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A case study discovering lock-in effects of culinary culture and behaviours on cooking energy use in Chinese homes
Abstract China’s rapid urbanization and industrialization have expanded building floorspace and contributed to rising carbon emissions in the building sector. An often-overlooked aspect of residential energy use is cooking, which this study examines through two longitudinal household case studies, combined with a questionnaire survey of 202 households. Monitoring results show that cooking accounted for 23% and 48% of total household energy consumption in the two cases, confirming its significant contribution to the residential carbon footprint. To further investigate the observed highly linear growth in cooking energy use in both households, a questionnaire survey was further conducted, revealing a lock-in effect correlating cooking energy with family life cycle (FLC) stages and habitual cooking practices, rather than with family size per se. To quantify this relationship, this study proposes a novel indicator, Cooking Energy Use Intensity (CookEUI), defined as the average daily cooking energy consumption (kWh/day). CookEUI ranges from 4.13 to 5.10 kWh/day for elderly and middle-aged couples, increases to approximately 6–7 kWh/day for two-generation households, and reaches 8.13–12.86 kWh/day for three-generation households with dependent children. Survey responses further indicate that cooking energy is strongly constrained by culturally embedded culinary behaviours. Our findings suggest potential solutions to reduce cooking energy use and emissions – such as alternative cooking appliances, cleaner energy sources, and community dining options – while respecting entrenched culinary culture, providing valuable insights for sustainable residential cooking practice and supporting efforts to reduce household carbon emissions.
Field-based experimental investigation of energy and exergy performances of a novel solar thermal air collector
Characterization of the flavor profile and microbial-driven mechanism of characteristic flavor formation in Yuxi Taihe Douchi
Computational identification and mechanistic characterization of natural product binders targeting the PDE6D prenyl binding tunnel
Performance on the one-minute sit-to-stand test predicts long-term adverse outcomes in pulmonary hypertension
Deep neural network-based biostatistical analysis for disease marker screening
Spatial distribution and risk assessment of polychlorinated biphenyl compounds from open incineration of used medical disposable face masks
Purple LED light and crude glycerol synergistically enhance astaxanthin production in Aurantiochytrium limacinum
Satellite-based oil spill detection using an explainable ViR-SC hybrid deep learning ensemble for improved accuracy and transparency
Preliminary assessment of biodistribution and targeting of the fluorescent molecular probe Cy7-SYL3C in an EpCAM-positive colorectal cancer mouse model
Abstract Molecular imaging probes targeting the epithelial cell adhesion molecule (EpCAM) hold considerable promise in advancing colorectal cancer (CRC) research. Building on previous work, this study further evaluated the biodistribution of Cy7-SYL3C in healthy mice and its targeting efficacy in HT-29 colorectal cancer models, confirming its potential as a near-infrared fluorescent (NIRF) imaging probe. The fluorescent molecular probe Cy7-SYL3C was synthesized by conjugating the Cy7 fluorophore to the 5’ end of the SYL3C aptamer. Biodistribution studies were conducted in healthy mice following intravenous administration of the probe. For tumor targeting evaluation, a subcutaneous HT-29 human CRC xenograft model was established in nude mice. Tumor-bearing mice were allocated into two groups: an experimental group and a pre-blocking group. The pre-blocking group received an excess of unlabeled SYL3C aptamer prior to injection of Cy7-SYL3C. Small animal in vivo imaging technology (SAFI) was employed to monitor the biological distribution and tumor targeting ability of Cy7-SYL3C at different time points from 5 min to 48 h after injection. The expression of EpCAM in tumor tissues was analyzed by Western blot. The targeting ability of the probe was evaluated through immunofluorescence co-localization and pre-blocking protocols. Cy7-SYL3C is mainly metabolized and cleared by the liver and kidneys. Fluorescence signals can be detected at the tumor site only 5 min after injection. Quantitative analysis showed that the average fluorescence intensity (AFI) at the tumor site in the experimental group was 88.2% higher (6.4 × 10 7 photons/s/mm 2 ) compared to the pre-blocking group (3.4 × 10 7 photons/s/mm 2 ) over a 4-hour observation period. Furthermore, the experimental group displayed a moderate positive correlation (Pearson’s r = 0.30 ± 0.02), in contrast to the negligible correlation observed in the pre-blocking group (Pearson’s r = 0.05 ± 0.01). The tumor-to-muscle ratio exceeded 1.0 at six hours post-injection and peaked at 1.30 ± 0.04 photons/s/mm 2 , with target-specific signals maintained for up to eight hours. This indicates that as the probe gradually removed from normal tissues such as muscles, it achieved sustained and specific retention at the tumor site. Combined with the significant reduction in the signal caused by the pre-blocking strategy, these results consistently indicated that the accumulation of Cy7-SYL3C in the body exhibited EpCAM targeting specificity. This study was based on the EpCAM targeting strategy and further evaluated the in vivo performance of the near-infrared fluorescent probe Cy7-SYL3C. The detailed dynamic imaging results at multiple time points indicated that this probe had a clear metabolic pathway in healthy mice and demonstrated rapid, sustained and specific tumor targeting ability in the HT-29 colorectal cancer model. These characteristics collectively confirmed the clinical application potential of Cy7-SYL3C as a high-performance molecular imaging tool in colorectal cancer research.
Optimization of ecological and efficient restoration technology for green mines based on hesitant fuzzy TOPSIS
Relationship between right and left ventricle function in subjects free of cardiovascular diseases: a population-based MRI study
Abstract Right (RV) and left ventricular (LV) volumetric measurements by cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) are established for assessing systolic and diastolic function, but the role of MRI-derived lung volumes in LV function remains unclear. This study investigated the relationship between RV and LV function, considering lung volumes. In the KORA-MRI cohort, 361 subjects underwent 3 T whole-body MRI. Cardiac functional parameters were measured from cine-steady-state free precession sequences using cvi42. Lung volumes were derived semi-automatically with an in-house algorithm. Linear regression analyses assessed RV-LV relationships, adjusted for age, sex, cardiovascular risk factors, and lung volumes. Among 361 subjects (mean age 56.1 ± 9.1 years; 43% women), RV end-diastolic volume was positively associated with LV end-diastolic (β = 28.1, p < 0.001), end-systolic (β = 11.0, p < 0.001), and stroke volume (β = 17.0, p < 0.001), but inversely with ejection fraction (β = -1.4, p = 0.001). RV end-systole was positively associated with LV end-diastolic (β = 21.2, p < 0.001), end-systolic (β = 11.5, p < 0.001), stroke volume (β = 9.7, p < 0.001), and inversely with ejection fraction (β = -3.3, p < 0.001). Adjusting for lung volumes did not alter RV-LV associations, and no effect modification by sex was observed despite lung volume differences. In individuals without cardiovascular disease, RV and LV volumetric parameters were strongly associated, supporting the critical role of RV function in LV function, independent of lung volumes.
Microscopic insights to the ultralow thermal conductivity of monolayer 1T-SnTe2
Effect of online digital storytelling on the comprehension of authentic listening materials and engagement of junior high school EFL learners
Potential predictors of COVID-19 disease infection and severity in Egypt
Abstract This study aimed to detect the changes in certain immunological parameters and miRNAs in COVID-19 cases with various degrees of disease severity and compare these changes in cases to healthy controls. This study was conducted on 45 COVID‐19 patients and 45 healthy controls. The flow cytometry was conducted to study the number of CD4 + and CD8 + T cells and evaluate the level of the PD-1 marker on their surfaces for all study participants. The determination of IL-1β and IL-6 in serum for all study subjects was done by ELISA test. Relative gene expression quantitation of miR-146a and miR-133a was performed by reverse transcriptase real-time PCR (RT-PCR). The numbers of CD4 + and CD8 + T cells were dramatically reduced in COVID-19 patients, especially in severe to critical patients, with an increase in the CD4 + :CD8 + ratio. T cells from COVID-19 patients had significantly higher levels of the exhausted marker PD-1. Measurement of IL-1β and IL-6 serum levels among cases group showed a highly significant increase in their mean concentration levels in comparison with the control group. Studying the difference in serum levels of IL-1β and IL-6 among different degrees of disease severity showed a significant decrease in their mean concentration levels among the mild to moderate group in comparison with the severe to critical group. The results also showed a significant decrease in miR-146a and a significant increase in miR-133a expression in COVID-19 patients compared to healthy controls. Reduced T cell counts, increased CD4 + :CD8 + ratio, higher levels of the PD-1 marker, elevated serum levels of the pro-inflammatory cytokines, and decreased miR-146a and increased miR-133a gene expressions could be used as potential markers in the assessment of COVID-19 infection and severity.
3D LineExplore: a 3D line exploration method for multi-layer PCB geometric routing
Impact assessment of the transported load mass on the lateral dynamics of a light delivery vehicles
Seasonal dynamics and core stability of the bacterial microbiome of a Drosophila suzukii wild population
Abstract Drosophila suzukii (spotted-wing drosophila, SWD) is an invasive pest with pronounced sexual dimorphism and seasonal polyphenism. While seasonal morphotypes are well documented, how these phenotypic traits shape the SWD microbiome remains poorly understood. Here, we investigate how sex and seasonal phenotypes shape microbiome composition in SWD. We hypothesize that these factors drive microbial shifts, with some taxa varying between phenotypes and others forming a stable core. Understanding these patterns may reveal microbiome-associated adaptations relevant to SWD ecology and management. To investigate this, we monitored SWD microbiome dynamics over one year by collecting individuals during spring, summer, and autumn of 2022 and winter of 2023 from an organic farm in northern Portugal. Bacterial communities were compared using 16 S rRNA amplicon sequencing. This SWD population retained a core bacterial community, highly represented by Gluconobacter , Pseudomonas , Commensalibacter and Pantoea , consistent with other SWD Portuguese populations. Moreover, microbiome composition varied significantly across seasons but not between sexes, although females exhibited higher microbial alpha diversity. Linear discriminant analysis of relative abundance (LEfSe) revealed enrichment of Morganella , Methanosaeta , Serratia , Duganella , Frateuria , Suttonella , and Janthinobacterium in winter groups. However, functional prediction analyses revealed no significant differences in microbiome functional potential across seasons, suggesting functional redundancy despite taxonomic variation. This study offers baseline insights into the seasonal stability and plasticity of the D. suzukii microbiome, contributing to a deeper ecological understanding of this invasive pest.