Displaying publications 1 - 20 of 34 in total

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  1. Zhao WX, Peng MY, Liu F
    Front Psychol, 2021;12:586839.
    PMID: 34239469 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2021.586839
    Unable to keep pace with the expectations of employers and societies that are constantly changing around the world, higher education policy and talent training have given rise to a gap between university education and employment. However, the higher education and industrial needs derived from technological progress have changed the development in country. This study aims to verify the learning method of Taiwanese vs. Malaysian university students and examines the relationship between teacher knowledge transfer and student employability from the perspective of a social cognitive career theory. In this study, 619 copies of questionnaires from the Taiwanese sample group and 443 copies of questionnaires from the Malaysian sample group were collected in total to compare the two sample groups in the development of student employability. The results indicate that teacher knowledge transfer has significant positive correlations with self-efficacy and a deep approach to learning and student employability, and the self-efficacy and a deep approach to learning have significant positive correlations with student employability in the Taiwanese sample. In Malaysia, except for the path between teacher knowledge transfer and student employability, all paths were significant and positively related. Finally, according to our results and findings, this study proposes several insights with practical and theoretical implications for future study.
  2. Liu F, Fan C, Li J, Tan Q
    J Environ Manage, 2023 Dec 15;348:119422.
    PMID: 37879176 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2023.119422
    International trade of plastic waste promotes the global plastic circular economy and improves resource efficiency, but exacerbates the ubiquitous plastic pollution. Understanding the drivers behind the evolution of the global plastic waste trade network (GPWTN) is pivotal for developing new international instruments to end plastic pollution and fostering clean solid-waste trade. Employing social network analysis (SNA) and quadratic assignment procedure (QAP) model, this study structures the GPWTN using bilateral trade data, revealing shifts from highly centralized to cross-layered networks and relevant drivers. It is suggested that Malaysia and Turkey has become the new key recipients of the GPWTN, replacing China, accompanied by the launch of new environmental regulations in some countries. Transportation cost is the most critical factor for the formation of the GPWTN, followed by gaps in resource demand, bio-based resource availability, and transportation accessibility. Trading partners in closer proximity, especially those with contiguous borders, are more likely to trade in waste plastics, while coastal countries play an important role in these partnerships. Economies with more abundant biomaterials, higher incomes, and greater environmental burdens are more likely to be exporters, while economies with scarcer resources and more compelling demands are more likely to import plastic waste. Countries involved in the trade in plastic waste, as either importers or exporters, receive varying degrees of economic benefits but bear potential environmental impacts. Therefore, global plastic pollution control and trade prosperity necessitates necessitate coordinated endeavors from nations and intergovernmental bodies for a mutually advantageous denouement.
  3. Lua GW, Tang J, Liu F, Li ZS
    Dig Dis Sci, 2016 06;61(6):1763-9.
    PMID: 26809870 DOI: 10.1007/s10620-016-4034-4
    BACKGROUND: Esophageal stricture is one of the serious adverse events following endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD). However, optimum preventive techniques are still lacking.

    AIMS: Our primary objective was to evaluate the incidence of post-ESD esophageal stricture with the application of carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) sheets. Secondary objectives were to determine the number of sessions of endoscopic balloon dilatation (EBD) required to resolve post-ESD strictures and the incidence rate of peri-operative adverse events.

    METHODS: This was a pilot, single-center, prospective study. Seven patients who had high risks of developing post-ESD esophageal stricture were enrolled into our study. CMC sheets were applied to the mucosal defects immediately after the completion of ESD. Patients were monitored and reviewed after ESD to detect any adverse events.

    RESULTS: The incidence rate of post-operative stricture was 57 % (4/7 patients). Among patients who required EBD, the number of sessions performed was 2.8 ± 2.2. No serious post-operative adverse events were reported.

    CONCLUSION: The use of CMC sheets appears to be a safe and effective prophylactic treatment for esophageal stricture following extensive ESD.

  4. Liu F, Wang S, Liu B, Wang Y, Tan W
    Cells, 2020 02 24;9(2).
    PMID: 32102363 DOI: 10.3390/cells9020511
    Psoriasis is a skin disease that is characterized by a high degree of inflammation caused by immune dysfunction. (R)-salbutamol is a bronchodilator for asthma and was reported to alleviate immune system reactions in several diseases. In this study, using imiquimod (IMQ)-induced mouse psoriasis-like dermatitis model, we evaluated the therapeutic effects of (R)-salbutamol in psoriasis in vivo, and explored the metabolic pathway involved. The results showed that, compared with IMQ group, (R)-salbutamol treatment significantly ameliorated psoriasis, reversed the suppressive effects of IMQ on differentiation, extreme keratinocyte proliferation, and infiltration of inflammatory cells. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA) showed that (R)-salbutamol markedly reduced the plasma levels of IL-17. Cell analysis using flow cytometry showed that (R)-salbutamol decreased the proportion of CD4+ Th17+ T cells (Th17), whereas it increased the percentage of CD25+ Foxp3+ regulatory T cells (Tregs) in the spleens. (R)-salbutamol also decreased the weight ratio of spleen to body. Furthermore, untargeted metabolomics showed that (R)-salbutamol affected three metabolic pathways, including (i) arachidonic acid metabolism, (ii) sphingolipid metabolism, and (iii) glycerophospholipid metabolism. These results demonstrated that (R)-salbutamol can alleviate IMQ-induced psoriasis through regulating Th17/Tregs cell response and glycerophospholipid metabolism. It may provide a new use of (R)-salbutamol in the management of psoriasis.
  5. Liao C, Liu F, Alomirah H, Loi VD, Mohd MA, Moon HB, et al.
    Environ Sci Technol, 2012 Jun 19;46(12):6860-6.
    PMID: 22620267 DOI: 10.1021/es301334j
    As concern regarding the toxic effects of bisphenol A (BPA) grows, BPA in many consumer products is gradually being replaced with compounds such as bisphenol S (BPS). Nevertheless, data on the occurrence of BPS in human specimens are limited. In this study, 315 urine samples, collected from the general populations in the United States, China, India, Japan, Korea, Kuwait, Malaysia, and Vietnam, were analyzed for the presence of total BPS (free plus conjugated) concentrations by high-performance liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS/MS). BPS was detected in 81% of the urine samples analyzed at concentrations ranging from below the limit of quantitation (LOQ; 0.02 ng/mL) to 21 ng/mL (geometric mean: 0.168 ng/mL). The urinary BPS concentration varied among countries, and the highest geometric mean concentration [1.18 ng/mLor 0.933 μg/g creatinine (Cre)] of BPS was found in urine samples from Japan, followed by the United States (0.299 ng/mL, 0.304 μg/g Cre), China (0.226 ng/mL, 0.223 μg/g Cre), Kuwait (0.172 ng/mL, 0.126 μg/g Cre), and Vietnam (0.160 ng/mL, 0.148 μg/g Cre). Median concentrations of BPS in urine samples from the Asian countries were 1 order of magnitude lower than the median concentrations reported earlier for BPA in the same set of samples, with the exception of samples from Japan. There were no significant differences in BPS concentrations between genders (male versus female), or among age groups (categorized as ≤ 19, 20-29, 30-39, 40-49, and ≥ 50 years), or races (Caucasian versus Asian). The daily intake (EDI) of BPS was estimated on the basis of urinary concentrations using a simple pharmacokinetic approach. The median EDI values of BPS in Japan, China, United States, Kuwait, Vietnam, Malaysia, India, and Korea were 1.67, 0.339, 0.316, 0.292, 0.217, 0.122, 0.084, and 0.023 μg/person, respectively. This is the first study to report the occurrence of BPS in human urine.
  6. Tan ES, Wang H, Lua GW, Liu F, Shi XG, Li ZS
    Dig Surg, 2016 May 26;33(6):455-461.
    PMID: 27220883
    This study was conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of fibrin glue (FG) in preventing delayed bleeding after gastric endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD).
  7. Xu X, Liu F, Chen J, Ono H, Li D, Kuntner M
    Zookeys, 2015.
    PMID: 25878527 DOI: 10.3897/zookeys.488.8726
    The spider suborder Mesothelae, containing a single extant family Liphistiidae, represents a species-poor and ancient lineage. These are conspicuous spiders that primitively retain a segmented abdomen and appendage-like spinnerets. While their classification history is nearly devoid of phylogenetic hypotheses, we here revise liphistiid genus level taxonomy based on original sampling throughout their Asian range, and on the evidence from a novel molecular phylogeny. By combining morphological and natural history evidence with phylogenetic relationships in the companion paper, we provide strong support for the monophyly of Liphistiidae, and the two subfamilies Liphistiinae and Heptathelinae. While the former only contains Liphistius Schiödte, 1849, a genus distributed in Indonesia (Sumatra), Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Thailand, we recognize and diagnose seven heptatheline genera, all but three removed from the synonymy of Heptathela: i) Ganthela Xu & Kuntner, gen. n. with the type species Ganthelayundingensis Xu, sp. n. is known from Fujian and Jiangxi, China; ii) a rediagnosed Heptathela Kishida, 1923 is confined to the Japanese islands (Kyushu and Okinawa); iii) Qiongthela Xu & Kuntner, gen. n. with the type species Qiongthelabaishensis Xu, sp. n. is distributed disjunctly in Hainan, China and Vietnam; iv) Ryuthela Haupt, 1983 is confined to the Ryukyu archipelago (Japan); v) Sinothela Haupt, 2003 inhabits Chinese areas north of Yangtze; vi) Songthela Ono, 2000 inhabits southwest China and northern Vietnam; and vii) Vinathela Ono, 2000 (Abcathela Ono, 2000, syn. n.; Nanthela Haupt, 2003, syn. n.) is known from southeast China and Vietnam.
  8. Wang S, Liu F, Tan KS, Ser HL, Tan LT, Lee LH, et al.
    J Cell Mol Med, 2020 01;24(1):722-736.
    PMID: 31680470 DOI: 10.1111/jcmm.14780
    Evidence demonstrates that M1 macrophage polarization promotes inflammatory disease. Here, we discovered that (R)-salbutamol, a β2 receptor agonist, inhibits and reprograms the cellular metabolism of RAW264.7 macrophages. (R)-salbutamol significantly inhibited LPS-induced M1 macrophage polarization and downregulated expressions of typical M1 macrophage cytokines, including monocyte chemotactic protein-1 (MCP-1), interleukin-1β (IL-1β) and tumour necrosis factor α (TNF-α). Also, (R)-salbutamol significantly decreased the production of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), nitric oxide (NO) and reactive oxygen species (ROS), while increasing the reduced glutathione (GSH)/oxidized glutathione (GSSG) ratio. In contrast, (S)-salbutamol increased the production of NO and ROS. Bioenergetic profiles showed that (R)-salbutamol significantly reduced aerobic glycolysis and enhanced mitochondrial respiration. Untargeted metabolomics analysis demonstrated that (R)-salbutamol modulated metabolic pathways, of which three metabolic pathways, namely, (a) phenylalanine metabolism, (b) the pentose phosphate pathway and (c) glycerophospholipid metabolism were the most noticeably impacted pathways. The effects of (R)-salbutamol on M1 polarization were inhibited by a specific β2 receptor antagonist, ICI-118551. These findings demonstrated that (R)-salbutamol inhibits the M1 phenotype by downregulating aerobic glycolysis and glycerophospholipid metabolism, which may propose (R)-salbutamol as the major pharmacologically active component of racemic salbutamol for the treatment of inflammatory diseases and highlight the medicinal value of (R)-salbutamol.
  9. Li J, Tang J, Lua GW, Chen J, Shi X, Liu F, et al.
    Surg Endosc, 2017 12;31(12):5183-5191.
    PMID: 28597288 DOI: 10.1007/s00464-017-5585-y
    BACKGROUND: Upper gastrointestinal subepithelial tumors (SETs) may harbor potential malignancy. Although it is well recognized that large SETs should be resected, the treatment strategy remains controversial. Compared to surgical resection, endoscopic resection has many advantages such as less invasive, shorter hospital stay, lower costs, and better quality of life. However, Endoscopic resection of large SETs in the cardia is challenging. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the safety and efficacy of endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) in the treatment of such SETs.

    METHODS: A total of 41 patients with large SETs (≥3 cm in diameter) located in the cardia were involved in the study. All patients underwent ESD. Data on therapeutic outcomes and follow-up were collected, for analysis of risk factors of complication rates.

    RESULTS: The average tumor size was 4.7 ± 1.7 cm. The average procedure time was 69.3 ± 32.7 min and the average postoperative hospital stay was 3.5 ± 1.1 days. A total of 41 tumors were removed successfully, in which 35 were leiomyomas, three were gastrointestinal stromal tumors, two were lipomas, and one was gastritis cystica profunda. The en bloc resection rate was 90.2%, and was significantly higher for tumors with a round or oval shape (100%) than for those with an irregular shape (75.0%) (P 

  10. Wang S, Huang J, Tan KS, Deng L, Liu F, Tan W
    Oxid Med Cell Longev, 2022;2022:4636618.
    PMID: 35126813 DOI: 10.1155/2022/4636618
    Inflammatory bowel diseases (IBDs) constitute a group of chronic intestinal conditions prominently featuring deranged metabolism. Effective pharmacological treatments for IBDs are lacking. Isosteviol sodium (STV-Na) exhibits anti-inflammatory activity and may offer therapeutic benefits in chronic colitis. However, the associated mechanism remains unclear. This study is aimed at exploring the therapeutic effects of STV-Na against chronic colitis in terms of metabolic reprogramming and macrophage polarization. Results show that STV-Na attenuated weight loss and colonic pathological damage and restored the hematological and biochemical parameters in chronic colitis mice models. STV-Na also restored intestinal permeability by increasing the goblet cell numbers, which was accompanied by lowered plasma lipopolysaccharide and diamine oxidase levels. Metabolomic analysis highlighted 102 candidate biomarkers and 5 vital pathways that may be crucial in the potential pharmacological mechanism of STV-Na in regulating intestinal inflammation and oxidative stress. These pathways were glycerophospholipid metabolism, phenylalanine metabolism, phenylalanine, tyrosine and tryptophan biosynthesis, the pentose phosphate pathway, and phosphonate and phosphinate metabolism. Furthermore, STV-Na significantly decreased M1 macrophage polarization in the spleen and colon. The mRNA and protein levels of IL-1β, TNF-α, and NF-κB/p65 in colonic tissue from the colitis mice were decreased after the STV-Na treatment. Overall, STV-Na could alleviate chronic colitis by suppressing oxidative stress and inflammation levels, reprogramming the metabolic profile, inhibiting macrophage polarization, and suppressing the NF-κB/p65 signaling pathway. STV-Na remains a promising candidate drug for treating IBDs.
  11. Zhu J, Li Y, Jiang H, Liu C, Lu W, Dai W, et al.
    Ecotoxicology, 2018 May;27(4):411-419.
    PMID: 29404868 DOI: 10.1007/s10646-018-1904-x
    The novel mesoionic insecticide triflumezopyrim was highly effective in controlling both imidacloprid-susceptible and resistant planthopper populations in Malaysia. However, the toxicity of triflumezopyrim to planthopper populations and their natural enemies has been under-investigated in China. In this study, the median lethal concentrations (LC50) of triflumezopyrim were determined in eight field populations of Nilaparvata lugens and one population of Sogatella furcifera from China under laboratory conditions. Triflumezopyrim showed higher toxicity to planthopper populations than the commonly-used insecticide, imidacloprid. Furthermore, the lethal effect of triflumezopyrim on eight beneficial arthropods of planthoppers was investigated in the laboratory and compared with three commonly-used insecticides, thiamethoxam, chlorpyrifos and abamectin. Triflumezopyrim was harmless to Anagrus nilaparvatae, Cyrtorhinus lividipennis and Paederus fuscipes, while thiamethoxam, chlorpyrifos and abamectin were moderately harmful or harmful to the insect parasitoid and predators. Triflumezopyrim and thiamethoxam were harmless to the predatory spiders Pirata subpiraticus, Ummeliata insecticeps, Hylyphantes graminicola and Pardosa pseudoannulata, and slightly harmful to Theridion octomaculatum. Chlorpyrifos caused slight to high toxicity to four spider species except U. insecticeps. Abamectin was moderately to highly toxic to all five spider species. Our results indicate that triflumezopyrim has high efficacy for rice planthoppers populations and is compatibile with their natural enemies in China.
  12. Liu F, Wang H, Liang SN, Jin Z, Wei S, Li X, et al.
    Comput Biol Med, 2023 May;157:106790.
    PMID: 36958239 DOI: 10.1016/j.compbiomed.2023.106790
    Structural magnetic resonance imaging (sMRI) is a popular technique that is widely applied in Alzheimer's disease (AD) diagnosis. However, only a few structural atrophy areas in sMRI scans are highly associated with AD. The degree of atrophy in patients' brain tissues and the distribution of lesion areas differ among patients. Therefore, a key challenge in sMRI-based AD diagnosis is identifying discriminating atrophy features. Hence, we propose a multiplane and multiscale feature-level fusion attention (MPS-FFA) model. The model has three components, (1) A feature encoder uses a multiscale feature extractor with hybrid attention layers to simultaneously capture and fuse multiple pathological features in the sagittal, coronal, and axial planes. (2) A global attention classifier combines clinical scores and two global attention layers to evaluate the feature impact scores and balance the relative contributions of different feature blocks. (3) A feature similarity discriminator minimizes the feature similarities among heterogeneous labels to enhance the ability of the network to discriminate atrophy features. The MPS-FFA model provides improved interpretability for identifying discriminating features using feature visualization. The experimental results on the baseline sMRI scans from two databases confirm the effectiveness (e.g., accuracy and generalizability) of our method in locating pathological locations. The source code is available at https://github.com/LiuFei-AHU/MPSFFA.
  13. Xing M, Liu F, Lin J, Xu D, Zhong J, Xia F, et al.
    Food Res Int, 2024 Jan;175:113780.
    PMID: 38129006 DOI: 10.1016/j.foodres.2023.113780
    Edible bird's nest (EBN) is a high-value health food with various nutrients and bioactive components. With increasing demand for EBN, they are often adulterated with cheaper ingredients or falsely labeled by the origin information, thus harming consumer interests. In this study, high- and low-field nuclear magnetic resonance (HF/LF-NMR) technology combined with multivariate statistical analysis was used to identify the geographical marker of EBN from different origins and authenticate the adulterated EBN with various adulterants at different adulteration rates. Authentic EBN samples from Malaysia were used to simulate adulteration using gelatin (GL), agar (AG) and starch (ST) at 10 %, 20 %, 40 %, 60 %, 80 %, and 100 % w/w, respectively. The results showed significant differences in composition among EBN from different origins, with isocaproate and citric acid serving as geographical markers for Malaysia and Vietnam, respectively. Leucine, glutamic acid, and N-acetylglycoprotein serving as geographical markers for Indonesia. In addition, PLS model further verified the accuracy of origin identification of EBN. The LF-NMR results of adulteration EBN showed a linear correlation between the transverse relaxation (T2, S2) and the adulterated ratio. The OPLS-DA based on T2 spectra could accurately identify authentic EBN from adulterated with GL, AG and ST at 40 %, 20 %, and 20 %, respectively. Fisher discrimination model was able to differentiate at 20 %, 20 %, and 40 %, respectively. These results show that the 1H NMR combined with multivariate statistical analysis method could be a potential tool for the detection of origin and adulteration of EBN.
  14. Li W, Manoharan P, Cui X, Liu F, Liu K, Dai L
    Front Hum Neurosci, 2023;17:1304929.
    PMID: 38173798 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2023.1304929
    INTRODUCTION: Metacognition and self-directed learning are key components in educational research, recognized for their potential to enhance learning efficiency and problem-solving skills. This study explores the effects of musical feedback training on these competencies.

    METHODS: The study involved 84 preservice teachers aged 18 to 21. Participants were randomly assigned to either an experimental group, which received musical feedback training, or a control group.

    RESULTS: The findings indicate that musical feedback training effectively improved metacognitive abilities. However, its impact on the readiness for self-directed learning was inconclusive. A notable difference in metacognition and self-directed learning readiness was observed between the experimental and control groups during the session, indicating a significant interaction effect. Furthermore, a positive correlation was identified between metacognition and self-directed learning.

    DISCUSSION: These results contribute to educational discourse by providing empirical evidence on the utility of musical feedback training in fostering metacognition. They also highlight the importance of consistent and long-term engagement in self-directed learning practices. The significance of these findings advocates for incorporating music feedback training into music education curricula to enhance metacognition and improve overall learning efficiency.

  15. Cheng J, Wang H, Wei S, Mei J, Liu F, Zhang G
    Comput Biol Med, 2024 Mar;170:108000.
    PMID: 38232453 DOI: 10.1016/j.compbiomed.2024.108000
    Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative disease characterized by various pathological changes. Utilizing multimodal data from Fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography(FDG-PET) and Magnetic Resonance Imaging(MRI) of the brain can offer comprehensive information about the lesions from different perspectives and improve the accuracy of prediction. However, there are significant differences in the feature space of multimodal data. Commonly, the simple concatenation of multimodal features can cause the model to struggle in distinguishing and utilizing the complementary information between different modalities, thus affecting the accuracy of predictions. Therefore, we propose an AD prediction model based on de-correlation constraint and multi-modal feature interaction. This model consists of the following three parts: (1) The feature extractor employs residual connections and attention mechanisms to capture distinctive lesion features from FDG-PET and MRI data within their respective modalities. (2) The de-correlation constraint function enhances the model's capacity to extract complementary information from different modalities by reducing the feature similarity between them. (3) The mutual attention feature fusion module interacts with the features within and between modalities to enhance the modal-specific features and adaptively adjust the weights of these features based on information from other modalities. The experimental results on ADNI database demonstrate that the proposed model achieves a prediction accuracy of 86.79% for AD, MCI and NC, which is higher than the existing multi-modal AD prediction models.
  16. Li W, Wang F, Wang X, Xu W, Liu F, Hu R, et al.
    J Biochem Mol Toxicol, 2024 Feb;38(2):e23645.
    PMID: 38348716 DOI: 10.1002/jbt.23645
    Prostate cancer (PCa) is an extremely common genitourinary malignancy among elderly men. Many evidence have shown the efficacy of curcumin (CUR) in inhibiting the progression of PCa. However, the pharmacological function of CUR in PCa is still not quite clear. In this research, CUR was found to suppress the proliferation and enhance the apoptotic rate in in vitro PCa cell models in a dose- and time-dependent manner. In a xenograft animal model, the administration of CUR contributed to a significant decrease in the growth of the xenograft tumor induced by the transplanted PC-3 cells. Ubiquitin-conjugating enzyme E2 C is implicated in the modulation of multiple types of cancers. In humans, the expression levels of UBE2C are significantly higher in PCa versus benign prostatic hyperplasia. Treatment with CUR decreased the expression of UBE2C, whereas it increased miR-483-3p expression. In contrast with the control mice, the CUR-treated mice showed a significant reduction in UBE2C and Ki-67 in PCa cells. The capability of proliferation, migration, and invasion of PCa cells was inhibited by the knockdown of UBE2C mediated by siRNA. Furthermore, dual luciferase reporter gene assay indicated the binding of miR-483-3p to UBE2C. In summary, CUR exerts its antitumor effects through regulation of the miR-483-3p/UBE2C axis by decreasing UBE2C and increasing miR-483-3p. The findings may also provide new molecular markers for PCa diagnosis and treatment.
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