Florida Research Articles

Abstract B107: Community scientist research advocacy program: Training our research community

Abstract Community Scientist Research Advocacy (CSRA) training programs serve as fundamental bridges between communities and researchers. By engaging community members, these programs leverage networks, knowledge, and community perspectives to enhance research endeavors. This approach facilitates trust-building between disadvantaged populations and cancer researchers, particularly in the context of clinical trials participation and tissue donation. The purpose of our program was to develop and evaluate an innovative, bi-coastal, and bilingual program to inform, educate and encourage community members to become cancer research advocates in Florida (FL) and California (CA). Our program was culturally tailored for Black/African American and Hispanic/Latino/a adults. Primary objectives were to increase manpower for cancer research advocacy and increase multi-directional communication between cancer advocates with cancer patients, survivors, caregivers, community members, academic scientists, and policy makers. The CSRA program is a 13-week hybrid program implemented by the CaRE2 Health Equity Center, a bi-coastal partnership between the Florida A&M University, University of Florida, and University of Southern California in Los Angeles. Participants studied into cancers disproportionately affecting Black/African American and Hispanic/Latino/a groups, completing pre- and post-surveys to measure knowledge, self-efficacy, and program satisfaction. Additionally, participants concluded mentored advocacy projects for community implementation, with follow-up implemented at three months post-program completion. To date, a total of 45 adults have graduated from our CSRA program. We present data from the 2023 CSRA cohort (pre, N=21, post, N=19) that included participants from FL and CA, which are among the top five states in the U.S with the largest Black/African American and Hispanic/Latino/a populations. Regarding race and ethnicity, 6 participants were Black/African American, 13 Hispanic/Latino/a, 1 Asian, 1 Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander, and 9 White, with 95% female participants. This cohort had 90% program completion and 7 advocacy projects: 2 on lung cancer, 2 on pancreas cancer, and 3 on prostate cancer. Participants showed an increased in knowledge, from pre- mean 68.1 to post- mean 74.0, and a p-value of 0.018. There was an increased in self-efficacy; program satisfaction and evaluation were rated as high. In summary, our study depicts the effectiveness of a unique CSRA program tailored for Black/African American and Hispanic/Latino/a adults, fostering robust communication channels between cancer research advocates and diverse stakeholders. We emphasize the potential of such initiatives in addressing cancer health disparities and advocating to address specific inequalities by imparting educational initiatives in cancer research advocacy. We look forward to evaluating and enhancing our training program with an additional 21 research advocates in our cohort of 2024. Citation Format: Brooke Hensel, Ileana Guzman, Carolina Aristizabal, Eduardo Ibarra, Rosa Barahona, Lourdes Baezconde-Garbanati, Mariana C. Stern, Sandra Suther, Fern J. Webb. Community scientist research advocacy program: Training our research community [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 17th AACR Conference on the Science of Cancer Health Disparities in Racial/Ethnic Minorities and the Medically Underserved; 2024 Sep 21-24; Los Angeles, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2024;33(9 Suppl):Abstract nr B107.

Genome resequencing reveals genetic status of Macrobrachium rosenbergii populations in China

The giant freshwater prawn (Macrobrachium rosenbergii) has been widely cultured in China since 1990s. In this study, 189 individuals were sampled from 10 distinct populations, including original populations introduced from abroad and domesticated strains in China, namely Florida (FD), "Nantaihu No.2" (NT), Vietnam (YN), Sri Lanka (SK), Bangladesh (ML), Thailand (TG), Taiwan (TW), "Shufeng No.1" (SF), Zhengda (ZD) and New Myanmar (NMD). The genetic diversity and population structure of these populations were analyzed based on a dataset of 300,828 genome-wide SNP loci. The population structure analysis showed that the 10 populations shared 4 ancestors, and the domestic populations (i.e., SF, ZD, TW and NT) shared a common ancestor. The phylogenetic analysis showed that the 10 populations were grouped into 4 branches, with all the domestic populations clustering together. Estimation of fixation index (Fst) values revealed relatively lower Fst values among the domestic populations, in contrast to the more significant differences observed between domestic and foreign-origin populations. Gene flow analysis revealed three significant events of genetic exchange among the 10 populations: (1) from YN to the common ancestor of FD, TG and the domestic populations, (2) from NMD to the common ancestor of TG and FD, and (3) from the common ancestor of NMD, YN, ML and SK to ZD population. In addition, selective sweep analysis, utilizing Fst and nucleotide diversity (Pi) estimations, was conducted on representative populations (i.e., ML and SF), and 7 positively selected genes were identified, including Prospero Homeobox 1 (Prox1), Forkhead Box L1 (Foxl1), Tousled Like Kinase 2 (TLK2), G Protein Subunit Alpha 14 (Gna14), Uronyl 2-sulfotransferase (Ust), MAX Network Transcriptional Repressor (Mnt) and Importin-9 (Ipo9). These findings contribute to elucidating the breeding potential of the introduced populations and provide insights into the genetic status of the domestic breeding strains of M. rosenbergii in China.

Trends over time in liquid biopsy testing in patients with metastatic breast cancer (MBC) across the Mayo Clinic enterprise.

e13036 Background: In January 2023, the FDA approved elacestrant for ESR1-mutated, ER+/HER2- MBC based on a companion diagnostic cell free (cf)DNA test (Guardant Health). In this study, we analyze the trends of liquid biopsy utilization at Mayo Clinic (MC) over a 3 year period to understand the impact of this drug approval on testing patterns and identify emergent alterations in patients (pts) with MBC. Methods: We extracted clinically performed Guardant 360 and Guardant 360 CDx ordered at MC sites in Rochester (MN), Florida (FL), Arizona (AZ), and across 9 additional Mayo Clinic Health System (MCHS) sites. Pts with MBC were identified using the EMR and analyzing visit diagnosis codes and staging information. Shifts in testing patterns were analyzed over a 3 year period from January 1, 2021 - December 31, 2023. Data was collected on the number of tests, serial testing, frequency of pathogenic mutations, and emergent mutations in ESR1 and PIK3CA. Chi-square test was used to compare the categorical values. Results: Between 2021-2023, 2,741 pts with MBC were seen across all sites. A total of 408 cfDNA tests were performed in 370 unique patients with MBC. Most pts (90%) had 1 test performed. The proportion of pts with MBC tested was 85/1350 (6.3%) in 2021, 77/1495 (5.2%) in 2022, and 208/1558 (13.4%) in 2023. The increased proportion of pts tested in 2023 was statistically significant compared to prior years (p<0.0001), while no difference was observed between 2021 and 2022 (p 0.19). Testing patterns varied by site, with FL ordering the highest number of tests, followed by MN and AZ. Of the 34 providers practicing during the entire period seeing more than 10 MBC pts, the number of providers ordering Guardant testing increased from 15/34 (2021) and 14/34 (2022) to 20/34 (2023), though not statistically significant (p 0.15). Of the 41% with EMR-documented staging available, testing was highest in the ER+/HER2- (81.3%) subtype, followed by TNBC (13.6%) and then HER2+ (5.2%). The most commonly identified mutations identified in the first testing were PIK3CA (41.1%), TP53 (40.5%), ESR1 (30.5%), and ATM (13.2%). D538G (8.0%), Y537N (4.4%), and Y537S (3.5%) were frequent emergent mutations seen in ESR1. Conclusions: We observed an increase in cfDNA testing at the start of 2023 which aligns with the FDA approval of elacestrant. We observed variation by site and individual providers that warrants further exploration to improve cfDNA testing in MBC pts at Mayo Clinic.

Healthcare Utilization Among Infants Covered by Medicaid and Newly Diagnosed With Respiratory Syncytial Virus.

Infants covered by Medicaid have higher respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) hospitalization rates than those with commercial insurance, but findings are limited to the inpatient setting. This birth cohort study describes healthcare encounters for RSV across all settings among infants covered by Medicaid and the Children's Health Insurance Program. Medicaid claims for infants born and residing in Arizona (AZ), California (CA), Florida (FL), Michigan (MI), North Carolina (NC), New York (NY), and Texas (TX) were analyzed for first diagnosis of RSV in 2016-2018 using International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision codes. Encounters on the day of first diagnosis were examined by setting in 7 states and by setting and race in CA, FL, and NC. A total of 80 945 infants were diagnosed with RSV in 7 states in 2016-2018. The highest encounter rates for first RSV diagnosis were in the emergency department (ED) in 5 states (11.0-33.4 per 1000 in AZ, CA, FL, MI, and NY) and outpatient setting in 2 states (54.8 and 68.5 per 1000 in TX and NC). Significantly higher outpatient encounter rates were found in CA and NC for White infants compared to non-White infants. In NC, ED encounter rates were significantly higher for non-White infants than White infants, whereas in CA, the rates were comparable. In these 2 states, hospitalization rates were similar across groups. In FL, compared with White infants, non-White infants had significantly higher encounter rates in each setting on the day of first RSV diagnosis. This is the first study to describe the burden of RSV by setting and race. Medicaid infants who are newly diagnosed with RSV have the highest burden in ED and outpatient settings.

Abstract A056: Community scientist research advocacy program: Bridging cancer research and community advocacy

Abstract Community Scientist Research Advocacy (CSRA) programs are designed to connect researchers with community members, to effectively inform and involve the general population on clinical research. More programs like such are needing to be implemented into the community for better outcomes among cancer health disparities. The purpose of our study was to develop and evaluate a novel bi-coastal and bilingual program to inform, educate and empower community members to become cancer research advocates in Florida (FL) and California (CA). Our program was tailored for African American (AA) and Hispanic/Latino/a (H/L) adults. Primary objectives are to increase person power for cancer research advocacy and increase multi-directional communication between cancer advocates with cancer survivors, community members, academic scientists and policy makers. The CSRA program is a 13-week program implemented 100% virtual by the FL-CA Cancer Research, Education and Engagement (CaRE2) Health Equity Center, a bi-coastal partnership between the Florida A&M University, University of Florida, and University of Southern California where participants learned about cancers that disproportionately impact AA and H/L adults. Participants completed surveys at program start, midway, and end to assess knowledge gained and program evaluation, and a mentored advocacy project for community implementation. Five months after program end, we surveyed participants on impact and to provide support for their research advocacy. To date, a total of 26 adults have graduated from our program. We present data from the 2022 CSRA cohort (N = 20) that included participants from FL and CA, which are among the top five states in the U.S with the largest AA and H/L populations. Participants self-identified race, ethnicity, and gender were: 13 (68.4%) AA, 7 (26.3%) H/L, 90% female. This cohort had 90% program completion (N = 18) and 5 advocacy projects on breast cancer, lung cancer, pancreas cancer, and prostate cancer. Participant knowledge had a mean (SD) of 67.9 (7.9) at pre-survey and 71.4 (9.0) at post-survey, with a p-value of 0.2. Participants had a mean (SD) of 60.0 (14.6) at mid-survey and 68.2 (11.0) at post-survey, with a p-value of 0.13. We used a Likert scale to evaluate program expectations, which resulted in a mean (SD) of 94.0 (8.8) participants who ‘agreed’ that they were satisfied with the program at the start compared to a mean (SD) of 91.0 (12.9) of participants who ‘agreed’ that they were satisfied with the program at the end, with an overall p-value of 0.5. In conclusion, we present findings from a novel virtual CCS bi-coastal and bilingual training program tailored for AA and H/L adults that can foster multi-directional communication between cancer research advocates with multiple stakeholders to reduce cancer health disparities. We will further evaluate our program for 2023 cohort implementation. Citation Format: Brooke Hensel, Eduardo Ibarra, Carolina Aristizabal, Ileana Guzman, Rosa Barahona, Brandon Hazelton-Glenn, Ji-Hyun Lee, Zhongyue Zhang, Mariana C. Stern, Lourdes Baezconde-Garbanati, Sandra Suther, Fern Webb. Community scientist research advocacy program: Bridging cancer research and community advocacy [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 16th AACR Conference on the Science of Cancer Health Disparities in Racial/Ethnic Minorities and the Medically Underserved; 2023 Sep 29-Oct 2;Orlando, FL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2023;32(12 Suppl):Abstract nr A056.

Improved Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Symptoms and Related Sleep Disturbances after Initiation of Medical Marijuana Use: Evidence from a Prospective Single Arm Pilot Study

Introduction: Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a debilitating disorder experienced by a subgroup of individuals following a life-threatening trauma. Several US states have passed laws permitting the medical use of marijuana (MMJ) by individuals with PTSD, despite very little scientific indication on the appropriateness of marijuana as a therapy for PTSD. This prospective pilot study of adults with confirmed PTSD in Florida (FL) investigated whether PTSD symptoms, sleep quality, affect, and general physical and mental health/well-being improved post-initiation of MMJ treatment. Methods: Participants, N = 15, were recruited from two MMJ clinics in Gainesville and Jacksonville, FL. To be eligible, participants had to be 18 years of age or older, not currently on MMJ, and willing to abstain from recreational marijuana, if using any, until the State Medical Cannabis Card was obtained, screen positive for PTSD. Participants were assessed at baseline (pre-MMJ initiation) and 30 and 70 days post-MMJ initiation using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), PTSD Checklist for DSM-5 (PCL-5), Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS), PROMIS Global Health V1.2, and semi-structured marijuana and other substance use assessment. Results: PTSD symptom severity as measured by total PCL-5 score improved significantly at 30- and 70-day follow-ups. Similarly, statistically significant reductions in nightmares were reported at 30- and 70-day follow-ups. Corresponding improvements in sleep were noticed with participants reporting increased duration of sleep hours, sleep quality, sleep efficiency, and total PSQI score. Likewise, negative affect and global mental health improved significantly at follow-up. According to the post hoc analyses, the most statistically significant changes occurred between baseline and 30-day follow-up. The exception to this pattern was nightmares, which did not show significant improvement until day 70. Conclusion: The findings of this study highlight the potential of MMJ in improving patient outcomes for those with PTSD, particularly concerning sleep disturbances, which often do not respond to currently available treatments.

Comprehensive evaluation of germplasm resources of nine Macrobrachium rosenbergii strains in China

Macrobrachium rosenbergii, as an introduced species, is extensively cultured in China. In this study, 176 individuals from nine domestic strains in China, i.e., Florida (FD), Guangxi (GX), Hefu (HF), Myanmar (MD), “Nantaihu No. 2″ (NT), Thailand (TG), Taiwan (TW), “Shufeng No. 1″ (SF), and Zhengda (ZD), were collectedfor genome resequencing. We evaluated the genetic diversity, population structure and population history of nine cultured strains using SNP markers. We found that genetic diversity of the M. rosenbergii strains was at a low level, among which FD and TG strains showed relatively higher genetic diversity, inferring that the genetic diversity of domestic populations decreased after artificial selection. Population genetic structure analysis showed that the individuals GX, HF, SF and NT strains were irregularly clustered together, and the ZD and TW strains exhibited the specific ancestors compared with other strains. The phylogenetic tree revealed that the individuals from TW, MD, ZD strains grouped into population-specific clusters. The principal components analysis (PCA) also showed that the nine strains were mixed together except the individuals from ZD and TW strains which were separated into specific subgroups. The Fst analysis showed that the Fst values detected from nine strains were less than 0.05, with the lowest Fst observed between SF and NT strains. In addition, two positively selected genes involved in metal transport and stress response were identified in the nine domestic strains by using selective sweep analyses with composite likelihood ratio (CLR), Fst, Pi, and Tajima’ D methods. The TreeMix phylogeny inferred four gene flow events among the nine strains, which occurred in the following directions: (1) from the common ancestor of ZD and TG to SF, (2) from SF to MD, (3) from SF to NT, and (4) from HF to GX. This study contributes to the better understanding genetic background and germplasm status of domestic M. rosenbergii strains in China.

Changes in Cancer Screening Knowledge Among a Prospective Cohort of Spanish-Speaking Hispanic Community Outreach Event Participants in Florida and Puerto Rico.

The current study examined cancer prevention and early detection awareness (pre-workshop) and changes in knowledge (from pre- to post-workshop) among Hispanic/Latino (H/L) community members who participated in Spanish-language educational outreach events in Puerto Rico (PR) and Florida (FL). Spanish-language educational outreach events were comprised of an educational session lasting approximately 45-60min and were delivered to groups in rural and urban community settings by a single trained community health educator (CHE). The research team assessed sociodemographic characteristics, personal and familial cancer health history, as well as awareness and knowledge (pre-test) of a range of cancer prevention and screening topics. Following the presentation, participants completed a post-test knowledge survey which also measured likelihood of engaging in cancer screening, cancer preventive behaviors, and cancer research as a result of information presented during the session. Change in the average knowledge score was evaluated using a paired samples t-test. Post-session likelihood of completing cancer screening and preventive behaviors and engaging in cancer research were examined using descriptive statistics and group/site comparisons. The percentage reporting awareness of screening procedures ranged from 33% (PSA test) to 79% (mammogram). H/L in PR reported higher percentage of stool blood test awareness when compared to H/L in FL (χ2(1)= 19.20, p<.001). The average knowledge score increased from 5.97 at pre-test to 7.09 at post-test (Cohen's d=0.69). The increase was significant across all participants (t(315)= 12.4, p<.001), as well as within the FL site (t(124)= 6.66, p<.001, d=0.59) and the PR site (t(190)=10.66, p<.001, d=0.77). Results from this study suggest that educational outreach events delivered to H/L community members by a CHE are valuable strategies to address challenges regarding cancer screening knowledge and engagement in multiple behaviors.

Enhancing the Definitions of Climate-Change Loss and Damage Based on Land Conversion in Florida, U.S.A.

Loss and damage (L&amp;D) from climate change result from past and current greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Current definitions of L&amp;D exclude GHG emissions even though they represent L&amp;D to human beings and the environment. This study’s objective was to identify and quantify the L&amp;D from GHG emissions associated with land developments using the state of Florida (FL) in the United States of America (USA) as a case study. All land developments in FL caused various L&amp;D (20,249.6 km2, midpoint 3.0 × 1011 of total soil carbon (TSC) losses with midpoint $50.3B (where B = billion = 109, USD) in social costs of carbon dioxide emissions, SC-CO2), while “new” land developments (1703.7 km2) in the period from 2001 to 2016 caused a complete loss of midpoint 2.8 × 1010 kg of TSC resulting in midpoint $4.5B SC-CO2. These emissions are currently not accounted for in FL’s total carbon footprint (CF). Climate-change-related damages in FL include permanent losses (e.g., land losses), with 47 out of 67 FL’s counties potentially affected by the projected sea-level rise and repairable damages (e.g., destruction from hurricanes). Based on the fixed social cost of carbon (C), there appears to be a disconnect between the value attributed to soil-based emissions and the actual market-driven losses from climate-change-associated costs. The social cost of C could be scaled based on the vulnerability of a particular community and the market-based cost of L&amp;D mitigation. Programs for compensation on the international level should be carefully designed to help people who have suffered climate-related L&amp;D, without creating reverse climate change adaptation (RCCA), where compensation causes people to remain in areas that are vulnerable to climate-related L&amp;D.

Health disparities among older adults following tropical cyclone exposure in Florida

Tropical cyclones (TCs) pose a significant threat to human health, and research is needed to identify high-risk subpopulations. We investigated whether hospitalization risks from TCs in Florida (FL), United States, varied across individuals and communities. We modeled the associations between all storms in FL from 1999 to 2016 and over 3.5 million Medicare hospitalizations for respiratory (RD) and cardiovascular disease (CVD). We estimated the relative risk (RR), comparing hospitalizations during TC-periods (2 days before to 7 days after) to matched non-TC-periods. We then separately modeled the associations in relation to individual and community characteristics. TCs were associated with elevated risk of RD hospitalizations (RR: 4.37, 95% CI: 3.08, 6.19), but not CVD (RR: 1.04, 95% CI: 0.87, 1.24). There was limited evidence of modification by individual characteristics (age, sex, or Medicaid eligibility); however, risks were elevated in communities with higher poverty or lower homeownership (for CVD hospitalizations) and in denser or more urban communities (for RD hospitalizations). More research is needed to understand the potential mechanisms and causal pathways that might account for the observed differences in the association between tropical cyclones and hospitalizations across communities.

AGBT Meets High Standards, Gets Low, Low, Low…

Genetic Engineering & Biotechnology NewsVol. 43, No. 3 OMICSAGBT Meets High Standards, Gets Low, Low, Low…Advances in Genome Biology and Technology delivers cutting-edge genomics news by day, holds beachside festivities (enlivened by Flo Rida's “Low”) at nightJulianna LeMieuxJulianna LeMieuxSearch for more papers by this authorPublished Online:8 Mar 2023https://doi.org/10.1089/gen.43.03.07AboutSectionsView articleView Full TextPDF/EPUB Permissions & CitationsPermissionsDownload CitationsTrack CitationsAdd to favorites Back To Publication ShareShare onFacebookTwitterLinked InRedditEmail View articleFiguresReferencesRelatedDetails Volume 43Issue 3Mar 2023 Information© 2023 by GEN PublishingTo cite this article:Julianna LeMieux.AGBT Meets High Standards, Gets Low, Low, Low….Genetic Engineering & Biotechnology News.Mar 2023.18-20, 22.http://doi.org/10.1089/gen.43.03.07Published in Volume: 43 Issue 3: March 8, 2023PDF download

COVID-19 Incidence and Death Rates in the Southern Region of the United States: A Racial and Ethnic Association.

The SARS-CoV-2 virus responsible for the COVID-19 pandemic continues to spread worldwide, with over half a billion cases linked to over 6 million deaths globally. COVID-19 has impacted populations unequally based on income, age, race, sex, and geographical location. This study aimed to characterize COVID-19 incidence and death rate trends in six states of the southern region of the USA and to understand the demographic and racial differences in its incidence and death rates. Data for the study were collected from the COVID-19 Data tracker of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for the following southern states: Alabama (AL), Florida (FL), Georgia (GA), Louisiana (LA), Mississippi (MS), and Tennessee (TN). The results showed a significant geographical variation in the COVID-19 cases and related deaths. Significant variations in COVID-19 cases and death rates were observed among different races and ethnic groups. The highest number of COVID-19 cases were observed among the Hispanic and Black populations, and the highest death rates were found among non-Hispanic Blacks and Whites. The southern states included in this paper showed a high number of COVID-19 cases and high death rates during the study period. These increased rates may result from the low socioeconomic status and large minority populations.

Provider discussion of genetic counseling among high-risk Spanish-preferring Latina breast cancer survivors.

Among high-risk breast cancer (BC) survivors, genetic counseling (GC) and genetic testing (GT) may inform cascade testing and risk management. Compared to non-Hispanic White BC survivors, Spanish-preferring Latina BC survivors are less likely to report discussing GC with a healthcare provider. However, few studies have examined Latinas' experiences with GC/GT, particularly outside of the mainland USA. This study aimed to compare frequency of provider discussion of GC between Spanish-preferring Latina BC survivors living in Florida (FL) and Puerto Rico (PR). We conducted secondary data analysis of baseline assessments from a randomized pilot of an educational intervention for Spanish-preferring Latina BC survivors. Participants (N = 52) were GC/GT-naive, but met clinical criteria for GC/GT referral. Participants self-reported sociodemographic, clinical, and cultural variables, including previous provider discussion of GC. Descriptive statistics characterized frequency of GC discussion. Logistic regression examined the relationships between sociodemographic, clinical, and cultural characteristics and GC discussion. Only 31% of participants reported previous GC discussion. More participants from PR reported having GC discussions (43% vs. 21% in the mainland USA). In multivariable analyses, greater likelihood of GC discussion was associated with PR (vs. mainland USA) residence (odds ratio [OR] = 6.00, p = .03), older age at baseline (OR = 1.19, p = .04), and younger age at BC diagnosis (OR = 0.80, p = .03). Few high-risk Spanish-preferring Latina BC survivors in the mainland USA and PR had discussed GC with their providers. These results highlight a gap in the implementation of evidence-based genetics guidelines. Provider-directed interventions may be needed to increase uptake of GC/GT among Latina BC survivors.

Controlled Pollination to Assess Intraspecific Compatibility Among Passiflora incarnata Genotypes from Different Provenances

Passiflora incarnata L., commonly known as maypop, is a wild passion fruit native to many areas of the eastern and southern United States where the climate ranges from subtropical to temperate. Although P. incarnata has had little attention paid to it for breeding purposes, it could be used in breeding for fruit production and possibly contribute cold hardiness genes in combination with other Passiflora species. The study was performed in 2018, 2019, and 2021 at the Mississippi State University South Mississippi Branch Experiment Station in Poplarville, MS, United States. Passiflora propagules were collected from various locations: Florida (FL), Illinois (IL), Mississippi (MS), Missouri (MO), and Oklahoma (OK). Of the 122 flowers across the five P. incarnata genotypes from differing locations, none of them produced a fruit or had any indication of successful or partially successful fertilization when selfed, indicating strong self- incompatibility. If self-compatibility does exist in nature, it is likely to be rare. However, certain combinations of P. incarnata from different locations produced successful fruiting, including IL × MO (52% success), FL × MO (85%), FL × OK (80%), MS × OK (40%), MO × IL (50%), MO × OK (40%), and OK × MO (80%). The differences across provenances show that incompatibility exists within P. incarnata but can depend on location. Overall, fruit weight, fruit size, and soluble solids content measured in this study were similar to and, in some cases, greater than those previously reported. These differences help to illustrate the diversity within P. incarnata and the still-untapped potential for breeding improvements. The problem of self-incompatibility is complex and there is much to learn about how Passiflora species, especially P. incarnata, function. Much of the U.S. domestic market is not familiar with passion fruit, especially as a table fresh product. This could be a barrier to adoption, but it could also prove to be an opportunity to create a niche within the present market and expand it. Although maypop fruit quality is not equal to that of Passiflora edulis Sims, selecting superior wild genotypes with desirable attributes to be used in future intra- and interspecific breeding is possible based on the results of this study.

Discovering disparities in diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL): A hispanic population comparison between Florida and Texas.

e18562 Background: DLBCL is the most common type of non-Hodgkin lymphoma worldwide. Hispanics (H) in Texas (TX) and Florida (FL) represent 39.7% and 26.4% of the population of each state, respectively. This is the first population-based two statewide study looking at demographics, treatment patterns, and survival outcomes, in years (y), comparing those two Hispanic enriched states. We hope that identifying differences among state populations and provide interventions for the future. Methods: A retrospective cohort study of patients diagnosed with DLBCL between 2006-2017 using the Texas Cancer Registry and the Florida Cancer Data System. Standard demographic, socioeconomic, clinical, survival variables were reviewed. The Fisher's Exact tests and Chi-Square tests were assessed for categorical outcomes by ethnicity; Survival distributions were depicted using Kaplan-Meier curves. Results: From 2006 to 2017, 16,529 patients from TX and 18,641 patients from FL were diagnosed with DLBCL. At 20-100% poverty index, H in FL and TX had higher poverty percentages than non-Hispanic (NH), with TX H having the higher percentage (55%) compared to FL H (33%). Median survival time in FL was 5.4y for H compared to TX 3.7y H. Overall survival probability at 10y did show a statistically significant difference for H vs. NH when comparing FL (p &lt; 0.001) and TX (p = 0.95). Conclusions: In patients with DLBCL, two statistically significant differences were survival probability at 10y and median survival time comparing H populations in FL and TX. While most demographic variables were homogenous, one difference was observed; poverty index at 20-100% was higher for H in TX than FL. Higher poverty rates in TX to FL among the H population may explain why the median survival time and probability are higher and can provide further opportunities for structured interventions.[Table: see text] [Table: see text]

A two statewide population based study evaluating ethnic patterns, differences in treatment and survival between Hispanics and non-Hispanics with peripheral T cell lymphoma.

e19567 Background: Peripheral T-cell lymphomas (PCTLs) are an aggressive group of lymphomas that comprise less than 15% of all non-Hodgkin lymphomas in adults. There is limited literature regarding differences in outcomes for Hispanics (H). Some studies indicate worse outcomes in H compared to non-Hispanics (NH), whereas others have shown comparable outcomes. The purpose of this study is to evaluate demographics, treatment patterns and survival outcomes of PCTLs among H vs. NH in Texas (TX) and Florida (FL). Methods: This is a retrospective analysis of patients with PTCLs from the Texas Cancer Registry (TCR) and the Florida Cancer Data System (FCDS), from 2006-2017. Inclusion criteria was histopathologic proven PTCLs. Patients were divided into H and NH for comparison. Standard demographic, socioeconomic, clinical, and survival variables were reviewed. All statistical testing was determined using Fisher’s Exact test, Pearson’s Chi-square test, T-test or Wilcoxon test, as appropriate. Survival time was measured using the day of diagnosis to last date of follow up or death. Survival distributions were calculated based on Kaplan-Meier curves. Results: We identified 3358 patients. In TX 51% were H, and 49% were NH. In FL 27% were H, and 73% were NH. Median age at diagnosis of H was 70-79 years (y) (19%) and NH was 60-69 (23%) in TX (p &lt; 0.001). Median age at diagnosis of H was 50-59 y (26%) and NH was 70-7 y (26%) in FL (p &lt; 0.001). Most frequent poverty index was 20-100% for H vs 10-19.9% for NH (p &lt; 0.001) in TX and 10-19% for both H and NH (p &lt; 0.001) in FL. Government-sponsored insurance (GSI) was 40% in H vs 46% in NH (p &lt; 0.001) in TX and 35% vs 31% in NH (p &lt; 0.001) in FL. Most common stage at diagnosis for both groups was III/IV with 50% in H vs 49% in NH (p = 0.01) in TX; and stage I with 53% H vs 42% in NH (p = 0.05) in FL. Median overall survival (MOS) in TX for H was 1.4 years vs 1.5 in NH; survival probability (SP) for H vs NH at 2 y was 0.42 vs 0.44, at 5 y 0.32 vs 0.31, and at 10 y 0.21 vs 0.14 with no statistically significant difference in overall survival (OS). MOS in FL for H was 1.9 y vs 1.8 y in NH; SP for H vs NH at 2 y was 0.48 vs 0.47, at 5 y 0.36 vs 0.33, and at 10 y 0.24 vs 0.20 with no statistically significant difference in OS. Conclusions: Amongst the population of TX and FL, H with PTCLs have similar outcomes when compared to NH. There were no statistically significant differences in MOS or SP at 2, 5, and 10 y among the H cohorts. There were statistically significant differences between H and NH patients in median age of diagnosis, poverty index, and insurance status at diagnosis. These disparities were observed in both states and may be a direct reflection of the significantly higher rates of poverty and lack of insurance among H. Within the context of healthcare equality, we ascertained similar outcomes amongst groups, which agrees with previous reports claiming homogeneity of medical care.

Does ethnicity matter? A two-statewide population based analysis of outcomes of primary mediastinal B-cell lymphoma in Hispanics.

e19568 Background: Primary mediastinal B-cell lymphoma (PMBCL) is considered a rare distinct clinicopathological and molecular subtype of diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL), mainly affecting females in their 4th and 5th decades [1,2,3]. Since the 1960s, there has been a significant increase in the number of immigrants to the US; and the states of Florida (FL) and Texas (TX) are well known for their Hispanic (HI) enriched population. Since there is scarce data of PMBCL in HI; we researched demographics, treatment patterns and outcomes in H compared to Non-Hispanics (NH) from FL and TX. Methods: This is a retrospective study of patients diagnosed with PMBCL from the Texas Cancer Registry (TCR) and the Florida Cancer Data System (FCDS), with years of analysis 2006-2017. Patients were identified by the International Classification of Diseases for Oncology Third Edition (ICD-O-3). Key variables collected included gender, race, ethnicity, dates at diagnosis and death, primary payer at diagnosis, stage, type of treatment, poverty index, and vitality status. The significance of variation in the distribution of categorical outcomes with ethnicity (H, NH) was assessed with Fisher’s Exact tests or Pearson’s Chi-square tests as appropriate. Survival distributions were described with Kaplan-Meier curves, and the significance of variation in median survival with ethnicity was assessed with log-rank testing. All statistical testing was two-sided with a significance level of 5%. Results: We had 2 cohorts; cohort A (A) includes 19 H vs. 89 NH from TX, cohort B (B), 27 H vs. 121 NH from FL. The median age at diagnosis in A was 33 years (y) in H vs 40 y in NH ( p-value = 0.091); while median age in B was 36 y in H vs 46 y in NH ( p-value = 0.005). Regarding poverty index; in A, most of H were in the 10-20% bracket, and most NH were in the 5-10% bracket. On the contrary, in B, most of H were in the 5-10%, and most NH were in the 10-20% bracket. Lack of insurance was more prevalent in H in A vs. NH, 42% vs. 12%, respectively, where it was less prevalent in H vs. NH in B, 8% vs. 5%. Multiple agents of chemotherapy were delivered to 74% of H, 70% of NH vs. 82% of H and 65% of NH with p-value = 0.292 and 0.635 in A and B, respectively. In A, the NH had better median survival (m) than H, not reached vs. 10.3 y, respectively. In B, H had better m than the NH, 10.7 y vs. not reached, respectively. The 5 y survival probability in A was even among H and NH; 0.702 [95% CI 0.49-1] and 0.732 [95% CI 0.578 - 0.9280], respectively. While 5 y survival probability in B was higher in H compared to NH, 0.923 [95% CI 0.675 -0.869] and 0.766 [95% CI 0.434 - 0.615], respectively. The overall survival (OS) difference in A and B, H vs. NH was not statistically significant. Conclusions: Despite some identified demographic differences in patients diagnosed with PMBCL, comparing H vs. NH on each cohort, there was no statistically significant difference in the overall survival probability.

Pathways to pharmacist prescriptive authority: Do decentralized models for expanded prescribing work?

Scope of practice decisions, such as granting pharmacists independent prescriptive authority, are governed at the state level and are often contentious debates. Five states - Florida (FL), New Mexico (NM), Colorado (CO), Idaho (ID), and Oregon (OR) -- have created structures that can theoretically expand independent prescriptive authority through decentralized approaches rather than needing the legislature to approve each drug that pharmacists may prescribe. These approaches have the potential advantage of allowing the states to expand independent pharmacist prescriptive authority to address public health needs more quickly. Four distinct models have been identified from most to least restrictive in practice: 1) medical veto; 2) interdisciplinary committee; 3) board of pharmacy; and 4) pharmacist-determined. These models have generally focused on postdiagnostic and preventive care by pharmacists. In terms of enabling broad pharmacist prescribing, only two of these models have demonstrated success: board of pharmacy and pharmacist-determined. Pharmacy and public health stakeholders considering similar legislation in their own states should consider the success of these decentralized models prior to enacting legislation.

A sensitivity study of rising compound coastal inundation over large flood plains in a changing climate

Coastal flood hazards and damage to coastal communities are increasing steeply and nonlinearly due to the compound impact of intensifying tropical cyclones (TCs) and accelerating sea-level rise (SLR). We expand the probabilistic coastal flood hazard analysis framework to facilitate coastal adaptation by simulating the compound impact of predicted intensifying TCs and rising sea levels in the twenty-first century. We compared the characteristics of landfalling TCs in Florida (FL) and southwest Florida (SWFL) for the late twentieth and twenty-first centuries predicted by several climate models and downscaling models. TCs predicted by four climate models, one without downscaling and three with downscaling, were used by a coupled surge-wave model to predict the future flood hazard due to compound effects of TCs and SLR over a large SWFL coastal flood plain. By 2100, the coastal inundation metrics of the 1% annual chance coastal flood could become almost 3–7 folds of their current values, depending on the climate and downscaling models, Representative Concentration Pathway scenarios, Atlantic Multi-decadal Oscillation phases, TCs, SLR, precipitation, and how TCs and SLR are incorporated. By 2100, the current 1% (100-year) inundation event could become a 3-year event, and the 0.2% (500-year) inundation event could become a 5-year event.

Vertical artifacts in high-resolution WorldView-2 and WorldView-3 satellite imagery of aquatic systems

ABSTRACT Satellite image artefacts are features that appear in an image but not in the original imaged object and can negatively impact the interpretation of satellite data. Vertical artefacts are linear features oriented in the along-track direction of an image system and can present as either banding or striping; banding are features with a consistent width, and striping are features with inconsistent widths. This study used high-resolution data from DigitalGlobeʻs (now Maxar) WorldView-3 satellite collected at Lake Okeechobee, Florida (FL), on 30 August 2017. This study investigated the impact of vertical artefacts on both at-sensor radiance and a spectral index for an aquatic target as WorldView-3 was primarily designed as a land sensor. At-sensor radiance measured by six of WorldView-3ʻs eight spectral bands exhibited banding, more specifically referred to as non-uniformity, at a width corresponding to the multispectral detector sub-arrays that comprise the WorldView-3 focal plane. At-sensor radiance measured by the remaining two spectral bands, red and near-infrared (NIR) #1, exhibited striping. Striping in these spectral bands can be attributed to their time delay integration (TDI) settings at the time of image acquisition, which were optimized for land. The impact of vertical striping on a spectral index leveraging the red, red edge, and NIR spectral bands—referred to here as the NIR maximum chlorophyll index (MCINIR)—was investigated. Temporally similar imagery from the European Space Agencyʻs Sentinel-3 and Sentinel-2 satellites were used as baseline references of expected chlorophyll values across Lake Okeechobee as neither Sentinel-3 nor Sentinel-2 imagery showed striping. Striping was highly prominent in the MCINIR product generated using WorldView-3 imagery, as noise in the at-sensor radiance exceeded any signal of chlorophyll in the image. Adjusting the image acquisition parameters for future tasking of WorldView-3 or the functionally similar WorldView-2 satellite may alleviate these artefacts. To test this, an additional WorldView-3 image was acquired at Lake Okeechobee, FL, on 26 May 2021 in which the TDI settings and scan line rate were adjusted to improve the signal-to-noise ratio. While some evidence of non-uniformity remained, striping was no longer noticeable in the MCINIR product. Future image tasking over aquatic targets should employ these updated image acquisition parameters. Since the red and NIR #1 spectral bands are critical for inland and coastal water applications, archived images not collected using these updated settings may be limited in their potential for analysis of aquatic variables that require these two spectral bands to derive.