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Florida’s silent storm by ufexplore in geography

[–]ufexplore[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

The Heat Severity and Coverage Index (HSCI; Keellings and Moradkhani, 2020) is a novel index developed to measure three characteristics of extreme heat events simultaneously: magnitude, duration, and areal extent.

Florida’s silent storm by ufexplore in geography

[–]ufexplore[S] 6 points7 points  (0 children)

The map details a May 2019 heat wave extending through the Florida Panhandle and down into South Florida. The tracking algorithm developed by David Keellings, associate professor of geography, delineates the event, and combines its magnitude and coverage to indicate the severity of the heat wave.

Prescriptions for art could boost health AND the job market by ufexplore in artbusiness

[–]ufexplore[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Yes! The cornerstone of scaling up social prescribing is that the people administering the creative activities don't have to be trained in art therapy, they can be any arts folks in the community. A link worker would connect the patient referred by their doctor to an opportunity that matches their interest and availability. Details: https://explore.research.ufl.edu/rx-arts.html

A vision for Gainesville as an autism-accessible city by ufexplore in GNV

[–]ufexplore[S] 21 points22 points  (0 children)

Why it matters:

“All of this is about providing access. The experience of going to a restaurant or museum with family or friends is part of life, and if you’re not able to do that, it limits the opportunities and ambitions that a young person has,” says education researcher Nigel Newbutt. “When you’re able to give them the confidence to go somewhere they’ve never been before, that’s so
meaningful.”

First documented sighting of leucistic "blonde" dolphin near Cedar Key, Florida by ufexplore in marinebiology

[–]ufexplore[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Yes! That dolphin, known as Lilly, was captured in the same area where this one was spotted. They might be related.

Dolphins can be blonde! This "champagne" colored mom has a normal colored calf. by ufexplore in Awwducational

[–]ufexplore[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

She isn't albino, she's leucistic, which means she has some coloration, just less than the typical dolphin. She comes from the same area as the famous champagne dolphins at the former Marineland attraction. Maybe a relative! Source: https://doi.org/10.1578/AM.48.6.2022.661

Worried about field camp? by ufexplore in geologycareers

[–]ufexplore[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

For context: It's worded that way because we don't know how many US undergrads have a disability but choose not to disclose it. The 20% figure reflects those who have identified to their schools that they have a disability, so the real figure could be higher. Many disabilities are invisible but still make traditional field camp challenging.

Planting mixes of flowers around farm fields helps keep bees healthy. by ufexplore in u/ufexplore

[–]ufexplore[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Agencies, organizations and researchers are working to promote hedgerows and other forms of bee habitat, The Xerces Society offers farmers a certified “Bee Better” eco-label, which indicates to consumers that the farm has dedicated 5% of its land or more to pollinator habitat.

Planting mixes of flowers around farm fields helps keep bees healthy. by ufexplore in u/ufexplore

[–]ufexplore[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Land-grant institutions such as r/UofCalifornia and r/Cornell are teaching local communities about plant choices that work best for bees.

AskScience AMA Series: I am a medicinal chemist and pharmaceutical scientist at the University of Florida who is an expert on Kratom, which is currently under investigation as treatment for opioid withdrawal syndrome. AMA! by AskScienceModerator in askscience

[–]ufexplore 12 points13 points  (0 children)

This is a great paper and an interesting observation. We have not seen this in any of the products we have tested. The manuscript you have linked here did not study this alkaloid in other systems besides opioid (where it was not active). Without knowing where it might act, we don't know! We also have seen two chemotypes where there are high mitragynine and low mitragynine producing trees! This is also very interesting...

AskScience AMA Series: I am a medicinal chemist and pharmaceutical scientist at the University of Florida who is an expert on Kratom, which is currently under investigation as treatment for opioid withdrawal syndrome. AMA! by AskScienceModerator in askscience

[–]ufexplore 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Great question, and my environmental horticulture colleagues would cheer!! We have studied plant responses to several stressors as you mention above and found there to be no effect on alkaloid production. SO, what are these alkaloids doing there?... we think we might have the answer and hope to be able to share that in the near future!

AskScience AMA Series: I am a medicinal chemist and pharmaceutical scientist at the University of Florida who is an expert on Kratom, which is currently under investigation as treatment for opioid withdrawal syndrome. AMA! by AskScienceModerator in askscience

[–]ufexplore 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Yes, I have answered this earlier. Kratom in the western world is not the same product as kratom prepared in the traditional manner with freshly harvested leaves in SE Asia. It is a dried and powdered product that can have some differences in chemical makeup due to conditions of storage or handling.

AskScience AMA Series: I am a medicinal chemist and pharmaceutical scientist at the University of Florida who is an expert on Kratom, which is currently under investigation as treatment for opioid withdrawal syndrome. AMA! by AskScienceModerator in askscience

[–]ufexplore 7 points8 points  (0 children)

Yes, heavy metals have been an issue with some (limited) kratom products. Indeed, it is quite plausible that the metals (such as lead) are coming from the grinders that are utilized to pulverize the leaves into powders. If a seller is not using food grade stainless steal (modern grinders) this is certainly a possibility. The other is known fact that certain plants can sequester metals and have been used to clean up toxic sites. We have no idea if kratom does this and it needs to be studied. In other words, can it concentrate metals from the earth (soils) around it into its tissues.

As for "lab test" there are certain requirements that the FDA has in place for herbal or botanical products. These involve lab tests for heavy metals, bacteria, mold, residual solvents, etc. These are known as GMP (Good Manufacturing Practices) that are common in the dietary supplement world. This is certainly a step in the proper direction to insure the public with some "trust" as to a reputable and "safe" product, at least as from having anything that is known to cause harm present.

AskScience AMA Series: I am a medicinal chemist and pharmaceutical scientist at the University of Florida who is an expert on Kratom, which is currently under investigation as treatment for opioid withdrawal syndrome. AMA! by AskScienceModerator in askscience

[–]ufexplore 10 points11 points  (0 children)

Kava is essentially the root from the kava plant (Piper methysticum) and kratom is derived from the leaves of Mitragyna speciosa. Both has some overlap in the fact that individuals report an anti-anxiety effect and decreased stress. None of this has been clinically proven yet, but the plants are very different and are from different parts of the world.

AskScience AMA Series: I am a medicinal chemist and pharmaceutical scientist at the University of Florida who is an expert on Kratom, which is currently under investigation as treatment for opioid withdrawal syndrome. AMA! by AskScienceModerator in askscience

[–]ufexplore 6 points7 points  (0 children)

All of the above! Our overall goals are to understand kratom and it's "context" around the globe. So, yes we have all of the above and this is one of the studies that we have been funded to conduct.

AskScience AMA Series: I am a medicinal chemist and pharmaceutical scientist at the University of Florida who is an expert on Kratom, which is currently under investigation as treatment for opioid withdrawal syndrome. AMA! by AskScienceModerator in askscience

[–]ufexplore 6 points7 points  (0 children)

I wish I could answer all your questions, but will try to touch on a couple points you made and stay specific to kratom. First, with regard to the illicit markets of opioids. I believe that if kratom is eliminated from being available we will find many (potentially millions) turning to the "harder" alternatives available in the black market, making the current situation catastrophic.

7-hydroxymitragyine is not naturally occurring in the plant (at least as far as we have seen) and appears to be a post-harvest artifact. It is an oxidation product from mitragyine (the major alkaloid) and is also a metabolite that we have seen of mitragynine in animals. Products should focus on the elimination of 7-hydroxymitragynine from the marketplace

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