Much of Thiam’s training these days takes place far from Belgium, in South Africa, where she has built a quieter rhythm.
The move has brought its challenges, of course, but also a sense of comfort. “It was a big move for me to move from Belgium to South Africa,” she said. “I’m more in South Africa now than I am in Belgium. To be able to bring my dog with me, it feels a bit more like home because it’s a very long period without seeing my family and friends. Sometimes it’s three months without seeing them, so to have my baby with me is nice.”
In the solitude of training, she finds peace, far from the noise that inevitably follows a national icon. “The goal also for me to be in South Africa is to be able to just do my thing in my corner and be at peace. I think also with the years I’ve learned that I’m always preparing better when I just focus on myself.”
This calm and focus may serve her well at the world championships in Tokyo, where the heptathlon will feature an unusually compressed schedule.
“Everything is going to go really fast, and I just hope we have enough time to be ready for the next event. Maybe it’s also going to flow and it’s going to be a good thing that it goes so fast.”
But first, on Friday night (22 August), in front of her fans, Thiam will step (or rather leap) into the sand once more, fine-tuning what the rain in Lausanne denied her last week, and soaking up the well-desesrved roar of a home crowd that has waited three years to see her back at the Memorial.
Millie Bobby Brown has announced she and husband Jake Bongiovi have adopted a baby daughter.
The 21-year-old star of Stranger Things and Enola Holmes posted a message on Instagram saying: “This summer, we welcomed our sweet baby girl through adoption.
“We are beyond excited to embark on this beautiful next chapter of parenthood in both peace and privacy.”
It ended: “And then there were 3. Love, Millie and Jake Bongiovi.” The couple didn’t reveal the name of their new addition.
The news comes 15 months after the actress married Bongiovi, the 23-year-old son of rock singer Jon Bon Jovi.
At the end of last year, she finished filming the final season of Stranger Things, one of the most popular shows in Netflix’s history.
The supernatural drama gave Brown her breakthrough at the age of 12, and will conclude when season five is released at the end of 2025.
She finished shooting a third Enola Holmes film at the end of June, and has also starred in Netflix’s Damsel and The Electric State, as well as two Godzilla films.
2025 US Open draw – Novak Djokovic up against Learner Tien, Victoria Mboko to face Barbora Krejčíková
Of the standout ties of the opening round, there is an enticing matchup ahead for 24-time Grand Slam winner Novak Djokovic. The reigning Olympic champion meets home hope Learner Tien, who is building a name for himself with four top-10 wins this season and now takes on the seventh seed.
For 2014 US Open champion Marin Čilić, he will face one of the year’s stars-in-the-making in Alexander Bublik, the world no. 24 with three ATP titles in 2025. Elsewhere, Olympic bronze medallist Lorenzo Musetti faces Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard
Defending women’s singles champion Aryna Sabalenka is chasing a first major of the year, and she begins her title defence against world no. 109 Rebeka Masarova of Switzerland. Meanwhile, 2021 US Open champion Emma Raducanu will play a qualifier, to be determined.
Canadian starlet Victoria Mboko comes into the US Open as the Canadian Open champion and a career high of 24, making her main draw debut at Flushing Meadows. She has a mouth-watering matchup against Barbora Krejčíková, Olympic gold medallist and former Wimbledon champion, in round one.
The US Open singles first round begins on Sunday, 24 August and runs over three days across 24-26 August.
Astronomers capture stunning image of ‘Hand of God’ nebula | Northwest & National News | nbcrightnow.com
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ISLAMABAD: Pakistani foreign policy analysts on Thursday urged the government to undertake “serious efforts” to ensure implementation of long-delayed projects part of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), which include special economic zones (SEZs), modernizing railway lines and extending the corridor to Afghanistan.
Islamabad and Beijing said on Thursday they would prioritize “high-quality” cooperation under CPEC, unveiling plans for an upgraded version of the multibillion-dollar flagship Belt and Road project. CPEC was launched in 2015 and is essentially an infrastructure network that includes energy, highways, railways projects, and the development of the Gwadar Port on the Arabian Sea connecting Pakistan and China.
The announcement came during Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi’s visit to Pakistan, who met Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Zardari in Islamabad on Wednesday. Sharif reiterated Pakistan’s desire to deepen bilateral cooperation with China in trade, investment, ICT, agriculture, industrialization, mines and minerals and other key sectors, according to the Prime Minister’s Office.
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi speaks during a meeting with Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif at the Prime Minister’s Office in Islamabad on August 21, 2025. (Handout/PMO)
While Pakistan has said the project is extremely vital to revive its struggling economy, political, security and economic challenges have caused CPEC projects to suffer delays.
Pakistani economists and foreign policy experts said that while CPEC holds vast economic potential, consistent policies by Pakistan and its accelerated implementation are required for tangible results. Shakeel Ramay, an economist, said SEZs were a key part of the CPEC that could not be established at the required pace due to governance, political, and other challenges.
Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari gestures during a meeting with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi at the Presidential House in Islamabad on August 21, 2025. (Hanout/Presidency)
“The positive point is that the government has now realized their importance and is working on it, but serious efforts are needed to expedite the implementation,” Ramay added.
Ramay also highlighted delays in the Main Line-1 (ML-1) railway project.
The ML‑1, a $6.7 billion upgrade of Pakistan’s 1,687-kilometer Karachi–Peshawar rail artery first agreed upon in May 2017, is central to CPEC. The overhaul, involving track doubling, advanced signaling and higher-speed trains, is expected to boost cargo and passenger capacity while easing the transport of trade goods to and from the country’s southern ports.
China’s Foreign Minister, Wang Yi (left) shaking hands with Pakistani counterpart, Ishaq Dar, at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Islamabad, Pakistan, on August 21, 2025. (Government of Pakistan)
“The hope is there for the project to kickstart with Pakistan and China’s openness to third-party inclusion creating opportunities for the Asian Development Bank, World Bank, and other investors,” Ramay said.
China is also involved in the development of a deep-sea port in Pakistan’s Gwadar city, located in its impoverished southwestern Balochistan province. In January this year, Pakistan operated the first commercial flight at the Gwadar International Airport, which has been developed with Chinese funding.
Ramay noted that implementation of CPEC projects in Gwadar was visible, despite hurdles.
“The Chinese government has donated 5,000 solar units, built a state-of-the-art hospital, and, along with Pakistan, is investing in skills development,” he said, adding that 30 Chinese and Pakistani companies have invested almost 3 billion Yuan ($418 million) in the Gwadar Free Trade Zone.
CPEC’s EXPANSION INTO AFGHANISTAN
Yi and the foreign ministers of Pakistan and Afghanistan held trilateral talks in Kabul this week. The three sides agreed to strengthen economic, trade and security cooperation, and extend CPEC to Afghanistan.
However, ties between Pakistan and Afghanistan remain tense as Islamabad blames Kabul for not taking action against militants it alleges launch attacks on Pakistan from its soil. Kabul denies the allegations.
Foreign ministers of Pakistan, China and Afghanistan hold the Sixth Trilateral Foreign Ministers Dialogue in Kabul on August 20, 2025. (Handout/MOFA)
Naghmana Hashmi, Pakistan’s former ambassador to China, said extending CPEC to Afghanistan had always been seen as a natural step to link Central Asia together. However, she said security issues delayed the plan.
“Without peaceful Afghanistan and secure transit, CPEC could not completely develop for Pakistan,” she told Arab News.
Hashmi noted that while the Taliban initially stayed away from the idea to extend CPEC into Afghanistan, they later endorsed it. She said that with the Taliban now in power in Afghanistan, internal security for CPEC projects in the country might not be a “major challenge.”
Dr. Talat Shabbir, director of the China-Pakistan Study Center at the Institute of Strategic Studies Islamabad, said CPEC’s expansion into Afghanistan could take time given the complex bilateral relationship between Islamabad and Kabul.
“Political and bilateral connectivity is essential for such a venture, but I am hopeful that progress will be made soon as the Chinese are actively working on this aspect,” Shabbir said.
(From left to right) Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi gestures for a group photograph with his counterparts from Afghanistan, Mawlawi Amir Khan Muttaqi, and Pakistan, Ishaq Dar, during a Sixth Trilateral Foreign Ministers Dialogue in Kabul on August 20, 2025. (Handout/MOFA)
Security of Chinese nationals in Pakistan working on CPEC projects, however, has been an area of concern for both nations. Militant attacks in Balochistan, northwestern Pakistan and Karachi targeting Chinese nationals have urged Beijing to express concern over the safety of its citizens in Pakistan.
Shabbir noted that Pakistan had bolstered security for Chinese citizens in the wake of these attacks.
“Looking ahead into 2025, Pakistan is further upgrading its security protocols with a mix of technology, intelligence sharing, and community-level engagement in CPEC areas,” he said.
NASA’s Artemis II mission, set to send four astronauts on a nearly 10-day mission around the Moon and back, will advance the agency’s goal to land astronauts at the Moon’s south polar region and will help set the stage for future crewed Mars missions.
While the Artemis II crew will be the first humans to test NASA’s Orion spacecraft in space, they will also conduct science investigations that will inform future deep space missions, including a lunar science investigation as Orion flies about 4,000 to 6,000 miles from the Moon’s surface. From this distance, the Moon will appear to be the size of a basketball held at arm’s length and will provide a unique opportunity for scientific observations.
Kelsey Young
Artemis II lunar science lead at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland.
As Orion passes on the far side of the Moon — the side that always faces away from Earth — the crew will analyze and photograph geologic features on the surface, such as impact craters and ancient lava flows, relying on their extensive geology training in the classroom and in Moon-like places on Earth. The astronauts will also practice describing nuances in shapes, textures, and colors of surface features. This type of information reveals the geologic history of an area and will be critical to collect when Artemis III astronauts explore the surface.
“Artemis II is a chance for astronauts to implement the lunar science skills they’ve developed in training,” said Kelsey Young, Artemis II lunar science lead at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland. “It’s also an opportunity for scientists and the engineers in mission control to collaborate during real-time operations, building on the years of testing and simulations that our teams have done together.”
The four Artemis II astronauts, NASA’s Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, and Christina Koch, and CSA’s (Canadian Space Agency) Jeremy Hansen, could be the first humans to see some parts of the Moon’s far side with the naked eye, depending on the spacecraft’s final trajectory as determined upon launch. During the nine Apollo missions that left Earth’s orbit, astronauts saw parts of the Moon’s far side, but not all of it, as they were limited by which sections were lit during their orbits.
One previously unlit region they may see is the Orientale Basin, a 600-mile-wide crater that serves as a transition point between the near and far side and is sometimes partly visible along the Moon’s western edge.
The astronauts may also get to observe flashes of light from space rocks striking the surface—clues that help reveal how often the Moon gets hit—or dust floating above the edge of the Moon, a mysterious phenomenon scientists want to understand.
The crew’s observations will help pave the way for lunar science activities on future Artemis missions to the Moon’s surface, including Artemis III. Artemis III astronauts will investigate the land forms, rocks, and other features around their landing site. They will also collect rock samples for generations of analyses in Earth labs and set up several instruments to investigate lunar properties and resources — information critical to future human exploration efforts.
“Whether they’re looking out the spacecraft’s windows or walking the surface, Artemis astronauts will be working on behalf of all scientists to collect clues to the ancient geologic processes that shaped the Moon and our solar system,” said Cindy Evans, NASA’s Artemis geology training and strategic integration lead, based at NASA Johnson.
In addition to lunar science observations, the crew will gather data on the effects of the space environment on the crew’s health and performance. These experiments will be managed through the Payload Mission Operations Directorate at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center, in Huntsville, Alabama, in tight coordination with mission control. This data could inform long-term lunar exploration and future human missions to Mars.
For more information on Artemis II, visit:
https://www.nasa.gov/mission/artemis-ii/
Karen Fox / Molly Wasser
Headquarters, Washington
202-358-1600
karen.c.fox@nasa.gov / molly.l.wasser@nasa.gov
Lonnie Shekhtman
NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md.
The Redmi Note 15 was announced today in China alongside the Redmi Note 15 Pro and Note 15 Pro+. It gets a larger battery, brighter display, and several other improvements over the Note 14 5G.
Redmi’s latest budget Note 15 sports a 6.77-inch OLED display that offers 120Hz refresh rate, 3,200 nits peak brightness, and Full HD+ resolution. The phone gets an in-display fingerprint scanner.
It is equipped with a Snapdragon 6 Gen 3 SoC and is available in 6 GB/128 GB, 8 GB/128 GB, 8 GB/256 GB, and 12 GB/256 GB variants. It gets UFS 2.2 storage and LPDDR4X RAM. The Note 15 runs Android-15 based HyperOS 2 out of the box.
At the back, the smartphone features a dual camera setup with a primary 50 MP Light Fusion 400 sensor with f/1.8 aperture and a 2 MP depth camera. For selfies and video calls, the device features an 8 MP camera.
The Redmi Note 15 packs a 5,800 mAh battery and supports 45W fast charging and 18W wired reverse charging. It also gets an IP66 rating, stereo speakers with Dolby Atmos, an infrared sensor, 5G, Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.1, and NFC.
Redmi Note 15 5G in Sky Blue, Star White, and Midnight Black
It is available in Midnight Black, Sky Blue and Star White color options. The Redmi Note 15 5G is currently available for purchase from the official Xiaomi China online store.
The 6 GB/128 GB variant is priced at CNY 999 ($140), whereas the 8 GB/128 GB model will cost you CNY 1,099 ($155). The Redmi Note 15 with 8 GB/256 GB storage costs CNY 1,299 ($180) and the top-end 12 GB/256 GB model will set you back by CNY 1,499 ($210).
Summary: A new study has mapped the genetic blueprint of neural stem and progenitor cells (NPCs), the rare cells responsible for generating new neurons in the adult brain. Using a digital sorting algorithm and cross-species analysis, researchers identified 129 NPC-specific genes, 25 of which are already linked to neurological disorders and 15 that may explain previously unknown conditions.
These findings clarify how NPCs contribute to neurogenesis in the hippocampus, a region central to memory and mood. The work could pave the way for therapies that target the molecular basis of neurodevelopmental and neurodegenerative disorders.
Key Facts
NPC Blueprint: 129 genes identified as highly active in neural stem cells.
Disease Links: 25 known neurological disorder genes and 15 new candidates found.
Therapeutic Potential: Opens pathways for treating dementia, depression, and learning disabilities.
Source: Baylor College of Medicine
For much of the 20th century it was thought that the adult brain was incapable of regeneration.
This view has since shifted dramatically and neurogenesis – the birth of new neurons – is now a widely accepted phenomenon in the adult brain, offering promising avenues for treating many neurological conditions.
The findings illustrate the power of simple computational frameworks to uncover meaningful, novel disease-relevant biology that could directly affect patients by offering new pathways to understanding and potentially treating neurological conditions. Credit: Neuroscience News
One of the main challenges in the field has been identifying neural stem and progenitor cells (NPCs) responsible for generating these new neurons.
NPCs are rare, diverse and difficult to isolate from other brain cells due to overlapping molecular signatures. As a result, understanding their biology – and particularly their role in human brain disorders – has remained elusive.
In a new study published in Stem Cell Reports, a team led by researchers at Baylor College of Medicine and the Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute (Duncan NRI) at Texas Children’s Hospital reveals specific genes that define NPCs. Importantly, the team also identified NPC gene mutations potentially implicated in human brain function and neurological conditions, offering new insights into the molecular roots of neurodevelopmental disorders.
“The site of adult neurogenesis is the dentate gyrus in the hippocampus, the center for learning and memory. Compared to other brain regions, this small area of the brain holds a sparse population of NPCs and their progeny,” said co-corresponding author Dr. Mirjana Maletić-Savatić, professor of pediatrics – neurology at Baylor and investigator at the Duncan NRI.
“New neurons are made in this area every day and they participate in learning and memory as well as mood control. Understanding neurogenesis is important because it could lead to improving conditions such as dementia, learning disabilities, depression and other related neurological and mental health conditions.”
It’s been challenging to identify NPCs because “these cells are so rare and look so much like their neighbors that it’s been difficult to pinpoint their unique genetic signature,” said co-first author Dr. William T. Choi, who was a graduate student in the Maletić-Savatić lab when he was working on this project and is an attending physician and a post-doctoral fellow at Harvard Medical School.
“We thought that the identification of NPC-specific markers could be successfully achieved by combining computational and experimental approaches,” said co-corresponding author Dr. Zhandong Liu, associate professor of pediatrics – neurology at Baylor and Duncan NRI investigator.
“We used a computational approach called Digital Sorting Algorithm (DSA) that has been developed to analyze heterogeneous data containing mixtures of cell types,” said co-first author Dr. Gerarda Cappuccio, postdoctoral associate in the Maletić-Savatić lab.
“With DSA we sifted through complex genetic data to identify which genes are active in NPCs and find unique gene expression patterns, like genetic fingerprints, for these cells. Using this approach, we identified 129 genes that are highly active in NPCs in mice.”
“The critical part of our discovery came when we cross-referenced these genes with human data,” Choi said.
“We found that 25 of these genes were already known to cause specific neurological diseases in humans when mutated. Even more exciting, we identified 15 new candidate genes that we anticipate are linked to previously unexplained neurological disorders in patients.”
“Our approach not only sheds light on the molecular architecture of NPCs but also provides a valuable resource for studying the links between neural stem cell biology and human disorders,” Cappuccio said.
The findings illustrate the power of simple computational frameworks to uncover meaningful, novel disease-relevant biology that could directly affect patients by offering new pathways to understanding and potentially treating neurological conditions.
Other contributors to this work include Fatih Semerci, Jill A. Rosenfeld, Toni Claire Tacorda, Guantong Qi, Anthony W. Zoghbi, Yi Zhong, Hu Chen and Pengfei Liu. The authors are affiliated with one or more of the following institutions: Baylor College of Medicine, Duncan NRI, Baylor Genetics laboratories and University of Houston.
Funding: This work was supported in part by grants from the National Institute of Aging (1R01AG076942), the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development of the National Institutes of Health (P50HD103555) and the Genomic and RNA Profiling Core at Baylor College of Medicine.
Additional support was provided by Autism Speaks, Cynthia and Antony Petrello Endowment, the NLM Training Program in Biomedical Informatics (T15LM007093), Developmental Biology Training Program (T32HD055200) and BCM Medical Scientist Training Program.
About this genetics and neuroscience research news
Author: Molly Chiu Source: Baylor College of Medicine Contact: Molly Chiu – Baylor College of Medicine Image: The image is credited to Neuroscience News
Original Research: Open access. “Computationally resolved neuroprogenitor cell biomarkers associate with human disorders” by William T. Choi et al. Stem Cell Reports
Abstract
Computationally resolved neuroprogenitor cell biomarkers associate with human disorders
Adult hippocampal neurogenesis, the process of generating new neurons, relies on a rare population of neural stem and progenitor cells (NPCs) within the dentate gyrus complex microenvironment.
Discovering the specific genes that define these cells is vital yet challenging due to overlapping expression patterns, limiting detection of rare cell populations using traditional approaches.
By employing the computational digital sorting algorithm (DSA) that deconvolves complex gene expression data based on pattern recognition, we identified 129 genes enriched in murine NPCs.
We validated these genes against published single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) data and discovered that 25 human orthologs were known to cause Mendelian neurological conditions.
In addition, leveraging a variety of computational tools and clinical and population databases, we identified 15 genes bearing novel damaging variants linked to neurological phenotypes, suggesting their potential role in contributing to human phenotypes.
These discoveries illuminate NPC molecular underpinnings and underscore their relevance to both brain development and disease.
Natural killer (NK) cells became markedly better at killing cancer cells after scientists removed key gene targets identified through a new genome-wide CRISPR screening tool, according to new research from The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center.
The study, published today in Cancer Cell, opens new avenues for discovering approaches to enhance the antitumor activity of chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) NK cell therapies against multiple cancer types via PreCiSE, a comprehensive CRISPR discovery platform optimized for primary human NK cells.
Targeted gene editing is a powerful tool to enhance the anticancer activity of NK cells. PreCiSE is more than a screening tool. It is a roadmap that reveals how tumors suppress our cells and how to reengineer CAR NK cells to resist those pressures across many cancer types.”
Katy Rezvani, M.D., Ph.D., corresponding author, professor of Stem Cell Transplantation and Cellular Therapy and vice president and head of the Institute for Cell Therapy Discovery & Innovation
The research was led by Rezvani together with co first-authors Alexander Biederstaedt, M.D., formerly a postdoc in the Rezvani laboratory and now with the Technical University of Munich and Rafet Basar, M.D., Ph.D., assistant professor of Stem Cell Transplantation & Cellular Therapy.
Using PreCiSE, which was developed by the research team, investigators uncovered multiple checkpoints and pathways that control NK cell activity when facing pressures found in the environment surrounding a tumor. This tumor microenvironment tends to have numerous factors suppressing immune activity.
Editing these targets strengthened both innate and CAR-mediated NK cell function, improved metabolic fitness, increased pro-inflammatory cytokine production and expanded cytotoxic NK subsets in models of cancer that no longer responded to treatment.
While the study highlights three validated targets – MED12, ARIH2 and CCNC – the significance extends far beyond any single gene. PreCiSE delivers an unbiased map of NK cell regulators that can be prioritized, edited and combined to design more effective CAR NK cell therapies.
In the study, researchers validated top targets in vivo using multiple tumor models and under defined immune-suppressive stressors. Some regulators, such as MED12 and CCNC, intersect with pathways known in T cell biology, while others, including ARIH2, appear NK specific, underscoring the value of a platform built for NK cells themselves.
“This has given us significant insight into the next generation of cell therapies that have the potential to be more powerful, precise and resistant to cancer.” Rezvani said.
The Rezvani Laboratory has led advances in engineered NK cell therapy and has taken CAR NK approaches into clinical trials for patients with advanced hematologic and solid malignancies. Through the Institute for Cell Therapy Discovery & Innovation, Rezvani and her team will continue to develop and advance impactful cell therapies for patients in need. The current findings will be key in further enhancing the efficacy and activity of CAR NK cells for more cancer types.
Source:
University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center
Journal reference:
Biederstädt, A., et al. (2025). Genome-wide CRISPR screens identify critical targets to enhance CAR-NK cell antitumor potency. Cancer Cell. doi.org/10.1016/j.ccell.2025.07.021.
