LeBron James ‘Promises’ 2,000+ College Scholarships

For those of you who don't know, LeBron James is a basketball star who plays for the Cleveland Cavaliers in the US. He is known around the world for his skills on the court - and a couple of TV cameos - but he is also the co-founder of the LeBron James Family Foundation (LJFF). The foundation aims to positively affect the lives of children and young adults through education and co-curricular educational initiatives, which are activities which complement what the children learn in school. At the foundation, they believe that the development of those lives depends on education and living an active, healthy lifestyle. In its latest venture, the LJFF is partnering up with LeBron's hometown college, the University of Akron in Ohio. The partnership will enable more than a thousand children currently enrolled in the foundation's "I Promise" programme to go to college with a fully paid-for scholarship. Amongst other vows, children in the programme have to promise to always go to school, listen to their teachers, and do all of their homework. They also have to be kind and respectful to others and try to live a healthy lifestyle. And above all else, they have to promise to try and have fun. LeBron said that this new programme might be one of the best things he has ever been involved in. "This is very special to me," he said. He explained that lots of children who grow up in the inner city like he did don't think beyond high school because they don't think there are any options for them. LeBron wants to show them that those options can and do exist. The children in the programme currently attend elementary or middle school in the Akron public school system. Typically, students enter the programme when they are in third grade, when they are about eight or nine years old. Over the next four years, an additional 1,200 students are expected to join the programme. Scott Scarborough is the president of the University of Akron and estimated that it costs about $38,000 (£24,200) for four years of college. As long as the students complete the programme, along with fulfilling both the attendance and grade requirements, they won't have to worry about that cost. LeBron has faith in all of the students and says that he thinks his own story speaks for itself. With a lot of hard work, LeBron knew that one day he would be able to make his dream a reality, and that's just what he did. "I just love the game so much that I won't let nobody tell me that I couldn't accomplish something," he said. "So I know exactly what a lot of these kids are going through." And because of that, at least 2,300 school children in Ohio will have a shot at college.

‘Drinkable Book’ to Filter Water for Developing Countries

There are about 663 million people in this world who don't have access to clean drinking water, and as a result, many people die. Of course, this means that researchers have spent many years trying to come up with a way of making water safer to drink, especially in developing countries. One such researcher, Dr Theresa Dankovich at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, in the US, has been developing and testing technology for a book that could provide millions of people with clean water. While you might be wondering just how much good a book can do, this one has a more practical purpose than just providing reading material. And that was demonstrated when the book was presented to the 250th ACS (American Chemical Society) annual meeting in Boston, Massachusetts. The pages of the book, designed by Brian Gartside, can be torn out and have been specifically designed to act as a filter that kills bacteria as water seeps through the paper in a custom filter box. The paper is infused with silver nitrate, well within the safety limits, but which can kill bacteria with very little exposure. At the moment, the books are being made by hand by Dr Dankovich and her students. After successful trials in the lab with artificially contaminated water, Dr Dankovich and her team decided to put the so-called "Drinkable Book" to the test in field trials. Last year, the team launched a kickstarter and managed to raise more than $11,300 (£7,220) to go towards 1,000 Drinkable Books. Trialled at 25 contaminated water sources across Bangladesh, Ghana, and South Africa, the books proved to be as successful as Dr Dankovich could have dared to dream. More than 90% of samples from the trial sites had little to no viable bacteria in them. This means the number of bacteria has plummeted from around 99% to 0%! Dr Dankovich explained that there was one location that the team thought would prove a tough challenge for the paper and really put it to the test. Raw sewage with very high levels of bacteria was being dumped into a stream that local people needed to use for drinking water. But, amazingly, water filtered through one of the book pages was shown to be completely clear of any bacteria. The next step is for trials involving local people using the books for themselves. Instructions on how to use the book are printed on the pages, in both English and in the local language, and a single page can filter up to 100 litres of water. This means that just one book could clean the water supply for a person for four whole years. If the trials also work out, the team will be able to stop making the books by hand and step of production. "It is really exciting to see that not only can this paper work in lab models," Dr Dankovich explained, "but it has also shown success with real water sources that people are using."

Barber Cuts Kids’ Hair for Free as They Read to Him

If you can encourage kids to read, then you're all right by us. And with children all over the world getting ready to go back to school, Courtney Holmes in Dubuque in Iowa has come up with an innovative and awesome plan for the kids in his area. Last Saturday, Courtney was offering children free haircuts ready for the new school year. The only "catch"? The child has to read aloud during their appointment. Courtney's initiative was part of the second annual Back to School Bash. This event is a chance for residents to find out about free resources in the community to help students and their families get ready for the new school year. Courtney explained that when the kids would come into the Spark Family Hair Salon, he'd tell them to go to the table and pick a book they might like. But he doesn't just listen to them read as he cuts their hair; if the child struggles with the words, Courtney helps them understand, too. At the end of the event, there were still 10 children waiting to have their haircut. Courtney gave them all a voucher for a free cut and told them to come back another day with a book to read to him. He's not going to let anyone miss out! "It's great," said Caitlin Daniels, a coordinator for grade-level reading in Dubuque. "All the kids, they want to have a good haircut to go back to school - they are paying through reading." Instead of this being just a once-a-year thing, Courtney is hoping that he can get children to come and read for a haircut as a monthly event. People have even been sending books to the salon in support of this reading initiative - so there really isn't anything standing in the way. And Courtney is happy to do the work and likes that he is getting through to the parents as well as the children. "That is what we wanted to do," he said, "to reach not only the kids, but the parents. To let them know that we are there for them and have support systems for their kids who may not have access to reading assistance or books."

England to Test Electric Motorways

Imagine being able to recharge your car as you drive down the road. Well, that possibility could become a reality for motorists in England if a scheme proposed by government agency Highways England takes effect. The idea is to test wireless technology that transfer power from inside the road to the vehicle driving on it, built into England's motorways and major A roads. As you might be aware, the technology for charge-as-you-drive has already been implemented in various places around the world, but not on a widespread basis. In Gumi in South Korea, for example, 7.5 miles (12 km) of road was switched on in 2013. Buses with the compatible equipment could be charged as they were driven over this section of road. This was made possible because electric cables were buried under the road and used to generate electromagnetic fields. These are picked up by a coil inside the device inside the bus and converted into electricity. Last year, Milton Keynes (in England) also started their own scheme, though much more limited. Plates were installed in the road that also allowed buses to recharge wirelessly. However, the buses would have to stop for several minutes over one of these plates to receive the power boost. The new plans are already underway as Highways England have completed a feasibility study, which assesses the practicality of the proposed plan. Stuart Thompson is a spokesperson for the agency, who explained that off-road trials will be held by 2016 or 2017. This means that the trials won't be held on any public roads, but as it's still very early days, it has yet to be determined where they will be held. The trials are expected to last about 18 months before a decision is made about whether to commit to on-road trials - on public roads. The agency's Chief Highways Engineer Mike Wilson explained that with vehicle technologies advancing at an ever-increasing pace, Highways England has committed itself to supporting the growth of vehicles with ultra-low emissions. "The off-road trials of wireless power technology will help to create a more sustainable road network for England," he added, "and open up new opportunities for businesses that transport goods across the country." Companies are now being asked to offer bids to host the trials, and Highways England said that the full details of the scheme will be made public once the contractor has been appointed. Transport Minister Andrew Jones said that exciting possibilities could stem from the potential to recharge low-emission vehicles on the move. "As this study shows, we continue to explore options on how to improve journeys," he said, "and make low-emission vehicles accessible to families and businesses."

Man’s Home Becomes Unofficial Pig Sanctuary

Andy Gregory is the president of Des Champs, Gregory & Hayes insurance agency, and in his spare time, he takes photos of bull-riding competitions. But there is so much more to Andy Gregory. Somewhere in southwest Florida lies Andy's home where he lives with his wife, Debbie. But Andy and Debbie's family is a lot more expanded than you could possibly have imagined, though not with children (in the conventional use of the word). They share their home with 27 pigs, 15 goats, six dogs, four cats, three horses, a sheep and a rabbit. All of these animals (except for six) are rescue animals, which means that they had previously been living in unsustainable conditions. Andy is not an animal welfare professional and his home is not an official sanctuary. But the animals now have a stable home and they are what he looks forward to coming home to at the end of the working day. Of course, Andy didn't go into this with no experience. He got his first pig, Hoover, when he was a teenager. His interest in keeping pigs started again about 11 years ago when Andy and Debbie finally moved into a property big enough to do just what he's doing. Over time, more and more pigs began calling the Gregory home their own. Some of these pigs are former pets, some were wild who were just in the wrong place at the wrong time and needed a home to avoid facing alternative treatment. The biggest animals live outside in large pens, although a couple of housebroken pigs are occasionally invited into the house for a visit. Considering that many of the animals received little attention before coming to live with the Gregorys, Andy loves their company and watching how their behaviour changes and adjusts. And it probably doesn’t cost as much to look after all of the animals as you might think. Including food and vet bills, the Gregorys pay out just under $20,000 (£12,800) a year. It might seem a steep figure, but you have to bear in mind that there are almost 60 animals altogether. Some of these are blind, some have skin conditions, and one of the goats even suffers from a neurological condition. Understandably, Debbie’s attitude towards welcoming another animal into the fold switches between “Oh no, not another one” to “Yay, look what we’ve got!”, but ultimately she just supports her husband’s pet project passion. “I always wanted a home with room to do just this,” Andy explained. “Having a wife that loves me and stands by me makes this all the better.” Damen Hurd is a wildlife rehabilitator with Florida's Wildlife Education & Rehabilitation Center and has personally sent a few pigs Andy's way. Rehoming options can be scarce in the pig community, so he's even spread Andy's name around there. Hurd's take on it is that many of Andy's pigs would have been killed if they hadn't have been taken in. “Andy is an amazing guy that doesn’t have to do this,” he said. “He chooses to do good and save these pigs’ lives with his money and time and I am grateful for that.”

Jobs Market Opens Up for Young People

It's good news for apprentices and young people leaving school as more and more companies are looking to fill skills gaps in their workforces. This is according to the latest research from the HR professional body CIPD (Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development) as part of their quarterly survey. The CIPD surveyed almost 1,000 companies and found that, in response to recruitment difficulties, around 50% of these firms were looking into measures to boost the skills of their current workforce. Half of these are planning to provide more training for their current staff, and a third are looking into taking on more apprentices. Gerwyn Davies is a labour market analyst for the CIPD and explained that the tightening labour market was undoubtedly encouraging more companies to widen their recruitment range. Mr Davies also pointed out that it could be a preemptive strike, in order to prevent labour shortages and pay pressures in the future, and make sustainable employment more available for young people. The research also suggested that young people's finances are finally improving. Unemployment among 16-25-year-olds has fallen from 22.5% to 15.9% since 2011, though it is still higher than the pre-crisis figure of 13.8%. The proportion of young people who find jobs within three months of leaving education has also been rising sharply over the past year and is nearly at its pre-recession level. In the OECD (countries in the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development), the UK has the second-highest level of over-qualification. But if more employers get better at making the most of their employees' skills, their own and the UK's productivity will get a good boost. "The underlying factor is that the jobs market is very strong," Mr Davies explained. "That's forcing more employers to look at a wider range of applicants." He added that the introduction of the new National Minimum Wage could further encourage employers to hire people below the age of 25. "[This] could see young people reverse recent trends," he concluded, "by becoming the new winners in a new era for the jobs market."

Handwashing Programme Reduces Spread of Bugs

By now, we should all know the importance of washing our hands. You know the drill: after going to the bathroom, coughing, and sneezing, or before preparing and eating meals, that kind of thing. But do we all follow these "rules", and if we do, is it enough? According to research led by Professor Paul Little at the University of Southampton, most people wash their hands about five or six times a day. He suggested that if this figure could reach around 10 times a day, the spread of bugs and infection could be significantly reduced. Professor Little explained that there is a risk of primary and secondary care getting overwhelmed in a pandemic because people don't change their behaviour. So, to promote hand cleanliness, an internet programme has been created called PRIMIT. The programme encourages users to learn simple techniques to avoid catching and passing on viruses and to monitor their own hand-washing behaviour. The programme was trialled in the UK over the winter - peak cold and flu season - across 16,000 households, around 20,000 people all over the age of 18. The households were split into two groups, one of which used the PRIMIT programme, while the other served as a control group. At the end of the 16 weeks, the participants were asked to fill out a health-related questionnaire. According to the study, published in The Lancet, only 51% of the PRIMIT group had contracted a respiratory infection before the end of the trial, compared with 59% of the control group. The group following the programme was also found to have a 20% lower risk of catching flu-like symptoms, and 10-15% fewer doctors appointments and prescriptions. Professor Little said that before the trial, while it was clear that washing your hands regularly was important, no one really knew why. And because so many people now have access to the internet, the programme would be a great way of providing health information and also prevent the NHS or other health bodies from becoming overwhelmed. "I think people might be a little unsure that washing your hands might really be effective in preventing transmission, but we now know that is the case," said Professor Little. "You don't only protect yourself, you also protect your family members, and presumably your colleagues as well." So now you know just how many benefits there are to making sure you have clean and healthy hands - why not try it out yourself?

Ebola Vaccine So Far 100% Effective

The Ebola outbreak in Africa, which was first officially reported on in March 2014, might finally have met its match in a vaccine that has so far proven to be 100% effective. The virus was only discovered in 1976, and this outbreak quickly became one of the deadliest occurrences of it, killing up to five times as many people that all of the other outbreaks put together. In total, so far, more than 28,000 people have been infected with the virus during this outbreak, and more than 11,000 have died as a result. Of course, an Ebola epidemic of this magnitude was not expected, and at the start of the outbreak, there were no proven effective drugs or vaccines. With the fear of this epidemic becoming a pandemic, scientists have been rushing to their labs to see what they can come up with. Normally, such a vaccine would have to go through vigorous testing, but that could take up to 10 years, and there just wasn't time for that. In only 12 months, an international team of researchers headed by US pharmaceutical company Merck have managed to develop an Ebola vaccine. They have been working on something started by the Public Health Agency of Canada and it has proven more effective than anyone could dream. The VSV-EBOV (Vesicular Stomatitis Virus-Ebola Virus) is a combination of an Ebola virus fragment and another virus. Together, they help to train the immune system to beat the Ebola virus before symptoms can manifest. So, as part of live trials, they put the vaccine out to work in Guinea. When another Ebola patient was discovered, every adult close to them - family and friends, etc - was vaccinated. This would effectively put up a protective ring of immunity around the affected patient and stop the virus from spreading. Between April and July, 100 patients became part of the trial, randomly assigned to two groups. In one group, the close contacts were given the vaccine straight away, while in the other group, the vaccine wasn't administered until three weeks after diagnosis. The effects of the vaccine kick in with six to 10 days, and the sooner it is administered, the better. Out of the more than 2,000 close contacts who were vaccinated immediately, there were no subsequent cases of the virus. Out of the group that were vaccinated after a few weeks, there were 16 cases. This led to the WHO (World Health Organisation) making the decision to vaccinated loved ones immediately, this time including children as no adverse reactions were witnessed. The trials continued, and the latest results have been published in the science journal, The Lancet. So far, the vaccine has proven 100% effective when administered to almost 8,000 people. The trial will continue, without randomisation, so that everyone in contact with an Ebola patient will receive the VSV-EBOV. The WHO believe that the ultimate outcome of the vaccine will show between 75% and 100% effectiveness. Dr Marie-Paule Kieny is WHO Assistant Director-General and one of the authors of the trial report. She explained that where the immunity rings have been put in place, cases have dropped and transmission of the virus has stopped. "It is certainly promising," she said. "When there is a new outbreak, this vaccine will be put to use to stop the outbreak as soon as possible to not have the terrible disaster we have now." These amazing results just have to be confirmed, and while the epidemic is not over yet, the vaccine is a valuable tool in the fight against the Ebola virus. An end is in sight and the world will be much better prepared and equipped for the next outbreak.

First Child’s Double Hand Transplant Success

Out of the many things we take for granted, using our hands might. It’s one thing to lose the use of them over time to various conditions like arthritis, but what about having to have them amputated at a young age? That’s what happened to eight-year-old Zion Harvey from Baltimore, Maryland, in the US. When Zion was just two years old, he contracted an infection in his limbs. This infection turned into gangrene and the doctors had no choice but to amputate his hands and feet. The infection also affected his kidneys, and after spending two years on dialysis, Zion needed a kidney transplant. His mum, Pattie Ray gave him one of her kidneys, and the boy spent the next few years learning to write, eat, and play using only his forearms. But Pattie wanted more for her son, as any mother would. Zion already had prosthetics for his legs, and she started looking into something similar for his hands. Out of all the prosthetics they tried, there were none that Pattie and Zion were satisfied with, but then a doctor gave them a serious option to consider: hand transplants. It was up to Zion: if he wanted to go for it, they would go for it. If not, they wouldn't. But, of course, the courageous boy was willing to give it a go. However, before the operation could go ahead, Dr L Scott Levin - the lead surgeon in Zion's operation at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) - would have to find a suitable donor. He explained that the difficult part is trying to find a family with the courage to give the arms of their loved one to improve the life of another child. "He is so amazing," said Pattie about her son, before the operation. "I don't know many adults that can handle half of his life on a day-to-day basis." When the time came, Dr Levin led a team of 40, divided into four teams - two focusing on the hands, and two focusing on Zion. Using steel plates and screws to graft the old bone onto the new, the team worked for around 11 hours to give the boy his new hands. And when it was all over, Dr Levin said that Zion woke up smiling. "There hasn't been one whimper, one tear, one complaint," he said, adding that he hoped he and his team would be able to help more patients like Zion in the future. After seeing his new hands, Pattie said that she was able to see her son in a way she hadn't in almost six years, and it was like her son had been reborn. "It was a very joyous moment for me," she said. "I was happy for him." Zion will now be able to fulfil his dream of one day throwing a football or swinging from the monkey bars in the playground. And to the surgical team that made all this happen for him, Zion had this to say: "I just want to say thank you, guys, for helping me down this bumpy road." Image Source: YouTube

Boy with Cerebral Palsy Finishes Triathlon in Style

Bailey Matthews is eight years old and from Doncaster in England, and a couple of weekends ago, he completed his first triathlon. This wonderful achievement becomes even more so when you consider that when Bailey was just a year-and-a-half old, he was diagnosed with cerebral palsy. And he crossed the finish line all by himself. Cerebral palsy, a general term for a few neurological conditions, affects one in 400 people in the UK and is caused by problems in the brain and nervous system which affects movement and coordination. Bailey's mum, Julia Hardcastle, said that while her son has always struggled with the day-to-day tasks that other parents take advantage of in their children, Bailey doesn't let it bother him. "He doesn't see himself as different to anyone else," she said. "We have always tried to make sure that if there is something he wants to do, there is no such word as 'can't'." And one of the things that Bailey wanted to do was be like his dad, Jonathan Matthews. Jonathan is an avid triathlete, who used to push his son in his wheelchair during running events. He's even adapted Bailey's walking frame so that he is able to participate in physical activities. Bailey's parents are keen to point out that participating in the triathlon was all Bailey's idea, and that he even sets his own training goals. All they can do is make it as easy for him as possible. The Castle Howard Triathlon is the fourth of six events that make up the Castle Triathlon Series. Each event takes place on the grounds of a different castle on a weekend between May and September. The children's triathlon at Castle Howard involves swimming 100 metres (328ft), cycling 4km (2.5 miles), and a 1.3km (0.8 miles) run to the finish line. The young competitors are also allowed one parent to help them, so, of course, Bailey's dad was there by his side. As they rounded the last corner, Bailey could see the hundreds of spectators waiting at the finish line, cheering him on. And with the end in sight, spurred on by the cheers, Bailey cast aside his walking frame and finished the race with nothing supporting him but his own two feet. "That was his way of finishing in style," his mum proudly said, "and showing everyone what he could do." "Bailey has always been very determined," she explained. "If he wants to do something, he will find a way to do it, even if it's not the conventional way." You can watch Bailey do his thing in the heartwarming video below, but you might want to have some tissues at the ready! [video width="600" height="275" id="bEWO9JljMCY" type="youtube"]

Moscow’s Cinema for the Homeless

As you should know by now, we're all for schemes that help out those less fortunate than ourselves. Over the last couple of months, we've told you about a variety of ideas from all over the world that are helping others in one way or another. In Canada, For the Love of Laundry enables people to wash and dry their clothes for free. Two women in Texas turned to crowdfunding to pay for the funeral of a local homeless man. A barber in Australia has been giving out free haircuts and the occasional makeover to people who can't otherwise afford it. And in California, a couple and their family are going to be moving into a tiny house they have designed for struggling families. And here comes another initiative, this time in Russia. A charity backed by city officials in Moscow, Friends on the Streets, is setting up a variety of events over the summer, free of charge for the less fortunate of the city. Their main event, which only launched last weekend, is a cinema experience. The cinema screen is housed in a tent, right next to a welfare centre for the less fortunate, in the centre of Moscow. The tent seats about 100 people, and is one of the few places homeless people can go to relax and be entertained, and enjoy a good laugh, without having to worry about having official identification. But a movie and a good time is not all the cinema organisers have to offer. Patrons can also enjoy a hot meal and drink before the show begins, and they get to vote on the movie. As you might expect, they voted for something light and funny, a 1965 Soviet slapstick called Operation Y and Shurik's Other Adventures. In addition to the movies will be sporting events, such as playing football games. Friends on the Streets are also hoping to set up a makeshift beauty salon. "We do our best to treat the homeless like friends, not as objects to be fed and washed," explained Friends on the Streets volunteer Natalia Markova. "Their lives are hard enough as they are, and with projects like this, we try to cheer them up." Andrei Besshtanko is the City Hall Deputy Head of Social Security and one of the backers of the charity. He said that for most people, going to the cinema or the hairdresser isn't a big deal - there isn't anything special in it. "But for those who have spent a year on the streets," he explained, "it helps to remember they are human."