Displaying publications 1 - 20 of 219 in total

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  1. Zhang T, Wu Q, Zhang Z
    Curr Biol, 2020 Apr 06;30(7):1346-1351.e2.
    PMID: 32197085 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2020.03.022
    An outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by the 2019 novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) began in the city of Wuhan in China and has widely spread worldwide. Currently, it is vital to explore potential intermediate hosts of SARS-CoV-2 to control COVID-19 spread. Therefore, we reinvestigated published data from pangolin lung samples from which SARS-CoV-like CoVs were detected by Liu et al. [1]. We found genomic and evolutionary evidence of the occurrence of a SARS-CoV-2-like CoV (named Pangolin-CoV) in dead Malayan pangolins. Pangolin-CoV is 91.02% and 90.55% identical to SARS-CoV-2 and BatCoV RaTG13, respectively, at the whole-genome level. Aside from RaTG13, Pangolin-CoV is the most closely related CoV to SARS-CoV-2. The S1 protein of Pangolin-CoV is much more closely related to SARS-CoV-2 than to RaTG13. Five key amino acid residues involved in the interaction with human ACE2 are completely consistent between Pangolin-CoV and SARS-CoV-2, but four amino acid mutations are present in RaTG13. Both Pangolin-CoV and RaTG13 lost the putative furin recognition sequence motif at S1/S2 cleavage site that can be observed in the SARS-CoV-2. Conclusively, this study suggests that pangolin species are a natural reservoir of SARS-CoV-2-like CoVs.
  2. Yang L, Zhang Z, Zhang J, Veloo A
    BMC Psychol, 2024 Jul 17;12(1):396.
    PMID: 39020424 DOI: 10.1186/s40359-024-01888-2
    BACKGROUND: In the cognitive-affective model of athlete burnout, anxiety is a key physiological response to stress that influences the development of burnout in athletes. Despite its importance, there has been little research on the relationship between competitive anxiety and athlete burnout, particularly regarding the mediating mechanisms. This study aimed to explore the relationship between competitive anxiety and athlete burnout, with a focus on the mediating role of general need satisfaction from self-determination theory.

    METHODS: The current study employed a cross-sectional design involving 618 college athletes (354 females, mean age 20.57 years), comprising 303 participants in individual sports and 315 in team sports. These participants completed the Sport Anxiety Scale-2 (SAS-2), the Athlete Burnout Questionnaire (ABQ), and the Basic Psychological Need Satisfaction Scale in General (BPNSS-G) online. Subsequently, correlation, regression, and mediation analyses were conducted using SPSS and JASP to examine the relationships between the variables.

    RESULTS: Regression results indicated that somatic anxiety (beta = 0.116, t = 2.21, p = 0.028) and concentration disruption (beta = 0.259, t = 5.35, p 

  3. Wan Dagang WR, Bowen J, O'Keeffe J, Robbins PT, Zhang Z
    Biotechnol Lett, 2016 May;38(5):787-92.
    PMID: 26892223 DOI: 10.1007/s10529-016-2047-x
    The adhesion of colloidal probes of stainless steel, glass and cellulose to Pseudomonas fluorescens biofilms was examined using atomic force microscopy (AFM) to allow comparisons between surfaces to which biofilms might adhere.
  4. Lei J, Booth DT, Rusli MU, Zhang Z
    Zoolog Sci, 2021 Feb;38(1):1-7.
    PMID: 33639712 DOI: 10.2108/zs200071
    Nest predation is the main cause of hatching failure for many turtle populations. For green turtles (Chelonia mydas) nesting at Chagar Hutang in Redang Island, Malaysia, Asian water monitors (Varanus salvator) are a potential nest predator. However, no studies have documented the space use of this species in coastal habitat adjacent to a sea turtle nesting beach to assess its potential impact on turtle nests. Here, we used Global Positioning System (GPS) data loggers to quantify space use of Asian water monitors in order to establish the extent to which they use sea turtle nesting areas. Asian water monitors had a diurnal activity pattern and spent most of their time in rain forest habitat behind the sea turtle nesting beach. The home range occupied by Asian water monitors varied between 0.015 and 0.198 km2 calculated by the Kernel Brownian Bridge method. The space use patterns of individual Asian water monitors varied between individuals. Two males had relatively small home ranges, whereas one male and the female had a relatively large home range. Because tracked Asian water monitors in this study rarely visited the sea turtle nesting areas, it is probable that only a few individuals are responsible for opening nests.
  5. Zhao J, Tien HY, Abdullah S, Zhang Z
    Plast Reconstr Surg, 2010 Dec;126(6):2052-2059.
    PMID: 21124145 DOI: 10.1097/PRS.0b013e3181f44994
    BACKGROUND: Second toe-to-thumb transfer is a good alternative to using the great toe for reconstruction of the thumb. It achieves excellent function and reduces morbidity to the donor foot. However, cosmesis is often poor. The second toe has three unattractive features, a narrow "neck," a bulbous tip, and a short nail.

    METHODS: The authors describe a modified second toe transfer that addresses cosmesis in six patients. These include (1) harvesting a flap from the adjacent side of the great toe and insetting it into the volar aspect of the second toe to give more bulk, (2) making skin excisions on each side of the tip to reduce the bulbous appearance, and (3) excising the eponychium to produce apparent lengthening of the nail.

    RESULTS: The mean follow-up period was 18 months (range, 6 to 36 months). The procedure resulted in good function and improved cosmesis in all six cases. Part of the great toe flap was lost in one case. The mean two-point discrimination in the transferred toes was 10.1 mm, with protective sensation present in the flaps. The range of motion of the transferred toe was 14 to 38 degrees at the metatarsophalangeal joint, 16 to 55 degrees at the proximal interphalangeal joints, and 20 to 36 degrees in the distal interphalangeal joints. All patients except one were happy with the appearance of the transferred toe.

    CONCLUSION: This novel approach will allow patients to take advantage of the lower morbidity to the donor site afforded by second toe-to-thumb transfer and provide the patients with a more aesthetic appearance of the new thumb.

  6. Zhang L, Zhang Z, Gao X, Matlan SJ, Taha NA
    Materials (Basel), 2023 May 24;16(11).
    PMID: 37297063 DOI: 10.3390/ma16113929
    In this study, fluorographene nanosheets (FG nanosheets) were prepared via the solvent-ultrasonic exfoliation method. The fluorographene sheets were observed using field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM). The microstructure of the as-prepared FG nanosheets was characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and a thermal analyzer (TG). The tribological properties of FG nanosheets as an additive in ionic liquids in high vacuum were compared to that of ionic liquid (IL) with graphene (IL-G). The wear surfaces and transfer films were analyzed via an optical microscope, Raman spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The results show that FG nanosheets can be obtained from the simple solvent-ultrasonic exfoliation method. The prepared G nanosheets are a sheet, and the longer the ultrasonic time is, the thinner the sheet is. Ionic liquids with FG nanosheets had low friction and a low wear rate under high vacuum conditions. The improved frictional properties were attributed to the transfer film of FG nanosheets and more formation film of Fe-F.
  7. Yang D, Lee YY, Lu Y, Wang Y, Zhang Z
    Molecules, 2024 Apr 18;29(8).
    PMID: 38675667 DOI: 10.3390/molecules29081847
    The process of lipid crystallization influences the characteristics of lipid. By changing the chemical composition of the lipid system, the crystallization behavior could be controlled. This review elucidates the internal factors affecting lipid crystallization, including triacylglycerol (TAG) structure, TAG composition, and minor components. The influence of these factors on the TAG crystal polymorphic form, nanostructure, microstructure, and physical properties is discussed. The interplay of these factors collectively influences crystallization across various scales. Variations in fatty acid chain length, double bonds, and branching, along with their arrangement on the glycerol backbone, dictate molecular interactions within and between TAG molecules. High-melting-point TAG dominates crystallization, while liquid oil hinders the process but facilitates polymorphic transitions. Unique molecular interactions arise from specific TAG combinations, yielding molecular compounds with distinctive properties. Nanoscale crystallization is significantly impacted by liquid oil and minor components. The interaction between the TAG and minor components determines the influence of minor components on the crystallization process. In addition, future perspectives on better design and control of lipid crystallization are also presented.
  8. Xie S, Hamid N, Zhang T, Zhang Z, Peng L
    J Hazard Mater, 2024 Jun 05;471:134324.
    PMID: 38640666 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2024.134324
    In recent years, aquaculture has expanded rapidly to address food scarcity and provides high-quality aquatic products. However, this growth has led to the release of significant effluents, containing emerging contaminants like antibiotics, microplastics (MPs), and antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs). This study investigated the occurrence and interactions of these pollutants in aquaculture environment. Combined pollutants, such as MPs and coexisting adsorbents, were widespread and could include antibiotics, heavy metals, resistance genes, and pathogens. Elevated levels of chemical pollutants on MPs could lead to the emergence of resistance genes under selective pressure, facilitated by bacterial communities and horizontal gene transfer (HGT). MPs acted as vectors, transferring pollutants into the food web. Various technologies, including membrane technology, coagulation, and advanced oxidation, have been trialed for pollutants removal, each with its benefits and drawbacks. Future research should focus on ecologically friendly treatment technologies for emerging contaminants in aquaculture wastewater. This review provided insights into understanding and addressing newly developing toxins, aiming to develop integrated systems for effective aquaculture wastewater treatment.
  9. Xie P, Wu Y, Lee YY, Wang Y, Zhang Z
    Food Chem, 2024 Oct 30;456:140005.
    PMID: 38870815 DOI: 10.1016/j.foodchem.2024.140005
    The major lipids and antioxidant activities of Asterias rolleston gonad lipids were evaluated systematically. Major lipids of A. Rolleston gonad lipids were triacylglycerols (TAGs) and phospholipids (PLs). Total lipids were composed of 15.62% of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), and 40.81% of monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFAs). The most abundant PUFA were C20:5n-3 (EPA) (6.28%) and C22:6n-3 (DHA) (5.80%). Predominantly composed of phosphatidylcholine (PC) and phosphatidylethanolamine (PE), polar lipids were rich in PUFAs and could contain up to 34.59% EPA and DHA, and PE and PI (phosphatidylinositol) were also found to be the main carriers of EPA and ARA (arachidonic acid) in polar lipids. The MUFA and PUFA of Sn-2 in TAG are 39.72% and 30.37%, respectively. A total of 64 TAG species were identified, with Eo-P-M, Eo-Eo-M, and M-M-Eo being the main TAGs components. Moreover, A. rollestoni gonad lipids exhibited potent radical scavenging activities and reducing power in a dose-dependent manner.
  10. Zhang Z, Zhang H, Zhang Z, Sandai D, Lu P, Zhang H, et al.
    Front Immunol, 2024;15:1483498.
    PMID: 39555060 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2024.1483498
    BACKGROUND: Cell death mechanisms are integral to the pathogenesis of breast cancer (BC), with ATP-induced cell death (AICD) attracting increasing attention due to its distinctive specificity and potential therapeutic applications.

    METHODS: This study employed genomic methodologies to investigate the correlation between drug sensitivity and types of AICD in BC. Initially, data from TCGA were utilized to construct a prognostic model and classification system for AICD. Subsequently, a series of bioinformatics analyses assessed the prognostic and clinical significance of this model within the context of BC.

    RESULTS: Analysis revealed a cohort of 18 genes associated with AICD, exhibiting prognostic relevance. Survival analyses indicated that overall survival rates were significantly lower in high-risk populations compared to their low-risk counterparts. Furthermore, prognostic indicators linked to AICD demonstrated high accuracy in predicting survival outcomes in BC. Immunological assessments indicated heightened expression of anti-tumor infiltrating immune cells and immune checkpoint molecules in low-risk populations, correlating with various anti-tumor immune functions. Ultimately, a comprehensive prognostic model related to AICD was developed through univariate analysis, least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO), and multivariate Cox regression analysis. As Adenosine triphosphate (ATP) concentration increased, the viability of BC cells exhibited a general decline at each time point. Notably, ATP diminished the mitochondrial membrane potential in BC cells while enhancing it in normal breast epithelial cells. Additionally, ATP inhibited the migration of BC cells and promoted their apoptosis. ATP also stimulated reactive oxygen species (ROS) production in MCF-10A cells, with implications for the immune response in BC cells. Compared to the control group, expression levels of CLIC6, SLC1A1, and CEMIP were significantly reduced in the ATP intervention group, whereas ANO6 expression was elevated. ANO6, CEMIP, and CLIC6 share genetic variants with BC, while SLC1A1 does not exhibit genetic causal variation with the disease.

    CONCLUSION: A valuable prognostic model associated with AICD has been established, capable of accurately predicting BC prognosis. The induction of cell death by ATP appears to play a protective role in BC progression. These findings carry significant implications for the implementation of personalized and tailored treatment strategies for BC patients.

  11. Zou S, Chen J, Lee YY, Wang Y, Zhang Z
    Bioresour Technol, 2024 Aug 27.
    PMID: 39209228 DOI: 10.1016/j.biortech.2024.131368
    Partial acylglycerols are valued for their emulsifying and stabilizing properties, yet precise green synthesis remains challenging due to low yield and selectivity. This study aimed to elucidate the "lipase selectivity-substrate structure-product composition" relationship to enhance the yield of targeted partial acylglycerol. The results showed that lipase exhibited a greater selectivity towards fatty acids with shorter chain lengths and higher unsaturation. Hydroxyl donors also affected the esterification process, with the enzyme-acyl complex exhibiting selectivity towards hydroxyl donors as follows: glycerol > monoacylglycerol > diacylglycerol. Substrate ratio significantly influenced enzymatic reactions; a 10:1 ratio favored triacylglycerol formation (>80 %), while a 1:1 ratio produced > 90 % partial acylglycerols. Molecular docking simulations revealed that substrates primarily interacted with lipase through hydrogen bonding and hydrophobic interactions. A comprehensive understanding of lipase selectivity patterns could facilitate the design of more efficient reaction systems, enabling the conversion of basic lipid resources into desired high value-added products.
  12. Zhang Z, Akhter S, Al-Abyadh MA, Cong PT
    Front Psychol, 2022;13:937104.
    PMID: 35911045 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.937104
    Social media channels are interactive channels that let users spread content, participate, and generate positive or negative news. In this era of social media (SM), organizations run structured and systematic campaigns to shape their corporate images. The present study examines the role of social consciousness (SC) of employees, entertainment (Ent), and altruism (Alt) on unverified news sharing (UVN) with the mediation of corporate image (CI) and the moderation of workplace stress (WS). We conducted the study on 375 employees of the social media teams in the corporate sector in China. The sampling technique used in this study is convenience sampling. We carried out data analysis using structural equation modeling (SEM) with the help of Smart PLS (Partial Least Square) software. The results reveal that the entertainment and altruism of employees affect UVN. However, the direct negative effect of social consciousness of employees and CI on UVN came out to be insignificant. The findings also show that CI mediates the relationship between the social consciousness (SC) of employees and UVN, altruism and UVN, and entertainment and UVN. The moderating role of WS between CI and UVN is significant. Theoretically, the study contributes to the literature by examining the effect of different determinants of UVN on SM on the role of CI and WS. Practically, the present study provides implications for the managers and the organizations. The study finds that Alt is an essential factor that fosters UVN and CI; therefore, altruistic values of the employees should be instigated to reduce the flow of UVN.
  13. Zhang Y, Yan L, Qiao X, Chi L, Niu X, Mei Z, et al.
    J Environ Sci (China), 2008;20(5):558-64.
    PMID: 18575108
    Palm oil industry is the most important agro-industry in Malaysia, but its by-product-palm oil mill effluent (POME), posed a great threat to water environment. In the past decades, several treatment and disposal methods have been proposed and investigated to solve this problem. A two-stage pilot-scale plant was designed and constructed for POME treatment. Anaerobic digestion and aerobic biodegradation constituted the first biological stage, while ultrafiltration (UF) and reverse osmosis (RO) membrane units were combined as the second membrane separation stage. In the anaerobic expanded granular sludge bed (EGSB) reactor, about 43% organic matter in POME was converted into biogas, and COD reduction efficiency reached 93% and 22% in EGSB and the following aerobic reactor, respectively. With the treatment in the first biological stage, suspended solids and oil also decreased to a low degree. All these alleviated the membrane fouling and prolonged the membrane life. In the membrane process unit, almost all the suspended solids were captured by UF membranes, while RO membrane excluded most of the dissolved solids or inorganic salts from RO permeate. After the whole treatment processes, organic matter in POME expressed by BOD and COD was removed almost thoroughly. Suspended solids and color were not detectable in RO permeate any more, and mineral elements only existed in trace amount (except for K and Na). The high-quality effluent was crystal clear and could be used as the boiler feed water.
  14. Zhao P, Wang Y, Zhang Y, Guo T, Zhang Z, Zhang WJ, et al.
    Saudi J Biol Sci, 2016 May;23(3):353-7.
    PMID: 27081360 DOI: 10.1016/j.sjbs.2015.08.007
    In this study, the selenium enriched peanuts and the different solubility proteins extracted from them were investigated. The dried defatted selenium enriched peanuts (SeP) powder (0.3147 μg/g) had a 2.5-fold higher mean total selenium concentration than general peanuts (GP) power (0.1233 μg/g). The SeP had higher concentration of selenium, manganese and zinc than that of GP, but less calcium. The rate of extraction of protein was 23.39% for peanuts and alkali soluble protein was the main component of protein in SeP, which accounted for 92.82% of total soluble protein and combined selenium was 77.33% of total selenium protein. In different forms of proteins from SeP, the WSePr due to higher concentration of selenium had higher DPPH free-radical scavenging activity, higher reducing activity and longer induction time than other proteins.
  15. Wu T, Wang X, Zhang Z, Gong F, Song T, Chen Z, et al.
    J Bioinform Comput Biol, 2016 06;14(3):1650013.
    PMID: 27225342 DOI: 10.1142/S021972001650013X
    A nuclear export signal (NES) is a protein localization signal, which is involved in binding of cargo proteins to nuclear export receptor, thus contributes to regulate localization of cellular proteins. Consensus sequences of NES have been used to detect NES from protein sequences, but suffer from poor predictive power. Some recent peering works were proposed to use biochemical properties of experimental verified NES to refine NES candidates. Those methods can achieve high prediction rates, but their execution time will become unacceptable for large-scale NES searching if too much properties are involved. In this work, we developed a novel computational approach, named NES-REBS, to search NES from protein sequences, where biochemical properties of experimental verified NES, including secondary structure and surface accessibility, are utilized to refine NES candidates obtained by matching popular consensus sequences. We test our method by searching 262 experimental verified NES from 221 NES-containing protein sequences. It is obtained that NES-REBS runs in 2-3[Formula: see text]mins and performs well by achieving precision rate 47.2% and sensitivity 54.6%.
  16. Okano K, Shimizu K, Maseda H, Kawauchi Y, Utsumi M, Itayama T, et al.
    Genome Announc, 2015;3(4).
    PMID: 26227601 DOI: 10.1128/genomeA.00838-15
    This report describes the whole-genome sequence of an alkalitolerant microcystin-degrading bacterium, Sphingopyxis sp. strain C-1, isolated from a lake in China.
  17. Li B, Huang W, Zhang C, Feng S, Zhang Z, Lei Z, et al.
    Bioresour Technol, 2015;187:214-220.
    PMID: 25855527 DOI: 10.1016/j.biortech.2015.03.118
    The influence of TiO2 nanoparticles (TiO2-NPs) (10-50mg/L) on aerobic granulation of algal-bacterial symbiosis system was investigated by using two identical sequencing batch reactors (SBRs). Although little adverse effect was observed on their nitritation efficiency (98-100% in both reactors), algal-bacterial granules in the control SBR (Rc) gradually lost stability mainly brought about by algae growth. TiO2-NPs addition to RT was found to enhance the granulation process achieving stable and compact algal-bacterial granules with remarkably improved nitratation thus little nitrite accumulation in RT when influent TiO2-NPs⩾30mg/L. Despite almost similar organics and phosphorus removals obtained in both reactors, the stably high nitratation efficiency in addition to much stable granular structure in RT suggests that TiO2-NPs addition might be a promising remedy for the long-term operation of algal-bacterial granular system, most probably attributable to the stimulated excretion of extracellular polymeric substances and less filamentous TM7.
  18. Zhang ZW, Shimbo S, Miyake K, Watanabe T, Nakatsuka H, Matsuda-Inoguchi N, et al.
    Eur J Clin Nutr, 1999 Mar;53(3):226-32.
    PMID: 10201805
    To examine the accuracy of food composition table (FCT)-based estimation of dietary nutrient element intake in reference to the instrumental measurement by inductively-coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS).
  19. Shimbo S, Zhang ZW, Miyake K, Watanabe T, Nakatsuka H, Matsuda-Inoguchi N, et al.
    Eur J Clin Nutr, 1999 Mar;53(3):233-8.
    PMID: 10201806
    To examine the accuracy of food composition table (FCT)-based estimation of dietary nutrient element intake in reference to the instrumental measurement by inductively-coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS), as an extension of the first part of this study.
  20. Moon CS, Zhang ZW, Watanabe T, Shimbo S, Ismail NH, Hashim JH, et al.
    Biomarkers, 1996;1(2):81-5.
    PMID: 23888917 DOI: 10.3109/13547509609088674
    Abstract Peripheral blood and 24-h total food duplicate samples were obtained from 49 adult Malay women in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, in July, 1995. Samples of boiled and uncooked (raw) rice were also collected from the subjects. The blood samples, homogenates of each food duplicates and rice samples (both cooked and raw) were digested by heating in the presence of mineral acids, and the digests were subjected to analysis for cadmium (Cd) and lead (Pb) with a system composed of a fully automated liquid sampler, a graphiie furnace atomic absorption spectrometer and a data processor. The geometric mean metal concentrations in blood were 0.71 ng Cd per ml and 45.6 ng Pb per ml, and the dietary metal intakes were 7.31 μg Cd per day and 10.1 μg Pb per day. The metal intake via rice accounted for 53% and 13% of total dietary intake of cadmium and lead, respectively. When the absorption from the air and foods was compared, the cadmium burden came almost exclusively from foods, whereas the lead burden came both from air (44%) and foods (56%).
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