Florida Institute Research Articles

Determining collaboration between University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences Extension agents and secondary school-based agricultural educators

Determining collaboration between University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences Extension agents and secondary school-based agricultural educators

Disparities in the prevalence of EGFR mutations and ALK rearrangements by racial-ethnic group in South Florida with a focus on Hispanic patients, 2011-2019.

e20528 Background: We examined the prevalence and survival outcomes of EGFR+, ALK+, and receipt of Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitors (TKIs), among all 1,654 patients diagnosed with de novo advanced non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) during 2011-2019 in 2 predominantly Hispanic healthcare institutions in South Florida: Sylvester Cancer Center and University of Miami Hospital. Methods: Tumor registry data was linked with genomic databases. Electronic medical records were further reviewed. We employed Cox regression to assess survival outcomes among patients with documented EGFR+ and ALK+ results. Results: There were 748 Hispanics, 697 Non-Hispanic (NH)-Whites, 173 NH-Blacks, 32 Asians, and 4 other race patients in our study. The overall prevalence for EGFR+ and ALK+ was 11.1% and 1.3%, respectively. During the study period, as many as 16.7% and 4.1% of all patients received either EGFR- or ALK-targeting TKIs, respectively. EGFR+ prevalence varied among racial groups, with 11.3% in NH-Whites, 9.8% in NH-Blacks, 10.7% in Hispanics, and 25.0% in Asians. Among Florida Hispanics, there were significant variations in EGFR+ results from 7.0-8.1% in Caribbean Hispanics (Cuba, Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic) to 14.0% among Mexican and Central Americans, and 22.9% among South Americans (p < 0.05). Among all 184 patients with EGFR+ results, 43.5% exhibited a deletion 19 mutation, 26.1% had an L838R mutation, 17.4% had an unspecified targetable mutation, and 13.0% had rarer mutation types. Notably, the proportion of never-smokers varied significantly by studied group: 13.8% among NH-Whites, 36.4% among South Americans, 41.9% Mexicans and Central Americans, and 62.5% among Asians (p < 0.05). Much of the inter-racial and intra-ethnic variation in EGFR+ prevalence could be attributed to smoking status, with more similar proportions observed when comparing never-smokers and ever-smokers separately. The ALK+ prevalence ranged from 0.9% in NH-Whites, 1.3% among Hispanics, 2.3% among NH-Blacks, to 6.3% in Asians. Both EGFR+ and ALK+ were more prevalent among non-smokers and women. Still, smokers accounted for approximately half of all targetable mutations for both EGFR+ (90 never-smokers; 94 smokers) and ALK+ (12 never-smokers; 10 smokers). After adjusting for age group, sex, smoking status, and race-ethnicity, both EGFR+ and ALK+ NSCLC subtypes exhibited a lower risk of death over time compared to EGFR-/ALK- cases (EGFR+ aHR 0.68 95%CI 0.56-0.81; ALK+ aHR: 0.41 95%CI 0.23-0.73). Conclusions: Smoking status significantly impacts the documented varying prevalence of EGFR+ and ALK+ by race-ethnicity. TKIs were extensively used in 2011-2019 even without evidence of targetable mutations. Current/history of smoking should not prevent the study of EGFR+/ALK+ mutations/rearrangements. Patients with targetable mutations experienced significantly improved survival outcomes.

Judge rules in favor of student‐athletes

Case name: Navarro, et al. v. Florida Institute of Technology Inc., No. 6:22‐cv‐1950 (M.D. Fla. 02/17/23).

Judge rules in favor of student‐athletes

Case name: Navarro, et al. v. Florida Institute of Technology Inc., No. 6:22‐cv‐1950 (M.D. Fla. 02/17/23).

Judge rules in favor of student‐athletes

Case name: Navarro, et al. v. Florida Institute of Technology Inc., No. 6:22‐cv‐1950 (M.D. Fla. 02/17/23).

Judge rules in favor of student‐athletes

Case name: Navarro, et al. v. Florida Institute of Technology Inc., No. 6:22‐cv‐1950 (M.D. Fla. 02/17/23).

Promise Program Effects at a Large, Urban Institution: A Study of Miami Dade College’s American Dream Scholarship

College promise programs, or place-based scholarships, are aimed at helping students attend and afford higher education. The American Dream Scholarship (ADS), offered by Miami Dade College (MDC), is a promise program that covers tuition and fees for the first 60 credits of an associate degree for students residing in and graduating from high school in Miami-Dade County. In this study, we relied on Bourdieu’s (1986) sociological framework to conceptualize the impact of the ADS on MDC’s student body. We posed the research question of whether the scholarship had any effect on total first-time, full-time college enrollment at MDC. Utilizing data primarily from the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System, we used two comparison groups of colleges that were untreated by any county-level promise program: 26 colleges in the Florida College System and 37 public institutions nationally with the same Carnegie Classification as MDC. We applied difference-in-differences analyses and event studies to explore our research question. Results suggest that compared to untreated institutions in the Florida College System and institutions with the same Carnegie Classification, MDC enrolled 18.5% and 32% more first-time, full-time degree-seeking undergraduates, respectively, after ADS’s inception. This enrollment increase demonstrates that ADS positively contributed to MDC’s programmatic goals to increase student enrollments.

Association of ABO Blood Type with Infection and Severity of COVID-19 in Inpatient and Longitudinal Cohorts

The objectives of this study were to (1) investigate the association between human blood type and COVID-19 in both inpatient and longitudinal populations and (2) identify the association between blood type and severity of COVID-19 via presence of cellular biomarkers of severe infection in hospitalized individuals at our institution in South Florida. This study consisted of (1) a single-center retrospective analysis of 669 out of 2741 COVID-19-positive, screened patients seen from 1 January 2020 until 31 March 2021 at the University of Miami Emergency Department (ED) who tested positive for COVID-19 and had a documented ABO blood type and (2) a longitudinal SARS-CoV-2 immunity study (“CITY”) at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, consisting of 185 survey participants. In an inpatient setting, blood type appeared to be associated with COVID-19 severity and mortality. Blood type O sustained less risk of COVID-19 mortality, and blood type O- demonstrated less risk of developing COVID-19 pneumonia. Inpatients with O- blood type exhibited less biomarkers of severe infection than did other blood types. In a longitudinal setting, there was no association found between blood type and SARS-CoV-2 infection.

Aligning Land Grant leadership programs with the needs of elected officials through Extension: Perceptions, priorities, and participation among Florida county commissioners

Addressing complex challenges has become the norm for local elected officials, and the need for skilled leadership at the local level has never been greater. County commissioners are not only tasked with day-to-day county management but must also make crucial decisions on issues such as pandemic response, rapid population growth, and natural disasters. The purpose of our study is to assess a university-based leadership development program for county commissioners, offered in collaboration between Extension at the University of Florida and the Florida Institute for County Government. We explore attitudes toward leadership programs among Florida county commissioners, show which competencies commissioners prioritize for leadership development, and identify potential barriers to participation. We find that county commissioners believe that leadership programs improve the effectiveness of leaders and the quality of local government. Additionally, we discover that the highest priority leadership competencies are strategic planning, communication, economic trends, conflict resolution, and critical thinking. Finally, our study shows that universities that partner with county government associations to offer leadership programs can create an important avenue for rural, resource-constrained counties to build the capacity of elected officials.

Release of ‘UF_AlfPers_2015’, a nondormant alfalfa cultivar for the southeastern United States

AbstractThe alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) cultivar ‘UF_AlfPers_2015’ (Reg. no. CV‐208, PI 702791) was developed by the Agronomy Department, a unit of the Florida Agricultural Experiment Station, University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF‐IFAS), and was released in 2021. The need for high‐yielding and persistent nondormant alfalfa cultivars adapted to the southeastern United States continues to be a factor limiting the adoption and use of alfalfa in the region. A group of 17 alfalfa plants selected from a pasture of ‘Florida 99’ were intercrossed in isolation to produce UF_AlfPers_2015. The experimental line was evaluated for herbage accumulation (HA), persistence, and nutritive value in Florida and other states. UF_AlfPers_2015 had superior HA (20% greater than Florida 99 and 30% than ‘Bulldog 805’ on average) and improved persistence and showed similar nutritive value compared with other cultivars in Florida. UF_AlfPers_2015 had greater HA than ‘Alfagraze 600 RR’ in Gene Autry, OK, and similar HA compared with Bulldog 505 and Bulldog 805 in Gene Autry, OK; Vashti, TX; and Brooksville, MS. UF_AlfPers_2015 is a nondormant (fall dormancy 9) alfalfa cultivar. A US Plant Variety Protection application has been filed, and breeder seed will be maintained by the Agronomy Department of UF‐IFAS.

Modeling Benthic Community Settlement and Recruitment on Living Dock Restoration Mats

An increase in population along the Indian River Lagoon has led to eutrophication, a decline in water quality, and overall degradation. The Living Docks program is a citizen–science initiative started at the Florida Institute of Technology for lagoon restoration. Public and private docks are volunteered to become Living Docks, where oyster mats are attached to dock pilings to provide a natural substrate for benthic organism growth. The community development on the oyster mats boosts water filtration to improve overall water quality and combat anthropogenic effects on the lagoon. The purpose of this project was to model benthic settlement and recruitment of prominent organisms on the Living Dock oyster mats at four research sites with specific environmental factors (e.g., temperature, salinity, turbidity, and pH). Beta regression models for recruitment and settlement were created for five of the more dominant organisms observed: oyster, barnacle, sponge, tubeworm, and encrusting bryozoan. The results of the modeling indicated that the settlement was influenced by pH, salinity, dock location, and turbidity, while recruitment was influenced by pH, salinity, dock location, and immersion time. This project provides insight into how lagoon conditions surrounding the Living Docks impact benthic growth and can aid in IRL restoration.

Teaching about White Supremacy and Privilege after the Capitol Insurrection

ABSTRACT In spring 2021, we taught a course called Honors White Supremacy and Privilege to university honors students at our higher education institution in Florida. Aimed at helping students process intellectually the Black Lives Matter events of the preceding year, the course took place just as a reaction was gathering momentum against anti-racist teaching. We present the materials used in the 1-credit course and contextualize the experience in ongoing Republican legislative efforts, particularly in Florida, to undermine the ability to teach courses like this. Much of the essay addresses the lessons we took away from the reading material and classroom discussions. These include the non-essentialism of race, the benchmark “normality” of whiteness, the material consequences of white supremacy, connections of the Trump presidency to a history of white supremacy, the recurring reactionary responses to challenges to the racial status quo, and the need to teach about white supremacy and privilege.

Ethnic disparities in biomarker testing and targeted therapy use in metastatic lung adenocarcinoma: A 2014-2021 analysis.

e21216 Background: Racial and ethnic disparities have been demonstrated to be widespread in lung cancer, including in the US. Despite insurance coverage for standard biomarker testing, testing rates remain low in minority populations. This work sought to analyze institutional data to assess whether there existed ethnic disparities in biomarker testing rates and receipt of targeted therapy between Hispanic/Latino and non-Hispanic/Latino patients of metastatic lung adenocarcinoma (mAdenoCa). Methods: A retrospective study was conducted and reported following ‘strengthening the reporting of observational studies in epidemiology’ (STROBE) guidelines. All Hispanic white and non-Hispanic white patients of mAdenoCa seen at our tertiary care institution in South Florida from 01/2014 to 12/2021 were identified and included through Guardian Research Network (GRN) platform. Socio-demographic, clinicopathological, and tumor molecular features along with treatment-related characteristics were analyzed via descriptive and comparative statistics. Results: A total of 268 mAdenoCa patients were included, of which 179 patients were Hispanic or Latino and 89 were not Hispanic or Latino. Biomarker testing data is reported in the table. Data of MET, KRASG12C, VKIRAS, and HER3 was not available in all cases. The unadjusted product-limit survival analysis indicated worse outcomes for Hispanic whites as compared to non-Hispanic counterparts. There were no differences found regarding targeted therapy use in either population. Conclusions: While metastatic lung adenocarcinoma patients at our center showed no differences in biomarker testing or targeted therapy use, the non-availability of data regarding several key mutations indicates a major dearth of testing. Future studies need to evaluate actionable strategies for improving the existing low testing rates in patients with mAdenoCa, particularly in racial and ethnic minorities. [Table: see text]

Consider implications of recent district court decision regarding intersection of esports and Title IX

A Florida district court judge recently ruled that competitive video gaming, known as esports, actually isn’t a sport for the purposes of Title IX. And because of his Feb. 17, 2023 finding, Judge Carlos Mendoza of the U.S. District Court, Middle District of Florida, Orlando Division, ordered the Florida Institute of Technology to return its men's rowing team to the status of a varsity sport.

Remote sensing surveying at the Abbatija tad-Dejr Catacombs (Rabat, Malta)

Multidisciplinary remote sensing surveying techniques were employed at the site of the Abbatija tad-Dejr Catacombs in Rabat (Malta) as part of a collaborative research project of the University of South Florida's Institute for Digital Exploration (IDEx) and Heritage Malta aimed to map the complex for interpretation and conservation purposes and to assess the eventual presence of further hypogea in the areas surrounding the site. In this study, terrestrial laser scanning and hand-held digital photogrammetry were employed to map the entire complex in 3D and digitize specific architectural and artistic features found within Hypogea I and IV. In particular, Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) and Electrical Resistivity Tomography (ERT) were used to verify the presence of hypogeal structures and tombs and the results have showed how the prospection has identified anomalies of possible relevant archaeological interest.

Electric Scooter Injuries in Tampa, Florida, Are Associated With High Rates of Head Injury, Hospital Admission, and Emergency Medical Service Transport and Low Rates of Helmet Use.

Background Standing electric scooters (e-scooters) were introduced in Tampa, Florida, in 2019. We reviewed 292 e-scooter injury cases at the Tampa General Hospital Emergency Department (ED) to determine what insights we could gain. We sought to identify the characteristics of such presentations, including chief complaint (CC), patient age, day of the week, time of day, length of stay, disposition, acuity, and means of arrival to the ED. We were particularly interested in studying the rates of hospital admission, Emergency Medical Service (EMS) transport, emergent acuity presentations, and head injuries. We also sought to identify the prevalence of alcohol use prior to e-scooter accidents and its effect on the above factors. Methodology This was a retrospective chart review and was exempt from the University of South Florida's Institutional Review Board approval (STUDY004031). Data from routine clinical care in the Tampa General Hospital ED, a Level-1 Trauma Center ED in Tampa, Florida, from July 19, 2019, to May 30,2022, were collected through an operational report within the business intelligence infrastructure of the hospital's electronic medical record system. Data from patients with scooter injury-related encounter codes were extracted to an electronicdata capture form and deidentified. Narratives were reviewed to exclude uncertain cases (e.g., patients with moped, kick scooter, mobility scooter injuries, etc.) and to flag for alcohol endorsement, altered mental status, helmet usage, and head injuries that were not listed as the CC. CC, means of arrival, acuity, disposition, arrival/departure day of week, and arrival/departure hour were collected. Data analysis was completed using Microsoft Excel version 16.5 (Microsoft Corp., Redmond, WA, USA) and SPSS Statistics version 28.0 (IBM Corp., Armonk, NY, USA). Results A total of 292 of 442 collected cases remained after removing irrelevant flags. Overall, 30.8% (n = 90) of patients were between the ages of 21 and 30, and most patients presented on weekends and nights. Moreover, 40.8% (n = 119) suffered head injuries, 40.8% (n = 119) arrived via EMS, 31.5% (n = 92) were admitted to the hospital, and 18.8% (n = 55) were designated as emergent acuity. Apart from the admission rate, these rates were all higher among alcohol endorsers (39, 13.4%) than non-endorsers (253, 86.6%). Only 2.1% of patients endorsed helmet use. Conclusions We found higher rates of hospital admission and EMS transports in our ED than many previous studies in urban areas have reported. Our data suggest that alcohol use increases the risk of more serious e-scooter injuries, characterized by higher acuity, EMS transport rate, and head injuries among alcohol endorsers. These findings are highly relevant due to the rapidly growing e-scooter presence across the United States and may serve to inform hospitals and EMS systems regarding their role in injury management, as well as future policy regarding their safe use.

Notes and Trends

Click to increase image sizeClick to decrease image size Additional informationNotes on contributorsMary S. BonhommeMary S. Bonhomme, PhD, is Professor Emerita at Florida Institute of Technology, Melbourne, Florida.

Exploring the Student-to-Faculty Ratio and Degree Attainment in Florida

Although several factors influence Hispanic Latina/o/x degree attainment, less is known regarding student-to-faculty ratio at Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSI) in Florida. We examined publicly available data for HSI ( n = 14) and non-HSI ( n = 88) degree attainment among Hispanic Latina/o/x students in Florida. Pearson correlations and regression analyses indicated statistically significant correlations between student-to-faculty ratio and Hispanic Latino/a/x students who earned bachelor’s degrees. Implications for hiring and promotion are discussed.

Grapefruit Root and Rhizosphere Responses to Varying Planting Densities, Fertilizer Concentrations and Application Methods.

Huanglongbing (HLB) disease has caused a severe decline in citrus production globally over the past decade. There is a need for improved nutrient regimens to better manage the productivity of HLB-affected trees, as current guidelines are based on healthy trees. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of different fertilizer application methods and rates with different planting densities on HLB-affected citrus root and soil health. Plant material consisted of 'Ray Ruby' (Citrus × paradisi) grapefruit trees grafted on 'Kuharske' citrange (Citrus × sinensis × Citrus trifoliata). The study consisted of 4 foliar fertilizer treatments, which included 0×, 1.5×, 3× and 6× the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agriculture (UF/IFAS) recommended guidelines for B, Mn and Zn. Additionally, 2 ground-applied fertilizer treatments were used, specifically controlled-release fertilizer (CRF1): 12-3-14 + B, Fe, Mn and Zn micronutrients at 1× UF/IFAS recommendation, and (CRF2): 12-3-14 + 2× Mg + 3× B, Fe, Mn and Zn micronutrients, with micronutrients applied as sulfur-coated products. The planting densities implemented were low (300 trees ha-1), medium (440 trees ha-1) and high (975 trees ha-1). The CRF fertilizer resulted in greater soil nutrient concentrations through all of the time sampling points, with significant differences in soil Zn and Mn. Grapefruit treated with ground-applied CRF2 and 3× foliar fertilizers resulted in the greatest bacterial alpha and beta diversity in the rhizosphere. Significantly greater abundances of Rhizobiales and Vicinamibacterales were found in the grapefruit rhizosphere of trees treated with 0× UF/IFAS foliar fertilizer compared to higher doses of foliar fertilizers.

Placing Students for Success: Florida’s Statewide Reform of Alternative Methods for College Course Placement

ABSTRACT Each year nearly 70% of community college students nationwide are required to enroll in non-credit developmental education courses because they scored below college-ready on a placement test in reading, writing, and/or mathematics. Yet, prior research has demonstrated that these placement tests tend to inaccurately place students into courses that are not a good fit with their level of college readiness. In response, an increasingly popular reform effort is to use alternative methods such as high school grade point average (GPA) to place incoming students into the appropriate level of coursework. Florida stands at the vanguard of this placement reform movement, as one of the first states making policy changes to authorize systemwide use of alternative methods in lieu of (or in addition to) common placement tests. This study includes a document analysis of institutional website sites and virtual site visits to Florida College System institutions to enhance our understanding of the variation in placement policies used across the FCS institutions, the rationales for these decisions, as well as benefits and challenges encountered during implementation. It concludes with recommendations that can support institutions in Florida and beyond as they develop future plans about how to further reform or modify placement systems.