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A quantitative literacy course titled "Computational Geology" has been taught at the University of South Florida for over 20 years at the undergraduate level, largely by the same professor. Due to the extended course tenure, a unique opportunity presented itself to qualitatively study what the perceived broader impacts of the course were on selected alumni from three or more years post-graduation. Viewing data from a 2016 course alumni interview project through a transcendental phenomenological lens, we looked for evidence to describe the lived experiences of nine course alumni. The alumni were baccalaureate geology graduates of USF, at least three years removed from graduation at the time of interview, who had taken and passed the Computational Geology course, and been working in private, public, or academic sectors. We discovered that the course positively impacted students' self-efficacy toward mathematics, nurtured a growing appreciation for using math as a tool to solve problems relevant to the students' personal life and career, and motivated students to learn and appreciate quantitatively literate behaviors and how quantitative literacy applies to their personal and professional life. We assert that instructors who consider the affective domain (i.e., feelings, emotions, and attitudes) while teaching mathematics leverage a powerful approach to impact student learning and incite a long-lasting impact on students' appreciation for quantitative literacy.

A deep understanding of organic chemistry requires a learner to understand many concepts and have fluency with multiple skills. This understanding is particularly necessary for constructing and using mechanisms to explain chemical reactions. Electrophilicity and nucleophilicity are two fundamental concepts to learning and understanding reaction mechanisms. Prior research suggests that learners focus heavily on explicit structural features ("e.g.," formal charge) rather than implicit features ("e.g.," an open p-orbital) when identifying and describing the role of electrophiles and nucleophiles in reaction mechanisms; however, these findings come from small-scale, interview-based investigations with a limited number of reaction mechanisms. The work reported herein seeks to further explore the meaning learners ascribe to electrophiles and nucleophiles by evaluating 19 936 written explanations from constructed-response items asking "what" is happening in reaction mechanisms and "why" it happens for 85 unique reaction mechanisms across a yearlong postsecondary organic chemistry course. To analyze these data, we developed an electrophile rubric to capture learners' level of explanation sophistication ("Absent," "Descriptive," "Foundational," and "Complex"); this electrophile rubric is complementary to a nucleophile rubric previously reported in the literature. Our data show proportional levels of explanation sophistication for electrophiles and nucleophiles ([tau][subscript b] = 0.402) across these written explanations of reaction mechanisms. We note that learners' explanations of nucleophiles tend to be at a higher level than their explanations of electrophiles. While this finding does support prior literature reports, we also found that explanations of mechanisms involving reductions of pi-bonds ("e.g.," carbonyls) tended to be more sophisticated for electrophiles than for nucleophiles. Overall, our results support the claim that learners are able to discuss both electrophilicity and nucleophilicity; however, learners discuss electrophilicity and nucleophilicity at different levels of sophistication where nucleophilicity predominates for most reaction types.

This study examined the impact of Personalization for Academic and Social Emotional Learning (PASL), a school based social emotional reform implemented in the Broward County Florida Public Schools. Taking advantage of a phased roll out of PASL, we analyzed data collected during the first implementation year (2017-18) and compared 205 9th grade students in 6 schools that received PASL with 1139 comparison group students in 5 schools that received PASL in later years. Focusing on student social emotional outcomes, including school engagement, self-efficacy, and self-regulation, we found that PASL effects, though small and insignificant on average, might vary by students and depend on their initial engagement at the beginning of the 9th grade. The lower a student's initial engagement, the stronger the PASL effects on end-of-year engagement and self-efficacy.

School nurses are often one of the first healthcare providers to interface with newly arrived immigrant and refugee children, i.e., "newly arrived children" (Johnson et al., 2017; McGuire, 2014; McNeely et al., 2017). School-based services are readily accessible to most families, offering a hub for assessment, brief intervention, and referral to community-based services (Johnson et al., 2017). Grounded in ecological systems theory, the "Four Core Stressors Framework" proposes that four stressors impact newly arrived children post-migration to the United States: trauma, acculturative stress, resettlement stress, and social isolation (Boston Children; Hospital Trauma & Community Resilience Center BCH TCRC, 2021; Davis et al., 2021; Ellis et al., 2020). The Four Core Stressors Framework is the foundation of the "Refugee and Immigrant Core Stressors Toolkit" (RICST), an evidence-informed web-based screening tool for assessing the strengths and needs of newly arrived children and families. The purpose of this paper is to (1) introduce the Four Core Stressors Framework to guide school nurses who work with newly arrived children; and (2) describe the application of the RICST to school-based nurses. Throughout this article, the authors demonstrate the utility of the RICST for service planning and treatment using the case study of "Jasiel," a newly arrived child from Honduras.

Acid-base chemistry is a key reaction motif taught in postsecondary organic chemistry courses. More specifically, concepts from the Lewis acid-base model are broadly applicable to understanding mechanistic ideas such as electron density, nucleophilicity, and electrophilicity; thus, the Lewis model is fundamental to explaining an array of reaction mechanisms taught in organic chemistry. Herein, we report the development of a generalized predictive model using machine learning techniques to assess students' written responses for the correct use of the Lewis acid-base model for a variety (N = 26) of open-ended formative assessment items. These items follow a general framework of prompts that ask: why a compound can act as (i) an acid, (ii) a base, or (iii) both an acid and a base (i.e., amphoteric)? Or, what is happening and why for aqueous proton-transfer reactions and reactions that can only be explained using the Lewis model. Our predictive scoring model was constructed from a large collection of responses (N = 8520) using a machine learning technique, i.e., support vector machine, and subsequently evaluated using a variety of validation procedures resulting in overall 84.5-88.9% accuracies. The predictive model underwent further scrutiny with a set of responses (N = 2162) from different prompts not used in model construction along with a new prompt type: non-aqueous proton-transfer reactions. Model validation with these data achieved 92.7% accuracy. Our results suggest that machine learning techniques can be used to construct generalized predictive models for the evaluation of acid-base reaction mechanisms and their properties. Links to open-access files are provided that allow instructors to conduct their own analyses on written, open-ended formative assessment items to evaluate correct Lewis model use.

Construct confusion and measurement challenges have plagued emergent literacy research for decades. Using a 2 × 2 × 2 factorial design, this study evaluated the dimensionality of alphabet knowledge and identified the sequence of development of 8 alphabet knowledge skills. Eleven models were evaluated in a sample of 3,692 preschool- and elementary school-age children. Findings supported a unidimensional conceptualization of alphabet knowledge that includes letter name knowledge and letter sound knowledge but not the ability to discriminate letters from nonalphabetic characters. Test information curves and significance tests of model constraints revealed reliable main and interaction effects of test format, capitalization, and component skills on items' discriminations and difficulties. Implications for improving the measurement of alphabet knowledge are discussed in recognition that doing so will support advancement of theory, research, educational practice, and ultimately student achievement.

Background: Edutainment has long been used as a strategy in health promotion and public health wellness interventions. In March 2019, a large US southeastern university hosted a multimodal theatrical production entitled From Colored to Black (FCTB). The play used a historical lens to broadly address social determinants of health such as disparities in education, access to health services, fair housing and health outcomes. This creative intervention was intended to encourage progressive, justice-oriented attitudes about historically disenfranchised Black communities in North Central Florida. Methods: Driven by an arts-based education approach and constructs from narrative transportation theory, the study employed directed qualitative content analysis to evaluate audience commentary and examine how a play on historic health inequities in Black communities could activate cognition, emotion and imagination for critical thinking about present-day wellbeing. Results: Qualitative survey data in response to the artistic presentation revealed the following subthemes: fascination, assumed truthfulness, satisfaction, feelings of inspiration, enthusiasm, negative attitudes, hopelessness and emotional disconnect. Conclusions: Edutainment continues to be a strong intervention tool. Feedback indicates audience members experienced both highly immersive moments and low transportation-inducing points that ultimately influenced critical reflection on some of the themes addressed in the play.

This paper presents the results of a pilot study investigating the use of the Realizeit adaptive learning platform to deliver a fully online General Psychology course across two semesters. Through mutual cooperation, UCF and vendor (CCKF) researchers examined students' affective, behavioral, and cognitive reactions to the system. Student survey results indicated that students found the system easy to use and were generally positive about their seamless transition to adaptive learning. While the majority of students were successful, learning outcome metrics utilizing Realizeit indices indicated a potential for early prediction of students who are likely to be at risk in this environment. Recommendations are presented for the benefits of cooperative research between users and vendors.

Multi-age classrooms feature the intentional grouping of students from consecutive grade levels for the purpose of fostering a nurturing classroom atmosphere. While an abundance of research on multi-age education has been produced throughout the past 50 years, only recent efforts have seen researchers turn their attention to the experiences of art teachers working with mixed-age groups. The purpose of this article is to characterize the qualities of mixed-age instruction for an art teacher and a group of homeroom teachers through the collection of qualitative observations and interviews at a selected school site, with the intent of describing the congruities and incongruities in their instructional practices and organizational strategies. The results detail subtle organizational differences, yet congruent practices related to thematic instruction and cooperative learning, and emergent findings related to the importance of forming communities of multi-age practice and adopting an ethic of caring.

Assessments that aim to evaluate student understanding of chemical reactions and reaction mechanisms should ask students to construct written or oral explanations of mechanistic representations; students can reproduce pictorial mechanism representations with minimal understanding of the meaning of the representations. Grading such assessments is time-consuming, which is a limitation for use in large-enrollment courses and for timely feedback for students. Lexical analysis and logistic regression techniques can be used to evaluate student written responses in STEM courses. In this study, we use lexical analysis and logistic regression techniques to score a constructed-response item which aims to evaluate student explanations about what is happening in a unimolecular nucleophilic substitution ("i.e.," S[subscript N]1) reaction and why. We identify three levels of student explanation sophistication (i.e., descriptive only, surface level "why," and deeper "why"), and qualitatively describe student reasoning about four main aspects of the reaction: leaving group, carbocation, nucleophile and electrophile, and acid--base proton transfer. Responses scored as Level 1 (N = 113, 11%) include only a description of what is happening in the reaction and do not address the why for any of the four aspects. Level 2 responses (N = 549, 53%) describe why the reaction is occurring at a surface level (i.e., using solely explicit features or mentioning implicit features without deeper explanation) for at least one aspect of the reaction. Level 3 responses (N = 379, 36%) explain the why at a deeper level by inferring implicit features from explicit features explained using electronic effects for at least one reaction aspect. We evaluate the predictive accuracy of two binomial logistic regression models for scoring the responses with these levels, achieving 86.9% accuracy (with the testing data set) when compared to human coding. The lexical analysis methodology and emergent scoring framework could be used as a foundation from which to develop scoring models for a broader array of reaction mechanisms.

"Sustainable WAC: A Whole Systems Approach to Launching and Developing Writing Across the Curriculum Programs" (Cox, Galin, & Melzer, 2018a) lays out a systematic whole systems approach to program development that draws on complexity theories and integrates the use of sustainability indicators (SIs) for monitoring and assessing program sustainability. However, the SI part of the whole systems approach methodology may be overly burdensome and even premature for assessing the sustainability of smaller and younger WAC programs. Further, aspects of the SI methodology need clarification to be useful to the larger WAC programs that would benefit from its use. This article provides important correctives to and elaborations of the treatment of SIs in Sustainable WAC that will help WAC program directors more effectively decide whether and how to use this tool as part of a whole systems approach to develop more sustainable and impactful WAC programs.

Over the past few decades, there has been explosive growth in the luxury large-scale over 55 community sector. The state of Florida has been one of the largest recipients of the influx in residents to the state seeking such a retirement lifestyle. While many tout the benefits of living in such luxury settings, these communities are not immune to the particular social and managerial challenges that result from rapid growth. In this research, we focus on a specific luxury large-scale over 55 community in Florida, the Villages, to explore the various positive and negative aspects that accompany this lifestyle. Through semi-structured interviews with residents and observational netnography, we find several major challenges. These challenges surround the management of political signage, growth, and the equal application of community rules, to be at the center of residents' critiques of the community. We offer implications and recommendations on how management can handle these challenges. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The current article presents the findings on the development of a student evaluation instrument in which course evaluation is directly tied to student learning outcomes. With a committee consisting of instructors from six distinct disciplines brought together as part of a working group for this purpose, the instrument was developed utilizing research on the components of effective teaching and how these components impacted student learning. The instrument was tested at two time points, once via pen and paper (n = 340 students) and the other online (n = 2636 students). Factor Analysis resulted in one latent factor both times. The instrument also had high internal consistency reliability. Comparisons of individual student factors revealed a few variables significantly predicted ratings, but effect sizes were small. This work suggests an instrument has been created that assesses components of effective teaching, via the impact on student learning, and the ratings obtained are not highly influenced by individual factors.

The impacts and challenges of implementing an NIH/NICHD Extramural Associate Research Development Award (EARDA) at a private Minority-Serving-Institution (MSI) are examined. This article outlines efforts to gain institutional buy-in and challenges encountered in creating a functioning Office of Sponsored Research and implementing research policies where none existed previously. The model combines NIH training and pilot research funds with on-campus outreach and professional development, to effect change in the research culture at a primarily undergraduate teaching university. Challenges discussed include how best to engage faculty with heavy teaching loads, managing unrealistic faculty expectations about grants and funding, the need to engage institutional leaders in creating a strategic research development plan, locating researcher-appropriate funding opportunities, and developing partnerships to augment research opportunities at non-research institutions. The successes and challenges that emerged can inform research administrators of the needs of faculty while they act as agents of change at universities seeking to increase faculty-student research and funding. (Contains 2 tables.)

Motivation to learn science plays an important role in the persistence, achievement, and career aspirations of students studying science, technology, engineering and math (STEM). Several studies have focused on how supplemental summer programmes build science motivation in undergraduate STEM students, but few studies have focused on how such programmes build motivation in high school students. This study assessed how the Emerging Scholars Environmental Health Sciences Academy, a supplemental summer science programme for public high school students in Louisiana, Alabama, and Florida in the southern United States, influenced participants' science motivation, as measured by the Science Motivation Questionnaire II (SMQII). The SMQII assesses five motivation factors for learning science: intrinsic motivation, self-determination, self-efficacy, career motivation, and grade motivation. Participants (n = 45) completed the SMQII before and after completing the academy, which allowed students to learn, apply, and experience environmental health science. Results indicated a statistically significant increase in motivation to learn science among participants, particularly for self-determination and career motivation. Inquiry-based learning, individual mentoring, and exposure to environmental health careers may explain why the academy was effective in positively influencing participants' self-determination and career motivation. Finally, practical lessons learned for implementing a supplemental science programme for high school students are provided.

The Lewis acid-base model is key to identifying and explaining the formation and breaking of bonds in a large number of reaction mechanisms taught in the sophomore-level year-long organic chemistry course. Understanding the model is, thus, essential to success in organic chemistry coursework. Concept-inventories exist to identify misunderstandings and misconceptions of acid-base theories; open-ended problems, though, have been shown to provide a more nuanced and holistic understanding of how students use acid-base models to explain reactions. The time necessary to score such problems, however, limits their use, especially in large student enrollment courses. Given the efficacy of open-ended problems, there is occasion for the development of methods to efficiently and effectively analyze open-ended assessment responses. In this study, we establish the importance of assessing "use of the Lewis acid-base model to explain a chemical reaction" by determining the association of model use with summative examination performance. In addition, we generate and evaluate a binomial logistic regression model based on lexical analysis techniques for predicting Lewis acid-base model use in explanations of an acid-base proton-transfer reaction. Our work results in a predictive model that can be used to score the open-ended problem used in our study.

Introduction: Many military service members and civilians suffer from lower extremity trauma. Despite recent advancements in lower limb bracing technology, it remains unclear whether these newer advanced braces offer improved comfort and functionality compared to conventional options. The IDEO (Intrepid Dynamic Exoskeletal Orthosis), a type of "advanced" orthosis was developed to assist in maintaining high functional performance in patients who have experienced high-energy lower extremity trauma and underwent limb salvage surgeries. Methods: A cross-sector multi-site initiative was completed to study the efficacy of advanced ankle foot orthoses (AFO) for lower limb trauma and injury compared to a conventional AFO. Following fitting, training, and accommodation, the subjects were assessed in each AFO system for mobility, self-reported function, safety and pain, and preference. Results: They preferred the advanced over the conventional AFO and the mobility and exertion perception improved with the advanced AFO with no difference in pain or overall health status scores. Discussion: Thus, an advanced AFO is an option for trauma affecting the lower limb. Long-term studies are required to better understand the accommodation and learning process of using an advanced AFO. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Extreme Risk Protection Orders (ERPOs) allow a court to restrict firearm access for individuals ("respondents") at imminent risk of harm to self/others. Little is known about ERPOs use for older adults, a population with higher rates of suicide and dementia. We abstracted ERPO cases through June 30, 2020, from California, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Maryland, and Washington. We restricted our analysis to petitions for older (≥65 years) respondents, stratified by documented cognitive impairment. Among 6,699 ERPO petitions, 672 (10.0%) were for older adults; 13.7% (n = 92) of these noted cognitive impairment. Most were white (75.7%) men (90.2%). Cognitively impaired (vs. non-impaired) respondents were older (mean age 78.2 vs 72.7 years) and more likely to have documented irrational/erratic behavior (30.4% vs 15.7%), but less likely to have documented suicidality (33.7% vs 55.0%). At the time of the petition, 56.2% of older adult respondents had documented firearm access (median accessible firearms = 3, range 1–160). Approximately 14% of ERPO petitions for older adults involved cognitive impairment; one-third of these noted suicide risk. Studies examining ERPO implementation across states may inform usage and awareness. ERPOs may reduce firearm access among older adults with cognitive impairment, suicidality, or risk of violence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract. Schinia scissa (Grote) is endemic to Florida and one of the most rarely-encountered North American flower moths (Heliothinae), known to science from less than 10 specimens for nearly 150 years. The life history and larval host plant, previously unknown, is documented here for the first time. Larvae feed on the flowering parts of Arcadian St. John's Wort (Hypericum edisonianum, Hypericaceae), and circumstantial evidence indicates other Hypericum species may be suitable hosts as well. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Advanced Care at Home is a Mayo Clinic hospital-at-home (HaH) program that provides hospital-level care for patients. The study examines patient- and community-level factors that influence health outcomes. The authors performed a retrospective study using patient data from July 2020 to December 2022. The study includes 3 Mayo Clinic centers and community-level data from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. The authors conducted binary logistic regression analyses to examine the relationship among the independent variables (patient- and community-level characteristics) and dependent variables (30-day readmission, mortality, and escalation of care back to the brick-and-mortar hospital). The study examined 1433 patients; 53% were men, 90.58% were White, and 68.2% were married. The mortality rate was 2.8%, 30-day readmission was 11.4%, and escalation back to brick-and-mortar hospitals was 8.7%. At the patient level, older age and male gender were significant predictors of 30-day mortality (P-value <0.05), older age was a significant predictor of 30-day readmission (P-value <0.05), and severity of illness was a significant predictor for readmission, mortality, and escalation back to the brick-and-mortar hospital (P-value <0.01). Patients with COVID-19 were less likely to experience readmission, mortality, or escalations (P-value <0.05). At the community level, the Gini Index and internet access were significant predictors of mortality (P-value <0.05). Race and ethnicity did not significantly predict adverse outcomes (P-value >0.05). This study showed promise in equitable treatment of diverse patient populations. The authors discuss and address health equity issues to approximate the vision of inclusive HaH delivery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Patients with cancer undergoing curative-intent cancer surgery may require intraoperative blood transfusions. However, blood transfusions are not benign and can alone lead to increased risk of complications, infections, and mortality. This research was conducted to help understand this intervention's long-term complications (at 1 year postoperatively) to help improve approaches to managing these patients' complications. Materials and Methods: This was a prospective cohort study. Data for analysis were collected from the cases of all patients who received blood transfusions during curative cancer surgery at the H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute, Tampa, FL, from December 1, 2021, to December 31, 2021. Results: In this timeframe, 604 patients had curative-intent cancer surgery, and 32 of them had intraoperative blood transfusions. Of the 32, 19 survived 1 year postoperatively while 13 died within 1 year postoperatively. Patients who died within that 1 year had significantly higher rates of vascular complications (p < 0.006). Additionally, 18/32 (54.54%) received more than 1 unit of blood. At that 1-year mark, there was no notable disparity observed between the 2 groups (1 unit versus multiple units of transfused blood) with regard to postoperative complications, mortality rates, or durations of hospital stay. Conclusions: Patients who did not survive 1 year postoperatively had many more vascular complications (e.g., pulmonary embolism and deep-vein thrombosis), compared to patients who survived to the same postoperative time point. To gain a deeper insight into this phenomenon, future studies with larger sample sizes are necessary. (J GYNECOL SURG 20XX:000) [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Numerous modelling techniques exist to estimate abundance of plant and animal populations. The most accurate methods account for multiple complexities found in ecological data, such as observational biases, spatial autocorrelation, and species correlations. There is, however, a lack of user‐friendly and computationally efficient software to implement the various models, particularly for large data sets.We developed the spAbundance R package for fitting spatially explicit Bayesian single‐species and multi‐species hierarchical distance sampling models, N‐mixture models, and generalized linear mixed models. The models within the package can account for spatial autocorrelation using Nearest Neighbour Gaussian Processes and accommodate species correlations in multi‐species models using a latent factor approach, which enables model fitting for data sets with large numbers of sites and/or species.We provide three vignettes and three case studies that highlight spAbundance functionality. We used spatially explicit multi‐species distance sampling models to estimate density of 16 bird species in Florida, USA, an N‐mixture model to estimate black‐throated blue warbler (Setophaga caerulescens) abundance in New Hampshire, USA, and a spatial linear mixed model to estimate forest above‐ground biomass across the continental USA.spAbundance provides a user‐friendly, formula‐based interface to fit a variety of univariate and multivariate spatially explicit abundance models. The package serves as a useful tool for ecologists and conservation practitioners to generate improved inference and predictions on the spatial drivers of abundance in populations and communities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Affective factors such as the achievement emotions are considered critical for students' academic performance in STEM degree programmes and careers. In this study, a reciprocal causation model was tested between two affective factors: enjoyment and anxiety, and organic chemistry course performance. Each variable was measured three times in four sections of a first semester organic chemistry course. This study investigates a reciprocal causation relationship between anxiety, enjoyment and achievement as measured by exam performance compared to unidirectional structures of performance and affect relationships. Results show that the reciprocal causation model with an exam snowballing effect best fits data among the alternative models. There is a small and significant negative relationship between anxiety and performance contrasted with a positive relationship between enjoyment and performance throughout the semester. The evidence of the reciprocal relationship between anxiety, enjoyment and achievement indicates that instructors of organic chemistry can work to eliminate factors associated with low performance. Gathering information regarding anxiety and enjoyment along with performance can inform educators about the emotional state of their classrooms. Future research should consider achievement emotions in light of educational reforms to ensure that innovative curricula or pedagogies are functioning in the classroom as intended.

Academic Motivation Scale-Chemistry (AMS-Chemistry), an instrument based on the self-determination theory, was used to evaluate students' motivation in two organic chemistry courses, where one course was primarily lecture-based and the other implemented flipped classroom and peer-led team learning (Flip-PLTL) pedagogies. Descriptive statistics showed that students in both courses were more extrinsically motivated and their motivation moved in negative directions across the semester. Factorial multivariate analysis of covariance revealed a main effect of pedagogical approach. Students in the Flip-PLTL environment were significantly more motivated toward chemistry at the end of the semester while controlling for the motivation pre-test scores; however, there was no evidence for a sex main effect or an interaction effect between sex and pedagogical approach. Correlation results revealed variable relationships between motivation subscales and academic achievement at different time points. In general, intrinsic motivation subscales were significantly and positively correlated with student academic achievement; "Amotivation" was negatively correlated with academic achievement. The findings in this study showed the importance of Flip-PLTL pedagogies in improving student motivation toward chemistry.

Research on classroom response systems (CRSs) in chemical education has primarily focused on the development of evidence-based strategies for implementation and novel practitioner uses of CRSs in instructional practice. Our national survey of postsecondary chemistry faculty extends these discussions, providing a broad-based understanding of the current state of CRS use in classrooms in the United States. Our results indicate a particular contextual profile for those who have adopted such technology. This profile indicates the unique environment in which faculty members are more likely to report using CRSs, specifically, large courses at the introductory or foundation course level. Some have suggested that CRSs will become universal in chemical education; we note that a niche market has been found.

There are two primary means to prevent the abuse of collegiality and transform it into a shield to protect the most vulnerable. First, colleges and universities should follow the examples of their peers by developing clear definitions of what types of behavior constitute collegiality and what types of activity are protected as academic freedom or personal preference. Second, instruments such as the Collegiality Assessment Matrix (CAM) and Self-Assessment Matrix (S-AM) can be adopted to reduce the degree of subjectivity that may occur in appraisal of a person's collegiality. These instruments also can initiate broader discussion of the importance of collegiality in higher education. In this article the authors present: (1) The Potential for Harm in Evaluating Collegiality; (2) Defining Collegiality; (3) Assessing Collegiality; (4) Validating Assessment of Collegiality.

Many gregarious insect species use aggregation and alarm pheromones. The bed bug, Cimex lectularius L., emits an alarm pheromone (AP), a 70/30 blend of (E)-2-hexenal and (E)-2-octenal, when threatened. Bed bugs avoid temperatures above 43 °C, which are lethal to bugs and used commercially as spatial heat treatments to manage infestations. However, the interaction of bed bug AP in heat avoidance has not been investigated. The goal of this research was to: 1) determine if bed bugs emit AP as an alarm response to heat exposure, and 2) quantify the behavioral responses of conspecifics to AP emitted by heat-exposed bed bugs. Using a selected ion flow tube mass spectrometer, we found that bed bugs responded to lethal and sublethal heat exposure by emitting AP. The Harlan laboratory population emitted more pheromone than a laboratory adapted field population from Florida (McCall). Harlan females emitted the most AP, followed by Harlan males, McCall females and males. In separate behavioral experiments, we showed that conspecifics (i.e., recipients) reacted to AP released by heat exposed bed bugs (i.e., emitters) by frantically moving within 50 mm and 100 mm test arenas. The Harlan recipients reacted to AP in 100 mm areas, whereas the McCall strain did not, indicating a short area of effectiveness of the AP. Synthetic AP components tested in behavioral experiments caused identical effects as the natural AP blend released by heat-exposed bed bugs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Thielaviopsis paradoxa sensu lato is a soilborne fungal pathogen that causes Thielaviopsis trunk rot and heart rot in palms. The loss of structural integrity resulting from trunk rot can cause the palm trunk to collapse suddenly and poses a serious threat to life and property. Even though rudimentary knowledge about the Thielaviopsis infection process in palms is available, nothing is known about the T. paradoxa species complex in the US. The aim of this study was to characterize T. paradoxa s. lat. isolates collected from diseased palms grown in Florida. Multi-locus phylogeny using three genes, ITS, β-tubulin, and tef1-α, revealed that the isolates separate into two distinct clades with high bootstrap support. The majority of the isolates clustered with the species T. ethacetica, while two isolates formed a separate clade, distinct from T. musarum, and might represent an undescribed Thielaviopsis species. One representative isolate from each clade, when grown on three distinct media and at four different temperatures, showed differences in gross colony morphology, as well as growth rates. The T. ethacetica isolate TP5448 and the Thielaviopsis sp. isolate PLM300 grew better at opposite ends of the temperature spectrum tested in this study, i.e., 35 °C and 10 °C, respectively. In pathogenicity assays on whole plants, the T. ethacetica isolate proved to be more aggressive than Thielaviopsis sp. isolate PLM300, as it produced larger lesions when inoculated on wounded leaflets. An unequal distribution was observed for the mating-type locus of T. ethacetica, as 12 isolates carried the MAT1-1-1 allele, while the status for four isolates remained undefined. Variation in mycelial growth in response to different fungicides was also observed between the two clades. These results demonstrate the existence of two Thielaviopsis clades that can infect palms in Florida and underscore the need for targeted sampling to help uncover the diversity of Thielaviopsis species across palm-growing regions in the US. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The use of high tunnels, which allows growers to extend their season and improve yields, is increasing in the Southeastern U.S., yet growers face challenges related to weed and disease management, particularly in organic systems. On-station experiments were conducted during fall 2021 and spring 2022 in a split-plot design to assess the efficacy of anaerobic soil disinfestation (ASD) in high tunnels for the organic production of direct-seeded baby leaf lettuce. Soil treatments (ASD, Compost, and Control) and lettuce types (romaine and oakleaf cultivars) were included in whole plots and subplots, respectively. The ASD-treated soils received molasses and granular organic fertilizer as carbon and nitrogen sources. The Compost treatment involved the application of yard waste-based compost and the same organic fertilizer, while the Control soils received organic fertilizer only. The ASD treatment period lasted 8 days rather than the typical 21-day period evaluated in Florida. Crop yield, biometrics (leafy dry matter content, specific leaf area, specific leaf weight), and lettuce quality attributes (leaf color, soluble solids content, total titratable acidity, ferric reducing antioxidant power, ascorbic acid content, total phenolics) were assessed following harvest. In both trials, numerical differences in lettuce fresh weight yield between soil treatments were evident, though not statistically significant. Differences in leaf quality attributes were driven by lettuce cultivar rather than soil treatments. Bottom rot incidence caused by Rhizoctonia solani was reduced by 93% and 87% in the ASD-treated plots compared with the Compost- and Control-treated soils during the spring 2022 trial. The ASD-treated soils had a reduced population density of broadleaf weeds in both baby leaf lettuce production trials. The current study presents novel evidence of the potential of integrating ASD into HT organic production systems without reducing the yield and quality attributes of direct-seeded baby leafy greens compared with common grower practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Asian swamp eels (Monopterus albus/javanensis) were first reported as introduced to Florida waterbodies in 1997 near Tampa and Miami; a third population was recorded by 1999 in Homestead. Initial assessments, published soon after swamp eels in southern Florida were first recorded in wetlands beyond canals and ponds (in 2007), concluded there was little threat to Florida’s aquatic ecosystems. Long-term data now suggest they precipitated population crashes of crayfishes and small fishes in the eastern Everglades. We used records from continuous long-term monitoring programs, sporadic monitoring studies, and online databases to reconstruct swamp eel presence across Florida. Monitoring studies provided wetland hydrologic variables to assess limits for swamp eels. From 1997–2007, populations in southern Florida remained restricted to canals; initial spread from 2007–2017 across southern Everglades National Park proceeded slowly and the two populations covered ~1500 km² of southern Florida. From 2017–2022, the rate of spread increased as they spread west and north (~5800 km² range). Through 2014, the Tampa population occurred only along southern/eastern Tampa Bay (~60 km²) but has since spread south along the Gulf Coast, east into central Florida, and south along the Lake Wales Ridge (~11,000 km²). We found evidence of two potentially new introductions, in Palm Beach County and Orlando. There was no clear evidence of limitation of wetland drying on swamp eel occurrence in the Everglades; they were captured in marshes that dried for 1–5 months during the previous dry season, but short-hydroperiod wetlands may have slowed spread. In the Everglades, evidence suggests swamp eels may have been inadvertently spread into marshes from canals used to deliver water for flood control and hydrologic restoration. Swamp eels are currently spreading unchecked across Florida, and there should be great concern about continued spread in this region and their establishment and spread elsewhere. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]