History of Controlled Environment Horticulture: Indoor Farming and Its Key Technologies

The most recent platform for protected horticultural crop production, with the shortest history to date, is located entirely indoors, lacking even the benefit of free, natural sunlight. Although this may not sound offhand like a good idea for commercial specialty-crop production, the concept of indoor controlled-environment plant growth started originally for the benefit of researchers—to systematically investigate effects of specific environmental factors on plant growth and development in isolation from environmental factors varying in uncontrolled ways that would confound or change experimental findings. In addition to its value for basic and applied research, it soon was discovered that providing nonlimiting plant-growth environments greatly enhanced crop yield and enabled manipulation of plant development in ways that were never previously possible. As supporting technology for indoor crop production has improved in capability and efficiency, energy requirements have declined substantially for growing crops through entire production cycles in completely controlled environments, and this combination has spawned a new sector of the controlled-environment crop-production industry. This article chronicles the evolution of events, enabling technologies, and entrepreneurial efforts that have brought local, year-round indoor crop production to the forefront of public visibility and the threshold of profitability for a growing number of specialty crops in locations with seasonal climates.

The Rhizosphere Bacterial Communities Differ Among Domesticated Maize Landraces – An Experimental Confirmation

The plant-associated microbiome has been shown to vary considerably between species and across environmental gradients. The effects of genomic variation on the microbiome within single species are less clearly understood, with results often confounded by the larger effects of climatic and edaphic variation. In this study, the effect of genomic variation on the rhizosphere bacterial communities of maize was investigated by comparing different genotypes grown within controlled environments. Rhizosphere bacterial communities were profiled by metabarcoding the universal bacterial 16S rRNA v3-v4 region. Initially, plants from the inbred B73 line and the Ancho - More 10 landrace were grown for 12-weeks and compared. The experiment was then repeated with an additional four Mexican landraces (Apachito - Chih 172, Tehua - Chis 204, Serrano - Pueb 180 and Hairnoso de Ocho) that were grown alongside additional B73 and Ancho - More 10 genotypes. In both experiments there were significant genotypic differences in the rhizosphere bacteria. Additionally, the bacterial communities were significantly correlated with genomic distance between genotypes, with the more closely related landraces being more similar in rhizosphere bacterial communities. Despite limited sampling numbers, here we confirm that genomic variation in maize landraces is associated with differences in the rhizosphere bacterial communities. Further studies that go beyond correlations to identify the mechanisms that determine the genotypic variation of the rhizosphere microbiome are required.

Teaching Clinical Skills During Pandemic Times

Clinical simulation is a teaching strategy that replicates medical situations in controlled environments. The COVID-19 pandemic created disruptions for healthcare simulation centers. As a response, the Universidad Anáhuac designed online clinical simulation practices and assessments. The pre-intervention survey showed skeptical medical students (59.15%) to continue this learning format. The intervention included neurology, cardiology, and gynecology topics supported by five faculty members and staff. Instruments were examination checklists to evaluate the clinical competence based on a 100 score and the Debriefing Assessment for Simulation in Healthcare (DASH) with a 1 (extremely ineffective) to 7 (extremely effective) score. Students received individual training by Zoom, including simulation practices, debriefing, and assessment. Even though it seemed impossible to address clinical skills by distance, simulation practices continued with online resources. Collaborative participation between faculty, students, and staff facilitated learning during the COVID-19 conditions.

Effects of Light on Secondary Metabolite Biosynthesis in Medicinal Plants

Secondary metabolites (SMs) found in medicinal plants are one of main sources of drugs, cosmetics, and health products. With the increase in demand for these bioactive compounds, improving the content and yield of SMs in medicinal plants has become increasingly important. The content and distribution of SMs in medicinal plants are closely related to environmental factors, especially light. In recent years, artificial light sources have been used in controlled environments for the production and conservation of medicinal germplasm. Therefore, it is essential to elucidate how light affects the accumulation of SMs in different plant species. Here, we systematically summarize recent advances in our understanding of the regulatory roles of light quality, light intensity, and photoperiod in the biosynthesis of three main types of SMs (polyphenols, alkaloids, and terpenoids), and the underlying mechanisms. This article provides a detailed overview of the role of light signaling pathways in SM biosynthesis, which will further promote the application of artificial light sources in medicinal plant production.

Biotic and Abiotic Interactions Shape Seed Germination of a Fire-Prone Species

Both biotic and abiotic environmental filters drive the occurrence, distribution, and persistence of plant species. Amongst drivers that influence the distribution of plants in harsh environments, seed predation and temperature are particularly important in habitats that are prone to fire. In this study, we highlight the combined effects of predation and high temperature simulating fire to understand its effects on the germination percentage and germination speed of the fire prone species Copaifera oblongifolia. Groups of seeds attacked by the beetles Rhinochenus brevicollis and Apion sp., seeds manipulated by the ant Atta laevigata, and seeds left intact were put to germinate in controlled environments. To evaluate the effects of abiotic filters, seeds with intact elaiosomes and seeds with elaiosomes removed by the ant Atta laevigata were exposed to temperatures of 27, 60, 100, and 200 °C. The results showed that only 2.8% of the seeds attacked by R. brevicollis germinated. Seeds attacked by Apion sp. germinated faster, followed by seeds with their elaiosomes removed and seeds with intact elaiosomes. Seeds attacked by Apion sp. had the lowest germination percentage. The temperature of 200 °C killed seed embryos, whereas seeds exposed to 100 °C took longer to germinate than seeds exposed to other temperatures. Our results reveal that fire intensity and seed damage are important drivers of seed germination of C. oblongifolia.

The Need for a Comprehensive Cement Database - A Novel Approach to Best Practices by Cataloging Cement Properties

In conventional well design, the cement sheath acts as one of the primary barriers of protection in the well integrity matrix. Once the wellbore cement is set, the well is exposed to various conditions and environments over time which can impact the integrity of the cement, the results of which are poorly studied and documented. Given that there are also multiple cement recipes and formulations – the task of studying downhole cement performance and categorizing said results becomes more complicated, requiring the need for an integrated database of information. The objective of this paper is to document desirable cement properties, develop an optimal method for presenting this data, and construct a database which integrates this information and allows streamlined data entry and retrieval. Multiple variables must be considered when aggregating cement recipes and its corresponding properties over time. To test the behavior of these cement recipes over time, samples are created and aged in various controlled environments, and the properties tested periodically. The database was developed with a suitable interface to provide intuitive data entry and practical analysis capability, with proper inputs for the types of cement used, additives added, properties of the cement mixtures over time and any corresponding analysis performed on the samples in order to maximize best practice. Differences in geology, drilling techniques and standards often require the use of different cement recipes with varied additives to cater to each job. These include accelerators, retarders, extenders, weighing agents, fluid and loss control additives, as well as special additives such as latex, fiber additives and foam cements. The database interface is designed to accommodate these variations in the cement recipes and track the properties of samples over time and give a comprehensive understanding of the behavior of the samples as they age. With information from the industry, literature, and laboratory experiments, properties such as the Unconfined Compressive Strength (UCS), thickening times, gel strength development, densities, to name few will be integrated in the data base. Data analytics strategies will also be applied on the information aggregated, and the properties of the samples over time will be correlated to field data as well as literature to ensure proper representation and accuracy of the data. The database and the knowledge collected will be utilized as a source of information to enhance common cementing practices, as well as develop and refine industry best practices, which will be applicable to any cement job in the world. Currently, the database presented in this paper contains over 1000 unique cement samples, prepared and documented by multiple individuals with an aim to create a unique cement repository and database that focuses on long term cement properties.

Wheat Genotype-Specific Recruitment of Rhizosphere Bacterial Microbiota Under Controlled Environments

Plants recruit beneficial microbial communities in the rhizosphere that are involved in a myriad of ecological services, such as improved soil quality, nutrient uptake, abiotic stress tolerance, and soil-borne disease suppression. Disease suppression caused by rhizosphere microbiomes has been important in managing soil-borne diseases in wheat. The low heritability of resistance in wheat to soil-borne diseases like Rhizoctonia root rot has made management of these diseases challenging, particularly in direct-seeded systems. Identification of wheat genotypes that recruit rhizosphere microbiomes that promote improved plant fitness and suppression of the pathogen could be an alternative approach to disease management through genetic improvement. Several growth chamber cycling experiments were conducted using six winter wheat genotypes (PI561725, PI561727, Eltan, Lewjain, Hill81, Madsen) to determine wheat genotypes that recruit suppressive microbiomes. At the end of the third cycle, suppression assays were done by inoculating R. solani into soils previously cultivated with specific wheat genotypes to test suppression of the pathogen by the microbiome. Microbiome composition was characterized by sequencing of 16S rDNA (V1-V3 region). Among the growth cycling lengths, 160-day growth cycles exhibited the most distinct rhizosphere microbiomes among the wheat genotypes. Suppression assays showed that rhizosphere microbiomes of different wheat genotypes resulted in significant differences in shoot length (value of p=0.018) and had an impact on the pathogenicity of R. solani, as observed in the reduced root disease scores (value of p=0.051). Furthermore, soils previously cultivated with the ALMT1 isogenic lines PI561725 and PI561727 exhibited better seedling vigor and reduced root disease. Microbiome analysis showed that Burkholderiales taxa, specifically Janthinobacterium, are differentially abundant in PI561727 and PI561725 cultivated soils and are associated with reduced root disease and better growth. This study demonstrates that specific wheat genotypes recruit different microbiomes in growth chamber conditions but the microbial community alterations were quite different from those previously observed in field plots, even though the same soils were used. Genotype selection or development appears to be a viable approach to controlling soil-borne diseases in a sustainable manner, and controlled environment assays can be used to see genetic differences but further work is needed to explain differences seen between growth chamber and field conditions.

A guide to systems-level, participatory, theory-informed implementation research in global health

Implementation research is a multidisciplinary field that addresses the complex phenomenon of how context influences our ability to deliver evidence-informed healthcare. There is increasing realisation of the importance of applying robust implementation research to scale-up life-saving interventions that meet health-related sustainable development goals. However, the lack of high-quality implementation research is impeding our ability to meet these targets, globally. Within implementation research, theory refers to the proposed hypothesis and/or explanation of how an intervention is expected to interact with the local context and actors to bring about change. Although there is increasing interest in applying theory to understand how and why implementation programmes work in real-world settings, global health actors still tend to favour impact evaluations conducted in controlled environments. This may, in part, be due to the relative novelty as well as methodological complexity of implementation research and the need to draw on divergent disciplines, including epidemiology, implementation science and social sciences. Because of this, implementation research is faced with a particular set of challenges about how to reconcile different ways of thinking and constructing knowledge about healthcare interventions. To help translate some of the ambiguity surrounding how divergent theoretical approaches and methods contribute to implementation research, we draw on our multidisciplinary expertise in the field, particularly in global health. We offer an overview of the different theoretical approaches and describe how they are applied to continuously select, monitor and evaluate implementation strategies throughout the different phases of implementation research. In doing so, we offer a relatively brief, user-focused guide to help global health actors implement and report on evaluation of evidence-based and scalable interventions, programmes and practices.

Human factors, artificial intelligence and autonomous cars: Perspectives for a complex implementation

The centuries-old near-inseparable human/automobile relationship faces a revolution thanks to artificial intelligence gradually creating new paradigms in terms of personal urban mobility. Still, would we be prepared to relinquish our vehicle control to autonomous systems? The main objective of this work is to elucidate the main elements of the complex relationship between human factors and artificial intelligence in the development and establishment of autonomous vehicles. Thus, this paper adopted a basic methodology with a qualitative approach with an exploratory objective and technical procedures, as well as technical procedures of a documentary and bibliographic nature. Notice that autonomous systems present plausible functioning in controlled environments, even so, in an environment with several variables and an almost infinite possibility of combinations, enforced the occurrence of failures and compromised the structuring of a mental model, based on human factors, applicable to artificial intelligence. That explains the little importance given to human factors in the planning of human/autonomous machine interactions.

Update of ISO Technical Committee 209 Cleanrooms and Associated Controlled Environments

International Organization for Standardization (ISO) Technical Committee (TC) 209’s first meeting was held in November 1993.The focus was on cleanrooms and controlled environments and the activities within cleanrooms. The TC has moved in recent years to generic operations documents such as a systematic approach for procuring disposables and particle deposition rate monitoring to improve the quality of products manufactured in a cleanroom. ISO stresses development of standards with requirements to support sustainability. A recently published standard on energy management in a cleanroom supports that need. ISO has a range of publication formats with different rigor in balloting to reduce document development being considered by the TC. ISO/TC 209 begins its third decade taking a more integrated approach to standardization with the goal of responding to the needs of industry.