Author: admin

  • Three-person DNA IVF stops inherited disease—eight healthy babies born in UK first

    Three-person DNA IVF stops inherited disease—eight healthy babies born in UK first

    The UK’s pioneering licensed IVF technique to reduce the risk of mitochondrial diseases carried out in Newcastle has seen eight babies born, published research shows.

    All eight babies show no signs of having mitochondrial DNA disease. The babies, four girls and four boys, including one set of identical twins, were born to seven women at high risk of transmitting serious disease caused by mutations in mitochondrial DNA. The findings, reported on July 16 by the Newcastle team who pioneered mitochondrial donation using fertilized human eggs, indicate that the new treatment, known as pronuclear transfer, is effective in reducing the risk of otherwise incurable mitochondrial DNA diseases. 

    Published in two papers in The New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM), the findings describe the reproductive and clinical outcomes of pronuclear transfer treatments performed to date. All babies were healthy at birth, meeting their developmental milestones, and the mother’s disease-causing mitochondrial DNA mutations were either undetectable or present at levels that are very unlikely to cause disease.

    The technique was pioneered in human eggs by a team based at Newcastle University, UK and the Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust in work funded by Wellcome and NHS England.

    The mother of a baby girl born following mitochondrial donation said: “As parents, all we ever wanted was to give our child a healthy start in life. Mitochondrial donation IVF made that possible. After years of uncertainty this treatment gave us hope—and then it gave us our baby. We look at them now, full of life and possibility, and we’re overwhelmed with gratitude. Science gave us a chance.” 

    The mother of a baby boy added: “We are now proud parents to a healthy baby—a true mitochondrial replacement success. This breakthrough has lifted the heavy cloud of fear that once loomed over us.

    “Thanks to this incredible advancement and the support we received, our little family is complete. The emotional burden of mitochondrial disease has been lifted, and in its place is hope, joy, and deep gratitude.” 

    The NHS Mitochondrial Reproductive Care Pathway offers mitochondrial donation, through a research study, in addition to other reproductive options for women with mitochondrial disease.

    Professor Sir Doug Turnbull, Newcastle University part of the Newcastle team said: “Mitochondrial disease can have a devastating impact on families. Today’s news offers fresh hope to many more women at risk of passing on this condition who now have the chance to have children growing up without this terrible disease. Within the framework of the NHS in a well-regulated environment, we are able to offer mitochondrial donation as part of a research study to affected women in the UK.“

    Mitochondrial DNA disease

    Every year, around one in 5,000 children is born with mitochondrial DNA mutations that can cause devastating disease. Mitochondria produce the energy required for life and contain a small piece of DNA that only encodes some of the instructions required for energy production.  Harmful mutations in mitochondrial DNA can result in reduced availability of energy, particularly affecting tissues that have high energy demands – for example heart, muscle and brain. Mitochondrial DNA is maternally inherited, and these diseases are therefore passed from mother to child. Although males can be affected, they do not pass on the disease. Despite years of research there is still no cure for people with mitochondrial DNA disease.

    In the absence of a cure for mitochondrial DNA diseases, attention has focused on IVF-based technologies to reduce the risk of disease by limiting transmission of disease-causing mitochondrial DNA mutations from mother to child. The new IVF-based mitochondrial donation technology, pronuclear transfer, which was legalized in the UK in 2015, is designed to reduce the risk of mitochondrial DNA disease in children born to women who carry high levels of disease-causing mitochondrial DNA mutations. 

    The Newcastle team now include pronuclear transfer as part of a research study along with a range of reproductive options offered to women at risk of transmitting mitochondrial disease to their children.

    Pronuclear transfer

    The technique, known as pronuclear transfer is performed after the egg is fertilized. It involves transplanting the nuclear genome (which contains all the genes essential for our individual characteristics, for example, hair color and height) from an egg carrying a mitochondrial DNA mutation to an egg donated by an unaffected woman that has had its nuclear genome removed. The resulting embryo inherits its parents’ nuclear DNA, but the mitochondrial DNA is inherited predominantly from the donated egg.

    The reproductive outcomes paper

    The UK-based Newcastle team who developed and optimized pronuclear transfer for use in fertilized human eggs now report on outcomes of pronuclear-transfer treatment to reduce the risk of mitochondrial DNA disease.

    Levels of disease-causing mitochondrial DNA detected in babies born after pronuclear transfer treatment ranged from undetectable to 16% in neonatal blood. The presence of mitochondrial DNA mutations in babies born after pronuclear transfer treatment results from carryover of maternal mitochondria surrounding the nuclear DNA at the time of transplantation. Carryover of maternal mitochondrial DNA is a known limitation of mitochondrial donation technologies.

    The team is seeking to better understand and address this issue as part of an underpinning research program.

    Professor Mary Herbert, lead author of the reproductive outcomes paper who carried out the research at Newcastle University said: “The findings give grounds for optimism. However, research to better understand the limitations of mitochondrial donation technologies, will be essential to further improve treatment outcomes.

    “Mitochondrial donation technologies are currently regarded as risk reduction treatments owing to carryover of maternal mitochondrial DNA during the mitochondrial donation procedure. Our ongoing research seeks to bridge the gap between risk reduction and prevention of mitochondrial DNA disease by addressing this problem.” 

    Pronuclear-transfer treatment is offered as part of an integrated program that includes preimplantation genetic testing (PGT) for reducing the risk of mitochondrial DNA disease. In accordance with HFEA regulations, pronuclear transfer is offered only to those women who are unlikely to benefit from PGT treatment.

    At the time of reporting the integrated program of PGT and pronuclear transfer, clinical pregnancies were confirmed in 8 of 22 (36%) patients who underwent pronuclear transfer and 16 of 39 (41%) of patients who underwent PGT. Pronuclear transfer has resulted in eight births and one further pregnancy. PGT has resulted in 18 births. In the children from pronuclear transfer, levels of disease-causing mitochondrial DNA mutations were either undetectable or well below the levels at which disease symptoms are observed. 

    The clinical outcomes paper

    The Newcastle team describe the pathway developed to provide the best possible care for women with pathogenic mitochondrial DNA mutations. It describes in detail how the mothers of the first children born with the technique were monitored and supported in pregnancy, and their babies closely followed from birth.

    Some of the mothers already had symptoms of mitochondrial disease including vision loss and heart problems. Others had family members with the disease and remain at risk of developing symptoms and passing it on.

    All eight babies, including a set of identical twins, were healthy at birth and are described as developing normally – five have had no medical problems since. In the paper, the team note that three babies overcame some early health issues that they believe they are not able to attribute directly to mitochondrial donation.

    The Newcastle team offers advice and treatment to women with harmful mitochondrial DNA mutations in the UK. They are carefully monitored during pregnancy and after mitochondrial donation, six of seven progressed without incident. One woman developed a rare complication of pregnancy with a high level of fats detected in her blood (hyperlipidaemia) which responded well to a reduced fat diet. 

    All eight babies, including the set of twins, were born by normal vaginal delivery or elective caesarean section. All babies had normal weight for gestational age. The level of disease-causing mitochondrial DNA mutation was measured in blood and urine cells and was undetectable in five babies. Three babies had low levels of disease-causing mitochondrial DNA mutations – 5 and 9%, 12 and 13%, 16 and 20% in blood and urine respectively.  These levels are well below the 80% level required for clinical disease for these mutations. The researchers note that at follow-up at 18 months, the level of the disease-causing mutation in the child with 5 and 9% was undetectable in blood and urine.

    All children are enrolled in an 18-month developmental study and at the date of reporting all the babies were meeting their relevant developmental milestones.

    One child developed some brief startles (involving neck flexion and eye blinking) at age 7 months, which resolved without treatment after 3 months. Another, a breast-fed baby, developed high blood fats (hyperlipidaemia) which had also affected the mother during pregnancy, and was successfully treated through a low-fat diet. This child was also diagnosed with an abnormal heart rhythm (cardiac arrhythmia) which is being successfully treated with a reducing amount of anti-arrhythmic medication. (Although the children born following PGT are not routinely followed-up, the team note that a cardiac anomaly was detected in one child.)  A third child had a urinary tract infection that responded quickly to antibiotic treatment.

    The authors say that the children’s health conditions are not thought to be related to the maternal mitochondrial DNA mutations as the low levels detected in these babies would not be expected to cause disease symptoms. Symptoms for these mutations are only seen with levels above 80%. Any effect of the pronuclear transfer procedure itself would be expected to have a more uniform clinical manifestation, that is, to affect children in the same way. However, follow-up studies will be of paramount importance in detecting any patterns in childhood conditions.

    The team emphasize that follow-up studies are essential for detecting any patterns in childhood conditions and say they will continue to offer assessments up to the age of 5 years.

    Professor Bobby McFarland, Director of the NHS Highly Specialised Service for Rare Mitochondrial Disorders (Newcastle Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust) and Professor of Paediatric Mitochondrial Medicine at Newcastle University is first author of one of the papers. He said: “While longer term follow-up of children born following mitochondrial donation is of paramount importance, these early results are very encouraging. Seeing the joy and relief these children have brought to their parents is such a privilege.

    “We believe the follow-up process we have put in place is thorough, since it allows us to detect and review even minor health conditions in children born after pronuclear transfer such as a urinary tract infection.” 

    The Lily Foundation, a charity dedicated to fighting mitochondrial disease has supported the Newcastle work. “We’re absolutely delighted with the results of these published papers,” said Liz Curtis, Lily founder and CEO. “We fought long and hard for this change so that families could have choices. After years of waiting, we now know that eight babies have been born using this technique, all showing no signs of mito. For many affected families, it’s the first real hope of breaking the cycle of this inherited condition.”

    FACT FILE

    Law – In a first worldwide and following extensive public debate and scientific and ethical review, UK legalization was press/articles/archive/2015/10/worldfirstledbynewcastleuniversity/”>approved in 2015 to enable the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) to allow mitochondrial donation treatments for women at high risk of transmitting serious mitochondrial DNA disease to their children. Following this, the law has now changed in Australia.

    Licence – Licences are regulated and granted by the HFEA. Newcastle Fertility Centre part of Newcastle Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust was granted the press/articles/archive/2017/03/mitochondrialicence/”>first license to perform clinical mitochondrial donation by pronuclear transfer in 2017.  A clinical pathway was established with mitochondrial clinicians as part of NHS England’s Highly Specialised Service.

    Mitochondrial disease refers to a group of genetic conditions that disrupt how our mitochondria – the energy producers in our cells – function.

    Pre-implantation genetic testing (PGT) is a procedure that helps couples avoid passing on genetic conditions to their children. This extra step tests embryos for genetic conditions.

    Pronuclear transfer (PNT) involves transferring the nuclear DNA of a fertilized egg into a fertilized donor egg to prevent the transmission of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) disease.

    Funding

    The team acknowledge that the Mitochondrial Reproductive Care Pathway is supported by the NHS at The Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (NUTH). Support was provided by Wellcome. Infrastructural support was provided by Newcastle University, a National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Biomedical Research Centre award to NUTH. The NHS Highly Specialised Services for Rare Mitochondrial Disorders is supported by NHS England and a career development award was made to Dr Hyslop from Health Education England and the NIHR.

    Continue Reading

  • are hospital surgery wait times improving near you?

    are hospital surgery wait times improving near you?

    Every NHS hospital in England has been told to improve patient waiting times for planned treatment as the government has made hitting the 18-week target one of its key priorities for this parliament.

    By March 2026, the government wants to see at least 65% of patients waiting no longer than 18 weeks.

    To get there, every NHS trust has to either get to 60% or improve on its November 2024 figures by five percentage points – whichever is greater.

    That is just a stepping stone towards the ultimate goal of achieving 92% by July 2029.

    Use your postcode to find out whether waiting lists are getting better near you.

    BBC Verify’s analysis included NHS trusts in England that had at least 5,000 people waiting for elective treatment in November 2024.

    Targets in other nations are different and the interim targets for next March set by the UK government do not apply.

    While Scotland aims for 90% of patients to be treated within 18 weeks of referral, in Wales the target is for 95% of patients to wait less than 26 weeks.

    In Northern Ireland, 55% of patients should wait no longer than 13 weeks for day case or inpatient treatment.

    Interactive tool produced by Alli Shultes, Rebecca French, Daniel Wainwright, Nick Triggle, Ollie Lux Rigby, Chris Kay, Adam Allen, Avi Holden and Rebecca Wedge-Roberts


    Continue Reading

  • BBC Sport scores millions of viewers as Lionesses triumph in nail-biting penalty shootout

    BBC Sport scores millions of viewers as Lionesses triumph in nail-biting penalty shootout

    England’s jaw dropping quarter-final clash against Sweden saw millions flock to BBC Sport on Thursday night, with a peak TV audience of 7.4 million and 8.3 million views of the live text page.

    The quarter-final match generated nearly 3 million online streams across BBC iPlayer, the BBC Sport website, and the app – with a quarter of those coming from 16–35-year-olds, highlighting strong engagement from younger audiences. On the night, the BBC Sport website’s live text page attracted 8.3 million views. So far, total online requests for Women’s Euro 2025 content have reached 8.1 million across BBC Sport’s digital platforms – a clear sign of the growing audience appetite for the tournament.

    England’s comeback received the biggest TV audience of the competition so far – with a peak audience share of 65% – and means the reigning champions will face Italy in the next round.

    The gripping quarter-final also drew a significant number of 16–35-year-olds to the post-match analysis with Gabby Logan and the team, with nearly half a million streams on BBC iPlayer and the BBC Sport website by 11pm on Thursday night. Following the match, the Women’s Euros became the 4th most-watched programme among under-35s on iPlayer across all genres.

    Alex Kay-Jelski, Director of BBC Sport, said: “I was biting my nails on the sofa with the rest of the fans. What a win for the Lionesses! We can’t wait for Tuesday. We’ll be bringing fans closer to the action with full commentary and analysis on BBC Radio 5 Live, the BBC Sport website, and the BBC Sport app.”

    BBC Sport is broadcasting one of the semi-finals along with the final on Sunday 27 July. Every knockout game is available to listen to live on BBC Radio 5 Live and BBC Sounds.

    RM4

    Follow for more

    Continue Reading

  • Tecno’s Tri Fold Phone Concept Closes Inwards to Protect the Screen – ProPakistani

    1. Tecno’s Tri Fold Phone Concept Closes Inwards to Protect the Screen  ProPakistani
    2. Tecno’s Phantom Ultimate G Fold tri-foldable concept folds inwards to protect the display – GSMArena.com news  GSMArena.com
    3. TECNO PHANTOM Ultimate G Fold: World’s Thinnest Tri-Fold Smartphone at 3.49mm  Yanko Design
    4. This ‘G’ Tri-Fold Phone Bends in Ways That Make Me Uncomfortable  Gizmodo
    5. Tecno reveals Phantom Ultimate Fold G — a bold challenger to Samsung’s foldables  Tom’s Guide

    Continue Reading

  • Cardiac Fibrosis Linked to Ventricular Arrhythmia in Fit Male Athletes: VENTOUX

    Cardiac Fibrosis Linked to Ventricular Arrhythmia in Fit Male Athletes: VENTOUX

    Half of male cyclists had some myocardial scarring, but experts caution against taking this to mean too much exercise is harmful.

    Older male athletes with a long history of endurance training appear to be at a higher risk of developing myocardial fibrosis, and this scarring is associated with a heightened risk of ventricular arrhythmia, according to the results of the VENTOUX study.

    Given that ventricular arrhythmias, such as ventricular tachycardia (VT), are associated with a risk of sudden cardiac arrest, the presence of myocardial fibrosis, if detected, may play a role in identifying at-risk endurance athletes, say researchers.

    “There have already been quite a few cross-sectional studies showing that veteran athletes have nonischemic scarring in the heart,” lead investigator Peter Swoboda, MBBS, PhD (University of Leeds, England), told TCTMD. “Depending on the sport and how fit they are, maybe up to 10% or 15% of athletes have nonischemic scar. There’s no condition that I know of where having scar in the heart is good for you, because it’s arrhythmogenic.”

    The researchers stress their findings should not be construed to imply that exercise is harmful. “When you see headlines in the popular press saying, ‘Too much of a good thing,’ I just find that really unhelpful,” said Swoboda.

    The types of athletes studied here—older cyclists with a long history of training and racing—differ from the general population, as well as those who ride their bikes for health and recreation. Even those with a lifelong commitment to endurance sports, whether it’s cycling, running, or cross-country skiing, among other activities, should not be put off from doing what they love, said Swoboda.

    Myocardial fibrosis, however, shouldn’t be overlooked if it’s found, particularly if the patient is symptomatic.

    “If you are doing a scan on an athlete, say a cyclist who’s presenting with syncope, and you find scar, my interpretation of our findings is you should take that seriously and you should look harder for an arrhythmia in your athlete,” he said.   

    Tying Fibrosis to Ventricular Arrhythmia

    Exercise-related sudden cardiac death is rare, but it is more common in Masters athletes, a group usually defined as those 35 years and older. Incidence varies depending on the study and sport, but one recent study estimated it to occur at 1.2 per 100,000 person-years in middle-aged recreational athletes. Another review estimated that the incidence in older fully trained marathon runners is around 0.39 per 100,000 participants, although it tends to be higher in triathletes.

    “Most of the arrests are in older people,” said Swoboda. “Most of those arrests are in men, which is why in VENTOUX we started out with older men. We do find cardiac scar on MRI and our question is whether we can join [fibrosis and ventricular arrhythmia] up?”

    The VENTOUX study, funded by the British Heart Foundation, was published this week in Circulation: Cardiovascular Imaging. Named for the legendary Mont Ventoux that is often part of the Tour de France cycling race, the study included 106 male cyclists and triathletes who did 10 or more hours of exercise a week for at least 15 years and who competed at local, national, or international events. None of the athletes had symptoms at baseline, and all were free from preexisting coronary artery disease.

    In addition to a baseline clinical assessment, which included resting 12-lead ECG, participants underwent cardiac MR and were implanted with a loop recorder to record tachyarrhythmia. With the implantable loop recorder in place, they also underwent a supervised exercise cycling test with ECG monitoring. The median follow-up was 720 days.

    When you see headlines in the popular press saying, ‘Too much of a good thing,’ I just find that really unhelpful. Peter Swoboda

    In all, 50 (47.2%) athletes had focal myocardial fibrosis on cardiac MR. All were categorized as nonischemic and largely located in the basal inferolateral segment. Athletes with versus without fibrosis were older on average (mean 61.8 vs 57.0 years; P < 0.001), but there was no difference in any of the other cardiac MR measures between the two groups, including LV end-diastolic volume indexed (LVEDVi) to body surface area and LVEF. Those with fibrosis had a higher prevalence of premature ventricular contractions (PVCs) during exercise testing and a larger burden of atypical features.

    At least one ventricular arrhythmic episode was documented in 21.7% of athletes: sustained VT in three (2.8%) and nonsustained VT in 20 (18.9%). Among those with ventricular arrythmia, 18 of the 23 (78.3%) athletes had evidence of myocardial fibrosis on cardiac MR, including the three athletes with sustained VT. Athletes with versus without ventricular arrhythmia had significantly larger LVEDVi, and were more likely to have PVCs.

    In a regression analysis, myocardial fibrosis was significantly associated with a higher risk of ventricular arrhythmia (HR 4.7; 95% CI 1.7-12.7), even after adjusting for LVEDVi.   

    Message Isn’t to Exercise Less

    “Honestly, I really didn’t think we’d have three patients with sustained VT in an otherwise completely healthy [group of] people with no past medical history,” said Swoboda. “I thought this was all going to be about nonsustained VT.” 

    For the three who developed sustained VT, all were symptomatic and had an episode of nonsustained VT prior to the sustained event.

    “The message for the general public is that if you’re doing a lot of sport and you’re not feeling right, get it checked out,” said Swoboda. “Get an ECG. It’s not a big ask. There is no part of our message that is about doing less sport or even telling people to train less.”

    Prashant Rao, MBBS (Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, MA), who wasn’t involved in the research, said the study captured the type of Masters athlete—in their mid-to-late 50s with an estimated Vo2max of 50 mL/kg/min—typically seen by cardiologists. The prevalence of myocardial fibrosis was higher than previously seen in past studies, however.

    “Typically, we’ve seen reports that are in the mid-teens in terms of the prevalence of myocardial fibrosis in Masters athletes,” Rao told TCTMD. “These guys are a little bit fitter than prior studies, but this is considerably higher.”

    The concerning part here is the 2.8% that had sustained VT. Prashant Rao

    Despite the relatively high prevalence of myocardial fibrosis, and the more than 20% of patients documented with ventricular arrhythmia, “one in five endurance athletes aren’t dropping dead” during training, which leads to questions about the clinical significance of the findings, said Rao. In fact, people who participate in endurance activities are “some of the fittest people who live the longest,” he added.

    “Now the concerning part here is the 2.8% that had sustained VT,” Rao noted. “Those are the individuals that do need workup and appropriate risk stratification.” For those with symptoms who have been appropriately treated and risk-stratified, “there should be some type of emergency action plan in place [if they exercise], he said.

    MR Screening Not Required for Athletes

    For doctors taking care of older athletes, Swoboda stressed that cardiac MR doesn’t have a role in screening. In fact, even widespread screening of athletes with ECG is not advocated in the UK, although it is in other parts of Europe.

    “My take-home point for clinicians would be starting with symptoms,” he said. “You start with someone who’s doing a lot of sport and has symptoms and then you go through the normal diagnostic workup.” If an MRI is done, and myocardial fibrosis is detected, “then our interpretation would be definitely rhythm monitoring and an exercise test as a sensible next step,” he added.

    Like Swoboda, Rao said that while the development of myocardial fibrosis is potentially concerning, and not a healthy adaptation to training, it doesn’t mean physicians should be routinely doing cardiac MRs in older patients who do a lot of endurance training. “You’re going pick up this fibrosis, it’s going to lead to downstream testing and potentially cause more harm than good,” he said.

    At the moment, there’s no clear understanding of why some athletes develop fibrosis and others don’t, although Rao suspects there’s a genetic component at work. It’s possible that some people have variants that trigger abnormal remodeling when cardiomyocytes are exposed to a high endurance training load. Unmeasured environmental factors also could be at play, such as the use of supplements, that might account for the heterogeneity, he said.

    Both Rao and Swoboda noted that there’s no evidence that myocardial fibrosis is the cause of the ventricular arrhythmia seen in the athletes, so it remains an association. Theoretically, the fibrosis could be a marker of an underlying cardiomyopathic process, they noted. Another lingering question is whether detraining would reverse the scarring, observed Rao.


    Continue Reading

  • What You Need to Know About NASA’s SpaceX Crew-11 Mission

    What You Need to Know About NASA’s SpaceX Crew-11 Mission

    Four crew members are preparing to launch to the International Space Station as part of NASA’s SpaceX Crew-11 mission to perform research, technology demonstrations, and maintenance activities aboard the orbiting laboratory.

    During the mission, Crew-11 also will contribute to NASA’s Artemis campaign by simulating Moon landing scenarios that astronauts may encounter near the lunar South Pole, showing how the space station helps prepare crews for deep space human exploration. The simulations will be performed before, during, and after their mission using handheld controllers and multiple screens to identify how changes in gravity affect spatial awareness and astronauts’ ability to pilot spacecraft, like a lunar lander.

    NASA astronauts Zena Cardman and Mike Fincke, JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) astronaut Kimiya Yui, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Oleg Platonov will lift off no earlier than 12:09 p.m. EDT on Thursday, July 31, from Launch Complex 39A at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on a long-duration mission. The cadre will fly aboard a SpaceX Dragon spacecraft, named Endeavour, which previously flew NASA’s SpaceX Demo-2, Crew-2, Crew-6, and Crew-8 missions, as well as private astronaut mission Axiom Mission 1.

    The flight is the 11th crew rotation mission with SpaceX to the space station as part of NASA’s Commercial Crew Program. Overall, the Crew-11 mission is the 16th crewed Dragon flight to the space station, including Demo-2 in 2020 and 11 operational crew rotations for NASA, as well as four private astronaut missions.

    As support teams progress through Dragon preflight milestones for Crew-11, they also are preparing a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket booster for its third flight. Once all rocket and spacecraft system checkouts are complete and all components are certified for flight, teams will mate Dragon to Falcon 9 in SpaceX’s hangar at the launch site. The integrated spacecraft and rocket will then be rolled to the pad and raised vertically for the crew’s dry dress rehearsal and an integrated static fire test before launch.

    Selected as a NASA astronaut in 2017, Cardman will conduct her first spaceflight. The Williamsburg, Virginia, native holds a bachelor’s degree in biology and a master’s degree in marine sciences from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. At the time of selection, she was pursuing a doctorate in geosciences. Cardman’s geobiology and geochemical cycling research focused on subsurface environments, from caves to deep sea sediments. Since completing initial training, Cardman has supported real-time station operations and lunar surface exploration planning. Follow @zenanaut on X and @zenanaut on Instagram.

    This mission will be Fincke’s fourth trip to the space station, having logged 382 days in space and nine spacewalks during Expedition 9 in 2004, Expedition 18 in 2008, and STS-134 in 2011, the final flight of space shuttle Endeavour. Throughout the past decade, Fincke has applied his expertise to NASA’s Commercial Crew Program, advancing the development and testing of Dragon and Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft toward operational certification. The Emsworth, Pennsylvania, native is a graduate of the United States Air Force Test Pilot School and holds bachelors’ degrees from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, in both aeronautics and astronautics, as well as Earth, atmospheric, and planetary sciences. He also has a master’s degree in aeronautics and astronautics from Stanford University in California. Fincke is a retired U.S. Air Force colonel with more than 2,000 flight hours in over 30 different aircraft. Follow @AstroIronMike on X and Instagram.

    With 142 days in space, this mission will be Yui’s second trip to the space station. After his selection as a JAXA astronaut in 2009, Yui flew as a flight engineer for Expedition 44/45 and became the first Japanese astronaut to capture JAXA’s H-II Transfer Vehicle using the station’s robotic arm. In addition to constructing a new experimental environment aboard Kibo, he conducted a total of 21 experiments for JAXA. In November 2016, Yui was assigned as chief of the JAXA Astronaut Group. He graduated from the School of Science and Engineering at the National Defense Academy of Japan in 1992. He later joined the Air Self-Defense Force at the Japan Defense Agency (currently the Ministry of Defense). In 2008, Yui joined the Air Staff Office at the Ministry of Defense as a lieutenant colonel. Follow @astro_kimiya on X.

    The mission will be Platonov’s first spaceflight. Before his selection as a cosmonaut in 2018, Platonov earned a degree in engineering from Krasnodar Air Force Academy in aircraft operations and air traffic management. He also earned a bachelor’s degree in state and municipal management in 2016 from the Far Eastern Federal University in Vladivostok, Russia. Assigned as a test cosmonaut in 2021, he has experience in piloting aircraft, zero gravity training, scuba diving, and wilderness survival.

    Following liftoff, Falcon 9 will accelerate Dragon to approximately 17,500 mph. Once in orbit, the crew, NASA, and SpaceX mission control will monitor a series of maneuvers that will guide Dragon to the forward-facing port of the station’s Harmony module. The spacecraft is designed to dock autonomously, but the crew can pilot it manually, if necessary.

    After docking, Crew-11 will be welcomed aboard the station by the seven-member Expedition 73 crew, before conducting a short handover period on research and maintenance activities with the departing Crew-10 crew members. Then, NASA astronauts Anne McClain, Nichole Ayers, JAXA astronaut Takuya Onishi, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Kirill Peskov will undock from the space station and return to Earth. Ahead of Crew-10’s return, mission teams will review weather conditions at the splashdown sites off the coast of California before departure from the station.

    Cardman, Fincke, and Yui will conduct scientific research to prepare for human exploration beyond low Earth orbit and benefit humanity on Earth. Participating crew members will simulate lunar landings, test strategies to safeguard vision, and advance other human spaceflight studies led by NASA’s Human Research Program. The crew also will study plant cell division and microgravity’s effects on bacteria-killing viruses, as well as perform experiments to produce a higher volume of human stem cells and generate on-demand nutrients.

    While aboard the orbiting laboratory, Crew-11 will welcome a Soyuz spacecraft in November with three new crew members, including NASA astronaut Chris Williams.  They also will bid farewell to the Soyuz carrying NASA astronaut Jonny Kim. The crew also is expected to see the arrival of the Dragon, Roscosmos Progress spacecraft, and Northrop Grumman’s Cygnus spacecraft to resupply the station.

    NASA’s SpaceX Crew-11 mission will be aboard the International Space Station on Nov. 2, when the orbiting laboratory surpasses 25 years of a continuous human presence. Since the first crew expedition arrived, the space station has enabled more than 4,000 groundbreaking experiments in the unique microgravity environment, while becoming a springboard for building a low Earth orbit economy and preparing for NASA’s future exploration of the Moon and Mars.

    Learn more about the space station, its research, and crew, at:

    https://www.nasa.gov/station


    Continue Reading

  • The best gins for G&Ts, martinis and negronis, from our taste test of 50 | Spirits

    The best gins for G&Ts, martinis and negronis, from our taste test of 50 | Spirits

    Gin and tonic has been a mainstay of British drinking culture since the 17th century, when its initial medicinal use soon turned recreational. It has seen several notable explosions in popularity over the years. The effects of the 18th-century “gin craze” were famously immortalised in Hogarth’s satirical artwork Gin Lane – though some might say worse crimes have been committed in the name of gin more recently.

    A centuries-old ban on small-scale distilling was finally lifted in the UK in 2009, fuelling a huge boom in “craft gin” and record sales between 2015 and 2019. It also led to an incredible variety of bottles, flavours and colours, which were sometimes more weird than wonderful: Vegemite or Jaffa Cake gin, anyone?

    So, what is gin? Unlike scotch whisky, there are few legal requirements for a spirit to be sold as gin. Essentially, it needs to be made from a neutral spirit (usually derived from grain); it must have a predominant juniper flavour and must be bottled at 37.5% ABV minimum.

    These loose criteria give distillers plenty of room to play around with ingredients, infusions and distillation methods – creating a huge range of gin styles. And there are myriad ways to enjoy them: whether your go-to is the classic G&T, a martini, negroni or another cocktail, gin’s versatility means it’s no surprise it has endured.

    As a long-term member of the mother’s ruin fanclub – and having written about drinks for almost a decade – I have collected and tried hundreds of different gins. For this test, I revisited my home-bar favourites as well as trying many new-to-me gins to bring you this selection of delicious and interesting gins for your drinking delectation. I considered 50 gins from 40 brands, testing each one for aroma, before sipping it straight and drinking it in a gin and tonic with ice and lemon. If the brand suggested a specific serve, I tried that too.

    Making my way through a refreshing gin flight in my garden (during a heatwave), I was once again struck by gratitude that this is classed as actual work – but work it is, and I hope my thorough testing results in more gin enjoyment all round.

    These gins are mostly British, which wasn’t intentional; there are fantastic Scandinavian, Japanese and Italian gins, and both Papa Salt and Four Pillars Bloody Shiraz from Australia almost made the list. Ultimately, though, classic British ingredients and techniques still hold their own. So ice at the ready: here are the 10 best gins to enjoy a summer of beautifully botanical serves.

    The best gins in 2025

    Best sustainable gin

    Bullards Coastal gin, 70cl

    £45 at Jarrolds

    From Norwich comes this clean, citrussy gin filled with the saline seaside flavours of the Norfolk coast. Infused with hand-foraged sea purslane, marsh samphire and Douglas fir, this is a bracing, salty joy to drink in a gin and tonic. Bullards suggests serving with blackberries and a twist of fresh lime, but a sprig of samphire is even better, in my opinion. This gin edged ahead thanks to its innovative eco-pouch format: buy a bottle for life and top up with more affordable pouches of gin, made from sugarcane, to reduce its carbon footprint – why don’t more brands do this? The brand’s Strawberry & Black Pepper gin is also wonderful with only a touch of sweetness, a sensible 40% ABV and a hefty thwack of warming black pepper.

    Best pink gin

    That Boutique-y Gin Company Proper Pink gin, 50cl

    £26.95 at Master of Malt
    £35.89 at Amazon

    The definition of pink gin has become a little muddled in recent years. Traditionally, it refers to a navy-strength gin with added Angostura bitters (which gives the pink hue), but it’s evolved to include any pink-coloured gin – whether that’s due to colouring, berry or rhubarb flavours, or spangly mermaids. Not in my book – or That Boutique-y Gin Company’s. Its Proper Pink gin is a throwback to the 18th century: a 46% concoction of gin, lemon and vacuum-distilled Angostura, finished with even more Angostura. This is sophisticated stuff, best enjoyed in a martini with a twist.

    Best Old Tom gin

    Hernö Old Tom gin, 50cl

    £34.50 at Master of Malt
    £35.99 at Drink Supermarket

    Sweden’s award-winning gin distillery Hernö was named gin producer of the year in 2024 at the prestigious International Spirits Challenge. Hernö’s Juniper Cask gin (the first gin to be matured in juniper wood) and Six Rivers gin (with an aroma of verdant Icelandic moss) are both standout – but the brand’s Old Tom gin is a shining example of this category. Old Tom gins are named after the black cat symbol that signalled an 18th-century illegal distillery, and are sweeter than London dry, with sugar traditionally added to offset the harsher base spirit used in bootleg gin. The style proved popular, and Hernö’s naturally sweet botanicals – including vanilla, honey, lingonberries and generous amounts of almondy meadowsweet – give it a fresh update. It’s sweet and smooth enough for sipping, or perfectly at home in a Tom Collins.

    Best aged gin

    Renais Grand Cru Cask-Aged gin, 70cl

    £75 at the Spirit Co

    Actor Emma Watson’s family have been winemaking in Burgundy for more than 30 years, and Renais – a grape-based gin – is the creation of Emma and her brother, intended to show off the estate’s viticultural heritage. Pressed grape skins from winemaking are repurposed to create the Renais base spirit and limit waste (Renais is carbon-neutral and B Corp-certified), before infusing with botanicals showcasing the terroir: linden flowers, grains of paradise (aromatic citrussy, peppery seeds) and acacia honey mingle with juniper. This Grand Cru Cask-Aged gin is then rested for a year in French oak Chablis casks, giving it a divinely silky finish and layer upon layer of vanilla-spiced complexity. It felt sacrilegious to mix this into supermarket tonic, so I’d suggest trying the Renais Old Fashioned. Only 720 bottles were produced for the UK market, so be quick.

    Best London dry gin

    Gordon’s London Dry gin, 1l

    £25.50 at Waitrose Cellar
    £20.50 at Amazon

    When you want a classic gin and tonic with no surprises or messing around, it’s hard to beat the refreshing taste of Gordon’s and tonic. It’s deservedly the category leader in gin, and the one many top bartenders reach for when mixing a G&T (they also invariably recommend Schweppes tonic – and never slimline). Made since 1769, its juniper-forward recipe is crisp, citrussy and the quintessential example of a London dry gin, winning it a swathe of spirit industry medals and a Great Taste award too.

    skip past newsletter promotion

    Best coastal gin

    Edinburgh Gin Seaside, 70cl

    £35 at John Lewis
    £30.95 at Master of Malt

    I’m a sucker for a coastal gin – they have a more obvious sense of provenance than some others. This coastal dry gin from Edinburgh Gin (now the UK’s seventh-biggest gin brand) is abundant with bladderwrack seaweed and Scottish marine plants, and well balanced with spiciness from coriander seed and cardamom. Subtle breezy seaside flavours emerge in a gin and tonic, but the natural saline tang of this gin makes an epic dirty martini. Honourable mentions to the entire Salcombe Gin range, Fishers Original Gin and Skagerrak Nordic Dry, who also deserve a place on your bar cart.

    Best low-alcohol gin

    Cotswold Dry Gin Essence, 100ml

    £17.50 at Master of Malt
    £18.50 at Cotswolds Distillery

    I love the standard higher-alcohol Cotswold Dry gin – a worthy Great Taste award winner with its natural woodiness, zingy grapefruit, lime and fresh floral flavours of Cotswold lavender – but I love the Cotswold Gin Essence version even more. Housed in a cute 100ml apothecary-style bottle with pipette, just five drops of this concentrated botanical essence in 200ml of tonic makes for a lighter but equally satisfying serve, with just 14 calories, 0.23 units of alcohol and all the natural flavour intact. If you like this approach, Hayman’s Small gin is also delicious – and comes with an adorable thimble for measuring out your gin.

    Best flavoured gin

    Bathtub Gin Grapefruit & Rosemary, 70cl

    £34.95 at Master of Malt
    £34.45 at Amazon

    Flavoured gin has a well-deserved bad reputation. From bizarre juniper-jarring flavours to synthetic ingredients, there are plenty of bad examples to fall foul of. But not Bathtub’s Grapefruit & Rosemary: here, the natural botanical components of Bathtub Gin – which already has a punchy herbaceous citrus profile – are amplified by the extra infusion, so the bold grapefruit is extra zesty and the rosemary greener and more woodsy. This gin is creamy, vibrant and perfect for a G&T, with a sprig of rosemary and a dried grapefruit slice. (Agnes Arber’s Pineapple gin and Sipsmith’s Chilli & Lime Gin were close runners-up in this category.)

    Best gin for sipping

    Still GIN, 70cl

    £31.25 at the Whisky Exchange
    £34.99 at Master of Malt

    You’re allowed to be sceptical about Snoop Dogg and Dr Dre making a gin – but brilliantly, it’s decent. Designed to be smooth enough to drink straight up (though surely they’d approve of some juice), this is a very gentle, harmonious gin, with a soft balance of orange citrus fruit, jasmine flower and angelica root, dialling down on the juniper. It’s copper pot-stilled, which distils more slowly and evenly – accounting for the extra smoothness. I genuinely enjoyed sipping it straight with plenty of ice (go for bigger ice cubes to avoid dilution) and a garnish of orange peel.

    Best unusual gin

    Hendrick’s gin, 70cl

    £33 at Waitrose Cellar
    £25.98 at Amazon

    Is Hendrick’s unusual? Not so much these days, now craft gins are doing all sorts of things – but it was one of the first to do things a bit differently. The brand still occupies this space, and it does it well. Hendrick’s is made in an unusual way too: two base spirits are created in different stills – one rich, one delicate – before both are infused with classic gin botanicals, along with less classic ingredients such as chamomile, elderflower and cubeb berries (like allspice). The spirits are then blended and steeped in rose and cucumber, which provide the prominent top notes of the finished product. The original serve – with tonic and sliced cucumber – continues to hold up, and is still the most refreshing G&T for summer.

    Joanne Gould is a food, drink and lifestyle writer with a decade of experience. As well as enthusiastically eating her way through London’s best bars and restaurants, she’s also a keen home cook and can often be found trying a new recipe or kitchen gadget, while taste-testing anything from South African wines to speciality coffee or scotch. Luckily, she also enjoys walking, running and keeping fit and healthy in her spare time – for balance


    Continue Reading

  • Government plans to ‘proceed at pace’ to introduce new UK framework for captive insurance companies : Clyde & Co

    Government plans to ‘proceed at pace’ to introduce new UK framework for captive insurance companies : Clyde & Co

    A captive insurer is an insurance company set up by a business, typically a sizeable corporate group, to self-insure against risks the business is exposed to.

    In November 2024, HM Treasury (HMT) launched a consultation on a proposed new regulatory framework for captive insurance companies.  The consultation noted, among other points, that “the UK is not currently perceived to be an attractive destination for the establishment of captive insurance companies” and sought feedback, broadly, on ways to foster the growth of the UK’s captive insurance market.  The consultation set out various questions covering issues including capital and reporting requirements and authorisation processes, for example. The consultation closed on 7 February 2025.

    On 15 July 2025, HMT published its consultation response[1] confirming that, “the government, working closely with the financial regulators, intends to proceed with the introduction of a new UK captive insurance framework.”  The response comes alongside the Chancellor’s Mansion House 2025 speech setting out the Leeds Reforms and launching a Financial Services Growth and Competitiveness Strategy.

    Points from HMT’s consultation response include:

    • “The government also acknowledges and agrees with the feedback from the majority of insurance sector respondents, who called for a broader scope than originally proposed—specifically, to allow a wider range of firms to establish captives and to permit a broader set of risks to be insured through them.”

    • While detailed rules will be for the PRA and the FCA to consult on and establish, “the government anticipates that these will include proportionately lower capital and reporting requirements and facilitating faster authorisations for captive insurers. The government’s view is that these changes do not require new legislation.”

    • “The government does not intend to create a bespoke regulatory framework for captive managers, as it considers that the existing regulatory framework for insurance intermediaries is sufficient…”

    • “The government also sees the case for broadening the range of companies who may be able to benefit from captive insurance arrangements. This could include smaller companies who may not wish, or have the means, to establish a standalone captive insurer, but who may prefer to establish a captive through a Protected Cell Company (PCC).”

    • The government is of the view, as originally outlined in its consultation, that the new framework “should initially differentiate between two types of captive, direct-writing and reinsurance”. It will be for the PRA and the FCA to establish the rules on this, which “will include considering the appropriate capital, reporting and other regulatory requirements for these different models of captive.” Further details are in Chapter 3 of the consultation response.

    • The government agrees that “there is a case for allowing financial services to establish their own captives for specific, limited purposes (e.g. to manage first party only risks, such as a building owned by a firm).” And that that captives should be excluded from writing compulsory lines on a direct basis

    HMT’s response notes that the government has, also on 15 July 2025, published a consultation on proposed reforms that cover the issuance of insurance linked securities (ILS) and the use of PCCs: “The consultation seeks views on how the government can improve the wider regulatory framework for risk transformation, including the future role of PCCs and how they can be established to facilitate captive insurance business instead of risk transformation. The government expects that legislative changes will be necessary for this.”

    The PRA has published a joint statement with the FCA[2] welcoming HMT’s plans in relation to both captives and the consultation on ILS / PCCs. The PRA and the FCA plan to launch consultations for a new regulatory framework for captives in summer 2026 with, according to HMT’s response, a target implementation date of mid-2027.

    Generally the proposals have been welcomed by the (re)insurance market who consider they would help the sector to grow and deliver wider economic benefits. The consultation response noted that the majority of insurance sector respondents to the consultation wanted to go further than the scope proposed – to allow more types of firms to be permitted to set up a captive, and to allow more types of risk to be insured by them. There was strong consensus among industry respondents on the necessity of simplifying regulatory processes, reducing capital requirements, and tailoring regulations to the unique risk profiles of captive insurers.

    The aim and benefits of the proposals

    The government intends to make the UK a more attractive destination for setting up a captive insurance company. Sometimes, captives are established in jurisdictions (such as Brazil, India, China etc) which require insurers to be domiciled and licensed in the country in which the policy is issued. The proposals are unlikely to impact the writing of that business. Instead, the main driver for reform seems to be the desire to encourage UK companies to establish captives in London, rather than opting for commonly used jurisdictions such as Bermuda and the Cayman Islands. There are other advantages in opting for London (beyond regulatory considerations): for example, taking advantage of the proximity to the long-established London insurance market, which is the largest in Europe.

    It is worth noting that the reinsurance of captive insurers can present unique issues, for example in relation to notification, disclosure and claims control. Some of these issues were discussed at our recent “Captive in the Middle” seminar and our experienced team in London and New York can supply further details, or present to insurers and reinsurers who are interested in this space, on request.

    [1] Captive_insurance_Consultation_Response.pdf and Captive insurance – GOV.UK (which also includes a link to the original consultation)

    [2] Joint statement by the PRA and FCA on HM Treasury’s captive insurance consultation response | Bank of England

    HMT consultation on risk transformation regime

    Continue Reading

  • A Call for Stomach Cancer Prevention Programs

    A Call for Stomach Cancer Prevention Programs

    Helicobacter pylori, H. pylori for short, is a common bacterium that infects the stomach. Up to half of the world’s population may have H. pylori infection at some point in their lives. However, not everyone has symptoms. The infection can cause inflammation and is the leading cause of gastric and duodenal ulcers. Chronic H. pylori infection is also known to cause stomach cancer.

    Although the pathogen is seemingly ubiquitous, H. pylori can be effectively eradicated with antibiotics and acid reducers, all of which are available in lower-cost generic forms. A clinical guideline from the American College of Gastroenterology recommends a bismuth quadruple therapy for 10 to 14 days as first-line treatment. The cocktail includes a proton pump inhibitor, such as omeprazole or lansoprazole, bismuth subcitrate or subsalicylate, tetracycline, and metronidazole. Other regimens may use amoxicillin or clarithromycin.

    Stomach cancer is the fifth leading cause of cancer death globally and one of the five most common types of cancer, with rising incidence rates in people younger than age 50. According to the American Cancer Society, it’s estimated that about 30,300 new cases of stomach cancer in the U.S. have been detected for stomach cancer this year—affecting roughly 17,720 men and 12,580 women.

    Up to half of the world’s population may have H. pylori infection at some point in their lives.

    Since H. pylori infection is a modifiable cause of stomach cancer, it would stand to reason that treatment with antibiotic and proton pump inhibitor combinations would reduce the cancer incidence rates. Preventative measures require the implementation of screening programs to identify individuals who would benefit from H. pylori treatment.

    In a study published earlier this month in Nature Medicine, scientist Jin Young Park, from the early detection, prevention and infections branch of the International Agency for Research on Cancer, World Health Organization, and her colleagues analyzed data on the incidence of stomach cancer from 185 countries among people born between 2008 and 2017. The researchers further estimated the number of potentially preventable cancer cases caused by H. pylori infection.

    The analysis predicted that without intervention, 15.6 million people born between 2008 and 2017 worldwide would be newly diagnosed with gastric cancer. The majority of cases (68%) would be in the Asian continent, another 13% would be from the Americas, and 11% would be in Africa.

    Among all cases, about 76% are attributable to H. pylori infection, therefore potentially preventable with screening and treatment. Of these, 67% are in Asia, 13% in the Americas, and 12% in Africa. In Asia, the number of stomach cancer cases attributable to H. pylori is higher in men compared with women (71% versus 61%). In Africa, the prevalence is higher among women than among men (16% versus 9%).

    When assessing screen-and-treat strategies, Park and her colleagues found that the expected number of stomach cancer cases could be reduced by up to 75%.

    Given these results, the authors advocate for the implementation of screening and prevention programs, especially in areas where incidence rates are projected to increase the most.

    “Our results endorse the importance of making changes to the current practice and urge regional health systems to be prepared to manage the growing burden of this largely preventable disease by planning pilot and feasibility projects, including H. pylori screen-and-treat programs,” the authors wrote.

    Continue Reading

  • Wacom says its new drawing tablet needs no setup and has a pen that can’t die

    Wacom says its new drawing tablet needs no setup and has a pen that can’t die

    Wacom

    Wacom just announced a new standalone tablet for artists and creators: the Wacom MovinkPad 11, with an 11.45-inch multitouch display and anti-glare opaque finish for a natural drawing feel.   

    Wacom says one of its main goals is for users to reach for the MovinkPad 11 as easily as they would a sketchbook when inspiration strikes. To this end, it offers Wacom-exclusive features to allow to jump right into drawing. Beyond drawing, you could use it for graphic design, note-taking, entertainment, or potentially 3D modeling.

    Also: Not sold on screenless drawing tablets? This new Wacom won me over

    The tablet runs on Android 14 and includes a Wacom Pro Pen 3, but it is also compatible with other stylus brands, such as Lamy, Staedler, and Dr Grip. The Wacom Pro Pen 3 is battery-free, so you never have to recharge it or worry about running out of battery life, and it comes with extra nibs stored within the pen’s body.  

    The MovinkPad 11 also features the Wacom Canvas, a straightforward sketching app easily accessible by long-tapping your pen on the screen while the tablet is locked, similar to a camera shortcut on a phone. Each Wacom MovinkPad 11 includes a two-year license to Celsys Clip Studio Paint Debut, a digital painting and creation software.

    The display has a 2200 x 1440 resolution and an 11.43-inch drawing area. The tablet weighs 1.3lbs and has 128GB of internal storage and 8GB of RAM. Its front-facing camera is 5MP, while the rear camera is 4.7MP.   

    Also: I replaced my MacBook Pro with the M3 iPad Air – and I might never go back

    “The Wacom MovinkPad 11 is for people who just can’t stop drawing,” said Koji Yano, senior vice president at Wacom Branded Business. “Whether you love to doodle between classes or are moving up from drawing on a smartphone screen, this portable creative pad makes it easier and more fun to just draw.”

    The Wacom MovinkPad 11 is now available for $450, which is, admittedly, not cheap. The $450 price point makes the MovinkPad 11 almost twice as expensive as other competitors, like the Huion Kamvas 12 or the PicassoTab X, though the MovinkPad’s specifications are also far superior.  


    Continue Reading