HURRICANE PREPARATIONS

Hurricane-proofing homes: Bob Stroh is a research professor in the Rinker School of Building Construction and director of the Shimberg Center for Housing Studies in the College of Design, Construction & Planning. He specializes in techniques and materials that minimize hurricane damage in new and existing homes. 352-273-1192, stroh@ufl.edu.

Hurricane-resistant building construction: Pierce Jones, professor of agricultural and biological engineering, has worked with builders specializing in hurricane-resistant homes and can discuss construction methods that reduce wind damage. 352-392-8074, piercejones@ufl.edu.

HURRICANE SCIENCE

Frequency and intensity of hurricanes: Corene Matyas, an assistant professor of geography, investigates the frequency and intensity of hurricanes, their tendencies for certain landfall locations, their rainfall patterns, and the characteristics that affect hurricanes’ formation and life cycle. 352-392-0494, matyas@ufl.edu.

Extreme wind effects and wind-driven rain: Forrest Masters, an assistant professor of civil and coastal engineering, can provide information on the hurricane wind field and damage to homes. Masters tests homes and home components using a mobile, 2,800-horsepower hurricane simulator. 352-392-9537, ext. 1505, masters@ce.ufl.edu.

Wind speed, force and impact on buildings: Kurt Gurley, an associate professor of civil and coastal engineering, can provide information on ground-level hurricane wind speeds and wind forces on residential structures. 352-392-9537, ext. 1508, kgurl@ce.ufl.edu.

How wind affects homes and buildings: David Prevatt, an assistant professor of civil and coastal engineering, can discuss both present and past construction techniques in homes and buildings and what protections they offer against hurricanes. He can also explain how to retrofit older homes to make them more hurricane worthy, an important issue in Florida, where the majority of homes were built before the state’s most recent stringent hurricane codes were in place. 352-392-9537 ext. 1495, dprev@ce.ufl.edu.

Hurricane-induced storm surge, wave, coastal inundation and coastal erosion: Peter Sheng, a professor of civil and coastal engineering, is an expert in coastal hazard and coastal ecosystem restoration. He is also a national leader in the simulation and forecasting of hurricane-induced storm surge, wave, coastal inundation and coastal erosion. Among other efforts, he has produced his own methodology for developing a more accurate Flood Insurance Rate Map for U.S. coastal counties. He has also run a forecasting system for storm surge, wave and inundation in recent hurricane seasons. Sheng is a member of the National Academies’ Committee on New Orleans Regional Hurricane Protection System and the National Academies’ Committee on FEMA Flooding Mapping. Sheng is also the lead principal investigator of the NOAA-funded Regional Storm Surge and Inundation Model Testbed for the Southeastern U.S.352-392-9537, ext. 1521, pete@coastal.ufl.edu.

Predicting storm surge: Don Slinn, an associate professor of civil and coastal engineering, researches the coastal impact of waves and flooding from hurricanes. He has helped to develop computer models that predict likely storm surge for Atlantic storms and examine effects of waves and flooding on beaches and buildings. 352- 392-9537, ext. 1431, slinn@coastal.ufl.edu.

IMPACT OF HURRICANES ON URBAN ENVIRONMENT

Wind damage to structures and utilities: Ron Cook, professor of civil engineering, can discuss wind damage to buildings, Florida’s hurricane-related building codes and how hurricanes affect utilities. 352-392-9537, ext. 1507, rcook@ce.ufl.edu.

Hurricanes and the insurance industry: David Nye, a professor of finance and insurance, can answer questions related to hurricane damage and the insurance industry. 352-392-6649, dnye@ufl.edu.

Damage to water and wastewater systems: Carol Hinton and Chris Roeder, associate director and senior training specialist with the UF Center for Training, Research and Education for Environmental Occupations, operate a statewide system that helps public water and wastewater utilities assist one another during emergency situations. The system, called FlaWARN, consists of a secure Web-based data bank of available resources and a practical mutual aid agreement. It works by matching personnel with the necessary tools and equipment to assess and assist damaged water and wastewater systems as quickly as possible following a hurricane or other emergency. 352-392-9570, ext. 209, chinton@treeo.ufl.edu; 352-392-9570, ext. 203, croeder@treeo.ufl.edu.

Barge vs. bridge accidents: Gary Consolazio, an associate professor of civil engineering, has done extensive research on how to make bridges better able to withstand barge collisions while reducing their cost. 352-392-9537, ext. 1510, grc@ufl.edu.

IMPACT OF HURRICANES ON NATURAL ENVIRONMENT

Hurricanes’ impact on beaches: Bob Dean, a UF graduate research professor emeritus in civil and coastal engineering, is one of the nation’s leading experts on beach erosion and has studied the effects of several hurricanes on Florida’s beaches. He is also knowledgeable about sea-level rise and hurricanes. 352-392-9537, ext. 1430, dean@coastal.ufl.edu.

Quantifying hurricane damage of beaches: Ramesh Shrestha, a professor of civil and coastal engineering, leads UF’s participation in the National Center for Airborne Laser Mapping. The university owns and operates airborne and ground-based laser mapping units to quickly and accurately map hundreds of miles of beaches and coastal areas to obtain damage estimates following storms. 352-392-4999, Rshre@ce.ufl.edu.

Tree protection: Ed Gilman, a professor with the environmental horticulture department, is an expert in tree health and storm damage to trees. He can address topics such as tree placement, pruning, maintenance, damage prevention and evaluation of tree health after hurricanes. (cell) 352-262-9165, egilman@ufl.edu.

Rebuilding/maintaining sand dunes: Deborah Miller, an associate professor of wildlife ecology and conservation based at UF’s West Florida Research and Education Center in Milton, has studied the best ways to rebuild sand dunes destroyed by hurricanes. 850-983-5216, ext. 104, dlmi@ufl.edu.

HURRICANES AND PEOPLE

Demographic effects of hurricanes: Stan Smith and Chris McCarty, with UF’s Bureau of Economic and Business Research, can discuss how hurricanes prompt people to relocate, both temporarily and permanently. Smith, director of the bureau, and McCarty, director of survey programs, did a study of the 2004 hurricanes that found nearly 4.5 million Floridians evacuated their homes at one time or another during the summer. The study also estimated that 2.6 million of Florida’s 8.1 million housing units were damaged by the storms. The researchers co-authored a 1996 paper that found that Hurricane Andrew forced 353,000 Dade County residents from their homes temporarily and that almost 40,000 people left the county permanently as a result of the storm. McCarty can be reached 352-392-2908, ext. 101, ufchris@ufl.edu; Smith, 352-392-0171, ext. 210, sksmith@ufl.edu.

How hurricanes affect communities: Anthony Oliver-Smith, retired professor of anthropology, has spent three decades studying the social impacts of disasters and how communities re-emerge from destruction. 352-392-2253, ext. 251, aros@ufl.edu.

Psychological impacts of hurricanes: Brenda Wiens, a research assistant professor and psychologist in the department of clinical and health psychology and the National Rural Behavioral Health Center, can speak about the mental health effects of hurricanes and other natural disasters. 352-273-5120, wiens@ufl.edu.

Economic effects of hurricanes: David Denslow, director of the Economic Analysis Program at UF’s Bureau of Business and Economic Research and a distinguished service professor in economics, can provide information about how hurricanes affect the economy. 352-392-0171, ext. 340, denslow@ufl.edu.

Hurricanes and pets/farm animals: John Haven, director of the UF College of Veterinary Medicine, directs the college’s All Animals, All Hazards Disaster Response Team and has participated in animal care operations related to hurricanes, fires and disease outbreaks. He is also a member of the State Agriculture Response Team, coordinator for the State Veterinary Reserve Corps disaster response team, and an Incident Command System Instructor. 352-392-2213, ext. 3154, havenj@vetmed.ufl.edu.

Hurricane cleanup and safety: Jimmie Hinze, professor of building construction and director of UF’s Center for Construction Safety and Loss Control, is an expert on construction safety. He can discuss the hazards and health threats that workers face during post-hurricane reconstruction and remediation efforts. 352-273-1167, hinze@ufl.edu.

Date and Time:
Friday, June 5, 2009, 3:00 p.m.

Place:
202 Tigert Hall, University of Florida

Purpose:
To Discuss Issues Coming Before the Committee

A copy of the agenda may be obtained by writing to: Mr. Brian Beach, Post Office Box 113150, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida 32611 or by calling 352-392-1311.

Pursuant to the provisions of the Americans with Disabilities Act, any person requiring special accommodations to participate in this meeting is asked to advise University of Florida at least 72 hours before the meeting by contacting Brian Beach at 352-392-1311. If you are hearing or speech impaired, please contact the University by calling (FRS) 1-800-955-8771 (TDD).

Any person who wishes to appeal a decision made by the University of Florida with respect to any matter considered at this public meeting will need a record of the proceedings, and for such purpose, he or she may need to ensure that a verbatim record of the proceedings is made, which record includes the testimony and evidence upon which the appeal is based.

Date and Time:
Wednesday, June 3, 2009, 9:00 a.m.

Place:
239 Tigert Hall, University of Florida

Purpose:
To Discuss Issues Coming Before the Committee

A copy of the agenda may be obtained by writing to: Mr. Brian Beach, Post Office Box 113150, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida 32611 or by calling 352-392-1311.

Pursuant to the provisions of the Americans with Disabilities Act, any person requiring special accommodations to participate in this meeting is asked to advise University of Florida at least 72 hours before the meeting by contacting Brian Beach at 352-392-1311. If you are hearing or speech impaired, please contact the University by calling (FRS) 1-800-955-8771 (TDD).

Any person who wishes to appeal a decision made by the University of Florida with respect to any matter considered at this public meeting will need a record of the proceedings, and for such purpose, he or she may need to ensure that a verbatim record of the proceedings is made, which record includes the testimony and evidence upon which the appeal is based.

Juan F. Perea
Cone Wagner Nugent Johnson & Roth Professor
Areas of expertise: legal history of race and race relations, constitutional law, employment discrimination. Perea is UF’s first Latino law professor and teaches constitutional law so he’s very familiar with the nomination process. He can also speak on the significance of Sotomayor’s nomination to the Latino community. Contact: 352-273-0918 or (cell) 352-514-9375 or perea@law.ufl.edu

Jon L. Mills
Professor; Director of Center For Governmental Responsibility; Dean Emeritus
Areas of expertise: Florida constitutional law, international trade, environmental law, legislative drafting. Contact: 352-273-0844 or Mills@law.ufl.edu

Michael Seigel
Interim Director of Clinical Programs; Professor
Areas of expertise: evidence, criminal law, white collar crime, organized crime, criminal investigations. Contact: 352-273-0914 or (cell) 813-264-9456 or seigel@law.ufl.edu

Lyrissa Barnett Lidsky
Associate Dean For Faculty Development,
Professor, UF Research Foundation Professor
Areas of expertise: Internet law, torts (specializing in defamation & invasion of privacy), mass media professionalism. Contact: 352-273-0941 or lidsky@law.ufl.edu

The plan calls for $30.6 million in specific cuts, which reflect the permanent loss of recurring state funding. About 150 faculty and staff positions will be eliminated through a combination of vacant positions, retirements and nonrenewals. Nine faculty and 49 staff members are expected to be laid off. Specific programs and departments will be eliminated, merged or have a new source of funding. There will be no faculty or staff raises, except for promotion and salary pay plan raises for eligible faculty.

Several administrative and universitywide initiatives have been identified, including changes to payouts for sick leave and vacation upon separation from UF, which are expected to save the university as much as $8 million.

Cuts amounting to $3.6 million have not yet been identified. Numerous budget reduction proposals are being vetted to cover this shortfall, including a reorganization of communications offices campuswide.

The budget reduction plan will be voted on by the UF Board of Trustees during a 3:30 p.m. telephone meeting Tuesday.

For more information, contact Janine Sikes, director of communications integration, at 352-214-6807 or jysikes@ufl.edu.

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Contact lenses improve eye treatment

UF researchers developed soft contact lenses that contain tiny drug-filled particles capable of releasing medications slowly and steadily into the eye. Apeliotus Ophthalmics of Atlanta is developing contact lens drug delivery systems based on this technology, which will offer the promise of easy administration and steady delivery over extended periods. The ophthalmic drug market is estimated at $10 billion worldwide. Glaucoma is the largest segment with 40 percent of the market, but there are tens of millions of people suffering from other ocular diseases such as age-related macular degeneration, dry eye, allergies and inflammation.
Contact: John Edwards, 404-875-9561, jedwards@apeliotus.com
Related story:
http://news.ufl.edu/2003/03/23/lensmeds/

Interactive simulations educate doctors, history students

Burn Center, an interactive Web-based training program developed by UF experts to model a mass disaster involving patients with burn injuries, is one of two initial products developed by
360Ed Inc of Orlando. The company was founded in 2006 with the mission of providing interactive content to the education and training industries. The ability to develop and publish a wide array of educational products will enable 360Ed to build product line suites that will garner a significant share of the K-12, professional development and post-secondary markets. The company also has created Conspiracy Code, a full-credit adventure game course in American history developed with subject matter experts from the Florida Virtual School.
www.360Ed.com
Contact: Benjamin L. Noel, 407-310-3180, bnoel@360Ed.com
Related story:
http://news.ufl.edu/2008/09/02/burn-center/

Security system uses ultraviolet light to detect explosives

Delta R Detection of Gainesville is developing an explosive detection system that instantly, reliably, and inexpensively detects the presence of TNT and other explosives simply by shining ultraviolet light on an object that may potentially have traces of explosives. This technology invented by UF researchers uses differential reflectometry that casts light on a material and analyzes the reflected light the material produces in response. The demand for new and improved security measures has increased dramatically because of terrorist threats. Delta R Detection initially plans to partner with Proxitronic Industries to produce the DR scanner and sell it to the Transportation Security Administration in the U.S. and throughout Europe.
Contact: Thierry Dubroca, 352-262-7778, dubroca@ufl.edu
Related story:
http://news.ufl.edu/2004/10/07/tntdetect/
This is the second in a series of periodic reports on UF spinoff companies.

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Back then, America’s scientists devised a system to ensure astronauts’ food stayed safe. That system, called Hazard Analysis of Critical Point, became the U.S. industry standard.

HACCP (pronounced “hassip”) is largely based on choosing points during handling and processing to eliminate or reduce as many possible hazards from food. While the method has given America an unparalleled level of food safety, there are new options to explore.

Featuring articles from UF’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, the new issue of the Journal of Current Opinion in Biotechnology focuses on applying recent scientific discoveries to food safety.

“We have to look at everything we know about the whole system,” said microbiologist Max Teplitski, who co-authored the journal’s lead editorial with food scientist Anita Wright. “And we know a lot more than we knew half a century ago. Recent food safety scares have shown us that maybe it’s time we started applying that knowledge.”

Topics such as biofilms and some aspects of genetics research are so new that they haven’t had time to be used in food safety systems, or need more study. Others, such as probiotics and stress-resistant bacteria, are slowly being integrated.

Some of the topics reviewed:

Stress-resistant bacteria — Bacteria can adapt to decontamination methods, such as heating. For example, a heat-resistant strain of Salmonella has become problematic for the almond industry.

Biofilms — Some bacteria, when under stress, clump together in a thick layer of protective goo. This extremely tough formation, called a biofilm, resists heat, cold and antibiotics.

Bacterial growth patterns — New research shows bacteria that can harm humans can also grow inside plants, instead of just on their surface, meaning that rinsing produce might not make it safe to eat.

Probiotics and live food –Bacterial growth research could be essential to promoting healthy bacteria in products like yogurt and specialty cheeses. For example, closely controlling active yogurt cultures may help produce products to help digestion in the elderly or very young.

Genetics — Much of the genetic work with food crops so far has focused on making things easier for farmers, such as insect-resistant crops. But the future of transgenic food will help consumers, geneticist Maria Gallo says.

Using genetics to boost a plant’s own defense mechanisms may allow researchers to enhance food safety with fewer chemicals applied on the way to the consumer. And transgenic food will offer extra nutrition and fewer allergens and toxins.

“But we need to develop a system in which we are very careful,” she said. “If you make a peanut without allergens, you have to be sure to get rid of all the allergens, or else you could make someone very sick. On the way to food safety, you have to be sure that you don’t become the problem yourself.”

Max Teplitski, an assistant professor in microbiology, can be reached at 352-273-8189 or maxtep@ufl.edu.

Anita Wright, an associate professor in food science and human nutrition, can be reached at 352-392-1991 or acw@ufl.edu.

Maria Gallo, a molecular genetics professor, can be reached at 352-273-8124 or mgm@ufl.edu.

The swine flu is a type A influenza, of the H1N1 strain. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has reported there is no vaccine to prevent the new swine flu, but some antiflu drugs appear to be effective.

Experts from several different departments in the College of Medicine, the College of Public Health and Health Professions, the College of Veterinary Medicine and the Emerging Pathogens Institute at the University of Florida have worked closely with Alachua County Health Department officials on influenza preparedness and strategies to prevent and contain flu outbreaks should they occur. As a result, there is a communitywide effort under way to develop a free, school-based influenza immunization program, scheduled for implementation this fall in Alachua Country schools. University experts and the Alachua County Health Department will continue to work together to ensure that optimal flu prevention strategies are in place for the community.

The following experts are available to discuss swine flu and flu outbreaks with the media:

J. Glenn Morris, M.D., professor and director of UF Emerging Pathogens Institute
Expertise: emerging diseases/infectious diseases
Office: 352-273-7526; Cell: 352-234-0836
Web: www.epi.ufl.edu

Fred Southwick, M.D., chief of infectious diseases, College of Medicine
Expertise: Infectious diseases
Southwick Lab: 352-392-4058
Email: southfs@medmac.ufl.edu
Web: http://www.medicine.ufl.edu/infecdis/southwick_lab/

Phillip Barkley, M.D., director, UF Student Health Care Center
Expertise: Student health, university preparedness
Office: 352-273-5810

Kenneth Rand, M.D., professor, department of pathology, immunology and laboratory medicine, College of Medicine
Expertise: Microarrays for viral discovery, biomedical research
Office: 352-265-9919
Email: rand@pathology.ufl.edu
Web: http://www.pathology.ufl.edu/~kenrand/

Lennox Archibald, M.D., hospital epidemiologist for Shands at the University of Florida and adjunct professor of epidemiology, division of epidemiology, College of Medicine
Expertise: Infectious diseases
Phone: 352-273-5810
Web: http://www.medicine.ufl.edu/infecdis/archibald.asp

Paul Gibbs. Ph.D., FRCVS, professor of virology, department of infectious diseases and pathology, College of Veterinary Medicine
Expertise: Epidemiology, emerging viral diseases
Email: pgibbs@ufl.edu
Phone: 352-392-2239
Web: http://www.vetmed.ufl.edu/directory/paulgibbs.html

Jean Munden, director, Alachua County Health Department
Expertise: County preparedness; UF community partner
Office: 352-334-7902
Web: http://www.doh.state.fl.us/chdAlachua/index.htm

• Vadaparampil graduated from UF with a bachelor’s degree. and master’s degree in health science education. She has a master’s in public health out from Johns Hopkins University and a doctoral degree in health behavior from Indiana University.
• In 2009, she was tenured and promoted to the rank of associate member at Moffitt Cancer Center. She also holds an adjunct faculty appointment at the University of South Florida College of Public Health and is an adjunct scientist in the Clinical Genetics Branch at the National Cancer Institute.
• Vadaparampil is receiving the UF Outstanding Young Alumni Award at a ceremony on Saturday
• The D.K. Stanley Lecture is presented annually by the College of Health and Human Performance. It was established in 1986 as a memorial to Dennis Keith “Dutch” Stanley, in recognition of his many contributions to the professions of physical education, health education and recreation. Stanley had a lifelong interest in intercollegiate athletics and the athlete in the university environment.
• The D.K. Stanley Lecture is funded by the by the Frederick Family Endowment.

To arrange interviews, please contact Michele Dye at 352-392-0578, ext. 1280, or mdye@hhp.ufl.edu.

“The expectations are high among Latin American and Caribbean leaders that if Obama wants to improve relations with Latin America, then normalization of relations with Cuba is the starting point,” said Carmen Diana Deere, director of the Center for Latin American Studies.

Obama has already indicated he will relax Bush-era restrictions limiting visits of Cuban-Americans to the island and how much money they can send to relatives, said Terry McCoy, director of UF’s Latin American Business Environment Program.

“Many see this as the first step in rolling back the travel and trade embargo that Washington has maintained toward the Communist-ruled island since the 1960s,” McCoy said.

Deere said at least a half a dozen Latin American leaders have visited Cuba in the past two months, and they see a need for the U.S. to change a policy that is relic of the Cold War.

“But any move toward friendly relations with the Castro government faces strong opposition at home from the Cuban-American lobby that has been successful in defeating past attempts,” McCoy said.

William A. Messina Jr., an agricultural economist with the food and resource economics department in UF’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, said lifting the travel embargo is unlikely to have a significant impact for U.S. firms because 85 percent to 90 percent of Cuba’s food and agricultural purchases from the United States are bulk or intermediate commodities such as wheat and rice, and are used more to feed the domestic population than tourists. “So I would not expect the demand in Cuba for these products to increase appreciably if travel from the U.S. was open,” he said.

Messina is the founding co-director of his department’s comprehensive research initiative on Cuba’s agricultural sector.

To the extent that tourism increases earnings for Cuban workers, there could be some increased demand for commodities, he said. However, the Cuban government manages to keep workers’ income from increasing very much through the way it controls wage and compensation rates, he added.

Demand from more tourists for consumer-oriented products could increase, and the United States would be the closest supplier for these goods. However, current U.S. policy requires cash payment for all U.S. food and agricultural exports to Cuba, and Cuba is increasingly getting offers from other countries with open credit and extended terms, Messina said. Faced with this, U.S. exporters are operating at a competitive disadvantage, he added.

Purchases from the U.S. of highly perishable consumer-oriented food products for the tourist trade likely would increase. But because this is a relatively small proportion of total U.S. exports, he said, the dollar value of increased imports would probably not be very large.

Deere, a professor of food and resource economics, can be reached at 352-392-0375, ext. 801, or at deere@ufl.edu.

McCoy, a professor emeritus of Latin American studies and political science, can be reached at 352-246-6424, or at tlmccoy@latam.ufl.edu.

Messina can be reached at 352-392-1826, ext. 308, or wamess@ufl.edu.

UF officials say such start-up companies are key to keeping Florida college graduates in the state when they seek jobs. Start-ups also offer an alternative to the state’s traditional reliance on growth and development for economic progress.

This is the first in a series of periodic reports of some of these successful efforts.

Start-up company cuts the cords
WiPower Inc., a start-up company housed in the Gainesville Technology Enterprise Center and based on technology licensed from UF, was featured on the “Today Show” in January in a segment about wireless technologies. WiPower has developed a wireless pad that recharges electronic devices. The company began more than four years ago when Chief Executive Officer Ryan Tseng grew tired of sorting through power adapters and packing them for travel on a bi-weekly basis. The company’s universal wireless power system is simple and convenient. With a single connection to the wall, the system can charge multiple devices at the same time. For a demonstration, visit http://www.wipower.com/media.htm
Company site: www.wipower.com
Contact: Ryan Tseng, 407-402-6387, rtseng@wipowerinc.com

UF start-up develops solar energy products
As electricity consumption continues to increase worldwide, developing products to cost- effectively generate electricity using renewable energy sources is becoming a necessity. Sestar Technologies LLC, a start-up company based on technology licensed from the University of Florida Research Foundation, is developing polymer photovoltaic materials to be used in three markets:

• SolarTurf, a synthetic grass product laced with PV cells that turns a high-maintenance yard into a beautiful, care-free lawn capable of generating eco-friendly electricity.
• SolarFabrics, for use in military tents, camouflage and other fabric applications.
• SolarRec Equipment, in which camping gear incorporates the same capabilities as above.

Additionally, Sestar is developing High Conductive Transparent Electrodes that not only transfer the electricity from the polymer PV products mentioned above to the grid but also introduce a revolutionary patented process and application that will transform flat screen TV technology.

Sestar recently received a $350,000 investment from a UF alumnus for the continuing development of its solar energy products, which it will initially test in Florida, California, Nevada and Arizona.
Contact: Mike Starks, 352-872-2572, Mstarks1@gmail.com

Former UF student joins start-up
For some UF students, research in the lab turns into a promising career after graduation. That’s exactly what happened to Kenneth Chung. As a graduate student in materials science and engineering, he did research on the design, fabrication and testing of engineering surface technology in collaboration with physicians, engineers, biologists and chemists. He was the leader of studies investigating a surface for biofilm inhibition of S. aureus. This technology, inspired by the antimicrobial properties of shark skin, became the basis for a start-up company called Sharklet. Sharklet, the company’s core surface technology, is the first no-kill, nontoxic surface developed to control bacteria including Staph a., Pseudomonas aeruginosa and E. coli. Chung is now the director of research and development for the company.
Company site: www.sharklet.com
Contact: Joe Bagan, 386-418-0078, jbagan@sharklet.com

But severe droughts of the kind predicted to accompany climate change may slow or even reverse this natural process. At best, that could reduce the Amazon’s contribution to ridding the atmosphere of carbon dioxide. At worst, it could transform the rainforest from a carbon sink into a potential carbon source.

So conclude dozens of scientists including a University of Florida doctoral student in a paper set to appear Friday in the journal Science.

“It’s pretty worrying, because most of the climate change models predict a reduction of 20 to 30 percent of rainfall in the eastern Amazon by end of the 21st century, as well as increases in the length of dry seasons,” said Paulo Brando, one of at least 40 authors of the paper and a doctoral student in botany at UF’s School of Natural Resources and Environment.

The scientists studied the Amazon’s response to a severe drought in 2005, the worst to hit the region in at least 100 years. They measured the amount of growth in trees, and how many trees died, in more than 130 test plots spread throughout the huge rainforest over several years. They extrapolated the results to determine how much atmospheric carbon the trees gained or lost in 2005 compared with the other years of more normal rainfall.

“We saw that the drought provided a kind of natural experiment that we could use to evaluate a potential future of the forest,” Brando said.

The scientists’ main conclusion: Most plots that were hit by the drought switched from storing carbon to releasing it, partly because of slowed growth during the drought, but mostly because of the drought-induced death of large trees that would otherwise have taken high amounts of carbon out of the air.

“If you just reduce growth, you can recover it next year if you grow twice as much,” said Brando. “But if you lose big trees, it will take much longer to recover.”

If enough of the Amazon underwent this transformation, it could cease assimilating carbon altogether and instead become a carbon emitter, he said. Deforestation and planting of crops could further impinge the forest’s traditional role as a carbon sink.

One of the control plots the scientists cited – a plot that was not affected by the drought — was maintained by Brando, who is studying the dynamics of forest response to climate change. Brando also analyzed data and contributed other material to the Science paper.

He can be reached for interviews by calling 352-682-4542 or e-mailing paulobrando@gmail.com.

Eric Ford, an assistant professor of astronomy, will help analyze the orbits of the hundreds of planets expected to be discovered by NASA’s Kepler space telescope set for launch aboard an unmanned rocket from Cape Canaveral. He is one of nine experts listed as “participating scientists” in the NASA mission. UF postdoctoral associates, and graduate and undergraduate students are also contributing to the Kepler mission.

The Kepler telescope was designed specifically from its inception for finding planets outside our solar system. While astronomers have already discovered planets larger than Earth, Kepler’s goal is to identify Earth-size or smaller planets — particularly those orbiting in the “habitable zone,” where conditions could allow for liquid water at the surface and might even be ripe for life.

Kepler will survey at least 100,000 stars in the Milky Way galaxy, using what is known as the “transit method” to find planets. The method involves detecting the tiny change in brightness of a star that occurs when a planet crosses in front of its star. Other phenomena such as star spots can also cause a star’s brightness to dim, so it is important to observe multiple dimmings to determine if they are always the same.

“Detecting a regular pattern of transits is difficult from observatories on Earth’s surface because of frequent interruptions due to the sun and bad weather, which make it impossible to observe so many stars continuously,” Ford said. “By observing from above the Earth’s atmosphere, Kepler will be able to make the very-high precision observations needed to detect even Earth-sized planets.”

Ford added, “unlike planets in our solar system, which move in roughly circular orbits, many of the very large planets discovered outside our solar system orbit in elongated ellipses.” His role is to help determine the shape of the orbits of newly discovered planets.

He can be reached for interviews at 510-295-3889 or eford@astro.ufl.edu.

Kepler is a NASA Discovery mission. NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, Calif., is the home organization of the science principal investigator, and is responsible for the ground system development, mission operations and science data analysis. Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif., manages the Kepler mission development. Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corp. of Boulder, Colo., is responsible for developing the Kepler flight system and supporting mission operations.

For more information about the Kepler mission, visit:
http://www.nasa.gov/kepler. Media contacts for the mission are: Whitney Clavin, 818-354-4673, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif., whitney.clavin@jpl.nasa.gov; Michael Mewhinney 650-604-3937, NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, Calif., Michael.mewhinney@nasa.gov.

WHAT: “Strategy to Reality: Implementing the St. Augustine Historic Area Strategic Plan.” Presentations will discuss the potential economic and educational impacts of implementing the strategic plan to improve 33 historic properties in St. Augustine. National experts and case studies will examine similar partnership endeavors for historic preservation. A reception with exhibits by various UF Colleges and entertainment by the UF College of Fine Arts will follow the presentation.

WHEN: 1 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 26. Reception from 4:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.

WHERE: St. Augustine Art Association, 22 Marine St., St. Augustine, Fla.

BACKGROUND: The University of Florida was given the opportunity to assume responsibility for managing certain state-owned historic sites in St. Augustine in 2007. The St. Augustine Historic Area Strategic Plan presents a framework for managing these properties in the historic district to support UF’s educational mission while encouraging positive economic impact and partnerships in the St. Augustine community.

CONTACT: Further information is available from Ed Poppell, UF vice president for business affairs at poppell@ufl.edu or 352-392-1336. Information on parking and St. Augustine Historic Area Strategic Plan documents are available at www.facilities.ufl.edu/staugustine/index.htm