The role of citizen science in addressing grand challenges in food and agriculture research

The power of citizen science to contribute to both science and society is gaining increased recognition, particularly in physics and biology. Although there is a long history of public engagement in agriculture and food science, the term ‘citizen science’ has rarely been applied to these efforts. Similarly, in the emerging field of citizen science, most new citizen science projects do not focus on food or agriculture. Here, we convened thought leaders from a broad range of fields related to citizen science, agriculture, and food science to highlight key opportunities for bridging these overlapping yet disconnected communities/fields and identify ways to leverage their respective strengths. Specifically, we show that (i) citizen science projects are addressing many grand challenges facing our food systems, as outlined by the United States National Institute of Food and Agriculture, as well as broader Sustainable Development Goals set by the United Nations Development Programme, (ii) there exist emerging opportunities and unique challenges for citizen science in agriculture/food research, and (iii) the greatest opportunities for the development of citizen science projects in agriculture and food science will be gained by using the existing infrastructure and tools of Extension programmes and through the engagement of urban communities. Further, we argue there is no better time to foster greater collaboration between these fields given the trend of shrinking Extension programmes, the increasing need to apply innovative solutions to address rising demands on agricultural systems, and the exponential growth of the field of citizen science.This working group was partially funded from the NCSU Plant Sciences Initiative, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences ‘Big Ideas’ grant, National Science Foundation grant to R.R.D. (NSF no. 1319293), and a United States Department of Food and Agriculture-National Institute of Food and Agriculture grant to S.F.R., USDA-NIFA Post Doctoral Fellowships grant no. 2017-67012-26999.http://rspb.royalsocietypublishing.orghj2018Forestry and Agricultural Biotechnology Institute (FABI

Influence of nebulizer type, position, and bias flow on aerosol drug delivery in simulated pediatric and adult lung models during mechanical ventilation

BACKGROUND: The effectiveness of aerosol drug delivery during mechanical ventilation is influenced by the patient, ventilator, and nebulizer variables. The impact of nebulizer type, position on the ventilator circuit, and bias flow on aerosol drug delivery has not been established for different age populations. OBJECTIVE: To determine the influence of nebulizer position and bias flow with a jet nebulizer and a vibrating-mesh nebulizer on aerosol drug delivery in simulated and mechanically ventilated pediatric and adult patients. METHOD: Albuterol sulfate (2.5 mg) was nebulized with a jet nebulizer and a vibrating-mesh nebulizer, using simulated pediatric and adult lung models. The 2 nebulizer positions were: (1) jet nebulizer placed 15 cm from the Y-piece adapter, and vibrating-mesh nebulizer attached directly to the Y-piece; and (2) jet nebulizer placed prior to the heated humidifier with 15 cm of large-bore tubing, and vibrating-mesh nebulizer positioned at an inlet to the humidifier. A ventilator with a heated humidifier and ventilator circuit was utilized in both lung models. The adult ventilator settings were VT 500 mL, PEEP 5 cm H2O, respiratory rate 20 breaths/min, peak inspiratory flow 60 L/min, and descending ramp flow waveform. The pediatric ventilator settings were VT 100 mL, PEEP 5 cm H2O, respiratory rate 20 breaths/min, inspiratory time 1 s. We tested bias flows of 2 and 5 L/min. The adult and pediatric lung models used 8-mm and 5-mm inner-diameter endotracheal tubes, respectively. Each experiment was run 3 times (n = 3). The albuterol sulfate was eluted from the filter and analyzed via spectrophotometry (276 nm). RESULTS: Nebulizer placement prior to the humidifier increased drug delivery with both the jet nebulizer and the vibrating-mesh nebulizer, with a greater increase with the vibrating-mesh nebulizer. Higher bias flow reduced drug delivery. Drug delivery with the vibrating-mesh nebulizer was 2-4-fold greater than with the jet nebulizer at all positions (P < .05) in both lung models. CONCLUSION: During simulated mechanical ventilation in pediatric and adult models, bias flow and nebulizer type and position impact aerosol drug delivery. © 2010 Daedalus Enterprises