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Tag: Taiwan

Proceeding a Healthier Life with AI? Researchers Scrutinise ChatGPT’s Capability as a Personal Nutritionist

Posted on by Taipei Medical University

In today’s digital age, there has been a noticeable shift in public awareness towards the importance of maintaining a healthy diet. More individuals are carefully examining the internet for information on the nutritional content of the good. However, this increased awareness possibly poses a challenge to people as the easy access to numerous conflicting nutritional advice and unchecked sources on the internet may steer them away from a healthy lifestyle.

Yen Nhi Hoang, from Taipei Medical University, School of Nutrition and Health Sciences, investigated the health information accuracy of the handy online AI tool “ChatGPT” with her team members, Jung-Su Chang and Dang Khanh Ngan Ho, among others. They compared the reliability of ChatGPT-3.5 and ChatGPT-4 in providing information on calorie and macronutrients, including carbohydrates, fats, and proteins.

The research identified minimal differences between nutritionist and AI estimations of energy, carbohydrate, and fat contents. Notably, there was a significant divis ion in protein estimation. Both chatbots accurately provided energy contents for approximately 35% to 48% of the 222 food items within ±10%, with a caffeine variation of less than 10%. It was observed that ChatGPT-4 outperformed in this aspect.

Their research results showed that AI can undoubtedly be a useful and convenient tool for acquiring energy and macronutrient information. However, limitations include the AI having a knowledge cutoff of September 2021. In an interview with Nutrition Insight, Dr. Jung-Su Chang cautioned about the existence of “AI hallucination.” Depending on different chatroom environments, such as types of input language and clarity of the prompt, AI may provide convincing information that is factually incorrect. Chang also pointed out that it’s hard for average people to tell the reliability of the information the chatbot provided.

“Currently, the capability of AI chatbots to provide personalized dietary advice, such as specific nutrition guidelines and exact portion sizes, is limited.” the research team warned.

Despite this current limitation, AI chatbots could be a handy tool for nutritionists to quickly access nutrition information. Nonetheless, it’s remains challenging for AI chatbots to function independently as nutritionists.

A firmament for contemporary artists: The College of Arts at CCU

Posted on by Chinese Culture University

Being one of the most prestigious arts institutions in Taiwan’s university system, the College of Arts at Chinese Culture University (CCU) has been known for its comprehensive studies in performing and visual arts in global perspectives. Our faculties and alumni include renowned scholars, artists and administrators in Taiwan and from abroad. The College consists of six departments and four graduate programs encompassing the following fields: Fine Arts, Chinese Music, Music, Chinese Drama, Theater, Dance as well as Arts & Technology, in which the curricula are individually built with emphasis on interdisciplinary approaches.

Located in the world famous Yangmingshan National Park in Taipei’s suburb, CCU’s main campus, with its ethereal beauty, has been the firmament of several generations of contemporary artists. Our goal as a higher education institution is to lead the classrooms towards concert halls, theater stages and art galleries with social responsibility in mind. International exchange programs with CCU’s four hundred plus affiliated institutions around the world further expand our reach to collaborate with artists of diversified cultural backgrounds.

TMU research team finds potential relationship between non-nutritive sweetener acesulfame potassium, uterine hypercontraction

Posted on by Taipei Medical University

Supported by the National Research Council provided through integrated project funding, Professor Shih-Min Hsia’s research team at the School of Nutrition and Health Sciences of Taipei Medical University has found a potential relationship between long-term exposure to the non-nutritive sweetener acesulfame potassium and uterine hypercontraction, particularly those induced by oxytocin, and reported the discovery in Molecular Nutrition and Food Research. In the study, it was demonstrated that an excessive intake of non-nutritive sweeteners containing acesulfame potassium may cause uterine hypercontraction and increase preterm risk, suggesting that pregnant women should avoid long-term consumption of processed foods containing artificial sweeteners.

Along with the development of the food industry, the demand for sugar has been gradually increasing. Due to their high level of sweetness and low cost, non-nutritive sweeteners are often used in the food industry as food additives. Previous studies have shown the consumption of non-nutritive sweeteners to be associated with a 1.2-fold increase in preterm births and a reduction in the gestational period by 0.11 weeks, but the effect of acesulfame potassium exposure on uterine contraction in pregnant women has not yet been studied.

Uterine hypercontraction is significantly triggered by the influx of calcium ions or oxytocin signaling pathway, which causes the contraction of uterine muscle bundles. The medical conditions caused by uterine hypercontraction include preterm labor risk, endometriosis, and menstrual pain, and consequent inflammatory responses can result in the secretion of cytokines and the aggravation of oxidative stress, which may lead to menstrual discomfort and a deterioration in life quality for women.

In the study, it was revealed that exposure to acesulfame potassium caused an upsurge in the concentration of calcium ions in uterine smooth muscle cells and calcium ion influx, which resulted in an increase in uterine contractions. In a long-term exposure experiment, the subjects were fed daily with an amount of acesulfame potassium equivalent to that contained in two cans of Coca-Cola Zero, as well as a tolerable daily intake via oral gavage for 8 weeks. The results showed that acesulfame potassium increased intrauterine pressure and oxytocin-induced contractions. In a further clinical collaboration, it was found in a cohort study that pregnant women with higher exposure to acesulfame potassium had a higher risk of preterm birth.

This study was the first to investigate the influence of non-nutritive sweeteners on pregnant women and confirm their effect on uterine hypercontraction with scientific evidence, alerting people with their life quality affected by uterine hypercontraction, such as those with menstrual pain, endometriosis, and pregnancy to the risk of long- term consumption of non-nutritive sweeteners.

Breakthrough development in instant measurement of liver function- the galactose single point rapid measurement system

Posted on by Taipei Medical University

The World Health Organization (WHO) declared that the vast majority of hepatitis patients worldwide do not have access to timely hepatitis detection and treatment. Sadly, the condition of millions of hepatitis patients is at risk of worsening into cirrhosis, liver cancer, and death. Hepatitis also strongly impacts us, as it is the leading cause of death among Taiwanese. Furthermore, liver cancer has been ranked among the top 2 causes of death for the last 40 years.

Reluctantly tacking these problems, Chair Prof. Oliver Hu (Hu Yao-pu), alongside his research this research team from the Taipei Medical University, Academia Sinica, and National Defense Medical Center, in collaboration with international biomedical companies Avalon HepaPOC Limited and Jaco Biotech, successfully developed the “GSP (Galactose Single Point) Rapid Measurement System.” This system facilitates instant and quantitative measurement of the blood flow and enzymes of the liver using a single-point blood test to determine actual liver function.

To save us time and alleviate pain, the GSP Rapid Measurement System was created to use the GSP (Galactose Single Point). We are proud to announce, this method invented by Prof. Hu can be employed immediately in a clinical setting. The Method has been recommended in the guidelines promulgated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (USFDA) and Taiwan’s Ministry of Health and Welfare. Apart from that, GSP is also included in widely used medical textbooks in the U.K. and the U.S. In May 2022, it was also published in “Analytical and Bioanalytical Chemistry.” a world-leading biomedical analytical journal that’s existed for over 100 years.
(https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00216-022-04051-1)

This measurement system allows rapid quantification of the degree of liver impairment in patients. It can be applied to a wide range of patients with liver insufficiency by adjusting the dose of medications such as phenytoin, statins, and cefoperazone. Moreover, GSP also facilitates the screening for congenital galactosemia for the timely and cost-effective clinical management of patients.

Prof. Hu highlighted that the GSP Rapid Measurement System can be used in hospitals, clinics, and even pharmacies to test liver functioning. The actual liver function results are available within an hour. The simple measurement method is similar to blood glucose testing: patients just have to draw a little blood an hour after drinking or injecting galactose, and their liver function can be tested within 75 seconds. Currently, the System is patented in Taiwan, the U.S., China, and other countries, and was granted an In Vitro Diagnostic Device (IVD) license by the Ministry of Health and Welfare of Taiwan. It is expected to serve and benefit a large number of patients diagnosed with liver disease as well as those taking physical examinations.

CCU’S engagement and innovation of global business

Posted on by Chinese Culture University

In response to globalization and internationalization, all countries are facing the challenge of integrating their own talents with the international community. Since English is currently the most important language for international communication, the Taiwanese government aims to enhance the English language skills of the people in order to increase competitiveness globally, promote the bilingual national policy to cultivate more local bilingual talents, and expand the international communication ability and the global vision of talents from Taiwan to become highly competitive throughout the industry.

In order to enhance the advantages of students under this wave of internationalization and response to government policies, the Chinese Culture University (hereinafter referred to as CCU) has established a benchmarking of bilingual college that combines professional areas of English foreign affairs to offer opportunities to apply English for students, which strengthens students’ motivation to learn English and deepens their international mobility. In addition, by strengthening the recruitment of English-foreign language speaking, teaching and research talents, the school will improve the English teaching, curriculum, research & counseling, and assist in the training of teaching English, as well as establish surroundings for all English professional fields.

The Global Business Program in CCU offers a bachelor’s degree and a master’s degree, available through our 5-year BA & MA. The curriculum combines the core competencies and professional subjects provided by College of Business (including international business administration, international finance, economics, accounting, statistics, database management, banking management, marketing, etc.) in order to provide our students with comprehensive and systematic knowledge related to global business. To construct an all-English learning environment and enhance the students’ English proficiency, all courses with the program are taught solely in English, helping the local students enhance English proficiency without paying high expenses to study abroad.

Additionally, we are honored to present our industry-academia collaboration programs with international enterprises, which provide abundant opportunities, internships, and scholarships to our students. Dual-degree programs and 5-year master programs are also available through our strategic alliance with several universities from U.S., U.K., France, Australia, Japan, South Korea, etc. An opportunity to study with foreign students allows them to experience diverse cultures. Furthermore, we make great efforts to recruitment of domestic and foreign students, contact with international students, cultivate international outlook and world outlook, so that students can be in line with international standards and enhance international competitiveness as soon as possible.

 

Fight against the infodemic

Posted on by Chinese Culture University

One of the biggest challenges in the post-pandemic era is to fight against the “infodemic” either it is accompanying the COVID-19 or not. As defined, an “infodemic” is too much (dis)information including fake news and vague mixture of falsehood and truth in digital and physical environments. It is an issue for all people in the globe. Taiwan is excellent in its COVID-19 containment strategies. The Department of Philosophy in Chinese Culture University (hereinafter referred to as CCU) in Taiwan declares that philosophical education can and must help in the “infodemic” management.

The Department of Philosophy in CCU is nourished in the lively democratic society of Taiwan with a rich heritage of traditional Chinese culture. The campus of CCU is located in Yang-Ming-Shan mountain area in the north of Taipei city, lies in direct neighborhood of the National Park area (http://english.ymsnp.gov.tw), and near to the famous National Palace Museum (https://www.npm.gov.tw/). The university has its own museum (https://hkm.pccu.edu.tw/), too. With the excellent natural and cultural surroundings, the department is unique in combing the edge-cutting new thoughts on the one hand, and the long-standing traditional ideas on the other hand.

Not widely known, this department is the first institute which endowed PhD degree in Philosophy in Taiwan. It have invited scholars of various backgrounds to give lectures, including some who were blacklisted during the period of the martial law (1949-1987), say, Hu Lancheng, who was labelled as a traitor and lived in Japan for the rest of his life. In recent years, Philosophy department of CCU have built more connections with philosophers from the globe. In 2015, the department had a joint conference on Memory cooperated with Nagoya University, Japan. In 2018, the department hosts the 2nd Asia regional meeting of the International Plato Society which is the most international organization in the field of Platonic studies. (https://platosociety.org/ips-regional-meeting-report-forming-the-soul-plato-and-his-opponents-20-22-april-2018-taipei-taiwan/) The success of that conference has been well recognized. Now, Prof. Hua-kuei Ho of the department is the representative for Asia, Australia, and Africa in the International Plato Society. At the same time, the department devotes itself into philosophical education among locals. Prof. Feng-wei Wu, another staff of the department, created the Philosophical Education Development Organization, abbrev. Phedo (http://www.phedotw.org/), with his friends, to promote people’s capacity of critical thinking. He was the 2nd and 3rd president (2016-2017 and 2018-2019) and remains a core figure in the organization now.

Philosophy does not only pursue freedom of thought, but also cultivate ability to think free, think independently. The Philosophy department of CCU calls for philosophical education development which will hopefully be an important tool to make people immune to the confusing thoughts in the “infodemic”. In this era, it is what philosophers can do, and also what philosophers must do.

Taipei Medical University research team finds opportunity to treat muscle disorders

Posted on by Taipei Medical University

In addition to prolonging lifespan, scientists also have long been in pursuit of maintaining human healthspan. For the elderly, as their declined muscle mass and strength cause physical inconvenience, maintaining the health of skeletal muscle is therefore of vital importance so as to keep the ideal quality of life.

Professor Yi-Fan Chen and Professor Yun Yen from Taipei Medical University, in collaboration with researchers from Japan and Taiwan, have recently published their work in npj regenerative medicine. The research article examines how Ribonucleotide reductase M2B (Rrm2b) modulates the fate of stem cells in skeletal muscle in response to injury. The homeostasis of skeletal muscle relies on the interplay between the muscle stem cells (MuSCs) and their microenvironment (niche). By genetically modified mouse models, Chen unveiled that specific knockout of Rrm2b in the myofibers (a part of niche), but not in MuSCs, led to the weakness of muscles, including loss of muscle mass and strength. These Rrm2b myofiber-specific knockout mice displayed compromised regenerative capacity of muscle with thinner fiber sizes and weaker functioning. Moreover, the lack of Rrm2b in the myofibers resulted in mitochondrial defects, showing a part of the typical characteristics of mitochondrial myopathy.

Furthermore, Chen’s team collaborated with Dr. I-Hsuan Lin, her fellow TMU researcher, for RNA-sequencing to identify several myokines released from Rrm2b-deleted myofibers. These myokines, including FGF-21, GDF-15, and Mthfd2, triggered MuSCs differentiation rather than reentry of quiescence to repopulate the stem cell pool. The decreased MuSC pool due to the imbalance between differentiation and self-renewal of MuSCs thus contributed to muscle weakness and impaired regenerative capacity.

In conclusion, Chen’s study identified a novel role of Rrm2b in muscle homeostasis. Rrm2b in the myofibers plays a critical role in modulating the stem cell fate of MuSCs by an alternation of the microenvironment (niche), and it provides an opportunity for strategy development to treat muscle disorders. Animals with defective Rrm2b expression can probably serve as a disease model for investigating mitochondrial myopathy in mammals. It is expected that such promising research findings will lead to clinical use in promoting muscle health in the coming years.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41536-022-00231-w

 

CCU’s College of Kinesiology and Health cultivates sports talents

Posted on by Chinese Culture University

The College of Kinesiology and Health (hereinafter referred to as CKH) inherited the traditional culture and spirit of Chinese Culture University (PCCU) for about six decades. CKH, one of the leading sports institutions in Taiwan, is committed to cultivating sports talents and high-level competitive sports and owns the foresight to demonstrate the spirit of the sustainable development of the Asian and Olympic Games.

CKH develops the largest ranges of sports teams, such as basketball, volleyball, baseball, soccer, rugby, korfball, tennis, soft tennis, Pétanque, badminton, table tennis, golf, bowling, wooden ball, gymnastics, rhythmic gymnastics, track and field, swimming, western rowing, dragon boat, archery, judo, wrestling, taekwondo, karate, boxing, Sanshou, pushing hands, Chinese martial arts (Wushu), Tai-Chi, dragon and lion dancing, fencing, jiu-jitsu, bodybuilder, qigong, mix martial art, etc. CKH awards scholarships and fee exemptions for elite athletes and representatives of Taiwan. Up till the present moment, CKH has trained the athletes not only to win hundreds of medals for Taiwan in international competitions but also to honor numerous trophies in national games.

The specialty of training plan brings together the different specific sports and academic programs arranged by all aspects of departments of Physical Education (from bachelor degrees to postgraduate Ph.D. level), Combat Sports and Chinese Martial Arts, and Exercise and Health Promotion. Our staffs and teachers are experts in their fields at the forefront of training trends. Meanwhile, the full-time teachers and invited coaches are responsible for coaching and managing.

For enhancing sports performance, CKH integrates all the resources of different scientific laboratories such as sports physiology, sports biomechanics, sports performance, sports psychology, athletic trainer, recovery, and rehabilitation to support the sports teams in various training fields: tactics and skill drills, strength training and physical conditioning, consultation, nutritional assessment, and athletic recovery, as well as rehabilitation, etc.

Under such aggressive challenge and pressure of recruiting athletes from sports-related departments in domestic universities, the College of Kinesiology and Health still insists a belief on the underlying goal of education: adopting the science-based and efficient training methods, monitoring the holistic status of athletes, reducing the risk of injury and improving performance, returning the health to athletes, and finally contributing and developing more superior coaches and athletes to Taiwan.

Connecting Korean culture to the world

Posted on by Chinese Culture University

Founded in 1962, the Department of Korean Language and Literature of Chinese Culture University (hereinafter referred to as CCU) is a global leading Korean program and one of the earliest establishments of Korean education and research in Taiwan, R.O.C. In its 60-year history of excellence, the Department has been a center for talent cultivation, international exchange, and dynamic research. In 1985, the Department established the first postgraduate Korean program in Taiwan, R.O.C. Currently, the Department is home to 10 full-time teachers, 8 part-time teachers, among which 44 percent is Korean natives. Our department is the most popular program in Chinese Culture University for minor and double-major students.

Currently, 426 students are enrolled in the Department’s undergraduate program, and 59 students in the postgraduate program, among which approximately 20 percent are international students from Japan, South Korea, Hong Kong, Macau, Malaysia, Indonesia etc. Our students are passionate learners of Korean language, literature, culture, history, and industry. They thrive in a friendly, diverse, and professional environment fostered jointly by the Department’s faculty and student body.

Many of our graduates go on to become Korean specialists, government employees, teachers, translators, and entrepreneurs, in a variety of industries including but not limited to business, culture, fashion, tourism, politics, international relations, and education. Our students run the Student Union of the Korean Department. They host events such as K-Pop, dance, drama contest, speech contest, BBQ day, traditional Korean folk culture day, among other exciting cultural highlights. Senior students are required to combine their specialty with the needs of our nation by taking on internships in public and private sectors. They usually serve in international airports, local police offices, KOTRA, Korea Tourism Organization, as well as museums and galleries.

The Department takes pride in its vibrant exchange students program. In Taiwan, Chinese Culture University has the most sister universities. Department of Korean has 45 sister universities in Korea. In a 2-year and 3-year students choose to become exchange students in Korea for six months or one year. Various scholarships are available for students. The Department in turn hosts overseas exchange students. Our students thus study in a highly international and diverse setting that is the second to none in Taiwan.

The graduate program of the Department of Korean Language and Literature has the most alumni in the field of Korean studies in Taiwan and is considered top-choice by native Korean postgraduate students. Korean linguistics, teaching methodology, administrative policy, history, social sciences, and literature are our strongest areas of specialty. Annually, graduate students present their research papers in the conference, in which they interact with international scholarly and peers. Graduate students also participate in the student exchange program, with roughly 50 outbound students each year. Postgraduate students foster their academic and practical skills through job opportunities such as TA, RA, and office administration assistants.

The Department is home to Center for Korean Studies, Chinese Culture University established in 2014. As a regular beneficiary of research funds from The Academy of Korean Studies, the Center holds annual events such as The Western Pacific-Asia Conference on Korean Studies and The Next Generation Korean Studies Conference. The Center also publishes a yearly book series entitled The Collected Papers of Korean Studies, which contributes to the deepening of Korean studies, connecting global Korean studies networks in China, Japan, and India, Malaysia, Singapore, Vietnam, and Thailand. The Center has close regional partnership with The Academy of Korean Studies and Hankook University of Foreign Studies, and it now becomes a leading hub for Korean Center in East and Southeast Asia regions.

We always look forward to new partnerships, research collaborations, and new friendship. We will constantly devote ourselves to the promotion of Korean studies.

Taipei Medical University’s Dr Lin-Yi Tseng wins research award

Posted on by Taipei Medical University

Dr. Lin-Yi Tseng is currently an associate professor from the Center for General Education at Taipei Medical University. Her work on “the Development of Western Medicine in Dadaocheng(大稻埕) in Modern Taiwan” recently won the 8th Professor Shutsung Liao Research Award by North America Taiwanese Professors’ Association (NATPA).

According to Dr. Tseng, Dadaocheng played a very important role in the modernization of Taiwan’s medical care, and was the location of many firsts, such as Taiwan’s first general hospital, “Hongji Hospital”; Taiwan’s first female physician, A-Hsin Tsai (蔡阿信); Taiwan’s first dentist, Dr. Tseng-Chyuan Chen (陳增全) (Tseng-Chyuan Dentistry); and the first Indigenous Taiwanese physician (from the Puyuma tribe) to complete a Western-style medical education path, Dr. Tang-Shan Hsieh (謝唐山). In addition, from the Japanese Colonial Period to the early Post-War Period, Dadaocheng had a large number of western hospitals and pharmacies, such as Watsons Pharmacy and Taihetang Pharmacy, etc., which influenced the medical development of not just Taipei, but arguably even all of Taiwan. Unfortunately, Dadaocheng’s medical history and contributions are rarely covered in our history textbooks, and there is a dearth of complete and comprehensive professional research, which is a pity.

Dr. Tseng’s research depicts the evolvement of medical care over decades. The Japanese colonial period brought modern medical care to Taiwan. Through the establishment of new medical schools and hospitals, as well as various medical experiments, the medical foundation of modern Taiwan was laid. Among them, Dadaocheng is an important area for the attainment and practice of medical knowledge.

Dr. Tseng indicated that “humanities” are also of great significance to medical research. With the passage of time, many important medical materials in Taiwan may gradually disappear. As a historian, one has the responsibility of getting Taiwanese people understand the medical history of modern Taiwan through interviews, studies, writing and publications. Furthermore, as a lecturer at a medical university, it is one’s responsibility to get students to understand the medical development of modern Taiwan. The research results should also be published as a historical publication so that more people can understand the deep relationship between Dadaocheng and Western medicine.