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He read the sign at Kum & Go on East Chestnut Expressway and had to ask: Is Cincinnati "local"?(Photo: Steve Pokin/News-Leader)

Steve Drewry of Springfield was pumping gas at the Kum & Go at 2885 E. Chestnut Expressway when he spotted a sign on one of the pillars that hold up the canopy over the pumps.

It says:

"Local Concrete:The concrete mix for thesite paving, building floor slab and foundation walls were manufacturedand contain raw materials from within 500 miles of this building site. Use of local materials lowers costs associated with transportation like fuel and air pollutants, and supports local economies."

This is the sign that got Steve Drewry thinking. What does "local" really mean?(Photo: Steve Pokin/News-Leader)

According to Steve, "How many people would consider 500 miles from Springfield as being local? To me, I think I consider most anything that is in the Ozarks as being local to us?"

I checked how far the following cities are from Springfield:

In August, I drove to Jackson, Mississippi. Believe me, it is not "local."

Do you reallythink you would behelping the Springfield, Missouri, tax base by purchasing concrete mix in Jackson, Mississippi?

I don't know why Kum & Go chose to define "within 500 miles" as local.

I called the company's corporate spokeswoman Friday afternoon and left a message but did not hear back by deadline.

More: Pokin Around: A man haunted by the Mystery of the Little Liquor Bottles of Southern Hills

But I'm guessing, Steve, you probably did not look at the five other pillars at the station. After all, you would have no reason to do so.

I drove there and went to the first sign I saw; it was not the one about "local concrete."

Each pillar has its own, different sign that details the different environmentally friendly measures taken to build this Kum & Go two years ago.

For example, one of the other signs says:

"Water Efficiency: The lavatory, toilet and urinal fixtures of this store use at least 20 percent less water than conventional fixtures, saving thousands of gallons of water per year. Water conservation reduces the need for municipal water treated (sic) and processing, and reduces potable water use for sewage conveyance."

This makes more sense to me than buying your concrete mix in Mississippi to help the tax base here.

In writing a story, I'm always looking for ways to trim words.

If Moses were a reporter for the Mt. Sinai Times, he would have descended with the Ten Commandments only to be told by an editor: "Gimme your best three!"

In other words, if there were five pillars at this Kum & Go and not six the sign you informed me about would have not survived the editing process.

I should also mention to readers something else you pointed out to me, Steve, the irony of six signs touting environmentally friendly ways to construct a building where you can fill up your car with a fossil fuel.

More: Pokin Around: Nino has a new classic Mustang; the skies opened and love poured down

Nevertheless, I will conclude with a tip of the nozzle toKum & Go for its efforts to be green or as green as possible. Here are what the remaining four signs say:

"Low-Emitting Paint:The paints and coating used in this store contain little to no volatile organic compounds (VOCs) which improves our indoor air quality. Conventional products with VOGs have a strong smell, can irritate the eyes and skin, and cause health problems with prolonged exposure."

"Heating & Cooling:The heating and air conditioning systems at this store have a high Energy Efficiency Rating. The system has direct digital control (DDC) that optimizes energy efficiency and a high-level filtration system that maintains excellent indoor air quality for customers and employees."

"LED Lighting:The light fixturesfor this gas canopy and parking lot are highly-efficient LED (light-emitting diode). LEDs give off little heat, and the light is focused. Conventional light fixtures waste electricity in theform of heat and light-loss."

"Reflective Roof:Our flat roof for this store is covered with a white rubber finish that reflects the sun's heat. This decreases heat transfer, reducing the energy needed to cool the building."

There you go.

Now, Steve,I think you and Ishould get together for some "local" lunch.

Feel like somecashew chicken? I hear we can find it in Springfield.

More: Pokin Around: Was there ever a time in Missouri when you could legally kill a Mormon?

These are the views of News-Leader columnist Steve Pokin, who has been at the paper seven years, and overhis career has coveredeverythingfrom courts and cops to features and fitness. He can be reached at 417-836-1253, spokin@gannett.com, on Twitter @stevepokinNL or by mail at 651 Boonville Ave., Springfield, MO 65806.

Read or Share this story: https://www.news-leader.com/story/news/local/ozarks/2019/12/28/kum-go-springfield-gas-station-signs-500-miles-local-concrete/2757571001/

Read more:
Pokin Around: Since when does 'within 500 miles' mean the same thing as 'local'? - News-Leader

Cannabis and its use by humans dates back more than 5000 years in recorded history and even further back according to archaeological evidence. Its value as a cultivated plant ranges from fibre and rope, to food and medicine and due to its psychoactive properties religious and recreational use. Over the course of time, the misuse of cannabis as a psychoactive drug has resulted in a worldwide prohibition.

Despite this, the pharmacological usefulness of cannabis has continued to be revealed over time. Cannabis is often used a generic term to denote the several psychoactive preparations of the plant Cannabis sativa and Cannabis indica or its hybrids. The major psychoactive constituent in cannabis is -9 tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). Compounds which are structurally similar to THC are referred to as cannabinoids. In addition, several recently identified compounds that differ structurally from cannabinoids nevertheless share many of their pharmacological properties. Cannabidiol (CBD) is another well-known constituent of these plants and the focus is also increasingly on the terpenes which are organic compounds for medical use.

Although there is a long tradition of the use of cannabis, it seems that the pronounced use of THC as a worldwide prohibited intoxicant has limited its use as a well-recognised medicinal plant. This has changed in recent years, and there is an enormous effort to position cannabis in the phytopharmaceutical industry and also to legalise recreational use.

Today, the focus is clearly on the pharmacological effects of cannabis. CBD is valued as an effective and natural pain reliever with impressive advantages over pharmaceutical products. Cannabidiol is known as antispasmodic and anti-inflammatory and due to its natural composition, the side effects for the patient are less prominent than comparable chemical substances. It has also been shown that cannabis can help with nausea, depressive mood and insomnia. Furthermore, taking CBD can increase concentration and diseases such as hyperactivity syndrome or ADHD can also be treated. Finally, a few fully approved THC enriched phytopharmaceutical products are prescribed by trained doctors.

Overall, the natural ingredients of cannabis have a number of positive effects whereas research into the efficacy of the medical use of cannabis drugs is still in its infancy. The effects are to a vast extent still not sufficiently proven by scientifically executed studies.

There are many hands on applications, but still very little clinical trials that demonstrate quality, safety and efficacy. This handicaps the authorisation of cannabis as a medicine by legal authorities and health insurers, who are reluctant with cost compensation. However, at the same time, it is a perfect outset to enrich the existing phytopharmaceutical industry with a solid and distinguished cannabis-based supply chain. Furthermore, we see a future oriented discussion to establish a legal framework for the production, trade and use of THC and CBD cannabis in both developed and in developing countries.

SANlight was officially founded by two university alumni in the Austrian mountains in 2011. Their sound technological background combined with their green fingers put them in the perfect position to develop highly innovative illumination solutions for horticultural applications. From the beginning the emphasis was exclusively on solid-state light sources combined with smart electronics and sensors. An innovative and forward-looking approach was required to focus on the high-end B2C market for the early years, which not only awarded this a self-financed and profitable company growth, but also a customer centric product development cycle with broad and rapid user feedback via then emerging social media channels.

Today, SANlight is illuminating more than 75,000 indoor and greenhouse facilities all over Europe and is operating its own multi-level indoor grow lab within 250m2 at its headquarters in Bludenz. Linked with strong collaborations with research institutions in Germany, Switzerland and Austria, the focus today is not only on illumination but also the engineering of effective grow facilities. In our almost 10 years of operation, the activities of SANlight have expanded from better light for better plants all the way to grow solutions truly driven by nature says David Schmidmayr, one of the founders.

What is so special about the illumination gear of SANlight? We always put ourselves in the position of the crop, carefully considering the five major external growth parameters with illumination being only one of them. This holistic approach towards plant growth was, and still is the key to our success, says Martin Anker, the other founder of SANlight. This clear commitment to work on system solutions triggered in 2018 the foundation of the SANlight Solution GmbH a company serving the professional horticulture industry as a solution provider for illumination and plant production.

The growth process of a crop is determined by its primary and secondary metabolism. Light emitted in the photosynthetic active region (PAR ranging from 400-700nm) of the daylight spectrum is commonly seen as the driver for the build-up of biomass. The healthiness is heavily determined by the internal signals sent from various photoreceptors. These receptors are sensitive in a selected region of the daylight spectrum ranging from the ultraviolet (UV-A), visible or infra-red regime. With its spectral sensitivity the receptors are triggering different internal signals depending on the light intensity. And there is an interdependency of signals coming from different receptors. Without going into more detail, we can already see quite some complexity here.

The fact that the interaction of the provided light with the availability of nutrients, the water uptake from the roots, CO2 concentration in the air as well as humidity and temperature are in addition to the spectral composition and intensity of the illumination but do not forget that a plant does usually also require a period of darkness to steer its inner clock or circadian rhythm. Therefore, it becomes obvious to the reader that the holistic approach of SANlight mentioned above requires quite some competence, but at the same time reveals a lot of potential to optimise the grow process of plants.

One early conclusion that has been drawn by the SANlight research team back in formative years is that the use of selective colours only in the blue and red spectral regime (within the PAR region) is a good basis, but certainly not sufficient for modern cannabis cultivation. We have added greenish and far-red spectral signals to compose a well-balanced and broad sun like emission. The relative intensity of the different spectral regimes has been optimised over various grow cycles. We clearly distinguished the spectral distribution of the different grow stages of the cannabis plant. The spectrum for the mother plant nursery is designed to keep the crop healthy and strong for the retrieval of cuttings and at the same time avoiding pullulation even worse blooming.

The spectrum for the rooting of cuttings or the epitaxial growth from seeds needs to be designed carefully to generate resilient young plants. The illumination of the vegetative phase is designed to develop the young plants to pullulation with a strong focus on a concerted transfer into the generative or blooming phase where the red and far-red regime of the spectrum is in the focus. However, at the same time the spectral distribution was carefully optimised to maintain sufficient freedom to use different plant genetics and to apply the most effective LEDs.

Over the years, we have continuously merged the best options provided by the LED world with smart optical concepts and consider the peculiarities of the various cannabis genetics out there. The result is a ground-breaking line up of illumination gear, for efficient cannabis production along with a research and development team who strive to optimise the next product generation working today also beyond illumination, says Christian Hochfilzer, Director of Horticulture at SANlight Solution.

Keep in mind that the focus is on the crop and illumination whereas the design of the light source is a consequence borne out of this approach. Hence, we have decided to use the term illumination gear rather than light source or luminaire for our product line-up. SANlight presents two major product families the FLEX-Series and the Q-Series. The bars of the FLEX-Series are sought-after for their use in multilayer production facilities, where homogeneous light distribution at close proximity is promoted to ensure a healthy and concise growth process.

The optimal ratio of bar-spacing and distance to the crop canopy is simulated and custom tailored to the specific requirements of the production facility. The specifically shaped optical system creates a vertically extended and well illuminated cross section for the young crop. The name of this product family FLEX-series stands for the ease in project planning and execution. The illumination gear is widely used in the production of cuttings and seedlings.

The Q-Series is specially designed to illuminate larger plants as they are common in the vegetative and generative phase of cannabis production. The free-form optics in front of each LED-emitter provides a square like, batwing radiation. What is the advantage of this unique design? The light is evenly distributed onto the canopy area underneath the illumination gear. The optically directed light rays of the Q-Series emulate the natural light coming from the sun on a partly cloudy sky, penetrating all the way down deep into the plant canopy. This is true illumination.

Why for anyones sake should one invest in a solid-state lighting solution rather than in a cheaper(?) conventional HPS light? The simple answer: considering the total cost of ownership it pays off. In the countless installations we have established all over Europe we have one piece of consistent feedback; you save energy as the light generation is more efficient, the light distribution towards the canopy of the crop is more efficient, the heat radiation towards the plant is reduced and the thermal losses in a glasshouse or indoor facility are reduced and help to save investment and energy costs on the HAVC system.

Another fact is, that the optimised spectral emission of LED light sources results in a higher relative concentration of cannabinoids, cannabidiol or terpenes. But the best thing is that our illumination gear is a truly forward-looking investment. We support research programs to breed more resilient cannabis genetics that grow perfectly under dedicated emission spectra. We are perfectly aware that the spectral composition of today might be disused in the future. We have already designed our Q-series in such a way that one can easily replace the LED top part with the latest generation available. No need to replace the illumination gear, simply exchange the LED topping.

The answer is simple all three methods do make perfect sense on their own. Looking at the Swiss market for example, the cultivation of CBD cannabis on open fields was largely expanded in the season of 2019 for the simple reason that the money is in the extraction of CBD oil, and product derivatives and the consistent quality of the plants and buds is not critical for success. What counts is the availability of a large volume of finely chopped plants including the buds for extraction. There is one grow cycle per year. SANlight supports this production approach with FLEX-PRO-Series for seedling and/or cutting nurseries and the Q-Series for young plant propagation in greenhouses during spring and early summer. More advanced is the production process in greenhouses that can be shaded easily to control long day and shorter day cultivation. These facilities allow four and more grow cycles per year.

Official approval from the authorities provided some producers even grow THC strains in greenhouses with appropriate security protection. We often see that existing greenhouses (e.g. former tomato production sites) are refurbished and converted into cannabis production facilities. The products delivered are predominantly dried buds and chopped plants both well separated. A controlled illumination solution is required for the vegetative and generative phase working as so-called supplemental light. The illumination period is usually set to 18hrs per day for the vegetative phase and to 12hrs per day for the generative phase. Whatever is available as natural daylight is taken in the production. The Q-Series is used here as supplemental illumination and the light intensity is adjusted by a control system relative to the available daylight depending on the production phase, weather condition and yearly season.

Further down this article we will show in one of our best practice reports what challenges a greenhouse grower faces. And finally, the indoor production facilities where the plants are only illuminated with artificial light under a fully controlled grow environment. The reproducibility and also the productivity of the grow process can further be increased, and we see often five and more production cycles a year with consistent product quality. The footprint of these facilities has also changed over time. Earlier this year we started the roll-out of fourth generation indoor facilities in Europe.

Case studies

Let us start with a greenhouse facility which has been in operation for more than three years. Naturally, it took some time to optimise the various production parameters mentioned earlier. After one and a half years in operation we teamed up with the producer and his customer to track the influence of the ambient conditions outside the greenhouse and the seasonal changes of the daylight on the product quality and yield. The facility is used for THC production. In this study we measured the relative THC and THC-acid content of the bud, the weight of the dried buds, the THC yield per plant in gram over a period of 12months or four grow-cycles. We could clearly demonstrate a considerable yield variation depending on the position of the plant in the greenhouse. Furthermore, it was shown that there is severe yield variation between the four production cycles. One negative variable is the high temperature during summertime although there is enough natural daylight.

Interestingly, the highest yield was achieved in the autumn/ winter production cycles. In addition, we have also compared the results using supplemental illumination with full-spectrum LEDs and HPS at the same electrical power consumption per square metre. With a year-round average yield increase of 45%, the full-spectrum LEDs were outperforming HPS by far. The yield gap is larger during the lighting season (October March) and narrows down in the summer months. In conclusion we were able to show a cost advantage for full-spectrum LED-illumination in a greenhouse facility. To bring the production variation and losses during summertime further down we have thought up ideas to improve the HAVC system and shading concept in the greenhouse. But it became also clear, that it is not cost effective to lay out the facility for worst case climate situations so there remains the risk of yield loss due to weather extremes.

These are the limiting factors for a greenhouse facility. In further studies we have started to look at indoor facilities in more detail. As mentioned earlier in this article we have had some customer feedback about indoor farms where there have been grown various types of crops outside the cannabis world. In one of our home markets we have worked together with cannabis pioneers to optimise professional indoor farms for CBD cannabis, and today we are shipping fourth generation facilities. They work under CO2 enriched closed environments in an air-tight cabin where the HVAC and watering system is completely controlled and decoupled from the ambient. The production is in moveable two storey racks and facilitates running five or more production cycles per year. The reproducibility and yield of the production process is excellent, and the high-grade dried buds are used for premium medical or recreational products.

Based on our experience with smart and integrated illumination solutions for greenhouse and indoor farming we strive for further improvements in product quality and production yield by combining new plant breeding programs with innovative illumination concepts. Focusing on cannabis production and driving the process improvement together with our customers puts SANlight Solution GmbH as an engineering partner and equipment supplier at the forefront of an emerging phytopharmaceutical cannabis industry.

Christian HochfilzerCo-FounderSANlight Solution GmbH+43 650 8421158 (Office)christian.hochfilzer@sanlight-solution.comhttps://www.sanlight-solution.com

This article has also appeared inHealth Europa Quarterly Issue 11, which is available to read now.

Read more:
SANlight GmbH enables sustainable cannabis growth with illumination driven by nature - Health Europa

Bright light at night interrupts the bodys normal day-night cycles, called circadian rhythms, and can trigger insomnia. So understanding how human eyes sense light could lead to smart lights that can prevent depression, foster sleep at night, and maintain healthy circadian rhythms.

In a Science study published December 5, 2019, researchers at the Salk Institute report the discovery of three cell types in the eye that detect light and align the brains circadian rhythm to our ambient light. The study marks the first direct assessment in humans of light responses from these cells, called intrinsically photosensitive retinal ganglion cells (ipRGCs)and the implications for health are substantial.

We have become mostly an indoor species, and we are removed from the natural cycle of daylight during the day and near-complete darkness at night, says Salk professor Satchidananda Panda, PhD, senior author of the paper, in a release. Understanding how ipRGCs respond to the quality, quantity, duration, and sequence of light will help us design better lighting for neonatal ICUs, ICUs, childcare centers, schools, factories, offices, hospitals, retirement homes, and even the space station.

This new understanding of ipRGCs may also fuel future research into developing therapeutic lighting that can treat depression, insomnia, attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), migraine pain, and even sleep problems among patients with Alzheimers disease.

Its also going to open a number of avenues to try new drugs or work on particular diseases that are specific to humans, says Ludovic Mure, a postdoctoral researcher in the Panda lab and first author of the new study.

While ipRGCs had been identified before in mouse retinas, these cells had never been reported in humans. For the new study, the Salk team used a new method developed by study co-authors Anne Hanneken of Scripps Research Institute and Frans Vinberg of John A. Moran Eye Center of the University of Utah to keep retina samples healthy and functional after donors passed away. The researchers then placed these samples on an electrode grid to study how they reacted to light.

They found that a small group of cells began firing after just a 30-second pulse of light. After the light was turned off, some of these cells took several seconds to stop firing. The researchers tested several colors of light, and found that these intrinsically photosensitive cells were most sensitive to blue lightthe type used in popular cool-white LED lights and in many of our devices, such as smartphones and laptops.

Follow-up experiments revealed three distinct types of ipRGCs. Type 1 responded to light relatively quickly but took a long time to turn off. Type 2 took longer to turn on and also very long to turn off. Type 3 responded only when a light was very bright, but they turned on faster and then switched off as soon as the light was gone. Understanding how each ipRGC type functions may allow researchers to better design lighting or even therapeutics that can turn the cell activity on or off.

The new study actually helps explain a phenomenon reported in past studies of some blind people. These people, despite not being able to see, are still able to align their sleep-wake cycle and circadian rhythms to a day-night cycle. Thus, they must be sensing light somehow.

Now it appears that ipRGCs are the cells responsible for sending that light signal to the brain, even in people who lack the rod and cone cells needed to relay an image to the brain.

It also appears that, in people with functional rods and cones, ipRGCs actually work closely with these other visual cells. The new study suggests that ipRGCs can combine their own light sensitively with light detected by the rods and cones to add brightness and contrast information to what we see.

This adds another dimension to designing better televisions, computer monitors and smartphone screens in which changing the proportion of blue light can trick the brain into seeing an image as bright or dim, says Panda.

Panda says the next step in this research will be to study the net output of these cells under different light colors, intensity and durationfor example, comparing how they react to short pulses of light versus a longer duration of a few minutes. The team is also interested in how the cells react to sequences of light, such as a blue light that turns orange or vice versa, which would mimic some of the variety of light we encounter in nature at dawn and dusk.

Repeating these experiments in donor retina preparations from various ages will also help us understand whether or to what extent young and older individuals differ in their ipRGC function, which may help in designing indoor light for better day-night synchronization generally and perhaps even such applications as mood improvement among older individuals and patients with dementia, says Panda.

See the article here:
Researchers ID 3 Cell Types That Help the Brain Tell Day from Night - Sleep Review

multimedia, photos-and-video, plants, Green Altar, indoor

There's a theory that the most opposite view to a computer screen is a tree. After spending all week, 40-odd hours staring at an artificially-lit screen, the best thing you can do to rest your eyes is to look at nature. Sadly, we often don't have time. We go from office, to car, to home, to bed, to office, and so on. The trick is to break this cycle - and the best way? Bring nature into your house. Introducing plants to your home is positive for many reasons, and not just because they give your eyes a rest from the screen, or for aesthetic reasons. We've all seen stunning images of creatively positioned, healthy plants in designer-styled living spaces. "The benefits of having indoor plants include purifying the air, improving the mood of a person and the atmosphere of a room," Amanda Marsh, co-owner of The Green Altar at Newcastle Station with husband Andrew, says "Having plants teaches responsibility and patience as it incorporates the nurture factor. "It also gives people the opportunity to get creative and get their hands dirty. You can talk to your plants and they provide you with a sense of connection." Since opening the luscious and vivid store at the end of September (and before that via the House Plant Revival and Desert Sunday Co), Amanda has been guiding fledgling green thumbs into the world of indoor flora. But before you try to emulate some interior design that you've seen on social media, it's best to know what will work in your space. "For a beginner, I ask three questions: where will it go and be positioned; how much lighting will it receive, and how often are you willing to water it? The answers to these play a big role in deciding which plant to get," she says. Positioning in a house can often be overlooked, but always plays a key role. If you park a plant under the air-conditioner, it is going to have a different effect on it compared with if you put it near a window or in the bedroom. Similarly, a plant in the bathroom will experience different conditions than those in the lounge room. A plant that prefers things a little drier won't appreciate the humidity of the bathroom. You're just setting yourself, and the plant, up for a tough time. Lighting is divided into three categories: direct, indirect and shade. Certain plants respond better to each type. If you've got a dark corner, you could try a Chinese evergreen, rubber plant or a prayer plant, while the devil's ivy or maidenhair fern appreciate the more humid environs of the bathroom. If you're the forgetful type, you may want to remind yourself to water your plant, but without killing it with kindness. Amanda recommends ferns if you're an "over-lover", or if you need a bit of a reminder, then the prayer plant is the perfect choice. "It's very good at being neglected, but the real reason it's good is because it talks to you. When it needs watering the leaves droop and curl up and in. You know it's thirsty then. It's the hardest plant to kill." "Generally, indoor plants only need to be watered every seven to 10 days, but obviously this needs to be altered if the temperature gets below 15 degrees or above 30 degrees, or if they get too much sea spray or air-conditioning." Like any other covetable object, plants go through trends and phases with enthusiasts. "Indoor plants started to trend on social media at first because of their aesthetic appeal - interior designers were using them often used in funky city apartments to give people their own sense of a garden. Now, as we move towards a focus on wellness, it's more about looking after yourself and your environment," Amanda said. At the moment, a popular way to arrange plants is in a 'gang'. "A gang is three or more plants, usually different sizes, positioned to create a mini garden. Sometimes people put all the same plant together, like the snake plant, but other times just different varieties," she says. "The fiddle leaf fig was a phase, but they're really hard to care for and so many people had trouble looking after them. We're seeing ferns coming back in vogue, people feel that now they've managed to keep other plants alive, they'd like to try for something different. Rhipsalis (mistletoe cactus) is a great plant to make a statement due to its interesting foliage and leaf shapes." Essentially it's up to you and individual needs and taste, but any addition is going to be a lovely one. Amanda wants to ensure you've got the odds in your favour from the beginning. And with a little preparation and knowledge, there's little room for failure - a photograph of the room you plan to put it in can help with the selection process. "My goal is to take the stigma out of the thought that if you kill a plant once, you can't own one ever again. Plant ownership should be engaging for all ages, not just because it's trendy." While you're with us, did you know the Newcastle Herald offers breaking news alerts, daily email newsletters and more? Keep up to date with all the local news - sign up here.

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PHOTOS

December 29 2019 - 9:00AM

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There's a theory that the most opposite view to a computer screen is a tree.

After spending all week, 40-odd hours staring at an artificially-lit screen, the best thing you can do to rest your eyes is to look at nature.

Sadly, we often don't have time.

We go from office, to car, to home, to bed, to office, and so on. The trick is to break this cycle - and the best way? Bring nature into your house.

Introducing plants to your home is positive for many reasons, and not just because they give your eyes a rest from the screen, or for aesthetic reasons.

We've all seen stunning images of creatively positioned, healthy plants in designer-styled living spaces.

"The benefits of having indoor plants include purifying the air, improving the mood of a person and the atmosphere of a room," Amanda Marsh, co-owner of The Green Altar at Newcastle Station with husband Andrew, says

"Having plants teaches responsibility and patience as it incorporates the nurture factor.

"It also gives people the opportunity to get creative and get their hands dirty. You can talk to your plants and they provide you with a sense of connection."

Since opening the luscious and vivid store at the end of September (and before that via the House Plant Revival and Desert Sunday Co), Amanda has been guiding fledgling green thumbs into the world of indoor flora. But before you try to emulate some interior design that you've seen on social media, it's best to know what will work in your space.

"For a beginner, I ask three questions: where will it go and be positioned; how much lighting will it receive, and how often are you willing to water it? The answers to these play a big role in deciding which plant to get," she says.

Positioning in a house can often be overlooked, but always plays a key role.

If you park a plant under the air-conditioner, it is going to have a different effect on it compared with if you put it near a window or in the bedroom. Similarly, a plant in the bathroom will experience different conditions than those in the lounge room. A plant that prefers things a little drier won't appreciate the humidity of the bathroom. You're just setting yourself, and the plant, up for a tough time.

Lighting is divided into three categories: direct, indirect and shade. Certain plants respond better to each type. If you've got a dark corner, you could try a Chinese evergreen, rubber plant or a prayer plant, while the devil's ivy or maidenhair fern appreciate the more humid environs of the bathroom.

If you're the forgetful type, you may want to remind yourself to water your plant, but without killing it with kindness. Amanda recommends ferns if you're an "over-lover", or if you need a bit of a reminder, then the prayer plant is the perfect choice.

"It's very good at being neglected, but the real reason it's good is because it talks to you. When it needs watering the leaves droop and curl up and in. You know it's thirsty then. It's the hardest plant to kill."

"Generally, indoor plants only need to be watered every seven to 10 days, but obviously this needs to be altered if the temperature gets below 15 degrees or above 30 degrees, or if they get too much sea spray or air-conditioning."

Like any other covetable object, plants go through trends and phases with enthusiasts.

"Indoor plants started to trend on social media at first because of their aesthetic appeal - interior designers were using them often used in funky city apartments to give people their own sense of a garden. Now, as we move towards a focus on wellness, it's more about looking after yourself and your environment," Amanda said.

At the moment, a popular way to arrange plants is in a 'gang'.

"A gang is three or more plants, usually different sizes, positioned to create a mini garden. Sometimes people put all the same plant together, like the snake plant, but other times just different varieties," she says.

"The fiddle leaf fig was a phase, but they're really hard to care for and so many people had trouble looking after them. We're seeing ferns coming back in vogue, people feel that now they've managed to keep other plants alive, they'd like to try for something different. Rhipsalis (mistletoe cactus) is a great plant to make a statement due to its interesting foliage and leaf shapes."

Essentially it's up to you and individual needs and taste, but any addition is going to be a lovely one.

Amanda wants to ensure you've got the odds in your favour from the beginning. And with a little preparation and knowledge, there's little room for failure - a photograph of the room you plan to put it in can help with the selection process.

"My goal is to take the stigma out of the thought that if you kill a plant once, you can't own one ever again. Plant ownership should be engaging for all ages, not just because it's trendy."

While you're with us, did you know the Newcastle Herald offers breaking news alerts, daily email newsletters and more? Keep up to date with all the local news - sign up here.

Link:
Praying at the Green Altar to the calming qualities of indoor plants - Newcastle Herald

Atlanta-based Acuity Brands, Inc. recently announced its partnership with CIRCADIAN ZircLight, Inc., Stoneham, Mass. The business partnership includes a licensing of CIRCADIAN ZircLight intellectual property and a collaboration intended to accelerate commercialization within North America of CIRCADIANs Zirc-branded technology through Acuity Brands portfolio of indoor luminaires.

Over the past five years, CIRCADIAN ZircLight has created evidence-based specifications for workplace lighting and developed LED chips, light engines, control systems, and luminaires to address the need for circadian lighting.

Circadian lighting supports the natural circadian rhythms of human beings, Earlywine adds. Our bodies are tuned to respond to the key circadian signal in natural light, which is blue-rich during the day and depleted of blue after sunset. He adds that CIRCADIAN ZircLights technology address this need in current lighting technology, which was largely designed without circadian considerations in mind.

Extensive research over the past fifteen years has shown that the spectrum, intensity, and timing of light exposure can impact human health and well-being by either maintaining or disrupting circadian rhythms, explains Dr. Martin Moore-Ede, CEO of CIRCADIAN ZircLight. For example, not having enough daytime exposure to blue-rich light may impact ones alertness and productivity. On the other hand, exposure to blue-rich light at night, whether through electronics (TV, mobile phones) or through lighting, can disrupt melatonin production and impact ones sleep quality.

This partnership reinforces both companies commitment to lighting designed for human productivity, health, and alertness.

More:
Acuity Brands Announces Partnership with CIRCADIAN ZircLight - EC&M

Latest Study on Industrial Growth of indoor LED lighting 2026 By-Data Bridge Market Research

With the clear understanding of customer requirement, one method or combination of many have been used to construct the most excellent Indoor Led Lighting market research report. The report endows you with complete market analysis and forecasting, market definition, market drivers and market restraints, market share, market segmentation and analysis of key players in the market. While preparing report, markets on the local, regional and global level have been explored.

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Global indoor LED lighting market is expected to register a healthy CAGR of 10.5% in the forecast period of 2019 to 2026.

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This Indoor LED lighting market research report helps the readers to know about the overall market scenario, strategy to further decide on this market project. It utilizes SWOT analysis, Porters Five Forces Analysis and PEST analysis.

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List of few players are-: Signify Holding, General Electric, OSRAM GmBH, Cree, INC., Eaton , Hubbell, Dialight, Zumbotel., Syska, NEPTUN LIGHT, INC, delviro energy, iGuzzini, SmartRay Inc, Bamford Lighting, Contrac Lighting, interLED, Dextra Group Plc, Astute Lighting Ltd, Sondia Lighting, Ecoled Ltd, among others.

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Several market drivers, market restraints, along with opportunities and challenges are taken into consideration under market overview which gives valuable insights to businesses for taking right actions. Businesses can surely rely upon this first-class market report to accomplish an utter success.

Breakdown of Indoor LED lighting Market-:

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Global Indoor LED Lighting Market By Offering (Hardware, Software, Services), Installation Type (New Installation, Retrofit Installation), Wattage Type (Less Than 50 W, 50 W-150 W, More Than 150 W), Application (Commercial, Residential, Automotive)

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Regional analysis helps the market players to take an exhaustive assessment of the Indoor LED lighting market region wise so that it becomes easy for them to distinguish and investigate the developing pattern and hidden opportunities all over the world.

Regional Coverage of the Market

South America

North America

Middle east and Africa

Asia and Pacific region

Europe

Table of Contents Major Key Points

Part 01: Indoor LED lighting Market OverviewPart 02: Manufacturers ProfilesPart 03: Global Indoor LED lighting Market Competition, by PlayersPart 04: Global Indoor LED lighting Market Size by RegionsPart 05: North America Indoor LED lighting Revenue by CountriesPart 06: Europe Indoor LED lighting Revenue by CountriesPart 07: Asia-Pacific Indoor LED lighting Revenue by CountriesPart 08: South America Indoor LED lighting Revenue by CountriesPart 09: Middle East and Africa Revenue Indoor LED lighting by Countries

Continued.

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To analyze the market size of the market and infer the key trends from it.

Industry Chain Suppliers of Indoor LED lighting market with Contact Information

Historical, current and projected market size in terms of volume and value

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Indoor LED Lighting Market Trends and Forecast to 2026 - Analysis By Product Type, Technology, Application, End User - Montana Ledger

OKLAHOMA CITY (KFOR) The Annual Governors Christmas Tree Lighting ceremony returns this Monday, but will be held in a different location.

The public is invited to the Christmas event, which will be at 5:30 p.m., Monday, Dec. 9.

The grand Christmas tree is usually lit at the State Capitol, but due to construction at the capitol, this years event will be held at the Oklahoma History Center, according to an Oklahoma Governors Office news release.

Students from 25 public schools across Oklahoma will design ornaments and decorate indoor, four-foot-tall Christmas trees with a theme of their choice prior to the lighting ceremony. Those trees will be displayed inside the History Center after the 5:30 p.m. public tree lighting.

Sarah and I look forward to celebrating the Christmas season with Oklahoma students and families on Monday, Governor Kevin Stitt said. This is an unique opportunity for us to come together as a state and commemorate a holiday season that promotes hope and peace for all.

State Superintendent of Public Instruction Joy Hofmeister said the tree lighting is her favorite event of the year.

It is always a pleasure to see the creativity and excitement of our students and teachers, and the lighting of the tree is an excellent reminder of the joys of the season and the importance of family and community, Hofmeister said.

Read more from the original source:
Governors Christmas Tree Lighting to be held at new location due to State Capitol construction - KFOR Oklahoma City

News

Uploaded: Fri, Dec 6, 2019, 5:19 pm

Joey Calder, 1, sits near Santa Claus, a.k.a. Michael McNamara, at Atherton's holiday party in Holbrook-Palmer Park's Pavilion. Photo by Magali Gauthier/The Almanac.

byAngela Swartz / Almanac

Atherton's water tower was lit up in lieu of a holiday tree at Holbrook-Palmer Park on Dec. 5. Photo by Magali Gauthier/The Almanac.

Atherton's Dec. 5 "tree lighting" ceremony was unique not only because the town hadn't hosted such an event before, but also because there was no tree to light up. But that didn't stop about 40 residents from gathering in Holbrook-Palmer Park for the town's holiday celebration.

In lieu of an actual tree, town officials illuminated the park's water tower after opening remarks from Mayor Bill Widmer and a countdown.

Students in the Menlo-Atherton High School choir, led by Director Patrick Maier, performed seasonal songs such as "Silent Night" and "Jingle Bells."

Following the ceremony, people headed to the park's indoor Pavilion for hot chocolate, cookies, holiday arts and crafts projects and photos with Santa Claus.

The Atherton Library used a 3D printer to create ornaments in the shapes of trees, snowflakes and other items, all made out of cornstarch. The library also handed out free books.

Children also decorated wooden ornaments and adorned gingerbread houses with frosting and sprinkles.

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See original here:
Atherton celebrates holidays with first annual lighting ceremony - The Almanac Online

The circadian rhythm our biological internal clock that regulates the sleep-wake cycleand resets every 24 hours plays a major role in health. How exactly our bodies are able to synchronize with day-night cycles has been a matter of debate. Now, a new study discovered that human eyes have three types of specialized cells that sense light with important applications in preventing circadian rhythm disruptions.

Researchers at the Salk Institute developed a new method that can keep retina samples healthy and functional well after a donor passed away. Such samples were placed on an electrode grid that allowed the researchers to study how the retina reacted to light.

Several colors of light were tested, which showed that a small group of cells in the retina known as intrinsically photosensitive retinal ganglion cells (ipRGCs) started firing about 30 seconds after they interacted with a pulse of light. After the light was turned off, the cells took several seconds to stop firing.

The cells were the most sensitive to blue light, which is the type of light used in LCD screens employed by most smartphones and laptops. Blue light alsoinhibits the production of melatonin, keeping us awake and messing with our natural sleep cycles.

Follow-up experiments revealed that there are, in fact, three types of ipRGCs.

These cells may explain some very peculiar findings reported by other studies. For instance, blind people are able to align their sleep-wake cycles and circadian rhythms to the day-night cycle despite not being able to see. The new study may explain how they were able to sense light despite their visual impairment.

We have become mostly an indoor species, and we are removed from the natural cycle of daylight during the day and near-complete darkness at night, said Satchidananda Panda, senior author of the study and a professor at the Salk Institute.

Understanding how ipRGCs respond to the quality, quantity, duration, and sequence of light will help us design better lighting for neonatal ICUs, ICUs, childcare centers, schools, factories, offices, hospitals, retirement homes and even the space station, he added.

Although ipRGCs are responsible for sending light signals to the brain, they also work closely with rods and cones. The researchers believe that the ipRGCs may combine their light sensitivity with the light detected by purely visual cells to enhance brightness and add contrast.

This adds another dimension to designing better televisions, computer monitors and smartphone screens in which changing the proportion of blue light can trick the brain into seeing an image as bright or dim, says Panda.

In the future, the researchers plan on conducting more experiments on ipRGCs under different conditions of light color, intensity, and duration. The authors are also interested in how the cells will react to sequences of light (blue that turns into orange or vice-versa, for instance).

By understanding how each specialized light cells function in the eye, the researchers claim that is possible to access an entirely new spectrum of applications. For example, the insights could be used to design indoor lights that offer better day-night synchronization or which why not improve our moods.

Its also going to open a number of avenues to try new drugs or work on particular diseases that are specific to humans, says Ludovic Mure, a postdoctoral researcher in the Panda lab and first author of the new study.

The findings were reported in the journal Science.

Read this article:
The human eye can tell day from night with three types of cells - ZME Science

Atlanta-based Acuity Brands, Inc. recently announced its partnership with CIRCADIAN ZircLight, Inc., Stoneham, Mass. The business partnership includes a licensing of CIRCADIAN ZircLight intellectual property and a collaboration intended to accelerate commercialization within North America of CIRCADIANs Zirc-branded technology through Acuity Brands portfolio of indoor luminaires.

Over the past five years, CIRCADIAN ZircLight has created evidence-based specifications for workplace lighting and developed LED chips, light engines, control systems, and luminaires to address the need for circadian lighting.

Circadian lighting supports the natural circadian rhythms of human beings, Earlywine adds. Our bodies are tuned to respond to the key circadian signal in natural light, which is blue-rich during the day and depleted of blue after sunset. He adds that CIRCADIAN ZircLights technology address this need in current lighting technology, which was largely designed without circadian considerations in mind.

Extensive research over the past fifteen years has shown that the spectrum, intensity, and timing of light exposure can impact human health and well-being by either maintaining or disrupting circadian rhythms, explains Dr. Martin Moore-Ede, CEO of CIRCADIAN ZircLight. For example, not having enough daytime exposure to blue-rich light may impact ones alertness and productivity. On the other hand, exposure to blue-rich light at night, whether through electronics (TV, mobile phones) or through lighting, can disrupt melatonin production and impact ones sleep quality.

This partnership reinforces both companies commitment to lighting designed for human productivity, health, and alertness.

More:
Universal Lighting Partners with DSI Southwest - EC&M