Assessment of urban thermal stress by UTCI – experimental and modelling studies: an example from Poland

The paper presents a new approach to the study of the spatial variability of heat stress in urban areas. The Universal Thermal Climate Index UTCI was applied for this purpose. The spatial variability of UTCI at the local scale was studied using examples of urban areas with different sizes and geographical locations. The experimental research on urban heat stress was conducted in Warsaw. The research covers both differences between UTCI in urban to rural areas as well as the variation of heat stress within small residential districts in Warsaw. We found a very large and significant heat stress gradient between downtown Warsaw and rural stations. Spatial variability of UTCI was also observed in microclimate research. A modelling approach was presented based on examples from Warsaw, a city with a population of almost 2 million, as well as examples from several spa towns with populations of up to 40,000 located in various parts of Poland. GIS analysis (ArcGIS for Desktop and IDRISI) was applied for this purpose

Hydrogen Sulfide and Carbon Monoxide Protect Gastric Mucosa Compromised by Mild Stress Against Alendronate Injury

Background Alendronate is an inhibitor of osteoclast-mediated bone resorption, but its clinical utility is limited due to gastrointestinal complications including bleeding erosions. Aims We studied whether potent vasodilators hydrogen sulfide (H2S) and carbon monoxide (CO) can protect against alendronate-induced gastric lesions in rats exposed to mild stress. Methods Three series (A, B, and C) of Wistar rats received alendronate (150-700 mg/kg i.g., series A) with or without NaHS (5 mg/kg), H2S donor or CORM-2 (5 mg/kg) releasing CO administered i.g. 30 min before alendronate administration (series B) in rats exposed for 3 days before alendronate administration to mild stress (series C). The area of gastric lesions was assessed by planimetry, the gastric blood flow (GBF) was determined by H2-gas clearance technique, and H2S production via CSE/CBS/3- MST activity and the gastric expression of HO-1, HO-2, HIF-1a, NF-jB, iNOS, COX-2, IL-1b, TNF-a, GPx-1 and SOD-2 were analyzed by qPCR or Western blot. Results Alendronate dose-dependently produced gastric mucosal lesions and significantly decreased GBF, and these effects were exacerbated by mild stress. NaHS and CORM2 significantly reduced the alendronate-induced gastric lesions in non-stressed and stressed animals, but only NaHS but not CORM-2 raised H2S production. NaHS and CORM-2 inhibited gastric expression of HIF-1a protein and HO-1, HIF-1a, NF-jB, COX-2, iNOS, IL-1b, TNF-a mRNAs but failed to affect those of HO-2, GPx-1, and SOD-2. Conclusion Both H2S and CO released from their donors, NaHS and CORM-2, protect gastric mucosa compromised by stress against alendronate-induced gastric damage via mechanism involving downregulation of HIF-1a, NF-jB and proinflammatory factors COX-2, iNOS, IL-1b, and TNF-a

Glomangioma in the hand: diagnosis, treatment, and challenges

Introduction. In this paper, we have analysed all hand glomangioma cases referred to our clinic in the context of symptoms, time to diagnosis, and the role of surgical resection of the lesion. Material and methods. We have collected the following data: the presence of risk factors, manifestation, time to diagnosis, the treatment applied, and follow-up of patients. Results. We have collected medical records from six patients, three males and three females. The median age was 45 (IQR: 29.5–65.75). The main symptom in all patients was severe pain and tenderness. The first-choice physician(s) were: general practitioners, general surgeons, and neurologists. The median time to diagnosis was 7 (IQR: 5–10) years. The main complaint of our patients was severe pain — 9 (IQR: 9–10) on the VAS scale, which was significantly alleviated after surgical treatment — 0 (IQR: 0–0; p = 0.043). Conclusions. Extremely long times to final diagnosis, and excellent outcomes of surgical treatment, highlight the necessity of raising awareness of glomangiomas among clinicians

General features of treatment potential of climate and bioclimate of Uniejów

The paper presents general features of the climate and bioclimate of Uniejów assessed from the point of view of the possibility to apply them to climate therapy. The authors have used multiannual data from meteorological stations located in the vicinity of Uniejów. It was found that the climate and bioclimate of the city are suitable for climate therapy. The most useful is the period from the beginning of May to the middle of October when the majority of patients can practice one of several forms of climate therapy (aerotherapy, heliotherapy, terrain therapy)

Studies of the city climate and bioclimate conducted at IGSO PAS

Klimat i bioklimat miasta jest przedmiotem badań klimatologów z IGiPZ PAN od lat 60. XX wieku., ale od końca lat 90. badania te opierają się na własnej sieci pomiarowej warunków termiczno-wilgotnościowych w aglomeracji warszawskiej. Liczebność sieci w różnych latach ulegała zmianom, a obecnie liczy 27 stanowisk. Głównymi przedmiotami badań są: zmiany czasowe i przestrzenne miejskiej wyspy ciepła pod wpływem zmian zagospodarowania przestrzennego, metody ograniczania miejskiej wyspy ciepła i adaptacji do niej, związek klimatu z udziałem terenów biologicznie czynnych, prognozy zasięgu i intensywności miejskiej wyspy ciepła na podstawie wybranych modeli zmian klimatu i scenariuszy zmian zagospodarowania przestrzennego. Znaczna część badań klimatologów z IGiPZ PAN dotyczy bioklimatologii człowieka, w tym warunków odczuwalnych w mieście, oddziaływania fal upałów i fal mrozów na zachorowalność i umieralność, roli zieleni w mie-ście: ochładzającej, ale też i alergizującej. Ich podstawowym celem jest próba określenia działań ograniczających negatywny wpływ klimatu miasta na ludzi oraz poprawiających jakość życia w mieście.The climate and bioclimate of the city have been studied by the climatologists from IGSO PAS since the 1960s. Since the late 1990s, these studies have been based on the measurement network of thermal and humidity conditions in the Warsaw agglomeration. The number of measuring posts has been changed over the years, currently it consists of 27 posts. The main research issues are: temporal and spatial changes of urban heat island under the spatial development changes, methods of limiting the urban heat island and adaptation to it, the impact of biologically vital areas on local climate, forecasts for the urban heat island based on selected climate change models and scenarios of spatial development changes. A large number of studies by the IGSO PAS climatologists concern human bioclimatology, including the thermal sensation, the impact of heat waves and cold waves on morbidity and mortality, the role of greenery in the city (cooling, but also aggravating allergy). The main goal of this research is to determine the measures limiting the negative impact of the urban climate on people and to improve the quality of life in the city

Changes in the spatial organization of Warsaw and their possible influence on microclimatic conditions and quality of life of urban citizens

Na przestrzeni ostatnich dziesięcioleci obserwuje się burzliwy rozwój miast. W wielu miastach Polski, w tym także w Warszawie, proces ten odbywa się w warunkach braku miejscowych planów zagospodarowania przestrzennego. Przy podejmowaniu decyzji lokalizacyjnych i wydawaniu pozwoleń na budowę władze lokalnych jednostek administracyjnych kierują się ogólnymi wskazaniami rozwoju miasta zawartymi w studium uwarunkowań i kierunków zagospodarowania przestrzennego. Celem obecnego doniesienia jest przedstawienie, w jakim stopniu projektowane kierunki rozwoju przestrzennego Warszawy mogą wpłynąć na niektóre cechy klimatu miasta, ważne dla jakości życia mieszkańców. Szczególna uwaga zostanie zwrócona na tzw. miejską wyspę ciepła.The last decades have brought intensive development of urban areas. In many Polish cities, including Warsaw, such development takes place without obligatory local plans. Thus, administrative permission decisions concerning any investment are prepared on the basis of so-called studies of conditions and directions of spatial planning. The aim of the present paper is to discuss how general plans of spatial development in Warsaw can influence some features of its climate which are important for the quality of life of Warsaw citizens. Special attention is paid to Urban Heat Island

Cervical Paraspinal Chordoma: A Literature Review with a Novel Case Report

Chordomas are rare malignant neoplasms, accounting for 1–4% of all primary bone tumors. Most spinal chordomas occur in the sacrococcygeal region and the base of the skull; however, 6% of chordomas are observed in the cervical spine. In these cases, the lesion is mainly located in the midline. These tumors slowly grow before becoming symptomatic and encase the surrounding vascular and nerve structures. Patients with advanced chordoma have a poor prognosis due to local recurrence with infiltration and destruction of adjacent bone and tissues. Systemic chemotherapy options have not been fully effective in these tumors, especially for recurrent chordomas. Thus, new combinations of currently available targeted molecular and biological therapies with radiotherapy have been proposed as potential treatment modalities. Here, the present paper describes the case of a 41-year-old male with a C2–C4 chordoma located paravertebrally, who underwent surgical resection with a debulking procedure for a cervical chordoma. Computed tomography angiography revealed a paraspinal mass with bone remodeling and the MRI showed a paravertebral mass penetrating to the spinal canal with a widening of the intervertebral C2–C3 foramen. Initially, the tumor was diagnosed as schwannoma based on its localization and imaging features; however, the histopathology specimen confirmed the diagnosis of chordoma. This case study highlights the effectivity of radical surgical resection as a mainstay treatment for chordomas, discusses neuroimaging, diagnosis, and the use of currently available targeted therapies and forthcoming treatment strategies, as alternative treatment options for chordoma

Intramedullary Spinal Cord Abscess with Concomitant Spinal Degenerative Diseases: A Case Report and Systematic Literature Review

Intramedullary spinal cord abscess (ISCA) is a rare clinical pathology of the central nervous system that usually accompanies other underlying comorbidities. Traditionally it has been associated with significant mortality and neurological morbidities because it is often difficult to diagnose promptly, owing to its nonspecific clinical and neuroimaging features. The mortality rate and the outcome of these infections have been improved by the introduction into clinical practice of antibiotics, advanced neuroimaging modalities, and immediate surgery. We report the case of a 65-year-old male patient who presented with a progressive spastic gait and lumbar pain, predominantly in the left leg. An MRI image revealed an expansile intramedullary cystic mass in the thoracic spinal cord, which was initially diagnosed as a spinal tumor. He underwent laminectomy and myelotomy, and eventually the pus was drained from the abscess. The follow-up MRI showed improvement, but the patient’s paraplegia persisted. In light of his persistent hypoesthesia and paraplegic gait with developing neuropathic pain, he was readmitted, and an MRI of his lumbar spine revealed multilevel degenerative disease and tethered spinal cord syndrome with compression of the medulla at the L2–L3 level. The patient underwent central flavectomy with bilateral foraminotomy at the L2–L3 level, and the medulla was decompressed. Postoperatively, his neurological symptoms were significantly improved, and he was discharged from hospital on the third day after admission. In support of our case, we systematically reviewed the recent literature and analyzed cases published between 1949 and May 2022, including clinical features, mechanisms of infection, predisposing factors, radiological investigations, microbial etiologies, therapies and their duration, follow-ups, and outcomes. Initial clinical presentation can be misleading, and the diagnosis can be challenging, because this condition is rare and coexists with other spinal diseases. Hence, a high index of suspicion for making an accurate diagnosis and timely intervention is required to preclude mortality and unfavorable outcomes. Our case is a clear example thereof. Long-term follow-up is also essential to monitor for abscess recurrences