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Urban air temperature rises induced by the urban heat island (UHIE) effect or by global warming (GW) can be beneficial in winter but detrimental in summer. The SCIENCE-Outdoor model was used to simulate changes to sensible heat release and CO2 emissions from buildings yielded by four UHIE countermeasures and five GW countermeasures. This model can evaluate the thermal condition of building envelope surfaces, both inside and outside. The results showed that water-consuming UHIE countermeasures such as evaporative space cooling and roof water showering provided positive effects (decreasing sensible heat release and CO2 emissions related to space conditioning) in summer. Additionally, they had no negative (unwanted cooling) effects in winter since they can be turned off in the heating season. Roof greening can provide the greatest space-conditioning CO2 emissions reductions among four UHIE countermeasures, and it reduces the amount of heat release slightly in the heating season. Since the effect on reducing carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions by UHIE countermeasures is not very significant, it is desirable to introduce GW countermeasures in order to reduce CO2 emissions. The significance of this study is that it constructed the new simulation model SCIENCE-Outdoor and applied it to show the influence of countermeasures upon both heat release and CO2 emissions.

To develop a decarbonized society, two contradictory requirements must be met: (1) reducing energy demand and (2) creating flexibility in energy demand in order to respond to fluctuations in renewable electricity generation. To help meet these requirements, conventional energy efficiency studies should be extended to incorporate “energy demand science.” This paper presents a definition of “energy demand science” and then reviews the related history and research questions of energy demand science in the context of the residential sector. It then examines three key areas that must be integrated into the next-generation energy demand science: (1) energy demand measurement with detailed granularity and analysis using cutting-edge technology, (2) energy demand modeling that helps clarify the formation mechanism of energy demand, and (3) identification of the factors that influence people's decision making, which represents typical human-dimension research. Energy demand science consists of technical, human, natural environment, demographic, and land-use dimensions, and their integration is key for the establishment of a decarbonized society.

Arsine is one of the most potent hemolytic agents. It is important to clarify arsine metabolism as well as its chemical interactions with biological components. The aim of the present study was to clarify arsine metabolism by arsenic speciation analysis in serum and urine from an acute poisoning patient with hematuria, anemia, and renal and liver dysfunction. Speciation analysis of arsenics in serum and urine was performed using HPLC-ICP-MS. The total arsenic (T-As) concentration in serum was 244.8 μg/l at admission and 97.1 μg/l at discharge. In the speciation analysis, four kinds of As compounds derived from arsine metabolism were detected in serum and urine. The concentration of arsenite (AsIII), arsenate (AsV), monomethylarsonic acid (MMA), and dimethylarsinic acid (DMA) in serum at admission were 45.8, 5.2, 17.9 and 9.3 μg/l, respectively. The concentrations of AsIII, AsV, and MMA decreased with biological half time (BHT) of 30.1, 43.0, and 96.3 h, respectively. Only DMA was increased at discharge. The urinary AsIII, AsV, MMA and DMA concentrations were 223.0, 12.1, 317.5 and 1053.5 μg/l at discharge, and decreased with BHT of 15.1, 20.8, 14.7, and 16.0 d, respectively. The results indicate that arsine was quickly metabolized to AsIII and subsequently up to DMA, with the result that the toxic effects of inorganic arsenic were added to those of arsine toxicity.

This paper presents a cross-analysis of the existing methods for modelling the use of household appliances and aims to provide insights into modelling approaches for researchers and designers. Five factors regarding appliance use modelling that have a significant impact on the modelling performance are defined: consideration of the intra/inter-household variation, consideration of the influence of socio-demographic conditions, time resolution of the data, quantification of model calibration parameters and applicability to a variety of modelling contexts. Four existing modelling methods commonly used in literature for modelling appliance use are studied to address these factors. Monitored data of 333 multi-family buildings in Japan and a Japanese time use survey are used in the cross-analysis to simulate the switch-on time profiles for the case of washing machines. The design of future research studies (including monitoring strategies, modelling and sample sizes) are discussed to further improve the ability to model home appliance use. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: We report a unique case of a Japanese woman with herpetiform pemphigus (HP) who had IgG autoantibodies reactive with nondesmosomal sites of keratinocytes and presented characteristic transmission electron microscopic (TEM) findings of various‐sized vacuoles in keratinocytes without acantholysis. The patient presented with pruritic annular oedematous erythemas with small blisters lining the margins on the trunk and extremities. Histopathological examinations showed intraepidermal blisters with prominent infiltrations of eosinophils. Direct and indirect immunofluorescence tests revealed the presence of in vivo bound and circulating IgG autoantibodies to the keratinocyte cell surfaces. However, enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assays for desmoglein (Dsg) 1, Dsg3 and desmocollins 1–3 showed negative results. Immunoblotting using the full‐length human Dsg1 recombinant protein showed a positive band. TEM examination showed various‐sized vacuoles squashing the nuclei in many keratinocytes, resulting in rupture of the cells. Immunoelectron microscopic examination revealed IgG deposition over the entire keratinocyte cell surfaces, which spared the desmosomes. IgG antibodies were also present on the inside walls of the vacuoles around the nuclei of keratinocytes and on the cell surfaces of infiltrating eosinophils. This patient also had marked eosinophilia and high levels of thymus and activation‐regulated chemokine and interleukin‐5 in the serum. These results indicated a novel autoantigen on the nondesmosomal keratinocyte cell surfaces and the pathogenesis of bullous spongiotic change with inflammation in HP. What's already known about this topic? Herpetiform pemphigus (HP) is a rare variant of pemphigus characterized clinically by pruritic annular erythemas with vesicles resembling dermatitis herpetiformis and histopathologically by eosinophilic spongiosis without apparent acantholysis.The targets of IgG autoantibodies in patients with HP are usually desmoglein 1 and 3, which are both components of desmosomes. What does this study add? This study reports the unique case of a patient with HP with IgG autoantibodies reactive to nondesmosomal sites of keratinocytes and characteristic transmission electron microscopic findings of various‐sized vacuoles in keratinocytes, while desmosomal adhesion remained.Regarding pathogenesis, we speculate that the ballooning vacuoles might result in the bullous spongiotic changes without acantholysis seen in this patient.This study also focuses on the relationships between blood eosinophil counts, serum thymus and activation‐regulated chemokine levels and HP disease activity. Linked Comment: Yuan and Pan. Br J Dermatol 2019; 180:22. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]