ORCID Profile
0000-0002-9991-9409
Current Organisations
Texas A&M University
,
University of Potsdam
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Publisher: Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC)
Date: 2013
DOI: 10.1039/C3LC50123J
Abstract: In vitro models of circulatory hemodynamics are required to mimic the microcirculation for study of endothelial cell responses to pulsatile shear stress by live cell imaging. This study reports the design, fabrication and characterisation of a microfluidic device that generates cardiac-like flow in a continuous culture system with a circulatory volume of only 2-3 μL. The device mimics a single chamber heart, with the following cardiac phases: (1) closure of the ventricle inlet valve, (2) contraction of the ventricle (systole) followed by opening of the outlet valve and (3) relaxation of the ventricle (diastole) with opening of the inlet valve whilst the outlet valve remains closed. Periodic valve states and ventricular contractions were actuated by microprocessor controlled pneumatics. The time-dependent velocity-field was characterised by micro-particle image velocimetry (μ-PIV). μ-PIV observations were used to help tune electronic timing of valve states and ventricular contractions for synthesis of an arterial pulse waveform to study the effect of pulsatile shear stress on bovine artery endothelial cells (BAECs). BAECs elongated and aligned with the direction of shear stress after 48 h of exposure to a pulsatile waveform with a maximum shear stress of 0.42 Pa. The threshold for BAECs alignment and elongation under steady (non-pulsatile) flow reported by Kadohama et al. (2006) is 0.7-1.4 Pa. These cells respond to transient shear stress because the time average shear stress of the pulse waveform to generate this morphological response was only 0.09 Pa, well below the steady flow threshold. The microfluidic pulse generator can simulate circulatory hemodynamics for live cell imaging of shear-induced signalling pathways.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 12-2021
DOI: 10.1016/J.IJBIOMAC.2021.09.194
Abstract: Rice starch has been used in various agri-food products due to its hypoallergenic properties. However, rice starch has poor solubility, lower resistant starch content with reduced retrogradation and poor functional properties. Hence, its industrial applications are rather limited. The lack of comprehensive information and a holistic understanding of the interaction between rice starch and endo/exogenous constituents to improve physico-chemical properties is a prerequisite in designing industrial products with enhanced functional attributes. In this comprehensive review, we highlight the potentials of physically mixing of biopolymers in upgrading the functional characteristics of rice starch as a raw material for industrial applications. Specifically, this review tackles rice starch modifications by adding natural/synthetic polymers and plasticizers, leading to functional blends or composites in developing sustainable packaging materials, pharma- and nutraceutical products. Moreover, a brief discussion on rice starch chemical and genetic modifications to alter starch quality for the deployment of rice starch industrial application is also highlighted.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 06-2023
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 11-2020
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 28-10-2021
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 03-2021
Publisher: Frontiers Media SA
Date: 30-11-2021
Abstract: Cereal grains and products provide calories globally. The health benefits of cereals attributed to their erse phenolic constituents have not been systematically explored. Post-harvest processing, such as drying, storing, and milling cereals, can alter the phenolic concentration and influence the antioxidant activity. Furthermore, cooking has been shown to degrade thermo-labile compounds. This review covers several methods for retaining and enhancing the phenolic content of cereals to develop functional foods. These include using bioprocesses such as germination, enzymatic, and fermentation treatments designed to enhance the phenolics in cereals. In addition, physical processes like extrusion, nixtamalization, and parboiling are discussed to improve the bioavailability of phenolics. Recent technologies utilizing ultrasound, micro- or nano-capsule polymers, and infrared utilizing processes are also evaluated for their effectiveness in improving the phenolics content and bio-accessibility. We also present contemporary products made from pigmented cereals that contain phenolics.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 10-2020
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 12-2022
DOI: 10.1016/J.TPLANTS.2022.08.013
Abstract: Abscisic acid (ABA) is known to confer stress tolerance however, at elevated levels it impairs plant growth under prolonged stress. Paradoxically, at its basal level, ABA plays many vital roles in promoting plant growth and development, including modulation of tillering, flowering, and seed development, as well as seed maturation. In this review, we provide insight into novel discoveries of ABA fluxes, ABA signaling responses, and their impact on yield stability. We discuss ABA homeostasis implicated under pre- and postanthesis drought and its impact on productive tillers, grain number determination, and seed development to address yield stability in cereal crops while considering the new knowledge that emerged from the model plant systems.
Publisher: Annual Reviews
Date: 27-03-2023
DOI: 10.1146/ANNUREV-FOOD-060822-113022
Abstract: Despite the almost universal acceptance of the phrase “you are what you eat,” investment in understanding diet-based nutrition to address human health has been dwarfed compared to that for medicine-based interventions. Moreover, traditional breeding has focused on yield to the detriment of nutritional quality, meaning that although caloric content has remained high, the incidence of nutritional deficiencies and accompanying diseases (so-called hidden hunger) has risen dramatically. We review how genome sequencing coupled with metabolomics can facilitate the screening of genebank collections in the search for superior alleles related to the nutritional quality of crops. We argue that the first ex les are very promising, suggesting that this approach could benefit broader ranges of crops and compounds with known relevance for human health. We argue that this represents anapproach complementary to metabolic engineering by transgenesis or gene editing that could be used to reverse some of the losses incurred through a recent focus on breeding for yield, although we caution that ensuring such approaches are not (re)introducing antinutrients is also necessary.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 09-2022
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 25-08-2023
DOI: 10.1002/CCHE.10706
Abstract: To enrich micronutrients in rice through breeding and to identify biofortified donor lines, screening a large ersity panel of major subspecies of rice accessions for their ionomes is necessary. Inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectroscopy was deployed to profile grain ionomes from 1100 rice accessions. Classification models derived for multidimensional ionomics data using a random forest model, support vector machine, and artificial neural network predicted three distinct groups that differ in ionomic levels with higher prediction accuracy (76.8%–85.1%). While class A showed inferior lines in mineral content, class B and C represent superior lines with enriched multiple minerals. The identified contrasting lines from the modeling classifications were milled and profiled for minerals and toxic elements using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry and revealed donors with an elevated mineral content even higher than the Zn‐biofortified rice lines. Overall, the result of this study provided new insights into ionomic variation among subspecies with a preferential enrichment of minerals in temperate japonica and admixed populations coincided with increased grain protein content, while in indica median mineral content is low while selected for increased amylose content. Artificial intelligence models were developed to predict grains enriched with multiple minerals.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 08-2023
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 2023
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 2021
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 10-03-2021
DOI: 10.1111/TPJ.15182
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 10-2022
Publisher: American Chemical Society (ACS)
Date: 14-03-2019
DOI: 10.1021/ACS.ANALCHEM.8B05764
Abstract: Microfluidic paper-based analytical devices (μPADs) have been extensively studied for disease diagnostics, food quality control, and environmental monitoring due to the advantages of low cost, portability, and simplicity. The lack of flow controllability has triggered the development of valves for such devices. This paper reports the μPADs integrating novel wax valves for distance-based detection. The valves are printed on paper and can be manually opened by organic solvents within seconds. The opened valve does not influence the flow. The μPADs with wax valves were then applied in the distance-based detection of potassium iodate and glucose. The valves allow mixing of reagents and subsequent incubation in the loading zone, resulting in a shorter detection time and larger linear detection range. This study has demonstrated a linear detection range of 0.05-0.5 mM for potassium iodate, while linear ranges of 1-5 and 2.5-80 mg/dL are achieved for glucose when total detection time is 15 and 25 min, respectively. The lower detection limit is only 1/11 of that in a previous study. The detection ranges of iodate and glucose assays cover the concentrations of iodate in salt/milk and glucose in human saliva, respectively. Due to the simplicity, reliability, and ability for high-density integration, the μPADs with wax valves are of great potential in point-of-care (s ling) applications.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 03-2021
Publisher: AIP Publishing
Date: 12-2011
DOI: 10.1063/1.3669371
Abstract: Continuous cell tracking by time-lapse microscopy has led to detailed study of cell differentiation pathways using single cell fate maps. There are a multitude of cell fate outcomes, so hundreds of clonal ision histories are required to measure these stochastic branching processes. This study examines the principle of condensing cell imaging information into a relatively small region to maximize live cell imaging throughput. High throughput clonal analysis of non-adherent cells by continuous live cell tracking was possible using a microwell perfusion array with an internal volume of 16 μl and 600 microwells at the base. This study includes examination of biocompatibility of buffer systems, connecting tubing, cell culture substrates, and media degradation. An intermittent perfusion protocol was selected for long-term time-lapse imaging of KG1a cells in the microwell array 1500 clones were simultaneously cultured and scanned every 3 min at 100 × magnifications for 6 days. The advantages of perfusion microwell culture are continuous long-term cell tracking, higher cell imaging throughput, and greater control over cell microenvironment. Microwell devices facilitate high throughput analysis of cell lineage development and measurement of the probability distribution for cell life events such as mitosis.
No related grants have been discovered for Han Zhang.