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The postmortem conversion of muscle to meat goes through a series of complex physiological and biochemical changes, among which protein post-translational modifications (PTMs) are key factors affecting meat quality. Glycolysis is the major energy supply pathway in postmortem muscle. PTMs can change the function and structure of pyruvate kinase, a rate-limiting enzyme in the glycolytic pathway, which can in turn affect meat quality. Beginning with an overview of the structure and function of pyruvate kinase, this article reviews the recent research progress on the effects of PTMs of pyruvate kinase on its function and structure and the effects of pyruvate kinase phosphorylation, acetylation and S-nitrosylation on meat quality.

This study was performed in order to investigate the impact of steaming and boiling on the color, free and ester-type astaxanthin contents and in vitro antioxidant activity of different parts of crayfish. The results demonstrated that both cooking treatments had significant effects on the astaxanthin contents, color, and antioxidant activity of the different parts of crayfish. The astaxanthin contents of all crayfish parts increased initially and then declined with cooking time. Fresh crayfish tail shells were found to contain free astaxanthin and five astaxanthin monoesters. Free astaxanthin and one astaxanthin monoester were found in boiled crayfish tail shells, suggesting that boiling could promote the hydrolysis of esterified astaxanthin and the consequent generation of 98% free astaxanthin. With cooking time increasing, the L* value of crayfish increased slowly, and the a* value initially increased and later decreased, while the W value showed no significant change. Moreover, the a* value was strongly correlated with the astaxanthin content (r > 0.4). Both hydroxyl and 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging capacity increased first and subsequently declined. All parts of crayfish maintained high scavenging capacity against 2,2’-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) (ABTS) cation radicals. For all parts of steamed crayfish, astaxanthin contents showed a strong correlation with DPPH radical scavenging capacity (r > 0.9), but had a significant positive correlation with hydroxyl radical scavenging capacity for both claws and meat (P 0.9, P < 0.05).

ObjectiveTo investigate the current status of first aid knowledge among middle-aged and elderly residents aged 50 and above in a community in Shanghai， in order to provide reference for improving the self-rescue and mutual aid capabilities of middle-aged and elderly residents.MethodsA multi-stage stratified random sampling method was used to conduct a survey on 335 residents aged 50 and above in a community in Shanghai using a self-made survey questionnaire. The current situation and related factors of emergency knowledge level of residents aged 50 and above in the community were comprehensively analyzed.ResultsFirst aid knowledge level of 335 residents aged 50 and above was low， and the rate of high cognitive level was only 24.18%. Univariate analysis showed that male residents had a higher awareness rate than female residents （P=0.044）， while residents aged 70 and above and 60‒ had lower awareness rates than residents aged 50‒ （P

The large-scale storage and stable supply of oil products are essential for national energy security and economic development. As the economy expands and energy demands rise, centralized storage and supply systems become increasingly vital for ensuring the efficiency and reliability of oil product distribution. However, large oil storage depots present substantial safety risks. In the event of fires, explosions, or other accidents, emergency response efforts face stringent demands and challenges. To enhance the emergency response capabilities of oil storage and transportation bases (OSTBs), this paper proposes an innovative approach that integrates the improved analytic hierarchy process (IAHP) with the Entropy Weight Method (EMW) to determine the combined weights of various indices. This approach reduces the subjective bias associated with the traditional analytic hierarchy process (AHP). The emergency response capabilities of OSTBs are subsequently evaluated through fuzzy comprehensive analysis. An empirical study conducted on an OSTB in the Zhoushan archipelago quantitatively assesses its emergency preparedness. The results show that the base excels in pre-incident prevention, demonstrates robust preparedness and response capabilities, and exhibits moderate recovery abilities after incidents. These findings provide a theoretical foundation for reducing the likelihood of accidents, enhancing emergency response efficiency, and mitigating the severity of consequences. Practical recommendations are also offered based on the results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The potential link between environmental pollutants, including metals, and schizophrenia development remains debated. This study aimed to explore the association between plasma levels of three non‐essential metals—barium (Ba), tungsten (W), and uranium (U)—and schizophrenia risk among Chinese individuals. Method: We recruited a total of 221 patients and 219 healthy controls. Plasma levels of three non‐essential metals were measured using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. We employed unconditional logistic regression and Bayesian kernel machine regression (BKMR) to explore the relationship between exposure to multiple metals and the risk of schizophrenia. Results: Logistic regression analysis revealed that the highest quartile (Q4) of W had an odds ratio (OR) of 1.87 (95% CI: 1.08–3.21) compared to the lowest quartile (Q1), with a significant P‐trend of 0.017. For U, the ORs (95% CI) for Q2, Q3, and Q4 were 2.06 (1.19–3.56), 1.99 (1.15–3.44), and 1.74 (1.00–3.00), respectively. BKMR analyses revealed a progressive increase in the risk of schizophrenia with increasing cumulative levels of the three metals at concentrations below 35%, with U playing a major role in this association. U showed a non‐linear positive correlation with schizophrenia, particularly at the 75th percentile level. Moreover, potential interactions were observed between W and Ba, as well as between W and U. Conclusion: Higher plasma W and U concentrations were positively associated with the risk of schizophrenia, which was potentially related to the severity of symptoms in schizophrenic patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

RNA pseudoknots play a crucial role in various cellular functions. Established pseudoknots show significant variation in both size and structural complexity. Specifically, three-stemmed pseudoknots are characterized by an additional stem-loop embedded in their structure. Recent findings highlight these pseudoknots as bacterial riboswitches and potent stimulators for programmed ribosomal frameshifting in RNA viruses like SARS-CoV2. To investigate the possible presence of functional three-stemmed pseudoknots in human mRNAs, we employed in-house developed computational methods to detect such structures within a dataset comprising 21,780 full-length human mRNA sequences. Numerous three-stemmed pseudoknots were identified. A selected set of 14 potential instances are presented, in which the start codon of the mRNA is found in close proximity either upstream, downstream, or within the identified three-stemmed pseudoknot. These pseudoknots likely play a role in translational initiation regulation. The probability of their existence gains support from their ranking as the most stable pseudoknot identified in the entire mRNA sequence, structural conservation across homologous mRNAs, stereochemical feasibility as demonstrated by structural modeling, and classification as members of the CPK-1 pseudoknot family, which includes many well-established pseudoknots. Furthermore, in four of the mRNAs, two or three closely spaced or tandem three-stemmed pseudoknots were identified. These findings suggest the frequent occurrence of three-stemmed pseudoknots in human mRNAs. A stepwise co-transcriptional folding mechanism is proposed for the formation of a three-stemmed pseudoknot structure. Our results not only provide fresh insights into the structures and functions of pseudoknots but also unveil the potential to target pseudoknots for treating human diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]