Comparing anthropogenic heat input and heat accumulation in the subsurface of Osaka, Japan.

In metropolitan areas, shallow groundwater temperatures are affected by anthropogenic heat sources. The resulting thermal conditions in the subsurface are highly site-specific, and spatial and temporal trends have only been revealed for a few cities. In this study, the anthropogenic heat input is quantified for 15 locations in Osaka, Japan using an analytical, one-dimensional conductive heat transport model. Mean anthropogenic fluxes into the subsurface are determined annually between 2003 and 2011. The model depicts fluxes from buildings and from different land cover types separately. The main objective is to compare the predicted annual mean heat input to heat storage increase, and to identify site-specific factors relevant for the thermal evolution of the underground at each well location. Our results indicate that mean fluxes from asphalt covered areas (0.28 ±â€¯0.07 W/m2) and from buildings (0.32 ±â€¯0.18 W/m2) are significantly higher than fluxes from unpaved (0.06 ±â€¯0.06 W/m2) and grass-covered (-0.04 ±â€¯0.06 W/m2) areas. Furthermore, the temporal variation of mean fluxes from buildings is stable over the studied time period, while annual mean fluxes from asphalt, grass and unpaved areas vary as much as 0.8 MJ/m2. Still, the uncertainty associated with the combined annual heat input of all heat sources is slightly higher than the changes between the years. Overall, the predicted cumulative heat input (2003 to 2011) at the wells ranges from 4 MJ/m2 to 60 MJ/m2. Comparing these results to heat storage increase, additional local heat fluxes, such as from construction work or a sewage treatment plant, have to be considered for about 1/3 of the wells. In addition, it becomes apparent that a significant percentage of determined anthropogenic heat input is not stored in the urban aquifer and heat input is predicted to be considerably higher than heat storage increase.

Volar perilunate trans-scaphoid dislocation: a case.

We report a rare case of volar perilunate trans-scaphoid dislocation that was treated with open reduction and internal fixation.

Capability of nondegenerated and degenerated discs in producing inflammatory agents with or without macrophage interaction.

STUDY DESIGN: Molecular biological and immunohistological examinations. OBJECTIVE: To clarify whether nondegenerated and degenerated discs produce inflammatory agents such as prostaglandin (PG)E2, interleukin (IL)-6, IL-1ß, and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)α, which have been reported to play pivotal roles in lumbar disc diseases, in the presence or absence of macrophages. SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA: A recent study reported discogenic low back pain might be caused by annular disruption followed by vascularized granulation formation extending from the outer layer of the annulus fibrosus into the nucleus pulposus along the torn fissure. Moreover, abundant macrophages have been shown to be present in symptomatic discs but not in normal and aged discs. However, there has been no in vitro report investigating the interaction between macrophages and several degrees of degenerated discs. METHODS: Degenerated intervertebral discs were obtained from Sprague-Dawley rats with different lengths of rat tail compression (2, 4, and 8 weeks). These degenerated disc and nondegenerated disc tissues were respectively cultured in the presence or absence of macrophages. The culture supernatants were analyzed for PGE2, IL-6, IL-1ß, and TNF-α. Immunohistochemical staining for cyclooxygenase-2 and IL-6 was also carried out on 4-week compression discs. RESULTS: Nondegenerated discs alone, several degrees of degenerated discs alone, and macrophages alone produced small amounts of PGE2 and IL-6. However, they were able to produce significantly higher amounts of PGE2 and IL-6 when cocultured with macrophages. In contrast, we detected small amounts of IL-1ß and TNF-α at every stage of degeneration regardless of the presence or absence of macrophages. The immunohistological examination showed anticyclooxygenase-2 and anti-IL-6 reactivities in the chondrocytes embedded in the disc matrix obtained from the degenerated disc. CONCLUSION: These results suggest PGE2 and IL-6 play a pivotal role in the interaction between degenerated discs and macrophages.

Reconstruction of the thermal environment evolution in urban areas from underground temperature distribution.

It is possible to estimate the ground surface temperature (GST) history of the past several hundred years from temperature profiles measured in boreholes because the temporal variation in GST propagates into the subsurface by thermal diffusion. This "geothermal method" of reconstructing GST histories can be applied to studies of thermal environment evolution in urban areas, including the development of "heat islands." Temperatures in boreholes were logged at 102 sites in Bangkok, Jakarta, Taipei, Seoul and their surrounding areas in 2004 to 2007. The effects of recent surface warming can be recognized in the shapes of most of the obtained temperature profiles. The preliminary results of reconstruction of GST histories through inversion analysis show that GST increased significantly in the last century. Existing temperature profile data for the areas in and around Tokyo and Osaka can also be used to reconstruct GST histories. Because most of these cities are located on alluvial plains in relatively humid areas, it is necessary to use a model with groundwater flow and a layered subsurface structure for reconstruction analysis. Long-term records of subsurface temperatures at multiple depths may demonstrate how the GST variation propagates downward through formations. Time series data provide information on the mechanism of heat transfer (conduction or advection) and the thermal diffusivity. Long-term temperature monitoring has been carried out in a borehole located on the coast of Lake Biwa, Japan. Temperatures at 30 and 40 m below the ground surface were measured for 4 years and 2 years, respectively, with a resolution of 1 mK. The obtained records indicate steady increases at both depths with different rates, which is probably the result of some recent thermal event(s) near the surface. Borehole temperatures have also been monitored at selected sites in Bangkok, Jakarta, and Taiwan.