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  • Sienna Miller Brings Her Boho-Chic Wardrobe to Wimbledon

    Sienna Miller Brings Her Boho-Chic Wardrobe to Wimbledon

    What with the tropical temperatures in the U.K. this week, the vast majority of the female population has been drifting through recent days in variations on summer’s by now ubiquitous boho skirt. Sienna Miller, being something of an architect of modern boho style, is presumably no different.

    That was certainly the case at Wimbledon on Sunday, where the long-time tennis fan arrived to see Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner battle it out for the men’s singles title wearing an outfit that would have fit in equally well at the new Soho Farmhouse Ibiza as at SW19. Miller, who—along with the likes of Lila Moss and Theo James—was hosted by Ralph Lauren at Wimbledon, chose a floaty, crinkle effect maxi skirt by the brand, worn with a gently cropped crochet top and white kitten-heeled sandals.

    And wait… is that a hint of a Glastonbury-in-the-early-Aughts coin belt we spy? Okay, not quite. But the metallic accents on her Western-inspired accessory certainly hark back to those photos of Sienna’s still-influential Worthy Farm wardrobe.

    Darren Gerrish/Getty Images

    Miller was one of a whole host of famous faces in the crowd on finals day, chief among them the Princess of Wales—a patron of the All England Tennis Club—who chose a Roksanda dress in a vibrant shade of blue to take her seat in the Royal Box, accompanied by Prince William and two of their children, Prince George and Princess Charlotte.

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  • AI-Powered Wearable Can Monitor Knee Joint Torque

    AI-Powered Wearable Can Monitor Knee Joint Torque

    Knee-related conditions such as osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis significantly impact mobility and also increase susceptibility to injuries, creating a cycle that leads to chronic pain, reduced function, and long-term disability. Now researchers have come up with an AI-powered wearable to analyse complex dynamic motion signals of the knee joint for accurate torque monitoring.


    The researchers are affiliated to the University of Oxford, University College London, and Xi’an Jiaotong University in China and their paper,  AI-Enabled Piezoelectric Wearable for Joint Torque Monitoring is included in the May 2025 issue of Nano-Micro Letters.

    The starting point for their project was that:

    “Monitoring of joint torque can offer an important pathway for the evaluation of joint health and guided intervention. However, there is no technology that can provide the precision, effectiveness, low-resource setting, and long-term wearability to simultaneously achieve both rapid and accurate joint torque measurement to enable risk assessment of joint injury and long-term monitoring of joint rehabilitation in wider environments.”

    In response, using an Arduino Nano 33 BLE on a STMicroelectronics STM32 NUCLEO F401RE development board, they designed a flexible, soft, and lightweight wearable torque sensor based on boron nitride nanotubes (BNNTs) on a polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) substrate, which uses the peizoelectric effect to analyze data about the wearer’s knee movements while at the same time providing the power required for the device to operate.

     

    The device employs a lightweight artificial neural network (ANN) algorithm to analyse complex dynamic motion signals of the knee joint for accurate torque monitoring and to perform the consequent effective risk assessment.

    According to the researchers:

    This technology offers a sustainable solution for long-term joint health monitoring, making it particularly suited for resource-constrained environments, where established healthcare, energy and computational infrastructures are not commonly available. 

    All the code for this work is to be open accessed on GitHub allowing others to make this a reality.

    kneesq

     


    More Information

    AI-Enabled Piezoelectric Wearable for Joint Torque Monitoring
    by Jinke Chang, Jinchen Li, Jiahao Ye, Bowen Zhang, Jianan Chen, Yunjia Xia, Jingyu Lei, Tom Carlson, Rui Loureiro, Alexander M. Korsunsky, Jin-Chong Tan & Hubin Zhao

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  • Quickening a Rapid HCV Test Reduces True and False Positives

    Quickening a Rapid HCV Test Reduces True and False Positives

    Shortening the time to read the OraQuick HCV antibody test from the recommended 20 minutes to 5 minutes reduced false positives by 13% but missed 2.5% of viremic individuals, in a nested study1 within the QuickStart2 crossover trial of different same-day test-and-treat strategies.

    The investigators had sought a means to reduce false positives in hepatitis C virus (HCV) rapid antibody screening and the costly RNA testing that follows a positive screen, as well as to shorten overall wait time in an effort to increase acceptability of test-and-treat.

    The QuickStart study was conducted in Australia, which funds unrestricted access to direct-acting antivirals (DAAs) irrespective of disease stage or risk behavior, to identify strategies to counter declining rates of testing and treatment.

    The investigators note that the reading at 20 minutes is positive for a greater range of antibody levels, including low levels from prior infection in non-viremic individuals, while the reading at 5 minutes is reactive to the higher levels of antibodies corresponding to viremia.This nested study examined the balance between efficiency and accuracy of the rapid antibody testing.

    “The feasibility of this approach (5 minute reading) for hepatitis C elimination efforts in cohorts with resolved infections on prior treatment remains uncertain due to the potential for false positives,” Katie Heath, MA, MSc, DPhil, Burnet Institute, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, and colleagues explained.

    Study participants were adults who were at risk of HCV infection for having injected drugs at least once.They were also attending a participating primary healthcare clinic, and had not previously received DAA and/or interferon-based therapy.

    The investigators found that among 298 participants, the 20-min OraQuick test was positive for all 79 viremic and 156 non-viremic individuals.At five minutes, positive results decreased to 77 (97.5%) of viremic and 135 (87%) non-viremic individuals with positive 20-minute results.

    “Using a five-minute result to trigger RNA testing would have reduced unnecessary RNA testing by 13% in our cohort at the cost of missing 2.5% of viremic individuals,” they reported.

    The balance between efficiency and accuracy may be weighed differently within different contexts, and the investigators suggest that the utility of an HCV testing approach in populations with complex health needs and retention challenges goes beyond predictive accuracy.

    What You Need to Know

    Reading the OraQuick HCV antibody test at 5 minutes instead of the recommended 20 minutes reduced false positives by 13%, but missed 2.5% of viremic cases, potentially delaying needed treatment for some individuals.

    Shortening the wait time for results may enhance acceptability and engagement in test-and-treat programs, especially among people who inject drugs, who may face barriers like distrust of healthcare systems or unstable access to care.

    The authors propose a dual-read approach: use the 5-minute result to trigger RNA testing and interpret 20-minute-only positives as past (resolved) infections. This could streamline large-scale HCV screening while reducing unnecessary follow-up testing and costs.

    “People who inject drugs often face concurrent health issues and negative past healthcare experiences. Five-minute rapid antibody testing administered by nurses at the point of care provides prompt, visible results and expedites reflexive RNA testing, which may increase engagement,” they argue.

    They also propose the five-minute read time as an adjunct to the 20-min OraQuick test, with RNA confirmatory testing following positive results at five minutes and interpreting results which are only positive at 20 minutes as reflecting resolved infections.

    “This dual approach could streamline diagnosis, increase throughput in large screening programs, and lower costs through reducing unnecessary RNA testing for non-viremic individuals,” they suggest.

    Heath and colleagues call for “context-sensitive rapid-testing,” particularly in marginalized groups like people who inject drugs, and for further research on screening that accounts for previously resolved infections.

    References

    1. Heath K, Guzman R, Elsum I, et al. Balancing efficiency and accuracy in Hepatitis C apid antibody testing: Insights from a cluster randomised crossover trial. J Viral Hepat. 2025; 32:e70043. doi.org/10.1111/vh.70043.
    2. K. Heath, J. S. Doyle, I. Elsum, et al., Same- Visit Hepatitis C Testing and Treatment to Accelerate Cure Among People Who Inject Drugs (The QuickStart Study): A Cluster randomised cross- over trial protocol. BMJ Open. 2024; 14(7):e083502. doi:10.1136/bmjopen-2023-083502.

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  • Brookes Brilliance Keeps Quarter-Final Hopes Alive for Ruthless Rapids

    Brookes Brilliance Keeps Quarter-Final Hopes Alive for Ruthless Rapids

    Worcestershire Rapids delivered a complete performance with bat and ball to secure an impressive six-wicket victory over Leicestershire Foxes at Visit Worcestershire New Road, keeping their quarter-final hopes alive heading into the final round of fixtures.

    Chasing a target of 174, the Rapids timed their pursuit to perfection, anchored by a stunning, unbeaten 56 from Ethan Brookes, his clean ball-striking and composure under pressure proving the decisive factor.

    The all-rounder arrived with the match finely poised at 134/4 and accelerated superbly through the closing overs, hitting five sixes and four boundaries in just 28 balls to seal the win with 13 deliveries to spare.

    The chase was set up by a positive start from Isaac Mohammed and Brett D’Oliveira, who added 50 for the first wicket inside the power-play.

    Though both openers departed in quick succession, Gareth Roderick’s punchy 26 from 13 balls kept the tempo up and ensured the Rapids never lost control of the required rate.

    When Kashif Ali fell for 16 in the 15th over, there was a flicker of opportunity for the Foxes.

    But Brookes, alongside a composed Henry Cullen (18* off 12), ensured there would be no further stumble, launching a fearless assault on the Leicestershire attack.

    Earlier in the day, Worcestershire’s bowlers had combined well after the Foxes opted to bat first. Tom Taylor was the standout, picking up 3 for 25 in an outstanding spell that dismantled the top order and removed both openers inside two overs.

    The Foxes were reduced to 5 for 2, and when Rehan Ahmed was dismissed for 32, they had stumbled to 59/4 inside eight overs.

    Former Worcestershire wicketkeeper Cox, however, produced a determined recovery.

    The Foxes wicketkeeper played with authority and placement en route to a defiant 70 not out off 44 balls, guiding his side to a competitive total.

    His partnerships with Louis Kimber (32) and Tom Scriven (9*) helped stabilise the innings, but the Rapids’ bowlers held their nerve well at the death. Ben Dwarshuis, Khurram Shahzad, and Adam Finch each picked up a wicket, and boundaries were largely kept in check after the 15th over.

    Despite Cox’s efforts, Leicestershire’s total of 173/6 always felt slightly under-par on a quick-scoring surface, and Worcestershire’s clinical response with the bat proved just that.

    The win keeps the Rapids back in the mix in the North Group standings ahead of the final round of fixtures, with one of their most complete performances of the campaign so far.

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  • Turn empty London office blocks into ‘late-night party zones’, report suggests | Hospitality industry

    Turn empty London office blocks into ‘late-night party zones’, report suggests | Hospitality industry

    Could the future of Canary Wharf lie in thumping beats and dancefloor raves? Could the City of London become a global hub of nocturnal revelry?

    With financial districts struggling to bounce back to full capacity post-Covid, and the nightlife industry facing an existential crisis, there are suggestions clubs could move into deserted office blocks at evenings and weekends.

    In its annual eccentric report on the future of leisure, the creative studio Bompas and Parr says it envisions “a future where financial districts in London and the world over are transformed into world-class late-night party zones”.

    “By day, the city bustles with suits and stocks. By night, it’s reborn as a pulsating rave arena,” the report says. “With few residents to file noise complaints, organisers capitalise on the empty, echoing canyons of glass and steel.

    “Empty office lobbies become sought-after DJ booths, rooftops host industry defining light shows, and any space that isn’t locked morphs into a dancefloor to create a sprawling web of passionate chaos as capitalism and counterculture merge.”

    It may sound far-fetched, but it could become reality as the corporate and hospitality industries respond to changing behaviour in a post-Covid world.

    Michael Kill, the chief executive of the Night Time Industries Association (NTIA), said the prospect of few noise complaints and the need to boost footfall in areas that workers have deserted in the shift to work from home made it an appealing prospect.

    “There are conversations going on about things like the City of London, where the financial district is, as there is a very limited residential core so without a doubt, given some of the noise complaints and restrictions, that actually makes sense and works for nightlife,” Kill said.

    Cyclists on Threadneedle Street on a quiet Friday morning; many people are choosing to work from home on Mondays and Fridays. Photograph: Antonio Olmos/The Observer

    About 500,000 people work in the City of London but only 8,500 people live there, reducing the likelihood of noise complaints from residential properties, something that has proven a hindrance for venues in recent years.

    Kill said some financial districts were struggling with the impact of having only “three core days with full workforce”, as many people were choosing to work from home on Mondays and Fridays.

    “What we’ve always had with the financial districts is, after a Friday night, they close down and everyone disappears,” he said. “But now we’re seeing people only work from the office for about three days a week. Friday has become an extension of the weekend. So landlords are obviously looking for new opportunities, and that is a very constructive conversation we’re having.”

    He said there were conversations about how zoning rules could be adjusted to give “preferential planning and licensing opportunities” to nightlife and hospitality businesses in financial areas.

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    The NTIA has warned the UK nightlife sector faces extinction by 2029 if venue closures persist. The number of nightclubs has more than halved between 2013 and 2024. The rate of decline was exacerbated by the pandemic, when clubs were shut for months on end and more than a third of the country’s venues closed for good.

    The industry was continuously adapting to entice people back to the dancefloor and ensure the sector’s survival, Kill said, with everything from “light clubbing to full-fat clubbing to hybrid spaces and the evolution of venues with multifaceted options like conference spacing”.

    Bompas and Parr predicted that capitalising on the over-50s market would be key, and that the “generation that pioneered sex, drugs, and rock’n’roll” would be seeking new ways to spend their spare time.

    Kill said: “What we’ve seen is the industry, in many respects, has been propped up by an older generation that are plugged into revisiting those club culture memories, rave memories, events memories. The reality is, all they want to do is go out and revisit their youth.

    “So it’s absolutely something that is happening and is a growing market that is without a doubt now being noticed by the sector as a whole as a big opportunity.”

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  • Beelink Mate Mini Add Dual M.2 Storage to an Apple Mac Mini

    Beelink Mate Mini Add Dual M.2 Storage to an Apple Mac Mini

    Beelink Mate Mini Apple Mac Mini Top 1

    Here is a fun weekend one. We recently had a chance to take a look at a Beelink Mate Mini dock for the Apple Mac Mini. Let us face it, Apple storage pricing is quite high, and Thunderbolt 5 interfaces offer plenty in terms of bandwidth. One option is to grab a generic Thunderbolt 5 storage housing. Another is to get something like this that houses two M.2 SSDs, an extra network port, a SD card slot, and more in a footprint that matches Apple’s.

    If you want to check out current pricing, here is an Amazon affiliate link.

    Beelink Mate Mini Dual M.2 External Hardware Overview

    The business end of the dock has two USB Type-A ports, a 2.5GbE port, a headphone jack, a Thunderbolt 5 port, and a USB PD In port. That PD In is used when the installed devices are using more than 15W.

    Beelink Mate Mini Front 1
    Beelink Mate Mini Rear 1

    On the side, there is also a SD card slot. That is something many Mac Mini owners want.

    Beelink Mate Mini Front Angled 3
    Beelink Mate Mini Front Angled 3

    There are two sides that do not have a lot going on other than the metal housing.

    Beelink Mate Mini Side 4
    Beelink Mate Mini Side 4

    On the bottom, we get a fairly Apple-like design. To get into the unit to install the M.2 SSDs takes something like 8 screws and requires pulling off these rubber feet.

    Beelink Mate Mini Bottom 2
    Beelink Mate Mini Bottom 2

    The dock also comes with two Thunderbolt 5 bridge cables.

    Beelink Mate Mini Connectors 1
    Beelink Mate Mini Connectors 1

    Size wise, the footprint is designed to match the Apple Mac Mini, but the color is off slightly.

    Beelink Mate Mini Mac Mini 1
    Beelink Mate Mini Apple Mac Mini 1

    One option is to mount the Mate Mini below the Apple Mac Mini. The challenge with this configuration is that the Apple Mac Mini’s power button is on the bottom, so this configuration does not allow you to hit that power button without removing the mate Mini.

    Beelink Mate Mini Apple Mac Mini Bottom 1
    Beelink Mate Mini Apple Mac Mini Bottom 1

    You can alternatively use the other bridge and mount it on top, but then you have the Mate Mini atop your Mac Mini.

    Beelink Mate Mini Apple Mac Mini Top 1
    Beelink Mate Mini Apple Mac Mini Top 1

    Next, let us get inside to see the M.2 storage and cooling.

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  • Comedy Classic That Inspired The Naked Gun

    Comedy Classic That Inspired The Naked Gun

    Four decades ago, Police Squad! didn’t log much time with viewers but still lined up an impressive legacy. Following the success of 1980 spoof film Airplane!, which made $78 million at the box office ($214 million today) co-directors David Zucker, Jim Abrahams and Jerry Zucker hoped to make a similar comedy about police officers inspired by the 1950s Lee Marvin drama series M Squad. Then-Paramount exec Michael Eisner, who had championed Airplane!, offered them six episodes on ABC and promised that the process would be free of network meddling.

    Police Squad! centered on bumbling officer Frank Drebin as played by Leslie Nielsen, known for dramatic roles before his crackup part in Airplane! “Leslie never let on that he was in a comedy,” David Zucker tells THR of the late star’s knack for deadpan humor. Co-starring Alan North, each episode kicked off with the murder of a notable guest, followed by Drebin cracking the case. Among the guests were William Shatner and Florence Henderson; John Belushi filmed a death scene, but when the actor passed away a day after the pilot aired, his appearance was shelved. Police Squad! premiered March 4, 1982, and had critics in stitches — THR‘s review praised the show for “hitting the bullseye with uncanny accuracy” — but had trouble locking up ratings, leading to the series’ cancellation after four episodes. The Police Squad! team had the last laugh, as Nielsen’s Drebin returned for Paramount’s 1988 film The Naked Gun, which David Zucker helmed.

    After two sequels, a Naked Gun reboot hits theaters Aug. 1 with Liam Neeson playing Drebin’s son. Zucker feels burned to not be involved but is proud that the show has been rediscovered: “It has really gained a following.”

    This story appeared in the July 9 issue of The Hollywood Reporter magazine. Click here to subscribe.

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  • Will Justin Bieber Land a No. 1 Debut with ‘Swag?’

    Will Justin Bieber Land a No. 1 Debut with ‘Swag?’

    Justin Bieber’s Swag, the superstar’s first album in over four years, is on track for a solid opening week as the album is taking over the daily charts on Spotify and Apple Music this weekend. 

    Sources familiar with the matter tell The Hollywood Reporter that the projections for the albumhis seventh full-length — are estimated at about 150,000 to 160,000 album equivalent units for week one, while Hits magazine is projecting 175,000 units.

    Those estimates would yield a respectable debut, particularly given that Swag’s week one numbers likely won’t include any physical sales. Justice, Bieber’s next-most-recent album, debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard chart back in 2021 with 154,000 equivalent units, including 30,000 physical sales. 

    Current estimates could also keep Bieber competitive for a No. 1 debut on Billboard’s 200 Albums chart, where Morgan Wallen has dominated the past two months; the country singer is projected to move more than 150,000 units this week. All of Bieber’s six previous albums have topped the chart in their opening weeks.

    Bieber also elected to surprise-release Swag instead of sharing any singles in advance, teasing the drop on Thursday (July 10) with billboards popping up around the globe. 

    Aside from Wallen’s I’m the Problem, Swag faces steep competition from Clipse — who released their first album in over 15 years this week with Let God Sort ‘Em Out — and from Travis Scott, who dropped JackBoys 2 on Sunday. Scott, in particular, is a perennial chart monster, with 2023’s Utopia debuting with nearly 500,000 units.

    The day after its July 11 release, Bieber had taken the top seven slots on Spotify’s U.S. chart, with standout “Daisies,” featuring production and writing by Gen Z darling Mk.gee, landing at No. 1 with more than 8.5 million streams. As of this story’s publication, “Daisies” remains the top song on Spotify’s chart, and Bieber holds five of the top 10 slots on the Spotify chart. “All I Can Take,” meanwhile, topped Apple Music’s US chart, where Bieber took eight of the top 10 spots overall.   

    Swag comes at a time of massive upheaval in Bieber’s life. Since the Justice era, he’d faced health issues, canceled a tour, sold his publishing catalog, had a child and notably split from Scooter Braun, his longtime manager. The two recently reconciled their remaining financial issues, with Bieber paying $31 million to settle a debt he owed Braun following the cancellation of his Justice tour, along with unpaid commissions.

    The Hollywood Reporter reported in April that Bieber had assembled a new team and was readying the next chapter of his professional career.

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  • 5 PTI MNAs expelled from party for voting in favour of 26th Amendment – Pakistan

    5 PTI MNAs expelled from party for voting in favour of 26th Amendment – Pakistan

    The PTI formally expelled its five members of the National Assembly (MNA) for voting in favour of the 26th Constitutional Amendment Bill last August, it emerged on Sunday.

    The Constitution (Twenty-sixth Amendment) Act, 2024, also known as the Constitutional Package, is legislation that takes away the Supreme Court’s suo motu powers, sets the chief justice of Pakistan’s (CJP) term at three years and empowers the prime minister to appoint the next CJP from among the three most senior SC judges.

    The party last October decided to take legal action against its lawmakers, who had voted in favour of the 26th Constitutional Amendment in violation of the party’s policy.

    Expulsion notices — dated July 12 and available with Dawn.com — were issued to MNAs Aurangzeb Khan Khichi (NA-159, Vehari IV), Muhammad Ilyas Choudhry (NA-62, Gujrat I), Usman Ali (NA-142, Sahiwal II), Mubarak Zeb Khan (NA-8, Bajaur), and Zahoor Hussain Qureshi (NA-146, Khanewal III).

    “[During] the PTI … parliamentary party meeting held on September 2, 2024 [in] Islamabad, … it was unanimously resolved that [the] PTI parliamentary party will not support the proposed amendments [to] the Constitution and will oppose the bill when it is moved in the National Assembly or is put to voting at any stage,” the notice read.

    “You voted in favour of the bill and, therefore, you violated the directions and instructions of the PTI parliamentary party [that] were binding on you as a parliamentarian especially when you had won the election with support of [the] PTI and had taken oath that you would follow instructions of [the] PTI and that you would stand loyal to the party.”

    The document recalled that show-cause notices were issued to the five MNAs in November to prove that they had not “defected” from the party, but they did not respond. Moreover, personal hearings were held for the MNAs, but they did not offer any explanation or defence, the notice read.

    Two of the notices, addressed to Khichi and Mubarak Zeb, noted that they had defected and joined the PML-N. The remaining three notices took note of the fact that the recipients were sitting on treasury benches and “attended meetings of that [ruling] party”.

    “Thus, you having voted in favour of the 26th Constitutional (Amendment) Act, 2024, have violated the party’s instructions and directions which were binding on you,” the notice read.

    “Therefore, you are hereby declared to have violated your commitment, oath and loyalty to the party. You have acted contrary to the instructions of the party … and joined another parliamentary party in the National Assembly. You are therefore expelled from the party (PTI) forthwith. Needless to add that you also stand disqualified on account of aforesaid conduct.”

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  • VLT Timelapse Of 3I/ATLAS, A New Interstellar Object – astrobiology.com

    1. VLT Timelapse Of 3I/ATLAS, A New Interstellar Object  astrobiology.com
    2. 3I/Atlas: Mystery interstellar object could be the oldest known comet  BBC
    3. A 7-Billion-Year-Old Ice Ball Just Entered Our Solar System  SciTechDaily
    4. Robotic Survey Camera at Caltech Observatory Spots “Interstellar Visitor”  Pasadena Now
    5. Astronomers have spotted an interstellar comet older than the Sun  The Economist

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