scholarly journals Lampenflora in a Show Cave in the Great Basin Is Distinct from Communities on Naturally Lit Rock Surfaces in Nearby Wild Caves

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (6) ◽  
pp. 1188
Author(s):  
Jake Burgoyne ◽  
Robin Crepeau ◽  
Jacob Jensen ◽  
Hayden Smith ◽  
Gretchen Baker ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Great Basin ◽  
Significant Proportion ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Artificial Light ◽  
Light Sources ◽  
Community Members ◽  
Broad Perspective ◽  
Artificial Lighting ◽  
Show Caves ◽  
Show Cave

In show caves, artificial lighting is intended to illuminate striking cave formations for visitors. However, artificial lighting also promotes the growth of novel and diverse biofilm communities, termed lampenflora, that obtain their energy from these artificial light sources. Lampenflora, which generally consist of cyanobacteria, algae, diatoms, and bryophytes, discolor formations and introduce novel ecological interactions in cave ecosystems. The source of lampenflora community members and patterns of diversity have generally been understudied mainly due to technological limitations. In this study, we investigate whether members of lampenflora communities in an iconic show cave—Lehman Caves—in Great Basin National Park (GRBA) in the western United States also occur in nearby unlit and rarely visited caves. Using a high-throughput environmental DNA metabarcoding approach targeting three loci—the ITS2 (fungi), a fragment of the 16S (bacteria), and a fragment of 23S (photosynthetic bacteria and eukaryotes)—we characterized diversity of lampenflora communities occurring near artificial light sources in Lehman Caves and rock surfaces near the entrances of seven nearby “wild” caves. Most caves supported diverse and distinct microbial-dominated communities, with little overlap in community members among caves. The lampenflora communities in the show cave were distinct, and generally less diverse, from those occurring in nearby unlit caves. Our results suggest an unidentified source for a significant proportion of lampenflora community members in Lehman Caves, with the majority of community members not found in nearby wild caves. Whether the unique members of the lampenflora communities in Lehman Caves are related to distinct abiotic conditions, increased human visitation, or other factors remains unknown. These results provide a valuable framework for future research exploring lampenflora community assemblies in show caves, in addition to a broad perspective into the range of microbial and lampenflora community members in GRBA. By more fully characterizing these communities, we can better monitor the establishment of lampenflora and design effective strategies for their management and removal.

Reconstructing Artificial Light in Ancient Greece

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dorina Moullou ◽  
Fragiskos V. Topalis
Keyword(s):  
Experimental Data ◽  
Optical Properties ◽  
Ancient Greece ◽  
Artificial Light ◽  
Light Sources ◽  
Colour Discrimination ◽  
Colour Perception ◽  
Relative Ease ◽  
Artificial Lighting ◽  
Lighting Conditions

This chapter presents an overview of artificial lighting means and their efficiency in the performance of domestic nocturnal activities (except cult practices) in ancient Greece. Through experiments conducted in the Lighting Laboratory of the National Technical University of Athens, the optical properties of exact copies of ancient light sources are investigated. The experimental data are used to assess the sufficiency of light produced by the lighting devices, and to examine the resulting lighting conditions in relation to colour perception and domestic nocturnal activities. The results show that people in antiquity could move around and operate with relative ease at night. Most domestic nocturnal activities could be performed even by the light of a single lamp, provided that it was located relatively nearby. Activities involving colour discrimination, such as weaving, were the most difficult but not impossible to perform. Therefore, artificial light in antiquity could be both effective and economical.

scholarly journals Effects of artificial light sources on growth and phytochemicals content in green oak lettuce

2020 ◽  
Vol 38 (2) ◽  
pp. 204-210
Author(s):  
Nursalmeeyah Etae ◽  
Yarodah Wamae ◽  
Weeraya Khummueng ◽  
Tanyarath Utaipan ◽  
Eaknarin Ruangrak
Keyword(s):  
Energy Saving ◽  
Flux Density ◽  
Dry Mass ◽  
Photon Flux ◽  
Photon Flux Density ◽  
Controlled Environment ◽  
Artificial Light ◽  
Light Sources ◽  
Vegetable Production ◽  
Artificial Lighting

ABSTRACT The artificial light source is one of the most important factors in a controlled environment for vegetable production. It could provide new opportunities to improve growth and increase phytochemicals content in vegetables. Therefore, this study focused on the effects of artificial light sources on growth and phytochemicals in green oak lettuce (Lactuca sativa). The plants were grown under growth chamber with three artificial light sources, namely bar-LED (the 1:1:1 ratio of blue 460 nm : red 630 nm : red 660 nm), bulb-LED (the 2:1:1 ratio of blue 460 nm : red 630 nm : red 660 nm), and fluorescent lamp (FL) (the wavelength range 380-700 nm) for 4 weeks. The quality of bar-LED light was better than either bulb-LED or FL, when assessed by the parameters of photosynthetically active radiation (PAR), photosynthetic photon flux density (PPFD, 400-700 nm), PPFD-B (blue, 400-500 nm), PPFD-R (red, 600-700 nm), the yield photon flux density (YPFD), and the color of red. However, shoot and root (fresh and dry mass), leaf area, leaf number, and shoot/root ratio did not significantly differ between plants grown under bar-LED and bulb-LED, but they were significantly higher than plants grown under FL. Bulb-LED and bar-LED induced larger dry mass of the plants than FL. The dry mass per mole of artificial lighting was highest in plants grown under bar-LED. On the other hand, the fresh mass per mole of artificial lighting was highest in plants grown under bulb-LED. As regards power consumption, bar-LED provided the lowest consumption with 44.4% energy saving over the FL. Total phenolic content, 2,2’-azino-bis (3-ethylbenzthiazoline-6-sulphonic acid) (ABTS) and 2,2-diphenylpicrylhydrazyl (DPPH) activities were highest in plants grown under bar-LED. FL lighting gave the least contents of chlorophyll a and chlorophyll a + b. However, chlorophyll b and carotenoid contents did not significantly differ among the treatments. Thus, the results suggested that bar-LED has the potential to improve energy saving, and both growth and phytochemicals content of green oak lettuce grown in a controlled environment of vegetable production.

scholarly journals Engineering problems in developing and managing show caves

2000 ◽  
Vol 22 ◽  
Author(s):  
Arrigo Cigna ◽  
Franco Cucchi ◽  
Paolo Forti
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Impact ◽  
Engineering Geology ◽  
The Other ◽  
Light Sources ◽  
Karst Environment ◽  
Other Hand ◽  
Engineering Problems ◽  
Cave Environment ◽  
Show Caves ◽  
Show Cave

Show caves play an important role in the socio-economic development of a country. A fast increase of such caves can be attributed to the increasing demand from tourists eager to observe natural features and phenomena. On the other hand, the karst environment is quite vulnerable to changes, and hence the transformation of a natural cave into a show cave must be designed, implemented, and managed with due attention to the problem of environmental protection. For this reason, the contribution of the engineering geology is instrumental. Engineering geology is particularly useful for the following activities. Environmental Impact Assessment including choice of the materials to minimise the environmental impact and to optimise the safeguard of tourists and employees; Identification and implementation of countermeasures for unstable zones in the cave; Design and construction of tourist pathways and other structures; Identification of the best light sources and their operation; Cave cleaning and maintenance (devices to supply water and to take out sewage, measures to minimise dust, and the problem of maintenance of old show caves); and Management of the surface area (planning and managing human activities in the outside area corresponding to the whole intake site for the karst system, as most of them may greatly affect the show cave environment, but, on the other hand, some of them such as parking, ticket office, and toilets are absolutely unavoidable). In the paper, the main engineering problems related to establishing and managing a show cave are presented together with practical examples from some of the main show caves in Italy and abroad.

scholarly journals Efficacy of Phytocannabinoids in Epilepsy Treatment: Novel Approaches and Recent Advances

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (8) ◽  
pp. 3993
Author(s):  
Aaron M. Farrelly ◽  
Styliani Vlachou ◽  
Konstantinos Grintzalis
Keyword(s):  
Therapeutic Potential ◽  
Significant Proportion ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Specific Reference ◽  
Undesirable Side Effect ◽  
Treatment Resistant ◽  
Current Review ◽  
Epilepsy Treatment ◽  
Clinical Environments

Epilepsy is a neurological disorder mainly characterised by recurrent seizures that affect the entire population diagnosed with the condition. Currently, there is no cure for the disease and a significant proportion of patients have been deemed to have treatment-resistant epilepsy (TRE). A patient is deemed to have TRE if two or more antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) fail to bring about seizure remission. This inefficacy of traditional AEDs, coupled with their undesirable side effect profile, has led to researchers considering alternative forms of treatment. Phytocannabinoids have long served as therapeutics with delta-9-THC (Δ9-THC) receiving extensive focus to determine its therapeutic potential. This focus on Δ9-THC has been to the detriment of analysing the plethora of other phytocannabinoids found in the cannabis plant. The overall aim of this review is to explore other novel phytocannabinoids and their place in epilepsy treatment. The current review intends to achieve this aim via an exploration of the molecular targets underlying the anticonvulsant capabilities of cannabidiol (CBD), cannabidavarin (CBDV), delta-9-tetrahydrocannabivarin (Δ9-THCV) and cannabigerol (CBG). Further, this review will provide an exploration of current pre-clinical and clinical data as it relates to the aforementioned phytocannabinoids and the treatment of epilepsy symptoms. With specific reference to epilepsy in young adult and adolescent populations, the exploration of CBD, CBDV, Δ9-THCV and CBG in both preclinical and clinical environments can guide future research and aid in the further understanding of the role of phytocannabinoids in epilepsy treatment. Currently, much more research is warranted in this area to be conclusive.

scholarly journals Control Strategies for Daylight and Artificial Lighting in Office Buildings—A Bibliometrically Assisted Review

Energies ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (13) ◽  
pp. 3852
Author(s):  
Daniel Plörer ◽  
Sascha Hammes ◽  
Martin Hauer ◽  
Vincent van Karsbergen ◽  
Rainer Pfluger
Keyword(s):  
Energy Efficiency ◽  
Energy Demand ◽  
Control Strategies ◽  
Significant Proportion ◽  
Decisive Role ◽  
Future Trend ◽  
Office Buildings ◽  
Total Energy Consumption ◽  
Integral Control ◽  
Artificial Lighting

A significant proportion of the total energy consumption in office buildings is attributable to lighting. Enhancements in energy efficiency are currently achieved through strategies to reduce artificial lighting by intelligent daylight utilization. Control strategies in the field of daylighting and artificial lighting are mostly rule-based and focus either on comfort aspects or energy objectives. This paper aims to provide an overview of published scientific literature on enhanced control strategies, in which new control approaches are critically analysed regarding the fulfilment of energy efficiency targets and comfort criteria simultaneously. For this purpose, subject-specific review articles from the period between 2015 and 2020 and their research sources from as far back as 1978 are analysed. Results show clearly that building controls increasingly need to address multiple trades to achieve a maximum improvement in user comfort and energy efficiency. User acceptance can be highlighted as a decisive factor in achieving targeted system efficiencies, which are highly determined by the ability of active user interaction in the automatic control system. The future trend is moving towards decentralized control concepts including appropriate occupancy detection and space zoning. Simulation-based controls and learning systems are identified as appropriate methods that can play a decisive role in reducing building energy demand through integral control concepts.

scholarly journals Wastewater Surveillance for SARS-CoV-2 on College Campuses: Initial Efforts, Lessons Learned, and Research Needs

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (9) ◽  
pp. 4455
Author(s):  
Sasha Harris-Lovett ◽  
Kara L. Nelson ◽  
Paloma Beamer ◽  
Heather N. Bischel ◽  
Aaron Bivins ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Information Needs ◽  
Community Dynamics ◽  
The United States ◽  
Lessons Learned ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Private Institutions ◽  
Community Members ◽  
Public And Private ◽  
College And University ◽  
University Systems

Wastewater surveillance for the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is an emerging approach to help identify the risk of a coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak. This tool can contribute to public health surveillance at both community (wastewater treatment system) and institutional (e.g., colleges, prisons, and nursing homes) scales. This paper explores the successes, challenges, and lessons learned from initial wastewater surveillance efforts at colleges and university systems to inform future research, development and implementation. We present the experiences of 25 college and university systems in the United States that monitored campus wastewater for SARS-CoV-2 during the fall 2020 academic period. We describe the broad range of approaches, findings, resources, and impacts from these initial efforts. These institutions range in size, social and political geographies, and include both public and private institutions. Our analysis suggests that wastewater monitoring at colleges requires consideration of local information needs, sewage infrastructure, resources for sampling and analysis, college and community dynamics, approaches to interpretation and communication of results, and follow-up actions. Most colleges reported that a learning process of experimentation, evaluation, and adaptation was key to progress. This process requires ongoing collaboration among diverse stakeholders including decision-makers, researchers, faculty, facilities staff, students, and community members.

Staying the distance: Transforming Latin pedagogy at the Open University

2019 ◽  
Vol 18 (1-2) ◽  
pp. 101-128
Author(s):  
Mair E. Lloyd ◽  
James Robson
Keyword(s):  
Cultural Context ◽  
Learning Experience ◽  
New Technology ◽  
Significant Proportion ◽  
Lessons Learned ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Open University ◽  
Ancient Rome ◽  
Positive Effects ◽  
Pedagogical Changes

Abstract Between 2000 and 2013, over 8,000 students studied the module Reading Classical Latin at the Open University, the United Kingdom’s largest distance education provider. But while many learners attained high grades, a significant proportion withdrew from study or failed the module. In 2015, the original module was replaced with a completely new course, Classical Latin: The Language of Ancient Rome. This article details the innovative ways in which new technology and pedagogical theory from Modern Foreign Language (MFL) learning were drawn on by the team designing this new module, resulting in a learning experience which gives greater emphasis to elements such as spoken Latin, the intrinsic pleasure of reading, and cultural context. The (largely positive) effects of these pedagogical changes on student success and satisfaction are subsequently analysed using a rich mix of qualitative and quantitative data. Finally, the authors reflect on lessons learned and the possibilities for future research and enhancement.

scholarly journals Nutritional psychiatry: the present state of the evidence

2017 ◽  
Vol 76 (4) ◽  
pp. 427-436 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wolfgang Marx ◽  
Genevieve Moseley ◽  
Michael Berk ◽  
Felice Jacka
Keyword(s):  
Mental Illness ◽  
Mental Disorders ◽  
Diet Quality ◽  
Age Groups ◽  
Significant Proportion ◽  
Behavioural Therapy ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Reverse Causality ◽  
Dietary Interventions ◽  
Cognitive Behavioural

Mental illness, including depression, anxiety and bipolar disorder, accounts for a significant proportion of global disability and poses a substantial social, economic and heath burden. Treatment is presently dominated by pharmacotherapy, such as antidepressants, and psychotherapy, such as cognitive behavioural therapy; however, such treatments avert less than half of the disease burden, suggesting that additional strategies are needed to prevent and treat mental disorders. There are now consistent mechanistic, observational and interventional data to suggest diet quality may be a modifiable risk factor for mental illness. This review provides an overview of the nutritional psychiatry field. It includes a discussion of the neurobiological mechanisms likely modulated by diet, the use of dietary and nutraceutical interventions in mental disorders, and recommendations for further research. Potential biological pathways related to mental disorders include inflammation, oxidative stress, the gut microbiome, epigenetic modifications and neuroplasticity. Consistent epidemiological evidence, particularly for depression, suggests an association between measures of diet quality and mental health, across multiple populations and age groups; these do not appear to be explained by other demographic, lifestyle factors or reverse causality. Our recently published intervention trial provides preliminary clinical evidence that dietary interventions in clinically diagnosed populations are feasible and can provide significant clinical benefit. Furthermore, nutraceuticals including n-3 fatty acids, folate, S-adenosylmethionine, N-acetyl cysteine and probiotics, among others, are promising avenues for future research. Continued research is now required to investigate the efficacy of intervention studies in large cohorts and within clinically relevant populations, particularly in patients with schizophrenia, bipolar and anxiety disorders.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document