Focus: Hidden - Florida

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About the size of a tablet, a portable device that could be used in a host of environments like a busy airport or even a remote location in South America, may hold the key to detecting the dreaded Zika virus accurately, rapidly and inexpensively using just a saliva sample. For about $2 and within 15 minutes, researchers hope to accurately determine whether or not an individual has an active infection.

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Cogongrass displaces pasture grass, golf course greens and valuable ecosystems. UF/IFAS professor James Cuda and his team are focusing on the Orseolia javanica midge that causes cogongrass to produce linear galls at the expense of leaves.

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In one of the latest and most ambitious studies on bullying and cyberbullying in middle and high school students, researchers found that 1 in 5 students said that they had been threatened with a weapon at school, 73 percent of students reported that they had been bullied at school at some point in their lifetime, and 70 percent of the students said that someone spread rumors about them online.

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FSU alumnus and Oscar nominee Barry Jenkins credits Florida State University with changing his life in a profoundly positive way.

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As the nation recognizes American Heart Month this February, Florida State University’s Center on Better Health and Life for Underserved Populations has successfully helped 36 black churches in Leon and Gadsden counties set a foundation for healthier living.

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New UF/IFAS Extension program aims to help people around Florida maintain healthy blood pressure.

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Barry Alto, a UF/IFAS assistant professor of medical entomology, said scientists need better diagnostic tools to detect Zika virus to meet challenges to public health. He is working with collaborator Steven Benner at Firebird Biomolecular Sciences LLC to develop methods they hope should take about an hour – far less time than current testing methods.

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Continuing his research, NSU scientist Matthew Johnston, Ph.D., looks at the potential threat the invasive lionfish poses to reef fish in the Caribbean, Gulf of Mexico and Atlantic Ocean.

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The Society of Thoracic Surgeons awards Orlando Health a 3 star quality rating for bypass surgery, aortic valve replacement, aortic valve replacement with bypass surgery and lobectomy for lung cancer.

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Researchers found sunlight converted little if any permafrost thawed carbon to carbon dioxide, whereas microbes were shown to rapidly convert permafrost carbon to carbon dioxide.

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A Florida State University researcher has drawn a link between the impact of climate change and untreated drinking water on the rate of gastrointestinal illness in children.

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Wild dolphins are more likely to be injured if humans feed them — even through unintentional means like discarding bait — reports a new study based in Sarasota Bay, Florida, and published recently in the peer-reviewed journal Royal Society Open Science.

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When you bite into a Florida strawberry for Valentine’s Day or National Strawberry Day on Feb. 27, you savor sweetness and juice. That’s what you’ll find in all varieties bred by University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences researchers.

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A compound extracted from a deep-water marine sponge collected near the Bahamas is showing potent antibacterial activity against the drug resistant bacteria methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) also called the “super bug.”

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People put on sweaters when they’re cold. Plants on the other hand, have to essentially knit one on the fly. Plants “knit” with their genes, and when University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences researchers launch their Feb. 14 space experiment, they want to know more about how gene expression helps plants to adapt themselves to outer space.

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This designation is only awarded to colleges and universities with enrollment of full-time Hispanic undergraduate students of at least 25 percent.

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Cats and dogs may be longtime enemies, but when teamed up, they keep rodents away, a University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences researcher says.

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A plant always makes for a nice gesture on Valentine’s Day, and University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences researchers are breeding flora that may emit alluring aromas to your sweetheart.

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People who overeat during national holidays and national sporting events – like this weekend’s Super Bowl – are 10 times more likely to need emergency medical attention for food obstruction than any at other time of the year, according to a new study led by a University of Florida researcher.

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People who overeat during national holidays and national sporting events – like this weekend’s Super Bowl – are 10 times more likely to need emergency medical attention for food obstruction than any at other time of the year, according to a new study led by a University of Florida researcher.

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The Super Bowl is one of the most watched events on the planet. When the New England Patriots and the Atlanta Falcons face off in Super Bowl LI on Sunday, Feb. 5, in Houston, Texas, millions will be watching and rooting for their favorite teams or players. For fans, their pregame ritual may center around Super Bowl commercials, nacho recipes and who will sing the National Anthem, but what’s going on in these elite athletes’ heads before the big game? Florida State University professors Graig Chow and Gershon Tenenbaum are experts on sport psychology and how professionals can help players prepare to compete in the biggest game of their careers.

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Using remote sensing cameras and sound recorders, FAU scientists are the first to capture rare video footage of a newly discovered population of critically endangered monkeys in one of the most remote regions in the world. First discovered in 1932 and thought to inhabit only one location on the planet in Central Africa, this elusive monkey was believed to be nearing extinction due to its small population size and unregulated hunting.

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An interdisciplinary team of undergraduate students from across UF is helping to lead the contest. The team generates 3-D files -- based on real ants and spiders. For the contest, UF students in any discipline use the 3-D files of the insects and spiders to create three-dimensional sculpture and animation.

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Each was born and raised on a Florida farm, and each has made outstanding contributions to Florida’s agriculture industry and mentored future leaders in the field.

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The UF Health Cancer Network, comprising UF Health and the UF Health Cancer Center at Orlando Health, has received a three-year accreditation with commendation by the Commission on Cancer, a quality program of the American College of Surgeons.

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Nearly a century ago, a group of Polk County citrus growers raised about $14,000 to buy land for a research station. Now, the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences will celebrate the 100th anniversary of the UF/IFAS Citrus Research and Education Center.

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Researchers from Florida Atlantic University are collaborating with scientists from Sancilio and Company, Inc. to begin a new research project aimed at finding a treatment for patients afflicted by Retinitis Pigmentosa (RP). RP is an inherited disease that causes severe progressive vision impairment and blindness.

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Research scientists at Nova Southeastern University (NSU) have been studying the genetics of great white and great hammerhead sharks, and their work brings us a few steps closer to understanding – from a genetic sense – why sharks exhibit some characteristics that are highly desirable by humans (specifically, rapid wound healing and possible higher resistance to cancers.)

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In a study published today in the journal Science, Harry Klee, a UF/IFAS professor of horticultural sciences, led an international research team that included scientists from China, Israel and Spain. Researchers identified chemicals that contribute to tomato flavor.

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There is a push to expand the use of body-worn cameras (BWCs) in policing. Yet, limited research and only anecdotal evidence suggests that the public supports using them in law enforcement. Results of a new study describes general public perceptions of BWCs with some unexpected results.

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The shape of your brain can influence personality traits, according to a new study published in the journal Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience.

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UF Health Cancer Center at Orlando Health is working with Mevion Medical Systems to take the next step in the evolution of the health system’s proton therapy center. The organizations are enhancing Orlando Health’s proton therapy system with the integration of a mobile, diagnostic computed tomography (CT) scanner.

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Demand for ecosystem protection is increasing.

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Demand for ecosystem protection is increasing.

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Florida Atlantic University’s Tech Runway® has released the results of its second annual economic impact report. The report provides the cumulative performance metrics of 29 Tech Runway companies since fall 2014.

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Driverless car expert Tim Chapin, interim dean of the College of Social Science and Public Policy at Florida State University and professor of urban and regional planning, believes that it may finally be time to start taking this technology seriously. Chapin, whose current research interests revolve around how Florida’s demographic trends influence urban patterns and transportation systems in the state, believes that forward thinking tech companies will be agents for dramatic change in an industry that, for decades, has been largely defined by slow and iterative progress.

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These findings may provide further evidence to help researchers solve the $6 billion-a-year disease that continues to evolve and torment potato and tomato growers around the world.

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FSU Professor Henry Fuelberg joined a research project spearheaded by high school students on a tiny Caribbean island. Fuelberg helped them build and launch a weather balloon.

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“Growers kept asking us, ‘What is the probability of getting an extreme weather event on my farm when my crop is ready to harvest,’” said Caroline Staub, a post-doctoral researcher in the UF/IFAS agricultural and biological engineering department.

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Researchers from Florida Atlantic University and Harvard Medical School address the possible but unproven link between statins and diabetes, as well as the implications of prescription of statins for clinicians and their patients. They emphasize that the risk of diabetes, even if real, pales in comparison to the benefits of statins in both the treatment and primary prevention of heart attacks and strokes. The editor-in-chief published the commentary and his editorial online ahead of print.

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“Arbor Day is a great time for everyone to be reminded of the importance of trees and forests in their everyday lives and to contribute to the approximately 70 million trees that are planted each year in Florida for reforestation,” said Tim Martin, professor and co-interim director of the UF/IFAS School of Forest Resources and Conservation.

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“Our goal is to bring industry experts, researchers, policy and business leaders together to discuss the current and emerging challenges related to Florida as an engine of innovation, policy related to food, nutrition and consumer decision making, water quality and management, agricultural labor and the prospects for our fruit and vegetable industry.” -- Spiro Stefanou, chair of the UF/IFAS food and resource economics department.

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Emotions tend to run high in hospitals, and patients or patients’ loved ones can be rude to medical professionals when they perceive inadequate care.

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A new therapy in development for the treatment of midgut neuroendocrine tumors, a rare type of cancer that occurs in the small intestine and colon, shows improved progression-free survival and response rates for patients with advanced disease. Results of the international phase 3 clinical trial of lutetium-177 (177Lu)-Dotatate compared to high-dose octreotide LAR were published in the Jan. 12 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.

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TAMPA, Fla. – Graft-versus-host-disease (GVHD) is the leading cause of non-relapse associated death in patients who receive stem cell transplants.  In a new study published as the cover story in Science Translational Medicine, Moffitt Cancer Center researchers show that a novel treatment can effectively inhibit the development of GVHD in mice and maintain the infection- and tumor-fighting capabilities of the immune system.

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Nudging people toward better behavior through policy can be effective, but can face resistance if people feel their autonomy is threatened.

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The first randomized controlled trial to examine the effects of chair yoga on pain and physical function in older adults with osteoarthritis is proving to be an effective way to reduce pain and improve quality of life while avoiding pharmacologic treatment or adverse events for the millions who suffer from the disease in their lower extremities (hip, knee, ankle or foot).