Massey Research Online - Browsing by Author "Zhang X"

Browsing by Author "Zhang X"

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Analysis of the Antioxidant Mechanism of Ozone Treatment to Extend the Shelf Life and Storage Quality of ‘Korla’ Fragrant Pears Based on Label-Free Proteomics
(MDPI (Basel, Switzerland), 2024-05-01) Lin S; Zhang X; Li M; Zhang N; Dong C; Ji H; Zheng P; Ban Z; Mei X; Gu C; Chen C; Antunes MDC
In this study, the physiological indicators, reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels, and activities and expressions of key enzymes related to ROS metabolism were monitored to explore the mechanism of ozone treatment on the shelf life of postharvest Korla fragrant pears. The results show that postharvest fragrant pears treated with ozone had a higher firmness and lower weight loss rate and decay rate during their shelf life, especially in the late stage. Ozone treatment could also delay the occurrence of the respiratory peak and reduce the peak value. The generation rate of superoxide anion (O2−), the hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) content, and the malondialdehyde (MDA) level were reduced in the ozone-treated group, while the activities of key enzymes, superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), and peroxidase (POD), related to ROS metabolism in postharvest fragrant pears were stimulated by ozone treatment, especially in the middle and late stages of shelf life. Analysis of the proteomics results indicates that the POD family enzymes were the main target protein in postharvest fragrant pears treated by ozone during the middle and late stages of shelf life. The activity and expression of antioxidant-related enzymes in postharvest fragrant pears were stimulated by ozone to accelerate the metabolism of ROS and maintain high quality, especially in the middle and late shelf lives.
Association of common and rare variants with Alzheimer's disease in more than 13,000 diverse individuals with whole-genome sequencing from the Alzheimer's Disease Sequencing Project.
(Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of Alzheimer's Association, 2024-10-20) Lee W-P; Choi SH; Shea MG; Cheng P-L; Dombroski BA; Pitsillides AN; Heard-Costa NL; Wang H; Bulekova K; Kuzma AB; Leung YY; Farrell JJ; Lin H; Kunkle BW; Naj A; Blue EE; Nusetor F; Wang D; Boerwinkle E; Bush WS; Zhang X; De Jager PL; Dupuis J; Farrer LA; Fornage M; Martin E; Pericak-Vance M; Seshadri S; Wijsman EM; Wang L-S; Alzheimer's Disease Sequencing Project; Schellenberg GD; Destefano AL; Haines JL; Peloso GM
INTRODUCTION Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a common disorder of the elderly that is both highly heritable and genetically heterogeneous. METHODS We investigated the association of AD with both common variants and aggregates of rare coding and non-coding variants in 13,371 individuals of diverse ancestry with whole genome sequencing (WGS) data. RESULTS Pooled-population analyses of all individuals identified genetic variants at apolipoprotein E (APOE) and BIN1 associated with AD (p < 5 × 10−8). Subgroup-specific analyses identified a haplotype on chromosome 14 including PSEN1 associated with AD in Hispanics, further supported by aggregate testing of rare coding and non-coding variants in the region. Common variants in LINC00320 were observed associated with AD in Black individuals (p = 1.9 × 10−9). Finally, we observed rare non-coding variants in the promoter of TOMM40 distinct of APOE in pooled-population analyses (p = 7.2 × 10−8). DISCUSSION We observed that complementary pooled-population and subgroup-specific analyses offered unique insights into the genetic architecture of AD. Highlights We determine the association of genetic variants with Alzheimer's disease (AD) using 13,371 individuals of diverse ancestry with whole genome sequencing (WGS) data. We identified genetic variants at apolipoprotein E (APOE), BIN1, PSEN1, and LINC00320 associated with AD. We observed rare non-coding variants in the promoter of TOMM40 distinct of APOE.
Comparison of Cd(II) adsorption properties onto cellulose, hemicellulose and lignin extracted from rice bran
(Elsevier Ltd, 2021-06) Wu C; Ren M; Zhang X; Li C; Li T; Yang Z; Chen Z; Wang L
Rice bran, an underutilized by-product obtained from outer rice layers, has received wide interest due to its abundance, eco-friendliness, and low cost. In this research, cellulose, hemicellulose and lignin as the main components of rice bran were fractionated, and their Cd(II) adsorption capacity, behavior and mechanism were further studied. The adsorption capacity of cellulose for Cd(II) was 5.79 mg/g within the equilibrium time of 10 min, which was 1.8 and 3.6 times those of hemicellulose and lignin, respectively. The Cd(II) adsorption onto cellulose exhibited monolayer surface behavior, whilst the heterogeneous adsorption behavior was observed for hemicellulose and lignin. These differences were related to the discrepancy of morphology and chemical composition in three polymers. The multi-hole sticks morphology of cellulose and porous blocky structure of hemicellulose were observed, while lignin showed compact and agglomerated blocky structure. Cellulose had numerous available adsorption sites including the oxygen-containing functional groups, which bonded with Cd(II) driven by chemical interaction. In conclusion, it highlights that cellulose from rice bran has the great potential of being applied as adsorbent for the Cd(II) removal.
Empowering middle-aged women? A discourse analysis of gendered ageing in the Chinese television reality show sisters who make waves
(Taylor and Francis Group, 2024-01-23) Zhang X; Riley S
Sisters Who Make Waves is a popular Chinese reality show that affirmatively centres “middle-aged” women. Given its popularity and positive framing, the show has significant potential to shape Chinese discourses of gendered aging. To examine this potential, we performed a discourse analysis on Season 2 of Sisters Who Make Waves, identifying its discursive constructions of gendered aging; the subject positions within these discourses; and the rhetorical strategies interpellating the viewer to identify with these subject positions. Three discourses were evident: (1) “age is a problem for women” (an account articulated only to be refuted), (2) “age is a problem only if you let it;” and (3) “hyper resilience” (an expectation of psychological resilience in the face of severe challenges). Reading this analysis through the lens of a postfeminist sensibility, we show how the affirmative potential of Sisters Who Make Waves is undercut with the show’s entanglement of empowerment with regulation and synergies between postfeminist feeling rules and Chinese state ideology of Positive Energy 正能量.
Exploring the Impact of Virtual Reality on Tourists’ Pro-Sustainable Behaviors in Heritage Tourism
(MDPI (Basel, Switzerland), 2025-07-09) Zhu Z; Hall CM; Li Y; Zhang X; Coccossis H
Although the rise of Virtual Reality (VR) technology has brought new opportunities to tourism experiences and marketing, limited research has explored how VR technology affects tourists’ pro-sustainable behaviors in heritage tourism research. To address this research gap, this study constructs a theoretical model by integrating the technology acceptance model (TAM) framework to explore the relationship among perceived ease of use (PEU), perceived usefulness (PUS), awe, attitude, and pro-sustainable behavior of tourists. Through the analysis of 304 valid questionnaires, this study found that in the heritage tourism experience presented by VR, PEU and PUS positively influence awe and attitude. Furthermore, awe positively affects attitude and pro-sustainable behaviors. However, PUS has no effect on tourists’ pro-sustainable behaviors. This study expands the theoretical framework of TAM and the related research on awe in heritage tourism presented by VR, providing valuable practical insights for heritage managers in the adoption of immersive technology.
Inactivation of salmonella enterica serovar enteritidis on chicken eggshells using blue light
(MDPI (Basel, Switzerland), 2021-08-10) Hu X; Sun X; Luo S; Wu S; Chu Z; Zhang X; Liu Z; Wu J; Wang X; Liu C; Wang X; Santini A
Salmonella enterica serovar Enteritidis (S. Enteritidis) is a pathogen that poses a health risk. Blue light (BL), an emerging sanitization technology, was employed for the first time in the present study to inactivate S. Enteritidis on eggshell surfaces and its influence on maintaining eggshell freshness was investigated systematically. The results showed that 415 nm-BL irradiation at a dose of 360 J/cm2 reduced 5.19 log CFU/mL of S. Enteritidis in vitro. The test on eggshells inoculated with S. Enteritidis showed that a BL dose at 54.6 J/cm2 caused a 3.73 log CFU reduction per eggshell surface and the impact of BL inactivation could be sustained in post-5-week storage. The quality of the tested eggs (weight loss, yolk index, Haugh unit (HU) and albumen pH) demonstrated that BL treatments had negligible effects on the albumen pH of eggs. However, compared to the control, BL-treated eggs showed lower weight loss and higher HU after 5 weeks of storage at 25◦C and 65% humidity and yolk index in the control group could not be determined after 5 weeks of storage. Besides, the total amino acid content of the BL-treated egg was higher than the control, exhibiting an advantage of BL irradiation in maintaining the nutrient quality of whole eggs. The current study determined the efficacy of BL against S. Enteritidis on eggshell and suggested that BL could be an effective application in maintaining the freshness and quality of eggs.
Integrated transcriptome and proteome analyses reveal potential mechanisms in Stipa breviflora underlying adaptation to grazing
(John Wiley and Sons Australia, Ltd on behalf of Chinese Grassland Society and Lanzhou University, 2024-03-14) Liu Y; Sun S; Zhang Y; Song M; Tian Y; Lockhart PJ; Zhang X; Xu Y; Dang Z; Matthew C
Background: Long-term overgrazing has led to severe degradation of grasslands, posing a significant threat to the sustainable use of grassland resources. Methods: Based on the investigation of changes in functional traits and photosynthetic physiology of Stipa breviflora under no grazing, moderate grazing, and heavy grazing treatments, the changes in expression patterns of genes and proteins associated with different grazing intensities were assessed through integrative transcriptomic and proteomic analyses. Results: Differentially expressed genes and proteins were identified under different grazing intensities. They were mainly related to RNA processing, carbon metabolism, and secondary metabolite biosynthesis. These findings suggest that long-term grazing leads to molecular phenotypic plasticity, affecting various biological processes and metabolic pathways in S. breviflora. Correlation analysis revealed low correlation between the transcriptome and the proteome, indicating a large-scale regulation of gene expression at the posttranscriptional and translational levels during the response of S. breviflora to grazing. The expression profiles of key genes and proteins involved in photosynthesis and phenylpropanoid metabolism pathways suggested their synergistic response to grazing in S. breviflora. Conclusions: Our study provides insight into the adaptation mechanisms of S. breviflora to grazing and provides a scientific basis for the development of more efficient grassland protection and utilization practices.
Natural Variation in Chromium Accumulation and the Development of Related EST-SSR Molecular Markers in Miscanthus sinensis
(MDPI (Basel, Switzerland), 2024-07-05) Nie G; Liu A; Ghanizadeh H; Wang Y; Tang M; He J; Feng G; Huang L; Zhang X; Tani E
Soil pollution by heavy metals is a serious environmental concern globally. Hexavalent (VI) chromium (Cr) is one of the main pollutants causing groundwater and soil heavy metal pollution. Miscanthus sinensis is a C4 perennial grass species with a high level of heavy metal tolerance. This species can effectively remove Cr from soils and maintain desirable biomass production under Cr stress. This research aimed to characterize and compare Cr accumulation in 58 genotypes of M. sinensis and to develop Expressed Sequence Tag–Simple Sequence Repeat (EST-SSR) markers associated with Cr tolerance. The results show that the pattern of translocation of Cr in plants differed among the 58 M. sinensis genotypes following treatment of 200 mg/L of Cr6+; however, in most genotypes, the Cr was primarily accumulated in roots. A total of 43,367 EST-SSRs were identified, and 88 EST-SSR primer pairs corresponding to candidate genes involved in Cr accumulation in M. sinensis were selected for validation. Subsequently, 170 polymorphic loci generated from 24 validated EST-SSRs were used for the population structure and marker–trait association analysis. Based on a general linear model (GLM), a total of 46 associations were identified (p < 0.05), with 14 EST-SSRs markers associated with target traits. Among them, four genes related to ABC transporters, wall-associated receptor kinases, as well as two high-affinity sulfate transporters (ST), were identified under Cr stress (p < 0.05). The results of this study help to accelerate the screening across M. sinensis genotypes for desirable traits under Cr stress and provide a platform for M. sinensis genetic improvement and molecular-marker-assisted breeding.
Online or not online: the impact of business owner’s risk preference on the adoption of e-business
(Springer Nature, 2023-09-21) Yang W; Wang L; Zhang X
The significant growth of internet users has driven businesses to develop their capacity in e-commerce and meet the increasing demand for e-consumption, e-services, and e-business. To gain the benefits of e-business, firms may choose to extend or transit their offline-operated businesses to online or hybrid modes. Opportunities are accompanied by risks in this process. Therefore, it is important to understand how business owners’ financial risk preferences affect their choice of business operation models, namely, online and offline operations. Using data from the China Household Finance Survey (CHFS) in 2017 and 2019, this study examined the impacts of business owners’ risk preferences on e-business adoption, considering social insurance as a moderator on the relationship between risk effect and online business operation. In addition, we used heterogeneity examination to test for regional differences between rural and urban areas. Our results show that, compared to high-risk takers, low-risk takers are less likely to choose online or hybrid businesses; and having social insurance reduces the effect of risk preference on adopting e-business. This finding indicates social insurance may provide financial security to business owners with low-risk preferences and makes them more likely to adopt online business, whilst it may distort adoption incentives for high- and medium-risk groups. Results of the heterogeneity examination suggest a discrepancy in the risk preference effect on the adoption of e-business between the rural and urban areas: the impact of risk preference is found to be significantly higher on businesses in the rural area than those in the urban area.
Quality improvement of the cured fish by replacing nitrite with chromogenic microorganisms: Insight into the effect on residual nitrosamine levels, color, and flavor characteristics
(Elsevier Ltd, United Kingdom, 2025-04-01) Fang D; Xu Y; Zhang X; Tian HS
To achieve enhanced red color and improved safety of cured fish, the three nitrite-alternative strains, namely, Staphylococcus saprophyticus CICC 24365 (SS), Staphylococcus carnosus ATCC 51365 (SP), and Limosilactobacillus fermentum CICC 25124 (LF), were employed in this study. Furthermore, the hemoglobin in grass carp muscle was largely retained by directly removing the head of fish to increase heme levels in fish muscle. The results demonstrated that the nitroso-heme contents in the SS and SP groups were 7.40 and 6.53 mg/kg, respectively, which exhibited a comparable level to that observed in the nitrite group (8.70 mg/kg). Compared to the nitrite group, the nitrite levels in the SS and SP groups decreased by 91.70 % and 89.97 %, respectively, while there was a notable decrease of 70.33 % and 74.64 % in the total amount of nitrosamines. In addition, inoculation fermentation can effectively enhance the quality of cured fish by augmenting the levels of free amino acids and aromatic compounds.
Simulating human behavior under earthquake early warning
(Elsevier Ltd, 2025-02-08) Wood M; McBride SK; Zhao X; Baldwin D; Cochran ES; Zhang X; Luco N; Lovreglio R; Cova T
Earthquakes are a rapid-onset hazard where advance planning and learning plays a key role in mitigating injuries and death to individuals. Recent advances in earthquake detection have resulted in the development of earthquake early warning (EEW) systems. These systems can provide advance warning to predetermined geographic regions that an earthquake is in progress, which may result in individuals receiving warning seconds before significant shaking is felt at their location. This additional time could allow individuals to take more effective protective actions during the immediate disaster. To demonstrate this, we created an agent-based simulation of a basic apartment that allowed us to randomly and repeatedly simulate an individual receiving and responding to an EEW message. The results of our preliminary simulation show that, in our study environment, earthquake early warning alerts have the potential to allow for sufficient time for individuals to take protective actions.
Situational-aware multi-graph convolutional recurrent network (SA-MGCRN) for travel demand forecasting during wildfires
(Elsevier B.V., 2024-09-10) Zhang X; Zhao X; Xu Y; Nilsson D; Lovreglio R
Natural hazards, such as wildfires, pose a significant threat to communities worldwide. Real-time forecasting of travel demand during wildfire evacuations is crucial for emergency managers and transportation planners to make timely and better-informed decisions. However, few studies focus on accurate travel demand forecasting in large-scale emergency evacuations. To tackle this research gap, the study develops a new methodological framework for modeling highly granular spatiotemporal trip generation in wildfire evacuations by using (a) large-scale GPS data generated by mobile devices and (b) state-of-the-art AI technologies. Based on the travel demand inferred from the GPS data, we develop a new deep learning model, i.e., Situational-Aware Multi-Graph Convolutional Recurrent Network (SA-MGCRN), along with a model updating scheme to achieve real-time forecasting of travel demand during wildfire evacuations. The proposed methodological framework is tested using a real-world case study: the 2019 Kincade Fire in Sonoma County, CA. The results show that SA-MGCRN significantly outperforms all the selected state-of-the-art benchmarks in terms of prediction performance. Our finding suggests that the most important model components of SA-MGCRN are weekend indicator, population change, evacuation order/warning information, and proximity to fire, which are consistent with behavioral theories and empirical findings. SA-MGCRN can be directly used in future wildfire events to assist real-time decision-making and emergency management.
Systematic KMTNet Planetary Anomaly Search. II. Six New q < 2 × 10−4 Mass-ratio Planets
(IOP Publishing on behalf of the American Astronomical Society, 2022-02-01) Hwang K-H; Zang W; Gould A; Udalski A; Bond IA; Yang H; Mao S; Albrow MD; Chung S-J; Han C; Jung YK; Ryu Y-H; Shin I-G; Shvartzvald Y; Yee JC; Cha S-M; Kim D-J; Kim H-W; Kim S-L; Lee C-U; Lee D-J; Lee Y; Park B-G; Pogge R; Mróz P; Poleski R; Skowron J; Szymański MK; Soszyński I; Pietrukowicz P; Kozłowski S; Ulaczyk K; Rybicki KA; Iwanek P; Wrona M; Gromadzki M; Abe F; Barry R; Bennett DP; Bhattacharya A; Fujii H; Fukui A; Hirao Y; Itow Y; Kirikawa R; Kondo I; Koshimoto N; Munford B; Matsubara Y; Miyazaki S; Muraki Y; Olmschenk G; Ranc C; Rattenbury NJ; Satoh YK; Shoji H; Silva SI; Sumi T; Suzuki D; Tristram PJ; Yonehara A; Zhang X; Zhu W; Penny MT; Fouqué P
We apply the automated AnomalyFinder algorithm of Paper I to 2018-2019 light curves from the ≃13 deg2 covered by the six KMTNet prime fields, with cadences Γ ≥ 2 hr-1. We find a total of 11 planets with mass ratios q < 2 × 10-4, including 6 newly discovered planets, 1 planet that was reported in Paper I, and recovery of 4 previously discovered planets. One of the new planets, OGLE-2018-BLG-0977Lb, is in a planetary caustic event, while the other five (OGLE-2018-BLG-0506Lb, OGLE-2018-BLG-0516Lb, OGLE-2019-BLG-1492Lb, KMT-2019-BLG-0253, and KMT-2019-BLG-0953) are revealed by a "dip"in the light curve as the source crosses the host-planet axis on the opposite side of the planet. These subtle signals were missed in previous by-eye searches. The planet-host separations (scaled to the Einstein radius), s, and planet-host mass ratios, q, are, respectively, (s, q × 105) = (0.88, 4.1), (0.96 ± 0.10, 8.3), (0.94 ± 0.07, 13), (0.97 ± 0.07, 18), (0.97 ± 0.04, 4.1), and (0.74, 18), where the "± "indicates a discrete degeneracy. The 11 planets are spread out over the range . Together with the two planets previously reported with q ∼ 10-5 from the 2018-2019 nonprime KMT fields, this result suggests that planets toward the bottom of this mass-ratio range may be more common than previously believed.

Browsing by Author "Zhang X"

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