A comparison of disease burden and symptoms with age among CoVid-19 patients from data in a Florida clinic

Our knowledge of the disease burden and symptoms with age in COVID-19 patients is limited. Therefore, it is of interest to document the clinical aspect of this association with respect to the disease. We used the data of 3363 patients enrolled with an urgent care clinic in Volusia county, Florida for this study. Data shows difference in age among COVID-19 antibody (Ab) - positive patients (48.3 years, 95% CI = 46.9, 49.7 years) and Ab-negative patients (46.1 years, 95% CI = 45.4, 46.8 years). However, disease burden by age is not significant on average. Nonetheless, COVID-19 positive patients between 40-69-years of age experienced the highest burden of disease and highest average number of symptoms. Thus, COVID-19 disease burden and number of symptoms experienced were highest among the 40-69-year-old patients. Those above the populations mean age of 46.4 years old were more likely to test positive for COVID-19.

A Biting Review of Shark Attacks Off Florida's Coast, 1960 - 2016

The authors examine the monthly total and average number of unprovoked shark attacks off Florida’s Atlantic and Gulf coasts between 1960 and 2016, with special emphasis on the last twenty-seven years, divided into three nine-year intervals. Two-way connected-line plots, bar graphs and a series of two-sample t-tests reveal that monthly averages were highest in April (1999 – 2007) and September (1999 – 2007 and 2008 – 2016). Topographic maps created for each nine-year period show the lowest densities (shark attacks per square mile) from 1990 to 1998 and the highest densities from 1999 to 2007, off the shore of the east-central part of the state, northeast of Orlando in Volusia County, home to Daytona Beach.

Distribution, Identification and Management of Two-Leaf Nightshade (Solanum diphyllum), an Invasive Plant in Florida

Two-leaf nightshade, Solanum diphyllum, is a member of the Solanaceae or potato family. It is native to Mexico southwards to Costa Rica. It has escaped cultivation in Florida and grows as far north as Duval County and from Volusia County south to Miami-Dade County. A "bird-dispersed" volunteer, it occurs in urban and conservation areas and on disturbed land. The plants produce abundant berries with many many small seeds. This new 5-page publication of the UF/IFAS Environmental Horticulture Department is primarily intended for Florida gardeners, landscapers, and land managers, and it contains information on identification, flowering, fruiting, and management recommendations for this widely occurring plant. Written by Stephen H. Brown, Chris Marble, and Stephen F. Enloe.https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/ep588

Modeling Positional Uncertainty Acquired Through Street Geocoding

This article describes how modeling positional uncertainty helps to understand potential factors of uncertainty, and to identify impacts of uncertainty on spatial analysis results. However, modeling geocoding positional uncertainty still is limited in providing a comprehensive explanation about these impacts, and requires further investigation of potential factors to enhance understanding of uncertainty. Furthermore, spatial autocorrelation among geocoded points has been barely considered in this type of modeling, although the presence of spatial autocorrelation is recognized in the literature. The purpose of this article is to extend the discussion about modeling geocoding positional uncertainty by investigating potential factors with regression, whose model is appropriately specified to account for spatial autocorrelation. The analysis results for residential addresses in Volusia County, Florida reveal covariates that are significantly associated with uncertainty in geocoded points. In addition, these results confirm that spatial autocorrelation needs to be accounted for when modeling positional uncertainty.

Rethinking Florida's State Parks: Strategies for Surviving in the "New Normal" Economy

The Florida Park Service manages the sites of fifteen plantations in the area once known as East Florida, including the United States-Territorial-Period sugar plantation known as Bulow Plantation. The plantation is now located within the Bulow Plantation Ruins Historic State Park, located in Flagler County approximately two miles north of the Volusia County line and two miles from the Atlantic Coast. Current interpretations at the park are limited in scope, visitation is considered to be relatively low, and the mill structure and associated buildings pose a variety of management issues. The development of solutions for the Bulow Plantation Ruins Historic State Park will be applicable not only to other plantation sites managed by the Florida Park Service, but any state park in Florida and to site managers beyond Florida's boundaries.

Economic Impact of Agriculture and Natural Resources in Volusia County, Florida

FE791, a 17-page report by Rodney L. Clouser, Mohammad Rahmani, and David Mulkey, provides a profile of agriculture and natural resource industries and an overview of their economic impacts in Volusia County, Florida. It is based on data from the IMPLAN Pro database for Florida counties for 2006, the 2002 Census of Agriculture, and the Volusia County Property Appraiser. Includes references. Published by the UF Department of Food and Resource Economics, February 2009.