Publications by authors named "Mei-Ying Liu"

The development of efficient electrocatalysts for the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) and the elucidation of their underlying mechanisms are crucial for overcoming the low efficiency of hydrogen production through the electrolysis of water. Utilizing the electrochemical anodic oxidation method, a series of silver-based electrocatalysts (Ag-x, where x signifies the applied direct current (DC) voltage, x = 0, 5, 10, 15) were prepared employing metallic silver wire as the anode under DC voltages. The resulting silver-based electrodes have been oxidized and reconstructed, yielding AgO/Ag2O composite on the surface.

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  • Mucopolysaccharidosis IVA (MPS IVA) is a rare genetic disorder caused by a deficiency in an enzyme called N-acetylgalactosamine-6-sulfatase (GALNS).
  • Between September 2019 and October 2023, newborn screening for MPS IVA in Taiwan involved 264,843 infants, revealing a confirmed incidence of 3.4 cases per 100,000 live births.
  • The screening identified nine confirmed cases, with an additional 18 suspected cases and 61 heterozygotes, highlighting the importance of early diagnosis and enzyme replacement therapy to improve health outcomes.*
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  • The study investigates the role of WOX genes, important for plant growth, in Eucalyptus, a widely cultivated fast-growing tree species.
  • Nine WOX genes (EgWOX1-EgWOX9) were identified from Eucalyptus grandis, with a focus on the Modern/WUS group containing a unique amino acid domain which aids in meristem development and regeneration.
  • The research shows that adding specific peptides from the WUS domain can significantly improve transformation efficiency, enhancing breeding practices for Eucalyptus.
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Background: Dysphagia is a leading cause of aspiration pneumonia and negatively affects tolerance of chemoradiotherapy in patients with esophageal cancer.

Objective: This study aimed to assess a protocol for preventing the occurrence of aspiration pneumonia for adult patients with esophageal cancer experiencing swallowing dysfunction.

Methods: This study tested a dysphagia intervention that included high-risk patients confirmed by the Eating Assessment Tool questionnaire and Water Swallowing Test.

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The hexagonal rare earth ferrites -RFeO(R = rare earth element) have been recognized as promising candidates for a room-temperature multiferroic system, and the primary issue for these materials is how to get a stable hexagonal structure since the centrosymmetric orthorhombic structure is generally stable for most RFeO at room-temperature, while the hexagonal phase is only stable under some strict conditions. In the present work, -LuInFeO ( = 0-1) thin films were prepared on a Nb-SrTiO (111) single-crystal substrate by a pulsed laser deposition (PLD) process, and the multiferroic characterization was performed at room temperature. With the combined effects of chemical pressure and epitaxial strain, the stable hexagonal structure was achieved in a wide composition range ( = 0.

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Mucopolysaccharidosis (MPS) is a lysosomal storage disease caused by genetic defects that result in deficiency of one specific enzyme activity, consequently impairing the stepwise degradation of glycosaminoglycans (GAGs). Except for MPS II, the other types of MPS have autosomal recessive inheritance in which two copies of an abnormal allele must be present in order for the disease to develop. In this study, we present the status of variant alleles and biochemistry results found in infants suspected of having MPS I, II, IVA, and VI.

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Background: Mucopolysaccharidosis II (MPS II) is an X-linked disorder resulting from a deficiency in lysosomal enzyme iduronate-2-sulfatase (IDS), which causes the accumulation of glycosaminoglycans (GAGs) in the lysosomes of many tissues and organs, leading to progressive cellular dysfunction. An MPS II newborn screening program has been available in Taiwan since 2015. The aim of the current study was to collect and analyze the long-term follow-up data of the screen-positive subjects in this program.

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Background: Hospice shared care is a model of care widely used in patients with terminal cancer. Appropriate interventions to improve related symptoms should be provided during disease progression through the end of life.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to explore the related symptoms and to compare symptom severity before and after the implementation of hospice shared care and medical care interventions.

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Mucopolysaccharidoses (MPSs) are a group of lysosomal storage diseases (LSDs) caused by an inherited gene defect. MPS patients can remain undetected unless the initial signs or symptoms have been identified. Newborn screening (NBS) programs for MPSs have been implemented in Taiwan since 2015, and more than 48.

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Glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase deficiency (G6PD deficiency; OMIM #300908) is the most common inborn error disorders worldwide. While the G6PD is the key enzyme of removing oxidative stress in erythrocytes, the early diagnosis is utmost vital to prevent chronic and drug-, food- or infection-induced hemolytic anemia. The characterization of the mutations is also important for the subsequent genetic counseling, especially for female carrier with ambiguous enzyme activities and males with mild mutations.

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Background: Patients with glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase deficiency might develop acute hemolytic anemia, chronic hemolytic anemia, and neonatal hyperbilirubinemia when exposed to high levels of oxidative stress. Severe hemolysis may occur in not only patients but also female carriers under certain conditions. However, 80%-85% of female carriers were undetected in an existing newborn screening program because of their wide-ranging levels of enzyme activity.

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  • The study investigates the deep lymphatic system of the upper limb, which is underrepresented in medical literature.
  • Researchers used cadaver limbs to trace lymphatic vessels using hydrogen peroxide and barium sulfate for visibility.
  • Findings revealed complex networks of deep lymph vessels and connections to superficial vessels, providing valuable information for clinical practice and further research.
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Objective: To evaluate the initial cutoff values, rates of screen positives, and genotypes for the large-scale newborn screening program for multiple mucopolysaccharidoses (MPS) in Taiwan.

Study Design: More than 100 000 dried blood spots were collected consecutively as part of the national Taiwan newborn screening programs. Enzyme activities were measured by tandem mass spectrometry from dried blood spot punches.

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Ferroelectric thin films are extensively attractive as next-generation nonvolatile memories. Recently, molecular ferroelectrics (MFe), as an emerging new class, have been a new research focus because of their desirable characteristics such as good solution processability, tunable chemical properties, and bio-friendly compositions. However, traditional uniaxial MFe only possess one polar axis which greatly limits their application, as it requires restricted orientational control in single crystal.

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Grapevine training systems determine the suitability for grape varieties in a specific growing region. We evaluated the influence of three training systems, Single Guyot (SG), Spur-pruned Vertical Shoot-Positioned (VSP), and Four-Arm Kniffin (4AK), on the performance of grapes and vines of Vitis vinifera L. cv.

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A Dawson sandwich-type polyoxometalate {C(NH2)3}12H4[αββα-{(Sn(C3H4O2))2Mn2(P2W15O56)2}]·22H2O (abbreviated as SnR-Mn-P2W15), functionalized by open chain carboxyethyltin groups, was first prepared in aqueous solution under conventional reaction conditions, and then structurally characterized by physicochemical and spectroscopic methods. Single crystal X-ray diffraction analysis revealed that two Mn(2+) cations and two [Sn(CH2CH2COO)](2+) groups are located in the internal and external positions in the so-called equatorial region of SnR-Mn-P2W15, respectively. Intriguingly, two exposed carboxyl groups act as stretching-arm brackets, which provide a favorable structure for potential further functionalization.

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The effect of foliage sprayed zinc sulfate on berry development of Vitis vinifera cv. Merlot growing on arid zone Zn-deficient soils was investigated over two consecutive seasons, 2013 and 2014. Initial zinc concentration in soil and vines, photosynthesis at three berry developmental stages, berry weight, content of total soluble solids, titratable acidity, phenolics and expression of phenolics biosynthetic pathway genes throughout the stages were measured.

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The mut-type methylmalonic aciduria (MMA, MIM 251000) is caused by a deficiency of mitochondrial methylmalonyl-CoA mutase (MCM, E.C. 5.

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Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) infection is associated with undifferentiated nasopharyngeal carcinomas (NPC). A distinct seroreactivity pattern to EBV is predictive of subsequent risk of sporadic and familial nasopharyngeal carcinomas. There are currently no accepted screening tools for guiding the clinical management of individuals at high-risk for nasopharyngeal carcinomas, particularly unaffected relatives from nasopharyngeal carcinoma multiplex families.

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Chromosome 4 is the fourth largest chromosome, containing approximately 191 megabases (~6.4% of the human genome) with 757 protein-coding genes. A number of marker genes for many diseases have been found in this chromosome, including genetic diseases (e.

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Background: A case-control study was conducted to evaluate the role of adult diet on nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) in Taiwan.

Methods: A total of 375 incident NPC cases and 327 controls matched to the cases on sex, age, and residence were recruited between July 1991 and December 1994. A structured questionnaire inquiring complete dietary history, socio-demographic characteristics, and other potential confounding factors was used in the personal interview.

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Plant-specific NAC (NAM/ATAF/CUC) transcription factors (TFs) have been reported to play a role in diverse stress responses and developmental processes. We show here that six new genes encoding NAC TFs in wheat (Triticum aestivum) were identified (named as TaNAC2a, TaNAC4a, TaNAC6, TaNAC7, TaNAC13 and TaNTL5, respectively), and we classified them into three groups: stress-related NACs, development-related NACs and NTLs (membrane-associated TFs belonging to NAC) by phylogenetic analysis. All TaNACs were induced by one or several kinds of stress treatments including dehydration, salinity and low temperature, whereas different genes showed different expression levels.

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Background: As an X-linked genetic disorder, Fabry disease was first thought to affect males only, and females were generally considered to be asymptomatic carriers. However, recent research suggests that female carriers of Fabry disease may still develop vital organ damage causing severe morbidity and mortality. In the previous newborn screening, from 299,007 newborns, we identified a total of 20 different Fabry mutations and 121 newborns with Fabry mutations.

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Combined methylmalonic aciduria and homocystinuria, cobalamin (cbl)C type (cblC disease), the most common inborn error of vitamin B(12), is a rare disorder of intracellular cbl metabolism because of mutations in the MMACHC gene located in chromosome region 1p34.1. It has become possible to establish phenotype-genotype correlations and to observe ethnicity-related trends.

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To determine the dopamine (DA) content in the striatum and the expression changes of the apoptosis-associated proteins Bad and Bcl-2 in the substantia nigra compacta (SNc) in elderly rats with abnormal behavior. Fifty three Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into three groups: adult, age-motorplus (normal behavior) and aged-motorminus (abnormal behavior) using the hanger test. The DA content in the striatum and the expression of tyrosine hydroxylase (TH), Bad and Bcl-2 in the SNc were measured by HPLC/MS (high performance liquid chromatogram-mass spectra) and Western Blot.

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