and rapid economic growth. This article calls attention to another evolving initiative in science policy in the Republic of China (ROC), one that emphasized the production of talents who could become societal leaders, including by working for and within government. We trace the emergence of this initiative through the career of Wu Ta-you, who grew up in mainland China, earned his Ph.D. in the United States, and worked on the margins of reconstruction during the 1930s. Through the 1950s, he played a leadership role advocating for long-term planning to develop fundamental researchers in science in Taiwan. His moment appeared to come in 1967 when he became the president’s chief science adviser. His efforts to develop science talents were soon displaced, however, by emerging shorter-term initiatives to support the military and industry. Clearly not contributing as an instrumental technocrat nor a proponent for autonomous basic research, was he attempting to combine the identity of a scientist with that of the Chinese scholar-official? By taking science policy in a different direction, the ROC, in Wu’s terms, remained stuck on the surface of science.

Ledipasvir/Sofosbuvir for 12 Weeks Is Safe and Effective in CHC and CHB Coinfection Patients: A Phase 3 Study in Taiwan

( Chun-Jen Liu ),( Wan-Long Chuang ),( I-Shyan Sheen ),( Horng-Yuan Wang ),( Chi-Yi Chen ),( Kuo-Chih Tseng ),( Ting-Tsung Chang ),( Benede tta Massetto ),( Jenny Yang ),( Gregory Camus ),( Fangqiu Zh 대한간학회 2017 춘·추계 학술대회 (KASL) Vol.2017 No.1

Aims: Patients co-infected with HCV and HBV have more rapid progression and worse outcomes than mono-infected patients. Taiwan has among the highest prevalence of chronic HCV/HBV coinfection in Southeast Asia. This study evaluated the safety and efficacy of an all-oral treatment with ledipasvir(LDV)/sofosbuvir(SOF) for 12 weeks in chronic HCV and HBV coinfection. Methods: Patients with or without compensated cirrhosis chronic HCV GT1/GT2 and HBV (HBsAg+) treatment naïve were enrolled into open-label, receiving LDV 90 mg/SOF 400 mg(QD) for 12 weeks. The primary efficacy endpoint is SVR12. HBV DNA was monitored at all study visits and it will be monitored for 2 years post-treatment. Results: A total of 111 patients (68[61%] with GT1 and 43[39%] with GT2) were enrolled and treated. The majority were female(62%), treatment naive(67%), and non-cirrhotic(85%), with a mean age of 55 years and mean BMI of 24.5kg/m2. All but one was HBeAg negative. Mean baseline HBV DNA was 2.1 log10IU/mL. SVR4 was 100%(111/111). The mean change in HBV DNA ranged from -0.06 log10IU/mL at week 1 to +0.49 log10IU/mL at follow-up visit 4; HBV DNA kinetics are shown in Fig 1. 60(54%) patients had an increase in HBV DNA> 10 x BL or became HBV DNA > LLOQ. No patients had ALT ≥ 2 X baseline. No patients discontinued treatment due to adverse events (AEs). Three patients had serious AEs(optic neuritis, post procedural bleeding and duodenal ulcer bleeding; none was considered drug related). Conclusions: In chronic HCV/HBV infection patients, LDV/SOF for 12 weeks resulted in an SVR4 rate of 100%. Although most patients had an increase in HBV DNA during treatment, this was not associated with ALT elevations ≥2 X baseline, and no patients started HBV therapy to date. This all-oral, interferon-free regimen was well tolerated, supporting its potential as a treatment option for HCV/HBV co-infected patients.

Crystallization and Luminescence Properties of Polypropylene Fiber Containing Rare Earth Aluminates and a Sorbital Derivative Nucleating Agent

Wei-Jen Lai,Kuo-Chung Cheng 한국섬유공학회 2018 Fibers and polymers Vol.19 No.1

Polypropylene (PP) fibers with a sorbital derivative nucleating agent (SDN) and rare earth aluminates (SrAl2O4:Eu2+,Dy3+) were prepared via melt compounding and melt-spinning. Non-isothermal crystallization kinetics and luminescence properties of PP and luminous PP fibers were studied by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), polarized optical microscopy (POM), and decay of the afterglow test. The crystallization temperature determined by DSC increasedwith the addition of the nucleating agent during the cooling process from 200 oC. The Jeziorny model successfully described the non-isothermal crystallization behavior of the luminous PP with various SDN contents. The crystal grain size and morphology of the sample with the SDN was different from that without nucleating agent. The luminous PP fabric having high initial brightness intensity, approximately 461 mcd g-1m-2, can be prepared with addition of 10 wt% of rare earthaluminates and 0.5 % of SDN.