Chilled beef is valued for its nutrition and tenderness but is vulnerable to contamination and spoilage during refrigeration. This study applied non-targeted metabolomics (ultra-performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (UPLC-QTOF-MS)) to track metabolite changes and their impact on beef quality across storage days 0, 3, 5, 7, and 10. A total of 63 potential marker compounds were identified, with amino acid, carbohydrate, and nucleotide degradation as the main drivers of spoilage and flavor change. Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) enrichment revealed purine, pentose, and amino acid metabolism as key pathways. Pearson correlation analysis highlighted hypoxanthine, citric acid, xanthosine, tyrosine, phenylalanine, xanthine, d-glucose-6-phosphate, and inosine 5'-monophosphate as strongly associated with quality decline, suggesting their potential as biomarkers of spoilage. Metabolomics effectively captured biochemical dynamics during beef refrigeration. Identified pathways and metabolites provide valuable insights into spoilage mechanisms, with several compounds serving as promising biomarkers for monitoring quality changes. © 2025 Society of Chemical Industry.

Abstract Intra-system water quality varies across a water distribution system, and large, unexpected shifts in consumer demands can create changes in the spatio-temporal dynamics of water flows and water quality. Exposure to poor water quality leads to negative health outcomes, and households that seek to avoid tap water and use bottled water as an alternative source of water can bear a substantial cost. This research applies a sociotechnical agent-based modeling framework, the COVID-19 social distancing and tap water avoidance agent-based model (COST-ABM) to explore how intra-system changes in water quality lead to poor water quality and issues with affordability for households and neighborhoods. COST-ABM simulates the movement of individual agents to and from home, work, and leisure locations under decisions to social-distance and the purchase of bottled water under decisions to avoid tap water. For scenarios of changing demands associated with social distancing, water age is exacerbated, which leads to tap water avoidance. COST-ABM assesses equity based on the total cost of tap and bottled water as a percentage of income for low-income households. COST-ABM is applied for a synthetic case study that was developed to represent Clinton, North Carolina. A synthetic hydraulic model is created using street maps to place pipes and nodes, well locations to place water sources, and building types to determine demands. Household demographics are distributed to represent the population of Clinton based on census data. Results demonstrate spatial changes in water quality that lead to tap water avoidance and economic inequities. Emergent results demonstrate that inequities among demographic groups do not emerge, but that inequities emerge across income groups and water quality at nodes. The sociotechnical modeling approach that is developed in this research applies COST-ABM to identify and quantify inequities in drinking water quality and water affordability in piped distribution systems. This work focuses on demand changes associated with pandemic scenarios and can be applied to assess equity in water for other demand shifting scenarios, such as extreme weather events, adoption of decentralized water systems, and working from home.

Changes in muscle quality of Antarctic krill (Euphausia superba) during refrigerated storage: The role of protein degradation.

Nondestructive assessment of refrigerated quality attributes of kiwifruit via hyperspectral imaging coupled with a point-to-interval prediction model.

Pulsed light treatment mediated ethylene and abscisic acid synthesis effectively inhibited bell pepper turning red and softening.

Multi-parameter characterization of postharvest quality changes of potatoes: insights from texture, dielectric spectroscopy and optical propagation

Predicting fracture toughness of human cortical bone from donors with and without type 2 diabetes using Raman spectroscopy and machine learning.

Fertility preservation (FP) is a fundamental part of gender care. Gender-affirming hormone therapy (GAHT) involves the use of drugs that could be potential risk factors for fertility. Therefore, FP is recommended before beginning the gender-affirmation process. This narrative review aims to assess several aspects, mainly concerning the assigned male at birth (AMAB) population. The purpose of this review is to provide an overview of the effects of GAHT on testicular morphology and seminal quality, the use of semen cryopreservation, the desire for parenthood among transgender people, the factors influencing the decision to use fertility preservation (FP) and suggestions for improving clinical practice. A literature search within PubMed was conducted and the results deal with issues such as changes in testicular morphology and semen quality, FP utilization, barriers to treatment, current clinical practice models, and suggestions for improving transgender adolescents access to FP. The results showed that GAHT can have a negative effect on fertility in transgender AMAB subjects. It is therefore recommended to carry out FP before starting such treatment. However, there is low percentage of utilization to FP among transgender adolescents. In deciding whether to pursue FP, they consider many factors: future parenting desires, individual experiences of gender dysphoria, family values around biological parenting, financial considerations, and the availability of fertility information. A discrepancy emerged between the rate of desire to become a parent and the actual rate of FP utilization. The reasons are various, such as cost, and concern in delaying the initiation of treatment. Suggestions for improving clinical practice are also provided from this literature search.

Treating posttraumatic nightmares in trauma-affected refugees: An investigation of outcome predictors of imagery rehearsal therapy.

Optical properties of dissolved organic matter play pivotal roles in mediating trace metal forms in a mangrove-dominated tidal estuary.

Surgeon- and parent-reported outcome after surgery for craniosynostosis.

Dynamic changes in epidermal wax composition and quality of three goji berry varieties during postharvest storage

Assessment of a novel functional food modulating the microbiota-inflammation-brain axis in patients with heart failure and/or /atrial fibrillation patients (the AMBROSIA study): Protocol for a randomized controlled trial.

The combined pollution of imidacloprid and glufosinate-ammonium aggravates toxicity on Hydrilla verticillata and epiphytic microbial community.

The Dynamic Interaction Between Psychological Health and Sleep Symptoms Following Adolescent Concussion.

The telehealth vs. web-based delivered home-based walking for veterans with peripheral artery disease (TREK-PAD) trial.

Mining liabilities as a source of toxic metals and physicochemical contaminants in tropical rivers.

Rationale for the Feasibility and Acceptability of Smartwatch Technology in an Exercise Regimen (FASTER) study in older individuals.

Identification of effective plant-based oils for use in aquafeed: An evaluation of impact on gamete quality and developmental success using zebrafish (Danio rerio) as a screening organism.

Environmental stressors interplay with top-down and bottom-up effects upon shell structure and function of an intertidal marine snail.