How flames change the sound of a firefighters' personal safety alarm

Public release date: 31-May-2013
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Contact: Catherine Meyers
cmeyers@aip.org
301-209-3088
American Institute of Physics

The PASS, short for "Personal Alert Safety System," has been used by firefighters for thirty years to help track members of their team who might be injured and need assistance to escape a fire. Though the alarm has saved many lives, there are cases in which the device is working correctly but is not heard or not recognized. In one recent incident report from 2010, firefighters inside a burning building either did not hear or heard and then stopped hearing an alarm that was easily audible from outside the building.

Working with the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), a team of mechanical engineers from the University of Texas at Austin (UT Austin) has been assessing whether flames might be partially responsible for these occurrences. The researchers will present their findings on how flames affect the sound of the PASS alarm at the 21st International Congress on Acoustics (ICA 2013) in Montreal, to be held June 2-7, 2013.

"This study is the first time that the acoustics of the PASS device have been studied in this comprehensive a manner," says Mustafa Abbasi, a UT Austin graduate student who will present the team's work.

One aspect of the UT study involved making recordings of the PASS device in the presence of small, trash can-sized fires in a controlled laboratory setting. The team found that the development of the fire did indeed change the qualities of the alarm: just ten seconds after the fire was lit, the sound became muffled and quieter. And while the normal call of the device sounded like two distinct whistles one after the other, the fiery environment seemed to merge those two sounds into one. "It did not change beyond recognition but it was an audible change," Abbasi says. "We believe the effect will be magnified by larger fires," he adds.

A potential reason for the merging of the calls is that flames can change the direction of a sound. Fire is a very strong scatterer: a noise can bounce off of flames similar to the way it might ricochet off a wall, making it difficult for firefighters to determine from where the noise originated. Fire also creates a temperature gradient in a room, with hotter air at the top and cooler air at the bottom. Since sound travels faster through hot air, the merged sound of the PASS whistles might come from this speed discrepancy an overlap between two or more paths of sound.

Though it is too soon to make specific recommendations for changes to the device, the team believes that increasing the overall volume beyond its current setting of 95 decibels (dB) will be helpful. (95 dB is about as loud as a jack hammer from 50 feet away.) The UT Austin team also plans to test other types of signals that might be less difficult to distinguish in a noisy fire environment that includes the noise from fire alarms, generators, chainsaws, fans, fire hoses, the fire itself, radio chatter, and fire truck engines.

In addition to experimenting with the PASS device, the UT Austin researchers are examining the impact of protective gear (such as helmets) on a firefighter's ability to determine the source of sounds like a personal alarm or a rescue subject's calls for assistance. A second presentation on this subject will be made by UT Austin graduate student Joelle Suits.

###

Presentation 4aEAb4, "Measuring the acoustic response of a compartment fire," is in the morning session on Thursday, June 6. Abstract: http://asa.aip.org/web2/asa/abstracts/search.jun13/asa1074.html

MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE ICA 2013 MONTREAL

USEFUL LINKS:

Main meeting website: http://www.ica2013montreal.org/

Itinerary planner and technical program: http://acousticalsociety.org/meetings/ica-2013/

WORLD WIDE PRESS ROOM

ASA's World Wide Press Room will be updated with additional tips on dozens of newsworthy stories and with lay-language papers, which are 300-1200 word summaries of presentations written by scientists for a general audience and accompanied by photos, audio, and video.

PRESS REGISTRATION

We will grant free registration to credentialed journalists and professional freelance journalists. If you are a reporter and would like to attend, contact Jason Bardi (jbardi@aip.org, 240-535-4954), who can also help with setting up interviews and obtaining images, sound clips, or background information.

This news release was prepared for the Acoustical Society of America (ASA) by the American Institute of Physics (AIP).

ABOUT THE ACOUSTICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA

The Acoustical Society of America (ASA) is the premier international scientific society in acoustics devoted to the science and technology of sound. Its 7,000 members worldwide represent a broad spectrum of the study of acoustics. ASA publications include The Journal of the Acoustical Society of America (the world's leading journal on acoustics), Acoustics Today magazine, ECHOES newsletter, books, and standards on acoustics. The society also holds two major scientific meetings each year. For more information about ASA, visit our website at http://www.acousticalsociety.org.

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AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.

Public release date: 31-May-2013
[ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Catherine Meyers
cmeyers@aip.org
301-209-3088
American Institute of Physics

The PASS, short for "Personal Alert Safety System," has been used by firefighters for thirty years to help track members of their team who might be injured and need assistance to escape a fire. Though the alarm has saved many lives, there are cases in which the device is working correctly but is not heard or not recognized. In one recent incident report from 2010, firefighters inside a burning building either did not hear or heard and then stopped hearing an alarm that was easily audible from outside the building.

Working with the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), a team of mechanical engineers from the University of Texas at Austin (UT Austin) has been assessing whether flames might be partially responsible for these occurrences. The researchers will present their findings on how flames affect the sound of the PASS alarm at the 21st International Congress on Acoustics (ICA 2013) in Montreal, to be held June 2-7, 2013.

"This study is the first time that the acoustics of the PASS device have been studied in this comprehensive a manner," says Mustafa Abbasi, a UT Austin graduate student who will present the team's work.

One aspect of the UT study involved making recordings of the PASS device in the presence of small, trash can-sized fires in a controlled laboratory setting. The team found that the development of the fire did indeed change the qualities of the alarm: just ten seconds after the fire was lit, the sound became muffled and quieter. And while the normal call of the device sounded like two distinct whistles one after the other, the fiery environment seemed to merge those two sounds into one. "It did not change beyond recognition but it was an audible change," Abbasi says. "We believe the effect will be magnified by larger fires," he adds.

A potential reason for the merging of the calls is that flames can change the direction of a sound. Fire is a very strong scatterer: a noise can bounce off of flames similar to the way it might ricochet off a wall, making it difficult for firefighters to determine from where the noise originated. Fire also creates a temperature gradient in a room, with hotter air at the top and cooler air at the bottom. Since sound travels faster through hot air, the merged sound of the PASS whistles might come from this speed discrepancy an overlap between two or more paths of sound.

Though it is too soon to make specific recommendations for changes to the device, the team believes that increasing the overall volume beyond its current setting of 95 decibels (dB) will be helpful. (95 dB is about as loud as a jack hammer from 50 feet away.) The UT Austin team also plans to test other types of signals that might be less difficult to distinguish in a noisy fire environment that includes the noise from fire alarms, generators, chainsaws, fans, fire hoses, the fire itself, radio chatter, and fire truck engines.

In addition to experimenting with the PASS device, the UT Austin researchers are examining the impact of protective gear (such as helmets) on a firefighter's ability to determine the source of sounds like a personal alarm or a rescue subject's calls for assistance. A second presentation on this subject will be made by UT Austin graduate student Joelle Suits.

###

Presentation 4aEAb4, "Measuring the acoustic response of a compartment fire," is in the morning session on Thursday, June 6. Abstract: http://asa.aip.org/web2/asa/abstracts/search.jun13/asa1074.html

MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE ICA 2013 MONTREAL

USEFUL LINKS:

Main meeting website: http://www.ica2013montreal.org/

Itinerary planner and technical program: http://acousticalsociety.org/meetings/ica-2013/

WORLD WIDE PRESS ROOM

ASA's World Wide Press Room will be updated with additional tips on dozens of newsworthy stories and with lay-language papers, which are 300-1200 word summaries of presentations written by scientists for a general audience and accompanied by photos, audio, and video.

PRESS REGISTRATION

We will grant free registration to credentialed journalists and professional freelance journalists. If you are a reporter and would like to attend, contact Jason Bardi (jbardi@aip.org, 240-535-4954), who can also help with setting up interviews and obtaining images, sound clips, or background information.

This news release was prepared for the Acoustical Society of America (ASA) by the American Institute of Physics (AIP).

ABOUT THE ACOUSTICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA

The Acoustical Society of America (ASA) is the premier international scientific society in acoustics devoted to the science and technology of sound. Its 7,000 members worldwide represent a broad spectrum of the study of acoustics. ASA publications include The Journal of the Acoustical Society of America (the world's leading journal on acoustics), Acoustics Today magazine, ECHOES newsletter, books, and standards on acoustics. The society also holds two major scientific meetings each year. For more information about ASA, visit our website at http://www.acousticalsociety.org.

---

[ | E-mail | Share ]

?

AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.

Source: http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2013-05/aiop-hfc053113.php

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Wall Street ends up on optimism Fed stimulus to remain

By Angela Moon

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Stocks rose on Thursday, rebounding from the previous session's losses, as tepid economic data eased concerns the Federal Reserve would begin to gradually scale back its policy of stimulating growth.

The day's gain put the S&P 500 on track to end the month about 3.6 percent higher, while the Dow was up 3.3 percent for the month so far. The Nasdaq was up 4.9 percent.

Stocks have been volatile recently and closely tied to alternating views of the future of the Fed's loose monetary policy. Shares tumbled on Wednesday on concern the Fed would curb its bond-buying because of signs the economy was strengthening. U.S. Treasury bond yields rose to the highest in 13 months the same day, also influenced by concern about possible Fed tapering.

"It won't be until around September before we really hear about possible changes in Fed (policy), but the market is volatile because at these levels, profit-taking is part of a hedging method to protect against possible downsides," said Randy Frederick, director of trading and derivatives at Charles Schwab in Austin, Texas.

"After the profit-taking, the market moves right back up because it's a great buying opportunity, like today."

The Dow Jones industrial average <.dji> was up 21.73 points, or 0.14 percent, at 15,324.53. The Standard & Poor's 500 Index <.spx> was up 6.05 points, or 0.37 percent, at 1,654.41. The Nasdaq Composite Index <.ixic> was up 23.78 points, or 0.69 percent, at 3,491.30.

Data showed first-time claims for unemployment benefits unexpectedly rose in the latest week while the government's latest reading on first-quarter gross domestic product came in slightly below forecasts.

Loose monetary policies by central banks around the world have helped drive both the Dow and the S&P 500 to record highs. The S&P 500 is up more than 16 percent this year so far.

Even if U.S. economic data signals strength, "the stock market has yet to fully embrace the notion that the economy has reached take-off velocity and is ready to contend with a removal of stimulus," said Andrew Wilkinson, chief economic strategist Miller Tabak & Co in New York.

Pending home sales rose 0.3 percent in April to the highest since April 2010, but analysts had expected a 1.1 percent rise.

In company news, Costco Wholesale Corp , the largest U.S. warehouse club chain, reported third-quarter earnings that beat expectations by a penny, though sales were below forecasts. Shares fell 0.9 percent to $111.88.

Semiconductors were higher after chipmaker Avago Technologies forecast current-quarter revenue largely above expectations. Avago shares jumped 9.8 percent to $37.82 while the PHLX semiconductor index <.sox> climbed 1.5 percent.

NV Energy Inc surged 22.5 percent to $23.62 after a unit of Berkshire Hathaway Inc

agreed to buy the electric utility for $5.6 billion. Berkshire class B shares rose 1.6 percent to $114.84.

Shares of EMC Corp , the data storage equipment makers, rose 5.4 percent to $24.93 after instituting a quarterly dividend and increasing its stock buyback program to $6 billion from $1 billion.

Volume was roughly 6.5 billion shares traded on the New York Stock Exchange, the Nasdaq and the NYSE MKT, slightly above the average daily closing volume of about 6.4 billion this year.

Advancers outpaced decliners on the NYSE 1,756 to 1,208. On the Nasdaq, advancers beat decliners 1,728 to 772.

(Reporting by Angela Moon; Editing by Kenneth Barry)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/futures-flat-selloff-ahead-data-111021496.html

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Kelly Osbourne Slams 'Hypocrite' Lady Gaga On Bullying

'Fashion Police' star calls out Mother Monster in July issue of Cosmopolitian.
By Emilee Lindner

Kelly Osbourne on the cover of Cosmopolitan
Photo: Cosmopolitan

Source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1708201/kelly-osbourne-lady-gaga-bullying-cosmopolitan.jhtml

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It will take just four seconds to watch this knockout

Do you have four seconds to watch an amateur knockout? That's all it took for Garrett Whitman to win in an amateur bout in California over the weekend. He took less time than a sneeze to knock out McKlaine McKinnon at Get Down Promotions. It's hard to judge a fighter's potential off of amateur fights, but Whitman has two wins totaling 49 seconds of fighting. It's an impressive start to his MMA career.

Thanks, MMA Fighting.

Related coverage on Yahoo! Sports:
? Retired Forrest Griffin's star grew alongside UFC's
? Boston-born fighter Cathal Pendred wants to go home again
? Ronda Rousey stunned by new 'TUF' foe

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/mma-cagewriter/just-four-seconds-watch-knockout-125254295.html

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'Fast 6' drives record-breaking box-office haul

LOS ANGELES (AP) ? "Fast & Furious 6" raced to the top of a record-breaking weekend at North American movie theaters, and the sixth installment in the street-racing franchise also delivered a turbo-charged performance overseas.

The film debuted atop the holiday weekend box office, collecting $117 million domestically and $158 million internationally ? the biggest opening yet for a Universal Pictures release.

Ticket tallies over the four-day weekend also set a Memorial Day record with $314.2 million.

"This just obliterated the 2011 record, which was $276.75 million," said box-office analyst Paul Dergarabedian of Hollywood.com.

More than a third of the take belonged to "Fast & Furious 6" which stars Vin Diesel, Paul Walker, Michelle Rodriguez and Dwayne Johnson, along with an international supporting cast. The film follows the muscle-car crew as they join with police in a worldwide hunt for a terrorist, battling a plane and a tank along the way.

"It's amazing how this franchise was considered all but dead after the third film, but the filmmakers and the studio did a great job of convincing the original cast members to come back, giving it a different feel and really expanding its scope," said Dave Karger, chief correspondent for movie site Fandango.com.

The film's international cast and settings also contributed to its appeal.

"It's no coincidence that the movie takes place overseas," Karger said. "That was, I'm sure, a very calculated decision."

Nikki Rocco, Universal's head of distribution, attributes the success of "Fast 6" to its broadened scope.

"It's so much more than what it was," she said. "You have to give credit to all of us and the filmmakers for taking it to the next level."

Though a proven box-office winner, with its six films cumulatively collecting $1.9 billion so far, the "Fast & Furious" series hasn't quite reached the level of other powerhouse action franchises such as "Harry Potter," ''Transformers" and "Iron Man." The five Potter films have earned $7.7 billion worldwide. The three Transformers films have a worldwide gross of $2.67 billion. The third "Iron Man" film was released last month, and the franchise has claimed $2.36 billion worldwide so far.

Yet Karger notes the success of "Fast & Furious" is "pretty remarkable" considering the franchise was "kind of created out of thin air 12 years ago."

A recent Fandango survey shows that 93 percent of "Fast 6" ticket buyers are already anticipating the seventh installment, set to star Jason Statham.

The top 20 movies at U.S. and Canadian theaters Friday through Monday, followed by distribution studio, gross, number of theater locations, average receipts per location, total gross and number of weeks in release, as compiled Tuesday by Hollywood.com, are:

1."Fast & Furious 6," Universal, $117,036,995, 3,658 locations, $26,620 average, $117,036,995, one week.

2."The Hangover Part III," Warner Bros., $50,262,366, 3,555 locations, $11,722 average, $62,051,829, one week.

3."Star Trek: Into Darkness," Paramount, $47,187,313, 3,907 locations, $9,545 average, $83,701,981, two weeks.

4."Epic," Fox, $42,820,971, 3,882 locations, $8,638 average, $42,820,971, one week.

5."Iron Man 3," Disney, $24,693,407, 3,424 locations, $5,644 average, $337,661,977, four weeks.

6."The Great Gatsby," Warner Bros., $17,027,318, 3,090 locations, $4,383 average, $90,682,832, three weeks.

7."Mud," Roadside Attractions, $2,508,660, 712 locations, $2,727 average, $11,656,971, five weeks.

8."42," Warner Bros., $1,709,316, 915 locations, $1,376 average, $88,816,627, seven weeks.

9."The Croods," Fox $1,634,258, 1,008 locations, $1,210 average, $177,024,785, 10 weeks.

10."Oblivion," Universal, $1,038,730, 572 locations, $1,521 average, $85,588,010, six weeks.

11."Oz the Great and Powerful," Disney, $853,079, 401 locations, $1,625 average, $231,351,161, 12 weeks.

12."Pain & Gain," Paramount, $787,933, 1,003 locations, $641 average, $46,712,183, five weeks.

13."Frances Ha," IFC, $684,211, 60 locations, $9,163 average, $137,398, two weeks.

14."G.I. Joe: Retaliation," Paramount, $548,675, 346 locations, $1,272 average, $120,522,043, nine weeks.

15."The Iceman," Millennium Entertainment, $479,120, 258 locations, $1,425 average, $762,885, four weeks.

16."Tyler Perry Presents: Peeples," Lionsgate, $419,911, 485 locations, $644 average, $7,867,757, three weeks.

17."Escape from Planet Earth," Weinstein Co., $336,059, 346 locations, $735 average, $55,612,398, 15 weeks.

18."Before Midnight," Sony Pictures Classics, $305,975, 5 locations, $49,383 average, $$305,975, one week.

19."The Big Wedding," Lionsgate, $282,842, 265 locations, $861 average, $20,308,188, five weeks.

20."Love Is All You Need," Sony Pictures Classics, $272,163, 63 locations, $3,450 average, $477,134, four weeks.

___

AP Entertainment Writer Sandy Cohen is on Twitter: www.twitter.com/APSandy .

___

Universal and Focus are owned by NBC Universal, a unit of Comcast Corp.; Sony, Columbia, Sony Screen Gems and Sony Pictures Classics are units of Sony Corp.; Paramount is owned by Viacom Inc.; Disney, Pixar and Marvel are owned by The Walt Disney Co.; Miramax is owned by Filmyard Holdings LLC; 20th Century Fox and Fox Searchlight are owned by News Corp.; Warner Bros. and New Line are units of Time Warner Inc.; MGM is owned by a group of former creditors including Highland Capital, Anchorage Advisors and Carl Icahn; Lionsgate is owned by Lions Gate Entertainment Corp.; IFC is owned by AMC Networks Inc.; Rogue is owned by Relativity Media LLC.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/fast-6-drives-record-breaking-box-office-haul-211911385.html

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McQuaid calls on Armstrong to tell all to UCI

FILE - In this July 6, 2010 file photo, Lance Armstrong of the United States, arrives prior to the start of the third stage of the Tour de France cycling race in Wanze, Belgium. Nike Inc. is cutting ties with the Livestrong cancer charity. The move by the sports company ends a nine-year relationship that helped the foundation raise more than $100 million and made the charity's signature yellow wristband an international symbol for cancer survivors. (AP Photo/Christophe Ena, FIle)

FILE - In this July 6, 2010 file photo, Lance Armstrong of the United States, arrives prior to the start of the third stage of the Tour de France cycling race in Wanze, Belgium. Nike Inc. is cutting ties with the Livestrong cancer charity. The move by the sports company ends a nine-year relationship that helped the foundation raise more than $100 million and made the charity's signature yellow wristband an international symbol for cancer survivors. (AP Photo/Christophe Ena, FIle)

FILE - In this Sept. 22, 2010 file photo, Lance Armstrong, cyclist and Livestrong founder, attends the Clinton Global Initiative in New York. Nike Inc. is cutting ties with the Livestrong cancer charity. The move by the sports company ends a nine-year relationship that helped the foundation raise more than $100 million and made the charity's signature yellow wristband an international symbol for cancer survivors. (AP Photo/Mark Lennihan, File)

ST. PETERSBURG, Russia (AP) ? Cycling federation president Pat McQuaid is waiting for a visit and an apology from Lance Armstrong.

McQuaid said Armstrong should travel to UCI headquarters in Switzerland to tell all about his doping history and offer to help clean up the sport.

"He should jump on his private plane, come to Switzerland and say, 'What should I do?'" McQuaid told reporters. "He still hasn't apologized to the sport of cycling. If he has information that is valuable to the sport he should come forward."

McQuaid said Armstrong should also meet with the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency and World Anti-Doping Agency to provide full details on how he cheated to win the Tour de France seven times. The American was stripped of all the titles last year after admitting to doping.

"Everyone accepts he has not come clean," McQuaid said. "He should sit down and work with us."

McQuaid and the UCI have come under fire for failing to catch Armstrong and the federation has been accused of complicity and cover-ups in his cheating.

But, in a wide-ranging interview with reporters on the sideline of the SportAccord Convention, McQuaid repeatedly defended himself, the UCI and former president Hein Verbruggen.

"I do not think the UCI made mistakes," the Irish official said. "The facts show the UCI was always the most advanced federation in the fight against doping. The problem was the products that couldn't be tested for at the time. There were no tests available for the products. The UCI was not to blame.

"Ten or 15 years ago, the armory was much weaker. Today we are spending 7.5 million euros ($9.6 million) a year on testing. We are not spending 7.5 million euros ($9.6 million) to let cheats get away."

McQuaid said the UCI tested Armstrong 200 times between 1999 and 2005, while USADA tested him 12 times during that period.

"All the blame has been put on the UCI," he said. "Maybe USADA and WADA should also take some responsibility."

McQuaid said he has invited USADA chief executive Travis Tygart for talks in Switzerland. Tygart, who has been one of the UCI's harshest critics, has accepted and a date for the meeting is being arranged, McQuaid said.

The UCI head claimed he never suspected Armstrong was cheating during his dominance of the Tour de France, saying he had been inspired by the rider's comeback from cancer.

"I didn't know what he was up to. I was fooled," McQuaid said. "I believed there was no way a man so close to death would go and start putting stuff into his body that could be dangerous. ... I gave him the benefit of the doubt."

McQuaid, who has faced calls to step down in the wake of the Armstrong revelations, said he has never considered resigning.

"I firmly believe I am making a difference," he said. "I firmly believe there is a change in the peloton and the sport has changed."

McQuaid, who has headed the UCI for eight years, is up for re-election for a third term in September.

"I want to eradicate doping," he said. "I want to see this through. I want to finish what I started."

Despite the continuing questions over the UCI's role and the fallout from the Armstrong case, McQuaid believes the scandal will fade away and the sport has a rosy future.

"I believe it's in the past,' he said. "I believe it will pass over. It will go away. The sport has a bright future. We're becoming truly global."

McQuaid cited the growth of the sport in Asia and Africa, and predicted a "black African will make the podium of a major tour within the next six years."

On another subject, he said the UCI is proposing the addition of BMX freestyle and mountain bike elimination events for the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro. Also still in discussions, he said, is the possibility of bringing skateboarding into the Olympics under the UCI umbrella.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/347875155d53465d95cec892aeb06419/Article_2013-05-29-CYC-McQuaid-Armstrong/id-c5361fee241443cbbe249664a08c7ae7

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Adult stem cells could hold key to cure type 1 diabetes

May 29, 2013 ? Millions of people with type 1 diabetes depend on daily insulin injections to survive. They would die without the shots because their immune system attacks the very insulin-producing cells it was designed to protect. Now, a University of Missouri scientist has discovered that this attack causes more damage than scientists realized. The revelation is leading to a potential cure that combines adult stem cells with a promising new drug.

The discovery is reported in the current online issue of Diabetes, the American Diabetes Association's flagship research publication. Habib Zaghouani, PhD, J. Lavenia Edwards Chair in Pediatrics, leads the research with his team at the MU School of Medicine.

"We discovered that type 1 diabetes destroys not only insulin-producing cells but also blood vessels that support them," Zaghouani said. "When we realized how important the blood vessels were to insulin production, we developed a cure that combines a drug we created with adult stem cells from bone marrow. The drug stops the immune system attack, and the stem cells generate new blood vessels that help insulin-producing cells to multiply and thrive."

Surrounded by an army of students and a colony of mice, Zaghouani has spent the past 12 years in his lab at MU studying autoimmune diseases like type 1 diabetes. Often called juvenile diabetes, the disease can lead to numerous complications, including cardiovascular disease, kidney damage, nerve damage, osteoporosis and blindness.

Type 1 diabetes attacks the pancreas. The organ, which is about the size of a hand and located in the abdomen, houses cell clusters called islets. Islets contain beta cells that make insulin, which controls blood sugar levels. In people with type 1 diabetes, beta cells no longer make insulin because the body's immune system has attacked and destroyed them.

When the immune system strikes the beta cells, the attack causes collateral damage to capillaries that carry blood to and from the islets. The damage done to the tiny blood vessels led Zaghouani on a new path toward a cure.

In previous studies, Zaghouani and his team developed a drug against type 1 diabetes called Ig-GAD2. They found that treatment with the drug stopped the immune system from attacking beta cells, but too few beta cells survived the attack to reverse the disease. In his latest study, Zaghouani used Ig-GAD2 and then injected adult stem cells from bone marrow into the pancreas in the hope that the stem cells would evolve into beta cells.

"The combination of Ig-GAD2 and bone marrow cells did result in production of new beta cells, but not in the way we expected," Zaghouani said. "We thought the bone marrow cells would evolve directly into beta cells. Instead, the bone marrow cells led to growth of new blood vessels, and it was the blood vessels that facilitated reproduction of new beta cells. In other words, we discovered that to cure type 1 diabetes, we need to repair the blood vessels that allow the subject's beta cells to grow and distribute insulin throughout the body."

Zaghouani is pursuing a patent for his promising treatment and hopes to translate his discovery from use in mice to humans. He is continuing his research with funding from the National Institutes of Health and MU.

"This is extremely exciting for our research team," he said. "Our discovery about the importance of restoring blood vessels has the potential to be applied not only to type 1 diabetes but also a number of other autoimmune diseases."

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/top_news/~3/9LLsiAZyDS4/130529154426.htm

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Good Reads: From a Disney makeover, to unethical work conditions, to refusing US aid

DISNEY MAKEOVER

Armed with wit, self-confidence, and a bow and arrow, Merida is a damsel who rescues herself from her own distress. Parents and educators have lauded the fiery red-haired heroine of the Disney/Pixar animated film ?Brave? as an atypical Disney princess.

?We wanted our daughters to grow up and be like Merida: brave, strong, resourceful, imperfect but loving,? Karen Dill notes in a blog at PsychologyToday.com.

But Disney?s ?makeover? of Merida into a sexualized Barbie-esque figure for merchandising purposes has turned fans? praise to outrage. The organization A Mighty Girl launched a Keep Merida Brave campaign and viral Change.org petition in protest. Ms. Dill cites studies that show that sexualizing women in the media leads to low self-esteem in girls, and men ?exposed to sexualized, objectified images of women ... become more tolerant of real-life sexual harassment.? It seems fans? message may have gotten through. Media outlets reported that Disney quietly pulled the redesigned image of Merida from its website.

RECOMMENDED: Test your Gangnam style?

ME-CENTERED GENERATION

Joel Stein takes a critical look at the Millennial Generation ? those born between 1980 and 2000 ? in Time magazine. ?The Me Me Me Generation? headline implies that Millennial self-centeredness trumps even that of baby boomers. They were raised with greater resources than any preceding generation, are more tech savvy, and were nurtured by helicopter parents who, along with educators, told them they were special. And for better or worse ? they are.

While Mr. Stein initially dwells on the studies that show Millennials have a sense of entitlement and are lazy, narcissistic, and dependent on their parents, he ultimately acknowledges a more nuanced, redeeming picture. Millennials may not tend toward traditional civic engagement, but they do care about justice. They are more tolerant than any other generation. And while they don?t gravitate toward organized religion, most believe in God and value spirituality. They aren?t rule breakers, but they are changing workplace culture ? for the better. And in spite of the insecurity of their era, Millennials are overwhelmingly optimistic about the future.

SHOPPING AS A MORAL DILEMMA

In the wake of the Bangladesh garment-factory collapse in April, Jerry Davis explores in YaleGlobal online the accountability of global supply chains. Technology enabled the now-common outsourcing model that keeps parent companies at a distance from production. But technology may also hold the solution to ending unethical working conditions and production methods.

?If consumer sentiment comes to favor ethically-produced goods,? Mr. Davis writes, ?then brands will compete on provenance, not just style and quality.? User-friendly technologies now allow consumers to check the ethical or sustainability ratings of various products. Davis says there is ?a surprising precedent in the financial markets for reversing the race to the bottom,? even in what used to be the Wild West of emerging market investments. The biggest obstacle to changes in retail supply chains is a lack of consumer awareness.

USAID LOSING GROUND

Sarah Trister writes at Freedom House?s blog about what she considers a ?dangerous pattern? developing in foreign assistance. Bolivia is the latest in a string of countries (including Russia, Egypt, and the United Arab Emirates) to expel, target, or curtail activities by the US Agency for International Development.

Ms. Trister worries that an emerging pattern of ?countries shutting down U.S. assistance programs with little resistance and few consequences? sets a problematic precedent. She argues that US accommodation of authoritarian demands to minimize democracy and human rights concerns has ?not been successful for U.S. policy.?

Trister says the ?United States must make clear that democracy and human rights funding goes hand in hand with other forms of assistance? ? meaning that no aid should be given to a foreign government while it remains ?hostile to U.S. democracy assistance and support for universal values.?

AND NOW THE LONG VERSION OF THE STORY

As news pages (and reader attention spans) shrink and online coverage tends toward quick bites and breaking updates, many news organizations have cut back on long-form journalism. But, as Susan Johnston writes at the eByline blog, ?stories running thousands of words are finding a home online thanks in part to platforms like Longreads and Narratively.?

Ms. Johnston interviews journalist Noah Rosenberg, who helped start Narratively, ?an online storytelling platform focusing on New York City?s untold stories.? Time magazine recently named the site on its 50 Best Websites 2013 list, and several top-tier news organizations regularly feature or syndicate Narratively content.

Mr. Rosenberg says the key to the site?s success has been its commitment to telling ?beautiful untold stories?; use of multimedia projects; focus on one theme or story a day (an attractive model for advertisers); and the fact that as a small, agile organization, Narratively is ?really tuned in strongly to what our readers want? and can adjust and respond accordingly.

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Source: http://news.yahoo.com/good-reads-disney-makeover-unethical-conditions-refusing-us-194532127.html

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Bob Dole Says He, Reagan Might Not Win in Today's GOP, Thinks Party Should Close for Repairs

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Source: http://www.insideworld.com/r/?rid=6835729

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Leveraging Sustainability, Social Value Creation for Improved ...

When reading the daily headlines, it is not uncommon to find news about a company behaving badly. Check today?s top stories and there is probably an investigation, an executive gaffe or a serious disaster which has both business and societal costs. Increasingly, companies are being perceived as a major cause of our social, environmental and economic issues. Big banks, big oil, big mining, big insurers ? companies in these industries are perceived to be prospering at the expense of others. The legitimacy of business is being called into question. This is compounded by increased industry oversight into business and management practices, both driven by regulation and expectation.

Communities increasingly expect companies to do the right thing ? to act responsibly and keep societal well-being in mind. Consumers expect businesses to provide safe working conditions, respect the environment and support social development. Research shows people are more likely to engage with a brand or a company if it is doing something good for society.

We live in an era of new transparency and visibility. Now, consumers can turn to social media to provide feedback on a product or service. What?s more, a company?s integrity can be jeopardized by a Facebook post or tweet; consumers are eager to express their anger and dissatisfaction when companies are perceived to not be acting responsibly or in their best interest.

This poses an opportunity and a challenge for the business community. How should businesses be working with society, looking beyond profit, and focus on generating value for people and the planet?

Creating Shared Value

The ideal of building responsible business practices has been around for a long time. In 1962, Milton Friedman declared there was only one social responsibility of business ? to meet shareholder expectations and profits. Businesses could pursue practices with a social good angle in mind, as long as they generated profit. Later, in 1984, Edward Freeman introduced his corporate management theory, which asserted that other stakeholder interests ? like communities and employees ? should be valued just as much as shareholder interests when considering best business practices.

In 2011, the Harvard Business Review published a thought leadership article by Michael Porter and Mark Kramer that introduced the concept of ?shared value,? which is ?creating economic value in a way that also creates value for society by addressing its needs and challenges. Businesses must reconnect company success with social progress. Shared value is not social responsibility, philanthropy, or even sustainability, but a new way to achieve economic success. It is not on the margin of what companies do, but at the center.?

For companies to thrive, the communities in which they operate must thrive.? Businesses must manage the risks and seize the opportunities associated with their activities, particularly within the context of developing countries ? local communities are the customer base, the local suppliers, and the talent pool. Companies must be in tune with societal needs, and to be successful, companies must fully understand their impact on local society and execute a defined action plan to address them ? in line with their business strategy.

To manage and to create shared value, companies must be able to measure it on all dimensions: business value and societal value, short and long-lasting effects, intended and unintended, positive and negative. Also important is a clear communications strategy, both for investors and the wider public, which articulates and promulgates the contribution to society, thereby facilitating the building of positive relationships with all stakeholders.

Understanding Impacts

At my company, we take a broad perspective, going beyond just inputs and outputs to evaluate long-term outcomes of company activities and its presence in essential domains of societal progress. Social value creation is pursued through a clear management process focused on understanding and driving the triple bottom line impact ? ensuring that the long-term outcomes for local societies are considered and included when measuring business success.

The business contribution to society can be assessed according to six domains of societal progress:

• Enterprise development
• Infrastructure development
• Governance
• Community development
• Quality of life
• Ecosystem conditions

To gain further insight into determining impact, we worked with the World Business Council for Sustainable Development to build the Measuring Impact Framework and further developed a Societal Value Management Model. This model was created to help companies articulate local development strategies that best meet business and stakeholder expectations and includes a broad scope of analysis. The model is used as a management tool throughout the asset lifecycle to drive investment decisions and is instrumental in stakeholder engagement to improve transparency and communication. This model is currently rolled out internally and externally, to companies across a variety of industries with a desire to integrate the social value management in their business practices.

To measure and achieve maximum social value, companies should consider focusing on the four main pillars of the asset life-cycle:

• Capital project management, to create competitive advantage by mitigating the social impacts and optimizing local input;
• Local procurement processes, to build economic and societal value in the local communities;
• Supplier development, to create a sustainable local supply chain and equip local businesses for self-sustained economic growth;
• Capability development, to integrate the indigenous workforce into business performance; and
• Community development, to improve social infrastructure and access to services for the local population.

In each area, companies must define a long term strategic view, define objectives and set out clear implementation plans, followed by consistent monitoring, quantitatively, with a series of targeted metrics, and qualitatively, through stakeholders consultation.

Putting Principles to Practice

There are countless opportunities to put social value into action. In several industries, social value management is considered an urgent, and sometimes even requisite, practice. In developing countries, oil and gas companies are under increasing pressure from local governments to provide solutions that are sustainable for society, in addition to their businesses. Mining companies also are anticipating increasing regulations and expectations to minimize impact on local communities.

In Denmark, DuPont was exploring possible energy savings when it discovered that during the production phase at its Grindsted plant, surplus heat was coming from the cooling towers. The energy team decided to leverage the surplus by distributing it to the Grindsted Electricity and Heating Plant (GEV). GEV delivers heat and electricity to private households and other buildings in Grindsted, where it is used for water and space heating during the winter. District heating is common in most cities in Denmark, as they are densely populated with little sprawl. This makes it possible to produce heat efficiently and subsequently supply this to customers through a network of insulated pipes. The project provided GEV an estimated heat energy supply of 12,627 MWh, enough to power 900 homes in the community. This generated savings of 1,200,000 Nm3 in natural gas at GEV and 195 MWh in electricity at the Grindsted plant. In terms of carbon footprint, this is equivalent to a reduction of 2,700 tons (MT) CO2 at GEV and 70 tons CO2 at the Grindsted site.

We have established Community Advisory Panels at nearly every global site we operate, ensuring that the frequency and type of community engagement are tailored to the individual conditions of each location. We also established wider mechanisms for funding local partnerships, such as the DuPont Community Fund. Founded in 1990, the fund has provided financial support to more than 500 global projects addressing sustainability, social progress, economic success or environmental excellence.

Managing a company?s contribution to society in a way that builds growth and well-being for present and future generations can only be achieved with a systemic strategic approach to social value creation.? This effort and forethought can be translated into a significant competitive advantage, a stronger brand and improved reputation.

Angela Fratila is in the Sustainability and Social Value Creation Practice with DuPont Sustainable Solutions.

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Source: http://www.environmentalleader.com/2013/05/28/leveraging-sustainability-and-social-value-creation-for-improved-business-results/

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Your Business Will Boom With These Internet Marketing Tips ...

Internet marketing can be used in conjunction with any number of marketing methods, like TV or print advertising. It can also work by itself. The powerful tips below will help your business become a part of the new wave of profitable Internet commerce.

Create very easy to read links in an effort to give your clients a pleasurable experience on your site. Making it easy for customers to see and use your button will encourage more traffic to your own website.

In order to get into eCommerce, you will have to first build a website. Creating a well-designed website is an essential first step for your business. Making your site look good and operate well from the beginning means less work as time goes on to re-do or fix mistakes.

Your customers are going to have a lot of questions, and you need to be ready to answer them. People visit your site seeking knowledge, and if you can?t provide it to them, they will go elsewhere. Providing your viewers with good info will increase the likelihood of a sale.

There?s a lot that goes into running a business online, so make sure that you?re keeping up with all of your statistics. This information should include the amount of traffic your website receives, the referrals you receive as well as the amount of sales. Keeping detailed statistics will help you decide the proper action to take when it comes to Internet marketing because you will know what works and what does not.

Almost every cell carrier out there will allow you to have a dedicated phone number on the same device. So make sure you get a number.

Be aware of all of your competition. Make the effort to look at the websites and social networking accounts belonging to your competition. You can also see how much traffic they are getting.

Add a banner to the top of your website that describes your companies mission. Create a logo that will help consumers recognize and remember your company. It can be an easy way for them to learn what services you provide.

You can make a great impression by including a banner showing your business name, mission statement or slogan. Banners are generally displayed along the top of a website or just under the title. This can help make your website look official and communicate to the visitor exactly what you are about and what goals you are setting out to achieve. Especially when there is a specific product you are trying to highlight and sell.

Your goal is to build a solid business that will last and grow. Continued success is the only real measure of true achievement, regardless of the size of your business. Every business starts from somewhere, and you can use these tips to start a solid business starting today.

For more info click here for more about Iwan Sunito.

Source: http://www.sofortkredite-24.eu/2013/05/26/your-business-will-boom-with-these-internet-marketing-tips/

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Police: Kenya arrested 1 of London attackers

NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) ? An anti-terrorism police official in Kenya says one of the suspects who killed a British soldier on a London street in a savage attack was arrested in November 2010 near the East African country's border with Somalia.

Anti-terrorism unit head Boniface Mwaniki said Sunday that Michael Adebolajo was believed to have been preparing to train and fight with the al-Qaida-linked Somali militant group al-Shabab. He said Adebolajo was arrested with five others, and later deported.

Adebolajo was identified by hard-line Muslim leaders as one of two suspects in the killing of British soldier Lee Rigby this week.

Mwaniki also denied accusations that Adebolajo had been abused while in custody in Kenya.

Rights groups say Kenya often deports foreigners they suspect of involvement with terrorism, even without legal proof.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/police-kenya-arrested-1-london-attackers-123221888.html

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Big Brother Africa Season 8: The Chase is ON! Meet the 28 ...

Big Brother Season 8, tagged ?The Chase? is on!? The official opening ceremony started with the performance of? the jam of all jams Khona performed by Mafikizolo. Nigerian online personality and the host of the show, IK Osakioduwa came in on a power bike. He was fully kitted in leather and the crowd cheered thunderously. Comedians, Tumie Morake from South Africa and ChurchHill from Kenya were invited on stage to go into both houses to give us a sneak peek! We got a chance to see the houses before the housemates got in.?Tumie helped herself to the shower and got to popping champagne while in the tub. Tumie went into the Diamond house and Churchill gave us the first insight into the Ruby house. The first Big Brother Africa was in 2003 and 10 years later, Big Brother Africa still has the power to hold Africa spellbound.

As soon as the housemates were settled in the house, IK reminded them to start getting to know one another immediately because the first set of evictions is next Sunday. We can?t wait for the game to begin.

BellaNaija promises to give you all the interesting scoop on the housemates and their time in the house as the show goes on.

Pokello ? Zimbabwe

Pokello ? Zimbabwe

Harare-born Pokello has a Bachelor of Arts degree in Media and Communications and owns a luxury shoe boutique. She enjoys pasta, spaghetti bolognaise and prawn cocktail.

She describes herself as ?dynamic, captivating, intelligent, beautiful & hilarious? and says that the best thing about her is that she?s head-strong and a woman of real substance. ?When I speak, I speak with depth and confidence,? she says. She admires people who are selfless and filled with humility and modesty, disliking disloyalty and betrayal.

Asked what viewers can expect from her, she says: ?I am beautiful, intelligent, controlling and entertaining. I am funny and witty and I say the most humorous things.

Pokello says if she wins the USD 300 000, she?ll buy a big house for her son and herself, send him to a full-time soccer academy in London and invest in her business.

LK4 ? Uganda

LK4 ? Uganda

Towering over the rest of the housemates at 6 feet 5 inches, professional basketball player LK4, is from Kampala. Outside of his achievements on the basketball court, LK4 also has a CPA and a Degree in Marketing.

LK4 was inspired to enter Big Brother by his teammates and friends and says he is excited to have Africa watching him. He says that viewers can expect him to make all the ladies fall in love with him, make viewers laugh. If he wins the grand prize, he?ll start building his basketball academy.

He describes himself as ?compassionate, sexy, conscious, comical and athletic? and his favourite personal quality is his confidence, saying that he?s ?the direct reflection of God?s creation?. He likes people who are loyal, humble, confident, honest and intelligent, but dislikes ?disloyal, jealous, envious individuals?. His proudest achievements so far are winning the national championship with his team in 2010 and representing his country in Olympic Qualifiers.

Selly ? Ghana (In a relationship)

Selly ? Ghana

Selly is an actress from Tema in Accra. She entered Big Brother because of ?the mouth-watering prize package? that she says would change her life, and also because she wants more drama in her life to ?spice it up more?.She enjoys watching Fashion Police, SpongeBob Squarepants and Keeping Up With The Kardashians. Selly says her boyfriend has influenced her life because he is extremely optimistic about life and has taught her to believe in herself.Describing herself as ?spontaneous, kind, sensitive, no-nonsense and adventurous?, Selly dislikes back-biting, fake people and sycophants. She says viewers can expect dancing, cooking and entertainment from her. If she wins the grand prize, she?ll further her education, buy her mom a car, throw a huge party, start her dream business, renovate her mother?s house and buy herself a car.

Bassey ? SierraLeone

Bassey ? Sierra Leone

Student, actor and model Bassey is from Freetown, and is single. His favourite foods include rice, cassava leaves and pasta with tomato sauce. His favourite musicians are Rihanna, Beyonce, LMFAO and Justin Bieber.

Bassey?s role model is Michael Jackson, ?because of the way he handled his career?. His two proudest achievements are graduating from University ? and becoming the first of his siblings to do so ? and also being nominated in the Youth Excellence Awards.

He entered Big Brother for the fame and money, believing that ?Biggie changes lives?. He says it?ll be ?weird? having so many people watching his every move on TV. If he wins, he?ll buy a house for his family, his dream car, invest in business and produce a movie.

Dellish ? Namibia

Dellish ? Namibia

Windhoek-born Dellish is a third year Psychology student with a passion for seafood. She describes herself as ?caring, fun, troublesome, loving and adventurous?. Dellish says her best quality is the fact that she?s ?very real and straightforward?. She values caring and considerate people and dislikes those who are selfish and lazy.

She entered Big Brother because she?s been a fan of the show for some time and promised herself that she would enter as soon as she was old enough. Dillish says it?s a bit scary to know that Africa will be watching her 24/7, but says she?s excited to share her private life and lifestyle with the continent.

Dellish says the best thing about Africa is the diverse cultures and ?our unity?. Her favourite place in Namibia is Swakopmund and says even though she hasn?t travelled much, a trip to Nigeria last year was ?the best ever?. Her grandfather is her role model. ?He raised my mom and five of his grandchildren ? including myself. He is my hero,? she says.

Angelo ? South Africa (Said he can never be faithful to one woman)

Angelo ? South Africa

Dance teacher Angelo Collins entered Big Brother because he realised that life is too short and ?one shouldn?t limit the things you want to do?. If he wins the grand prize, he will start a small business, help an orphanage and help his mom and family with a better life.

Angelo describes himself as ?tall, dark, adventurous and handsome? and attributes his confidence to being relaxed and comfortable in his own skin. He dislikes arrogant, self-centred and rude people, preferring people who are confident and know what they want in life. Viewers can expect ?a lot of craziness? from him, believing he has a funny personality and will make people laugh.

The best thing about Africa? The people, sunsets, mountains and how different, yet how similar cultural values are. Outside of his home country, he says he loves Mozambique, where he visited some amazing islands.

Fatima ? Malawi

Fatima ? Malawi

TV presenter and MC Fatima is from Lilongwe. She enjoys seafood and her favourite book is Dan Brown?s The Da Vinci Code and her favourite TV shows are Game of Thrones and Sex in the City.

Fatima lists her father as her role model because he is her source of inspiration and the most honest, straightforward person she knows. The achievement she?s most proud of is giving birth to her daughter. ?There is absolutely no feeling in the world that can top bringing another human into the world,? she says.

She describes herself as ?unique, daring, nurturing, fun and loud? and says she makes friends very easily. Fatima is looking forward to the exposure offered by Big Brother and believes that appearing on the show will be an important stepping stone in her TV presenting career.

Nando ? Tanzania

Nando ? Tanzania

Student Nando says he has never watched Big Brother before and says it feels ?normal? that the continent will be watching him 24/7. His friends encouraged him to enter and he says that if he wins the grand prize, he?ll ?build an empire?.

Aside from the cash, Nando says he wouldn?t mind picking up a few endorsements on the back of his appearance on the show.

Describing himself as ?young, ambitious, fun and loving?, Nando says he?s never thought about his best quality, but likes people with good personalities. His favourite place in Tanzania is Arusha, and globally, Brazil, because he loves football. He eats everything, likes good music and his favourite TV show is 1000 Ways To Die. His favourite actors are Scarlett Johansson and Martin Lawrence.

Huddah ? Kenya

Huddah ? Kenya

Huddah is a model with a Diploma in Programming. She loves Chinese food, ugali and fish.

Huddah?s favourite place in Kenya is Mombasa, and she says the best thing about Africa is the diversified cultures and natural resources. Her favourite place outside Kenya is Miami, because it?s a beautiful place and she loves tropical weather.

Her role model is Marilyn Monroe, because ?she was intelligent, a go-getter, a sexy woman with a charming smile and also very popular?. Huddah entered Big Brother because she believes it?s a once in a lifetime experience and she felt she really needed to be part of it. ?Plus it has brought a lot of opportunities in life for a lot of people,? she says.

She says having Africa?s eyes on her 24/7 will make her feel like a star, because she loves the attention. She says that if she wins the USD 300 000, she?ll double the money, expand her brand and build a business empire.

Bimp ? Ethiopia

Bimp ? Ethopia

Bimp is from Addis Ababa sees himself as ?honest, loyal, dependable and responsible? and says his family are excited to see him on TV. If he wins the big prize, he?d like to open a club or bar in Addis Ababa and triple the money! He?d love to travel and start a TV series about his adventures. Bimp is looking forward to gaining and sharing experiences on Big Brother.

He says the best thing about Africa is the people, who he describes as ?friendly, fun, welcoming and loving?.

He hopes that Africa learns something from watching him 24/7. He wants to represent his country and continent well and do them proud.
Motamma ? Botswana (Miss World tourism)

Motamma ? Botswana

Scientific researcher and student Motamma has a BSc in Agriculture and is currently studying further. She says it feels ?great? that Africa?s eyes will be on her 24/7. She hasn?t watched previous Seasons of Big Brother, but her friends and colleagues have always kept her up to date.

Her favourite foods include pasta dishes and sorghum cooked in milk. Her favourite books are Secret of Fascinating Womanhood by Helen Andelin and Letters to My Children by Jonathan Jansen.

Motamma says her favourite place in Botswana is Maun. The best thing about Africa? The fact that it?s rich in resources! Her favourite place outside Botswana is Mauritius, because it appears peaceful and suitable for a romantic getaway.

Neyll- Angola

Neyll ? Angola

Neyll describes himself as ?fun, entertaining, unforgettable, intense and unique?. He has a daughter and is single. His favourite actor is Tom Cruise, because he identifies with him. No surprise then, that one of his favourite movies is Mission Impossible!

His favourite place in Angola is Mussulo Island because it?s a nice place to have fun and be with family and friends. Neyll says the best thing about Africa is its strong culture that can?t be compared to any other. His role model is his father because he was the person who inspired him and taught him to be a man.

Neyll entered Big Brother because ?I know how to play the game?. He says viewers can expect surprises from him and will get the chance to see the real Neyll. If he wins the big prize, he?ll give some money to charity and help his family.

Beverly ? Nigeria

Beverly ? Nigeria

Beverly is a model from Lagos. She describes herself as ?smart, sexy, humble, loyal and crazy?. One of her favourite qualities is her sense of humour. In other people, she values ?consistency, cleanliness, truth and humility? and dislikes unkept promises, lies and pretence.

Beverley says that viewers can expect ?a total packaged African young diva to command the right qualities and characteristics of a blunt, sexy go-getter?. She doesn?t really have any role models, choosing rather to take unique attributes from different people. Asked who has influenced her life most, Beverley says ?who I want to influence me all depends on the situation at hand?.

Her favourite musicians include John Legend, Kelly Rowland, Phenom and Rihanna.

Sulu ? Zambia

Sulu ? Zambia

Businessman Sulu is single and comes from Lusaka. He describes himself as ?a guy that loves people? and says his best traits are his character and his enjoyment of the company of others. He values wisdom and intelligence in others, but dislikes negativity, gossip and evil.

He entered Big Brother because ?there is a lot to learn about ourselves? and promises viewers lots of fun and life-changing lessons. If he wins, he?ll help young people realise their potential and invest in real estate. Sulu is humbled about the fact that so many people will be watching him on the show, but says that it?s ?great? at the same time.

He says the best thing about Africa is its potential for development and says his favourite place in Zambia is Livingstone. Outside of his home country, he says America is his favourite place, because it?s ?too much fun?.

Cleo ? Zambia

Cleo ? Zambia

Cleo is an artist and musician from Lusaka. Single with a daughter, she is currently looking to further her studies. She entered Big Brother because it?s something she?s always seen herself doing. ?I have been trying to enter Big Brother since I was 21,? she says. ?It looks fun, but it?s clear to see that only the strong personalities and characters go far?.

Her proudest achievement is making it into the Big Brother house, because she has always known it would be the biggest step she would make toward reaching her goals and realising her dreams.

Cleo describes herself as ?friendly, loud, caring, blatant and loyal?, citing her favourite qualities as her patience, tact, obedience, domestication, humility and respect. She dislikes backstabbers, liars, immaturity and disrespectfulness and promises viewers ?a lot of realness, a bit of comedy, a lot of singing and rapping, a lot of ME to the fullest?.

O?Neal ? Botswana

O?Neal ? Botswana

ONeal is a radio personality and TV host. He describes himself as ?fun, imaginative, entertaining, shocking and unforgettable?. ONeal values consideration in others and thinks his best quality is his imagination. He dislikes dishonesty and declares himself an entertainer at heart.

ONeal says his favourite place in Botswana is his house ? in particular his couch ? and says that the best thing about Africa is its people?s emotional strength. He was inspired to enter Big Brother because of ?the lack of me in that house? and a need to increase his follower base outside his home country. ONeal has a younger brother and says it will be a privilege to have Africa?s eyes on him 24/7, but also acknowledges how tough it will probably be.

If he wins the grand prize, he?ll build his mom her dream house.

Maria- Namibia

Maria ? Namibia

Radio presenter and model Maria is single, has a Public Relations Diploma and is from Ondangwa. She lists spaghetti and chicken wings as her favourite foods and 50 Shades of Grey as her favourite book. Maria entered Big Brother in the hope of getting exposure which will boost her broadcasting career.

She promises viewers ?a lot of blonde moments? and also says she?ll ?be real?. If she wins the grand prize, she?ll buy a new car and pay off her house ? and probably give the rest to charity.

She lists a friend that is currently battling cancer as her role model. The achievements she?s most proud of so far are having her own radio show and being chosen to host the Namibian Music Awards.

Maria says her favourite personal trait is her kind and compassionate heart and she values honesty and respect in others. She hates gossip-mongers and promises viewers: ?I am the real deal?.
Melvin ? Nigeria

Melvin ? Nigeria

Melvin is a model and actor from Delta State with a BSc in Chemistry. Melvin enjoys listening to Nicki Minaj, Rick Ross and R Kelly.

His favourite place in Nigeria is Lagos and he says the best things about the continent as a whole are the culture and people. Outside of Nigeria, he enjoys spending time in South Africa and the USA because ?these are places where you can relax and relate to people conveniently?.

His friends and family inspired him to enter Big Brother. He has always been a fan of the show and has previously come out tops in two other reality shows. He is hoping to use all his experience and charm to go all the way on Big Brother. If he wins the grand prize, he?ll invest it, but he?s also hoping to make his country proud and use this experience as a platform to achieve other things in his career.

Natasha ? Malawi

Natasha ? Malawi

Self-employed mom Natasha hails from Lilongwe. She entered Big Brother because she looks at it as being social, educational, entertaining and a platform for fame.

She describes herself as ?fun, adventurous, flirtatious, crazy and sweet? and says that the qualities she likes most in herself are her patience, calmness, jokes and tolerance. She values patience, tolerance and kindness in others too, but despises control freaks, liars and unfaithfulness.

Her favourite musicians include Mampi, Zahara, Celine Dion, Mariah Carey and Kenny Rogers and her favourite actors are Julia Roberts, Richard Gere, Eddie Murphy and Martin Lawrence.
Her favourite part of Malawi is Livingstonia Beach and she believes the best thing about Africa is its unity, peace and friendliness of its cultures.

Biguesas ? Angola

Biguesas ? Angola

Biguesas from Luanda is single and doesn?t have any children. He describes himself as ?handsome, intelligent, extroverted, playful and talkative?. He values sincerity in others and says if he wins the grand prize, he?ll share some of the money with his family, donate some, pay for university and buy a house. He?s also excited by the prospect of fame, as he?s always wanted to be a TV presenter.

His favourite foods are ?pap?, hamburgers and fries. Biguesas says the best thing about Africa is the fauna & flora and his favourite place outside of Angola is Pretoria in South Africa. Biguesas says he is proud to be finishing University soon, a first for his family of 9 siblings.

Feza ? Tanzania

Feza ? Tanzania

Recording artist Feza is from Arusha and has a certificate in IT. A fan of French fries and Ugali na Maziwa. She loves Big Brother and says that people always do well after appearing on the show, something she feels is vital for her career. She says that if she wins the grand prize, she?ll invest some, take her son to Disneyland and possibly buy a house.

Feza describes herself as ?fun, bubbly, loyal, kind and strong? and thinks her best trait is her humility. She enjoys people who are honest, caring and fun, but dislikes those who are liars. She promises viewers ?a lot of dance, a bit of noise and lots of laughs too?. She?s hoping to get exposure and growth from her time in the house.

Her mom is her role model, whom she cites as ?the strongest, most beautiful and humble person I know. She has an older brother and sister, and one younger brother.

Elikem ? Ghana

Elikem ? Ghana

Betty ? Ethiopia

Betty ? Ethiopia

Tailor and actor Elikem is single and hails from Accra. Denzel Washington and Samuel L Jackson are his favourite actors ? the former because he?s bold, confident and a natural and the latter because ?he has made the black man proud?.

Elikem entered Big Brother for three things: the money, the exposure and the game play. He says it?s great that Africa will be watching him 24/7 because he?ll get a chance to show the continent who he is and what he can do and promote himself as a tailor and actor.

He has grand plans for the big prize. He says he?ll host a fashion fundraiser, open 3 retail stores in Accra ? and 3 more abroad ? as well as shoot a star studded movie before putting what?s left into investments and bonds.

Bolt ? Sierra Leone

Bolt ? Sierra Leone=

Freetown-born Bolt is a businessman with a Diploma in Computer Science. He loves Africa because it?s natural, and says his favourite place outside of Sierra Leone is the USA, because ?it is a land full of opportunities? and he has family there.

Bolt will enjoy having the continent?s eyes on him, saying that it will make him feel like he?s ruling the world. If he wins, he?ll invest the money, start a music label, and give his daughter a quality education. His role model is R Kelly, because ?he is a genius in music and is best at whatever he does?. With 4 brothers ? one older and three younger ? he says his mom has played a massive role in his life.

Bolt sees himself as a leader and says he is also frank, transparent and a supporter. He enjoys people who are open-minded, friendly and spontaneous and dislikes pretence, being ignored, people who are full of fear, and taking advantage of people?s weakness to destroy them.

Annabel ? Kenya

Annabel ? Kenya

Student and fashion designer Annabel says she doesn?t have any children ? but considers her pets to be her babies. She enjoys reading philosophical literature. Her favourite foods include Ethiopian, Nigerian, Oriental and Italian and she lists her favourite TV show as Big Brother.

Annabel?s favourite place in Kenya is Mombasa, because she loves the water and says it?s the only place she finds peace and tranquillity. Outside of Kenya, she loves Greece or Rome because of the way they have preserved the artefacts and culture through the generations. ?I love art and I?d kill to live there!? she says.

Annabel says she loves attention and is looking forward to having Africa?s eyes on her 24/7. ?It makes me feel like the princess I?ve always been,? she says. Her family is happy she?s going to be on the show and she says they can?t wait to tell everyone they?re related to her.

Denzel ? Uganda

Denzel ? Uganda

Denzel is a radio and TV show host from Kampala. Asked to describe himself in 5 words, he says ?I am very eccentric?. He says his best quality is his optimism and he likes a great sense of style and humour and open-mindedness in others. He dislikes negative people and smelly feet.

He entered Big Brother for the money, fame and adventure and ?could care less? that Africa will be watching him so closely. ?People are always watching me, by virtue of my job,? he says. ?In entertainment, you forfeit your right to privacy?. If he wins, he?ll ?party?.

He lists himself as his own role model, because of what he has achieved despite what he has gone through. He is the youngest of 4 children and says his proudest achievement is that he makes the world?s best-tasting noodles.

Koketso ? South Africa

Koketso ? South Africa

Johannesburg-born Koketso is an entrepreneur, currently studying towards a Law degree. She enjoys eating ?most African dishes, but to watch my weight I eat Thai for indulgence.

Koketso says the best thing about Africa is its potential ? ?It?s like a young bright kid with endless possibilities?. Her favourite place in South Africa is Coffee Bay and away from home, Dakar, citing it as the only place outside of South Africa she has felt at home.

Koketso entered Big Brother because of her ?new-found fearlessness?. ?I am now not afraid to take risks and live my life for me,? she says. ?I wanted to see how far I can take this. I needed a new challenge and I wanted something to help me build a brand I can capitalise on?.

She says she?s nervous to have the continent?s eyes on her. If she wins the USD 300 000, she?ll start her foundation for young girls in her township and explore investment opportunities in other African countries.
Hakeem ? Zimbabwe

Hakeem ? Zimbabwe

Hakeem is a model from Harare. He entered Big Brother because he is a huge fan of the show and passionate about the experience. ?I like the idea of taking simple and exceptionally talented people like me and thrusting them into stardom,? he says. ?Also, I?m a model and aspiring actor seeking bigger opportunities?.

He says the best thing about Africa is the people, the culture, resources and history, which is ?so rich, authentic and intriguing?. His favourite place in the world outside of his home country is Jamaica, because of the food, drink and climate ? ?and the parties are out of this world?.

Hakeem?s role model is Tyson Beckford because he was the first black male model to become a supermodel. ?He was picked from the streets, yet so humble, ambitious and composed,? says Hakeem. If Hakeem wins Big Brother, he?ll invest in property, pay tithes, go to college, take care of his son and own the biggest model agency in Africa to help open doors for others.

Photo Credit & Bio of housemates: bigbrotherafrica.dstv.com

Tags: Big Brother, big brother africa, Big Brother Africa 2013, churchill, Khona, Mafikizolo, The Chase, Tumie Morake

Filed under: News & Features

Source: http://www.bellanaija.com/2013/05/26/big-brother-africa-season-8-the-chase-is-on-meet-the-28-housemates-for-2013/

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