 |
|||||
|
May 29, 2008 |
|||||
|
This is how I make decisions in my life, just like on the golf course. If I decide to hit a 7-iron, then it’s a 7-iron. I’m cool with my decision. I trust my instincts. -- Annika Sorenstam, who announced she is retiring after this year 50 in 50 to hit links for cancer awareness Beginning June 9, 50 in 50 will be touring America to raise funds and awareness for early detection of cancer by playing golf at 50 golf courses in 50 states in 50 days.
The 50 in 50 will start in Vermont on June 9 and end 50 days later on July 22 in Hawaii. Along the way the golfers will hit Philadelphia, Baltimore, Atlanta, Charlotte, Cincinnati, Chicago, Kansas City and San Francisco while raising awareness for the early detection of breast, prostate and melanoma cancer. A camera crew and production team will follow the men and document the adventure. Weekly webcasts, a book and a documentary are all planned as well. For more information or to find out when they'll be playing in your area visit http://www.the50in50.com.  Computer model aims to find mosquito repellents For anyone working outdoors, summer is a reminder that one of the most useful tools for preventing mosquito bites is insect repellent. For more than 50 years, the gold standard of mosquito repellents has been DEET, which was discovered during a USDA screening program that tested 40,000 chemicals in a process that took a decade.
In the research, a modeling system that can use chemical structures and insect receptors was used to predict repellents’ effectiveness against mosquitoes. The researchers used a particularly efficient approach, called quantitative structure-activity relationship, or QSAR. They chose a modeling system called an artificial neural network (ANN), because it can test theoretical compounds generated by the computer against a complicated phenomenon like duration of repellency. A dataset of 2,000 known compounds tested for repellency between 1950 and 1980 from the USDA screening program was used as the base data for the modeling. This phase of the work "trained" the neural network to recognize the most effective kinds of chemicals. Then, 23 novel compounds were tested under the neural network, some of which were predicted by lab tests to repel mosquito bites three times longer than the equivalent concentration of DEET. This approach may streamline the process of testing new active ingredients, lead to repellents that are longer lasting, and bring them to market faster. The ARS research team included chemist Ulrich Bernier; Gary Clark, research leader of the Mosquito and Fly Unit at ARS' Center for Medical, Agricultural and Veterinary Entomology in Gainesville, Fla.; and CMAVE Director Kenneth Linthicum. The university researchers were Alan R. Katritzky, Zuoquan Wang, Svetoslav Slavov, Maia Tsikolia, Dimitar Dobchev, Novruz G. Akhmedov and C. Dennis Hall of the Center for Heterocyclic Compounds, also in Gainesville. Florida Open Tournament for golfers with disabilities The third annual Florida Open Tournament For Disabled Golfers and/or Mobility Challenges is scheduled for Sat., June 14, at Kissimmee Bay Country Club. To register call Kissimmee Bay Country Club pro shop at 407-348-4653. The Sponsored by the National Alliance for Accessible Golf, and Florida Golf Magazine, For more, visit http://www.floridagolfmagazine.com/open. For photos from the first two tournaments, click 2006 or 2007. |
"We call it extreme fundraising because we are going to 50 golf courses in 50 States in only 50 days," says co-creator Bill Evans. Evans and his friend, PGA professional Craig Forney, will spend most of June and July travelling around the United States, playing public golf courses while stopping off to meet with cancer survivors and visit cancer treatment and research centers. 
Now, Agricultural Research Service scientists and colleagues at the University of Florida have a computer modeling program that looks at compounds' chemical structure and can predict which compounds are likely to stop mosquito bites.
|