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  • heroes of Lord of the Rings spoof

    heroes of Lord of the Rings spoof

    Ian Youngs

    Culture reporter

    Andrew AB Photography Stage photograph of actors in medieval clothes playing Coleen and Wayne Rooney, with three actors in suits and judges' wigs behind themAndrew AB Photography

    The production is “a Game of Thrones-y, Lord of the Rings-type of medieval caper”, says its writer

    Once upon a time in a land far, far away (well, Liverpool), there was a heroic warrior called Wayne and a beautiful princess named Coleen… That, anyway, is the story of a new spoof fairytale fantasy show by one of the writers of TV’s Motherland, who says it’s her homage to the Rooneys.

    Wayne and Coleen Rooney’s life story has some elements of an epic saga – they have stuck together through thick and thin, and have both vanquished some formidable foes (him on the football pitch, her in court).

    So creating a stage show that makes them characters in a fantasy world loosely inspired by The Lord of the Rings – with added jokes and songs – might just have a bizarre but brilliant logic.

    The Legend of Rooney’s Ring opened at the Royal Court theatre in Liverpool on Friday, and has its basis in a famous if not-necessarily-accurate myth from the couple’s origin story.

    In 2004, a tabloid newspaper claimed that Coleen had thrown her £25,000 engagement ring out of a car window at a red squirrel reserve after reports about Wayne’s behaviour.

    That attracted a flock of treasure hunters. “The next day everyone came out,” says the play’s writer Helen Serafinowicz, who’s from Liverpool.

    “The rumour had spread, and everyone was looking for it with their metal detectors and stuff. I’ve always just thought that was such a Liverpool story, whether it’s true [or not]. I’ve heard lots of different versions of it.”

    Coleen addressed the incident in her 2007 autobiography, saying she and Wayne were “going through a rough patch” but that “you shouldn’t always believe what you read”.

    Liverpool's Royal Court Emma Grace Arends and John May dance in rehearsals, holding hands with their arms outstretched Liverpool’s Royal Court

    Emma Grace Arends plays Coleen in the show, with John May as Wayne

    Serafinowicz, one of the creators of hit sitcoms Motherland and Amandaland, saw comic value in merging the urban myth of Coleen’s supposedly missing engagement band with JRR Tolkien’s classic ring quest.

    So she has written “a Game of Thrones-y, Lord of the Rings-type of medieval caper”.

    “What I wanted to avoid is targeting the Rooneys,” she stresses. “They are an easy target, and I don’t want this to be like dragging them through the mud, because that’s easy and they’ve already had that.

    “I mean, I just think they’re great. I’ve always just thought Coleen was so cool and a great role model.

    “So it’s just a silly fantasy tale, loosely based on this ring.”

    PA Media Wayne and Coleen Rooney standing next to each other and both smiling on a visit to Alder Hey Children's Hospital in 2006PA Media

    Wayne and Coleen have been together since they were 16

    In the show, the football legend is portrayed by Liverpool comedian John May. “I’m dressed like He-Man, let’s put it that way,” he says of Wayne’s makeover to resemble the macho, scantily-clad, sword-wielding 1980s cartoon hero.

    It’s all deliberately over-the-top and tongue-in-cheek, but the cast insist any ridicule is entirely affectionate. The couple have arguably earned respect by surviving various highs and lows in the public eye, which began with intense press scrutiny when they were childhood sweethearts.

    “They were only kids, and that wasn’t on,” adds May. “So it’s created two really strong characters, because they’ve had to be.

    Emma Grace Arends is playing Coleen on stage, and can hardly contain her excitement.

    “I’ve listened to her autobiography about two or three times now. She’s got the documentary on Disney. I’ve really done my research on her,” the actress says.

    “It just made me love her even more, and we all do. She’s brilliant, she really is, and she’s a true Scouser.

    “But also, they aren’t actually Wayne and Coleen in it. It is fantasy, it is Lord of the Rings.”

    Andrew AB Photography The Legend Of Rooney's Ring - [L-R] Liam Tobin, Lindzi Germain, Emma Grace Arends, Keddy Sutton, John May, Latesha karisa, Adam McCoy - all in colourful medieval costumes on stage Andrew AB Photography

    The Legend of Rooney’s Ring is the latest in a string of football-adjacent plays at the Royal Court

    The Legend of Rooney’s Ring is typical of the homegrown comedies that come thick and fast at the Royal Court, which probably has a closer connection with its local crowd than any comparable theatre in the UK.

    The venue aims to stage only original crowd-pleasing plays, often using sport-related stories to attract audiences in the football-mad city.

    Recent shows have included Red or Dead, starring Peter Mullan as former Liverpool manager Bill Shankly; and Speedo Mick The Musical, about the Everton-supporting charity hero.

    “That audience want to be entertained and they like things that are relevant to them,” says executive producer Kevin Fearon.

    “We focus on comedy and musical comedy. We focus on stories that relate to people in Liverpool, and we put characters on stage that relate to those people – people they could recognise, even if they are larger than life.”

    The theatre is making its mark beyond Liverpool, too – it staged the premiere of a stage adaptation of 1980s TV show Boys From the Blackstuff, which transferred to the National Theatre and West End.

    Otherwise, old classics are out, though. “Our audience wants to see things they know on stage. So giving them an Ibsen or a Shakespeare or an Alan Bennett doesn’t really work,” Fearon says.

    Reuters Coleen Rooney smiling next to Wayne Rooney, both walking away from court with photographers in the background on 17 May 2022Reuters

    Wayne Rooney joined wife Coleen in court during her successful Wagatha Christie libel case

    He really got the message when the venue revived Michael Frayn’s 1982 farce Noises Off in 2014 – and he had to plead with a group of 10 women to stay for the second half.

    “Ten minutes into act two, one of them stood up, then another, and then all of them stood up. One of them turned around and saw me at the back and gave me two fingers as they left the auditorium.

    “They were watching a bunch of middle-class actors being daft, and that’s not real enough for them.

    “So our work has to connect with those people who will walk out, will go to the pub.”

    Lindzi Germain plays Queen Colette, Coleen’s mum, in The Legend of Rooney’s Ring, and has starred in many Royal Court shows. “We’re not sitting you there for two hours being serious, taking you on a journey where you’ve got to think about something,” she says.

    “You haven’t got to think of anything. Just sit down, have a drink, relax and have a laugh and escape for two hours.”

    The theatre’s informal atmosphere is helped by having tables in the stalls where food is served. For many people, the venue has taken the place of social clubs that have shut down, Germain says.

    “They come in at half six, get their tea, meet all their mates and watch two hours.

    “Some people get absolutely hammered. Some people just have a few drinks, but also have a great night out and a laugh.”

    The Legend of Rooney’s Ring is at the Liverpool Royal Court until 23 August

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  • New test could revolutionise aftercare for thousands of breast cancer patients

    New test could revolutionise aftercare for thousands of breast cancer patients

    Scientists have developed a new test for certain breast cancer patients which can predict whether or not their cancer is likely to return just two weeks after they start treatment.

    Experts said thousands of breast cancer patients could be spared unnecessary treatment as a result.

    The new test has been devised to detect the likelihood of cancer reoccurring in patients with a type of breast cancer known as oestrogen receptor positive, human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 positive – which accounts for around 200,000 cases of cancer each year around the globe.

    Writing in the journal eBioMedicine, experts said the test means that some patients will be able to “de-escalate” their treatment while it could also help identify those who need “more intensive therapeutic strategies”.

    The test, which was developed by scientists at The Institute for Cancer Research, London, correctly identifies the 6% of patients at highest risk of relapse.

    Researchers analysed tumour samples from 213 patients.

    They found that two weeks of hormone therapy changes the characteristics of some tumours, causing them to shift their subtype.

    The patients with the highest risk of cancer returning had a type of tumour called Luminal B that did not change after this short-term hormone therapy.

    Experts said these patients will require more intensive treatment.

    They said the findings highlight the benefit of two weeks of hormone therapy before surgery to help guide doctors’ decision making.

    Corresponding author of the study, Dr Maggie Cheang, from The Institute of Cancer Research, London, said: “To deliver truly personalised care, we need to refine how we classify breast cancer, so that each patient receives the treatment most likely to benefit them.

    “While current classification relies on hormone receptor and HER2 status, we know that patients within these groups can respond very differently to the same therapy.

    “Our earlier research identified distinct molecular subtypes within HER2-positive, oestrogen receptor-positive breast cancer. In this new study, we’ve shown that these subtypes can shift after just two weeks of hormone therapy.

    “This insight helps us identify which patients are likely to respond well and which may show early signs of treatment resistance, offering the opportunity to tailor treatment strategies sooner.

    “Ultimately, our findings move us closer to more precise, patient-centred care for this overlooked breast cancer subtype.”

    Professor Kristian Helin, chief executive of The Institute of Cancer Research, London, added: “By decoding the underlying biology of tumours, we can tailor treatments to individual patients.”

    Dr Simon Vincent, chief scientific officer at Breast Cancer Now, which part-funded the study, said: “These findings add to the growing evidence that genomic testing can play a powerful role in helping to predict the risk of a woman’s breast cancer coming back, particularly in people with ER-positive, HER2-positive breast cancer.

    “There’s potential for women to benefit hugely from this research in the future, with it ensuring they avoid undergoing unnecessary treatment and leading to more personalised treatment plans, so that women receive the most effective therapy for their specific type of breast cancer.”

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  • First outing for JP Morgan digital bill of exchange service

    First outing for JP Morgan digital bill of exchange service

    Our privacy commitments

    This Privacy Policy outlines the information we may collect about you in relation to your use of our websites, events, related publications and services (“personal data”) and how we may use that personal data. It also outlines the methods by which we and our service providers may (subject to necessary consents) monitor your online behaviour to deliver customised advertisements, marketing materials and other tailored services. This Privacy Policy also tells you how you can verify the accuracy of your personal data and how you can request that we delete or update it.

    This Privacy Policy applies to all websites operated by Exporta Publishing & Events Ltd (as indicated on the relevant website).

    This privacy statement does not cover the activities of third parties, and you should consult those third-party sites’ privacy policies for information on how your data is used by them.

    Any questions regarding this Policy and our privacy practices should be sent by e-mail to privacy@gtreview.com or by writing to Data Protection Officer at, Exporta Publishing & Events Ltd, 4 Hillgate Place, London, SW12 9ER, United Kingdom. Alternatively, you can telephone our London headquarters at +44 (0) 20 8673 9666.

    Who are we?

    Established in 2002 and with offices in London and Singapore, Exporta Publishing & Events Ltd is the world’s leading trade and trade finance media company, offering information, news, events and services for companies and individuals involved in global trade.

    Our principal business activities are:

    • Business-to-Business financial publishing. We provide a range of products and services focused on international commodities, export, supply chain and trade finance markets including magazines, newsletters, electronic information and data

    • Organisers of seminars, conferences, training courses and exhibitions for the finance industry

    Exporta Publishing & Events Ltd is a company registered in the United Kingdom with company number 4407327 | VAT Registration: 799 1585 59

    Data Protection Policy

    This Data Protection Policy explains when and why we collect personal information about people who visit our website, how we use it, the conditions under which we may disclose it to others and how we keep it secure.

    Why do we collect information from you?

    Our primary goal in collecting personal data from you is to give you an enjoyable customised experience whilst allowing us to provide services and features that will meet your needs.

    We collect certain personal data from you, which you give to us when using our Site and/or registering or subscribing for our products and services. However, we also give you the option to access our Sites’ home pages without subscribing or registering or disclosing your personal data.

    We also collect certain personal data from other group companies to whom you have given information through their websites (including, by way of example, Exporta Publishing & Events Ltd and subsidiaries, in accordance with the purposes listed below). Should we discover that any such personal data has been delivered to any of the Sites, we will remove that information as soon as possible.

    Why this policy exists

    This Data Protection Policy ensures Exporta Publishing & Events Ltd:

    • Complies with data protection law and follow good practice

    • Protects the rights of staff, customers and partners

    • Is open about how it stores and processes individuals’ data

    • pretexts itself from the risk of a data breach

    We may change this Policy from time to time so please check this page occasionally to ensure that you’re happy with any changes. By using our website, you’re agreeing to be bound by this Policy.

    Data protection law

    The Data Protection Act 1998 described how organisations – including Exporta Publishing & Events Ltd – must collect, handle and store personal information. These rules apply regardless of whether data is stored electronically, on paper or on other materials. To comply with the law, personal information collected must be stored safely, not disclosed unlawfully and used fairly.

    The Data Protection Act is underpinned by eight important principles. These say that personal data must:

    • Be processed fairly and lawfully

    • Be obtained only for specific, lawful purposes

    • Be adequate, relevant and not excessive

    • Be accurate and kept up to date

    • Not be held for any longer than necessary

    • Processed in accordance with the rights of data subjects

    • Be protected in appropriate ways

    • Not be transferred outside the European Economic Area (EEA), unless that country of territory also ensures an adequate level of protection

    How do we collect information from you?

    We obtain information about you when you use our website, for example, when you contact us about products and services, when you register for an event, register to receive eNewsletters, subscribe or register for a trial to our GTR magazine/website.

     Types of Personal Data Held and its Use

    1.      Customer Services and Administration

    On some Sites, Exporta Publishing & Events Ltd collects personal data such as your name, job title, department, company, e-mail, phone, work and/or home address, in order to register you for access to certain content, subscriptions and events. In addition, we may also store information including IP address and page analytics, including information regarding what pages are accessed, by whom and when.

    This information is used to administer and deliver to you the products and/or services you have requested, to operate our Sites efficiently and improve our service to you, and to retain records of our business transactions and communications. By using the Sites and submitting personal information through the registration process you are agreeing that we may collect, hold, process and use your information (including personal information) for the purpose of providing you with the Site services and developing our business, which shall include (without limitation) the purposes described in the below paragraphs.

    2.      Monitoring use of our Sites

    Where, as part of our Site services, we enable you to post information or materials on our Site, we may access and monitor any information which you upload or input, including in any password-protected sections. Subject to any necessary consents, we also monitor and/or record the different Sites you visit and actions taken on those Sites, e.g. content viewed or searched for. If you are a registered user (e.g. a subscriber or taking a trial), when you log on, this places a cookie on your machine. This enables your access to content and services that

    are not publicly available. Once you are logged on, the actions you take – for example, viewing an article – will be recorded (subject to any necessary consents). We may use technology or a service provider to do this for us. This information may be used for one or more of the following purposes:

    • to fulfil our obligations to you;

    • to improve the efficiency, quality and design of our Sites and services;

    • to see which articles, features and services are most read and used

    • to track compliance with our terms and conditions of use, e.g. to ensure that you are acting within the scope of your user licence;

    • for marketing purposes (subject to your rights to opt-in and opt-out of receiving certain marketing communications) – see paragraph 3 below;

    • for advertising purposes, although the information used for these purposes does not identify you personally. Please see paragraph 5 below for more details;

    • to protect or comply with our legal rights and obligations; and

    • to enable our journalists to contact and interact with you online in connection with any content you may post to our Sites.

    Please see paragraph 5 below for more information on cookies and similar technologies and a link to a page where you can turn them on or off.

    3.      Marketing

    Some of your personal data collected under paragraphs 1 and 2 above may be used by us to contact you by e-mail, telephone and/or post for sending information or promotional material on our products and/or services and/or those of our other group companies.
    We give you the opportunity to opt-out of receiving marketing communications. Further detail can be found on the applicable Site and in the footer of each marketing communication sent by us, our group companies or service providers. See also “Consents and opt-outs” section below.
    We will not share your information with third parties for marketing purposes.

    4.      Profiling

    We may analyse your personal information to create a profile of your interests and preferences so that we can contact you with information relevant to you.

    5.      Cookies and similar technologies

    All our Sites use cookies and similar technical tools to collect information about your access to the Site and the services we provide.

    What is a cookie?

    When you enter some sites, your computer will be issued with a cookie. Cookies are text files that identify your computer to servers. Cookies in themselves do not identify the individual user, just the computer used.

    Many sites do this whenever a user visits their site in order to track traffic flows, recording those areas of the site that have been visited by the computer in question, and for how long.

    Users have the opportunity to set their computers to accept all cookies, to notify them when a cookie is issued, or not to receive cookies at any time. Selecting not to receive means that certain personalised services Exporta Publishing & Events Ltd offers cannot then be provided to that user.

     

    Why do we use cookies?

    1. Log In – Where we provide log in mechanisms for site users a cookie is created at login and for the duration of the session. Each cookie contains a unique reference number only (no personal information) which is used to confirm you are authorised.

    2. Analytics – To allow us to keep track of traffic to our website we use cookies. The cookies simply tell us if you have previously visited our website so we can get more accurate figures for New vs Returning visitors.

    Find and control your cookies

    All of the major browser providers offer advice on setting up and using the privacy and security functions for their products. If you require technical advice or support for a specific browser/version please contact the provider or visit their website for further details:
    www.microsoft.com / www.mozilla.com / www.apple.com
    / www.opera.com / www.aol.com / www.netscape.com
    / www.flock.com / www.google.com.

    We may use cookies to:

    • remember that you have used the Site before; this means we can identify the number of unique visitors we receive to different parts of the Site. This allows us to make sure we have enough capacity for the number of users that we get and make sure that the Site runs fast enough

    • remember your login session so you can move from one page to another within the Site;

    • store your preferences or your user name and password so that you do not need to input these details every time you visit the Site;

    • customise elements of the layout and/or content of the pages of Site for you;

    • record activity on our Sites so that we understand how you use our Sites enabling us to better tailor our content, services and marketing to your needs;

    • collect statistical information about how you use the Site so that we can improve the Site; and

    • gather information about the pages on the Site that you visit, and other information about other websites that you visit, so as to place you in a “market segment”. This information is only collected by reference to the IP address that you are using, but does include information about the county and city you are in, together with the name of your internet service provider.

    Most web browsers automatically accept cookies but, if you prefer, you can change your browser to prevent that, or to notify you each time a cookie is set. You can also learn more about cookies in general by visiting www.allaboutcookies.org which includes additional useful information on cookies and how to block cookies using different types of browser. Please note however, that by blocking, deleting or turning off cookies used on the Site you may not be able to take full advantage of the Site.

    6.      E-mail tracking

    E-mail tracking is a method for monitoring the e-mail delivery to those subscribers who have opted-in to receive marketing e-mails from GTR, including GTR Africa, GTR Asia, GTR Americas, GTR Europe, GTR Mena, GTR eNews, Third party e-mails and GTR Ventures.

    Why do we track e-mails?


    So that we can better understand our users’ needs, we track responses, subscription behaviour and engagement to our e-mails – for example, to see which links are the most popular in newsletters. They enable us to understand the consumers journey through metrics including open rate, click-through rate, bounces and unsubscribes. Any other purposes for which Exporta Publishing & Events Ltd wishes to use your personal data will be notified to you and your personal data will not be used for any such purpose without obtaining your prior consent.

    How do you track GTR eNewsletters?

    To do this, we use pixel GIFs, also known as “pixel tags” – these are small image files that are placed within the body of our e-mail messages. When that image is downloaded from our web servers, the e-mail is recorded as being opened. By using some form of digitally time-stamped record to reveal the exact time and date that an e-mail was received or opened, as well the IP address of the recipient.

    7.      Consents and opt-outs

    You can give your consent to opt-out of all or any particular uses of your data as indicated above by:

    • Indicating at the point on the relevant Site where personal data is collected

    • Informing us by e-mail, post or phone

    • Updating your preferences on the applicable Site or eNewsletter (unsubscribe and preference options are available in the footer of each eNewsletter)

    To turn cookies and similar technologies on and off, see the information in paragraph 5 above.
    Any questions regarding consents and opt-outs should be sent by e-mail to privacy@gtreview.com or by writing to Data Protection Officer at, Exporta Publishing & Events Ltd, 4 Hillgate Place, London, SW12 9ER, United Kingdom. Alternatively, you can telephone our London headquarters at +44 (0) 20 8673 9666.

    8.      Disclosures

    Information collected at one Site may be shared between Exporta Publishing & Events Ltd and other group companies for the purposes listed above.

    We may transfer, sell or assign any of the information described in this policy to third parties as a result of a sale, merger, consolidation, change of control, transfer of assets or reorganisation of our business.

    9.      Public forums, message boards and blogs

    Some of our Sites may have a message board, blogs or other facilities for user generated content available and users can participate in these facilities. Any information that is disclosed in these areas becomes public information and you should always be careful when deciding to disclose your personal information.

    10.  Data outside the EEA

    Services on the Internet are accessible globally so collection and transmission of personal data is not always limited to one country. Exporta Publishing & Events Ltd may transfer your personal data, for the above-listed purposes to other third parties, which may be located outside the European Economic Area and/or with a different level of personal data protection. However, when conducting transfers, we take all necessary steps to ensure that your data is treated reasonably, securely and in accordance with this Privacy Statement.

    Who has access to your information?

    Confidentiality and Security of Your Personal Data

    We are committed to keeping the data you provide us secure and will take reasonable precautions to protect your personal data from loss, misuse or alteration.

    However, the transmission of information via the internet is not completely secure. Although we will do our best to protect your personal data, we cannot guarantee the security of your data transmitted to our Site; any transmission is at your own risk. Once we have received your information, we will use strict procedures and security features described above to try to prevent unauthorised access.

    We have implemented information security policies, rules and technical measures to protect the personal data that we have under our control from:

    • unauthorised access

    • improper use or disclosure

    • unauthorised modification

    • unlawful destruction or accidental loss

    All our employees, contractors and data processors (i.e. those who process your personal data on our behalf, for the purposes listed above), who have access to, and are associated with the processing of your personal data, are obliged to keep the information confidential and not use it for any other purpose than to carry out the services they are performing for us.

    Responsibilities

    Everyone who works for or with Exporta Publishing & Events Ltd has some responsibility for ensuring data is collected, stored and handled appropriately. Each team handling personal data must ensure that it is handled and processed in line with this policy and data protection principles. However, the following people have key areas of responsibility.
    The board of directors is ultimately responsible for ensuring that Exporta Publishing & Events Ltd meets its legal obligations.

    Name of Data Controller

    The Data Controller is Exporta Publishing & Events Ltd. Exporta Publishing & Events Ltd is subject to the UK Data Protection Act 1998 and is registered in the UK with the Information Commissioner`s Office.

    How to access, update and erase your personal information

    If you wish to know whether we are keeping personal data about you, or if you have an enquiry about our privacy policy or your personal data held by us, in relation to any of the Sites, you can contact the Data Protection Officer via:

    • By writing to this address: Data Protection Officer, Exporta Publishing & Events Ltd, 4 Hillgate Place, London, SW12 9ER, UK

    • Telephone: +44 (0) 20 8673 9666

    • E-mail: privacy@gtreview.com

    Upon request, we will provide you with a readable copy of the personal data which we keep about you. We may require proof of your identity and may charge a small fee (not exceeding the statutory maximum fee that can be charged) to cover administration and postage.

    Exporta Publishing & Events Ltd allows you to challenge the data that we hold about you and, where appropriate in accordance with applicable laws, you may have your personal information:

    • erased

    • rectified or amended

    • completed

    Disclosing data for other reasons

    In certain circumstances, the Data Protection Act allows personal data to be disclosed to law enforcement agencies without the consent of the data subject. Under these circumstances, Exporta Publishing & Events Ltd, will disclose requested data. However, the Data Controller will ensure the request is legitimate, seeking assistance from the board and from the company’s legal advisors where necessary.

    Changes to this Privacy Statement

    We will occasionally update this Privacy Statement to reflect new legislation or industry practice, group company changes and customer feedback. We encourage you to review this Privacy Statement periodically to be informed of how we are protecting your personal data.

    Providing information

    Exporta Publishing & Events Ltd aims to ensure that individuals are aware that their data is being processed, and that they understand.

    • How the data is being used

    • How to exercise their rights

    To this end, the company has a privacy statement, setting out how data relating to individuals is used by the company. This is available on request and available on the company’s website.

    Review of this policy

    We keep this Policy under regular review. This Privacy Statement was last updated in April 2018.

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  • Potential Biomarker May Predict Outcomes/Response in RCC

    Potential Biomarker May Predict Outcomes/Response in RCC

    A new biomarker, KIM-1, has the potential to show outcomes and response for patients with renal cell carcinoma.

    Clinical decision making may now be informed by a new prognostic biomarker, kidney injury molecule-1 (KIM-1) as a response to therapy, and may help clinical decision-making for patients with renal cell carcinoma (RCC), according to a presentation by Wenxin (Vincent) Xu, MD, given during the 2025 Kidney Cancer Research Summit.1

    “We know that KIM-1 is overexpressed in kidney tumors, especially those coming from the proximal tubular epithelium and [that] it’s shed into circulation,” Xu, a medical oncologist at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and an assistant professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School, both in Boston, Massachusetts, said during the presentation. “It has [also] been shown that KIM-1 is not just elevated in the blood, but it’s elevated in the blood per bank sample up to 5 years before kidney cancer diagnosis. This [has] led to the question of whether we can validate KIM-1 as a potential circulating biomarker to detect kidney cancer, to risk stratify, and to indicate the likelihood of response.”

    Xu began his presentation by noting that KIM-1 has been examined as a potential biomarker across the disease spectrum of RCC, including in clear cell and papillary disease. Findings published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology indicated that prenephrectomy plasma KIM-1 levels displayed a 92.5% sensitivity and 60% specificity in terms of identifying clear cell RCC vs benign renal masses.2 Additional data showed that high KIM-1 levels were associated with worse metastasis-free survival in multiple cohorts of patients.

    “[Patients] with higher KIM-1 [with] a renal tumor are more likely to have aggressive malignancies, of the tumor after nephrectomy, and, ultimately, a higher chance of dying from kidney cancer,” Xu noted.

    Moreover, the presence of persistent KIM-1 following nephrectomy has been associated with disease recurrence, Xu said. Findings from the phase 3 ECOG-ACRIN E2805 (ASSURE; NCT00326898), CheckMate 914 (NCT03138512), and IMmotion010 (NCT03024996) studies showed that KIM-1 was a strong prognostic biomarker for progression-free survival, disease-free survival (DFS), and DFS, respectively.1

    Furthermore, ASSURE compared sunitinib (Sutent) vs sorafenib (Nexavar) vs placebo in patients with nonmetastatic stage II to IV RCC. CheckMate 914 evaluated nivolumab (Opdivo) plus ipilimumab (Yervoy) vs placebo in patients with RCC with predominant clear cell histology following radical or partial nephrectomy. In IMmotion010, patients with resected intermediate- to high-risk RCC with a clear cell and/or sarcomatoid component were randomly assigned 1:1 to receive atezolizumab (Tecentriq) or placebo.

    KIM-1 Shows Response Prognostication for Multiple Regimens

    For patients with metastatic disease, data from a post-hoc analysis of the phase JAVELIN Renal 101 (NCT02684006) trial demonstrated that patients with high KIM-1 levels (n = 306) experienced a PFS (log-rank P = .0011) and overall survival (OS; log-rank P < .0001) benefit compared with those with low KIM-1 levels (n = 306).3 The results were presented during the 2025 Genitourinary (GU) Cancers Symposium. JAVELIN Renal 101 compared avelumab (Bavencio) plus axitinib (Inlyta) with sunitinib in patients with treatment-naive advanced RCC with a clear cell component.1

    In IMmotion010, patients with high KIM-1 experienced a significant DFS benefit with adjuvant atezolizumab compared with those who received placebo (HR, 0.72; 0.53-0.99). The respective median DFS values in the atezolizumab (n = 151) and placebo (n = 149) groups were not evaluable (NE) and 21.16 months.4 Notably, patients in the KIM-1–low subgroup did not experience a DFS benefit with atezolizumab (n = 229) vs placebo (n = 223), and the median DFS was 57.23 months vs NE, respectively (HR, 1.12; 0.88-1.63).

    Xu also noted that the KIM-1 ratio at 3 weeks has been shown to be predictive of response to immunotherapy in the metastatic setting. Specifically in the phase 3 CheckMate 214 trial (NCT02231749), patients who received nivolumab plus ipilimumab who experienced greater than a 30% increase in KIM-1 ratio at 3 weeks had a significant worsening of OS compared with those who did not (HR, 2.40; 95% CI, 1.70-3.40).5 Additionally, patients with a greater than 10% increase (HR, 1.99; 95% CI, 1.36-2.91), a less than 10% change (HR, 1.48; 95% CI, 1.05-2.09), and those with a greater than 10% decrease (HR, 1.33; 95% CI, 0.93-1.88) all experienced worsened OS outcomes.

    Regarding overall response rate (ORR), the ORR among patients with a 30% decrease in KIM-1 rate (n = 140) was 69.3% (95% CI, 60.9%-76.8%). Patients with a greater than 10% to 30% decrease (n = 87), less than a 10% change (n = 86), a greater than 10% to 30% increase (n = 56), and a greater than 30% increase (n = 72) in KIM-1 rate experienced respective ORRs of 36.8% (95% CI, 26.4%-47.8%), 30.2% (95% CI, 20.8%-41.1%), 23.2% (95% CI, 13.0%-36.4%), and 13.9% (95% CI, 6.9%-24.1%), respectively.

    “The KIM-1 ratio, which is defined as the percentage change in KIM-1 from baseline to 3 weeks, was a strong predictor of response to immunotherapy regimens,” Xu explained. “This was particularly striking in CheckMate 214. Patients with a KIM-1 decrease at 3 weeks were the exceptional responders and [those] who failed to have a favorable KIM-1 ratio by the 3-week mark after one dose of nivolumab/ipilimumab were generally not exceptional responders to nivolumab/ipilimumab and had quite poor outcomes.”

    Xu concluded his presentation by noting that there are 3 significant unanswered questions regarding KIM-1 as a biomarker: Can patients with low KIM-1 levels safely forgo adjuvant therapy? Should patients with high KIM-1 levels who do not meet KN-564 criteria receive adjuvant therapy? Can KIM-1 help investigators administer nivolumab plus ipilimumab to more patients in a safer manner?

    “We give [patients] nivolumab/ipilimumab because we hope for a slam dunk,” Xu said. “[However], one of the main reasons we are held back is a fear of rapid [disease] progression within the first 12 weeks. Many patients who receive nivolumab/ipilimumab and don’t respond fail to make it to second-line therapy. Perhaps by assessing the KIM-1 ratio, we can single out the exceptional responders, and for those who will not have a good response, we can divert them to a more effective regimen ahead of time.”

    Disclosures: Xu received research funding from ASCO/Conquer Cancer Foundation, ArsenalBio, DF/HCC Kidney Cancer SPORE, DOD CDMRP KCRP Academy, Merck, and OncoHost. He also holds scientific advisory board or consulting roles with Aveo, Celdara, Deceiphera, Eisai, Exelixis, Jazz, Merck, and Xencor.

    References

    1. Xu W. From bench to bedside: advancing KIM-1 as a tool for clinical decision-making. Presented at: 2025 Kidney Cancer Research Summit; July 17-18, 2025. Boston, Massachusetts.
    2. Xu W, Gaborieau V, Niman SM, et al. Plasma kidney injury molecule-1 for preoperative prediction of renal cell carcinoma versus benign renal masses, and association with clinical outcomes. J Clin Oncol. 2024;42(22):2691-2701. doi:10.1200/JCO.23.00699
    3. Machaalani M, Saliby RM, Zhong C, et al. KIM-1 as a circulating biomarker in metastatic RCC: post-hoc analysis of JAVELIN Renal 101. J Clin Oncol. 2025;43(suppl 5):594. doi:10.1200/JCO.2025.43.5_suppl.594
    4. Albiges L, Bex A, Suarez C, et al. Circulating kidney injury molecule-1 (KIM-1) biomarker analysis in IMmotion010: a randomized phase 3 study of adjuvant (adj) atezolizumab (atezo) vs placebo (pbo) in patients (pts) with renal cell carcinoma (RCC) at increased risk of recurrence after resection. J Clin Oncol. 2025;42(suppl 16):4506. doi:10.1200/JCO.2024.42.16_suppl.4506
    5. Xu W, Vemula SV, Motzer RJ, et al. Evaluation of circulating kidney injury marker-1 (KIM-1) as a prognostic and predictive biomarker in advanced renal cell carcinoma (aRCC): post-hoc analysis of CheckMate 214. J Clin Oncol. 2025;43(suppl 5):437. doi:10.1200/JCO.2025.43.5_suppl.437

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  • Why AI is moving from chatbots to the browser

    Why AI is moving from chatbots to the browser

    Happy Friday. I’m back from vacation and still getting caught up on everything I missed. AI researchers moving jobs is getting covered like NBA trades now, apparently.

    Before I get into this week’s issue, I want to make sure you check out my interview with Perplexity CEO Aravind Srinivas on Decoder this week. It’s a good deep dive on the main topic of today’s newsletter. Keep reading for a scoop on Substack and more from this week in AI news.

    From chatbots to browsers

    So far, when most people think of the modern AI boom, they think of a chatbot like ChatGPT. Now, it’s becoming increasingly clear that the web browser is where the next phase of AI is taking shape.

    The reason is simple: the chatbots of today don’t have access to your online life like your browser does. That level of context — read and write access to your email, your bank account, etc. — is required if AI is going to become a tool that actually goes off and does things for you.

    Two recent product releases point to this trend. The first is OpenAI’s ChatGPT Agent, which uses a basic browser to surf the web on your behalf. The second is Comet, a desktop browser from Perplexity that takes it a step further by allowing large language models to access logged-in sites and complete tasks on your behalf. (OpenAI is rumored to be planning its own full-fledged browser.)

    Neither ChatGPT Agent nor Comet works reliably at the moment, and access to both is currently gated to expensive subscription tiers due to the higher compute costs required to run the reasoning models they necessitate. Perhaps most frustratingly, both products claim to do things they can’t, not just in marketing materials, but in the actual product experience.

    ChatGPT Agent is a read-only browser experience — it can’t access a logged-in site like Comet — and that severely limits its usefulness. It’s also very slow. My colleague Hayden Field asked it to find a particular kind of lamp on Etsy, and ChatGPT Agent took 50 minutes to come back with a response. It also failed to add items to her Etsy cart, despite claiming it had done so.

    While Comet is nowhere near as slow, I’ve had numerous experiences with it claiming it has completed tasks it hasn’t, or stating it can do something, only to immediately tell me it can’t after I make a request. Its sidecar interface, which places the AI assistant to the right of a webpage, is excellent for read-only tasks, such as summarizing a webpage or researching something specific I’m looking at. But as I told Perplexity CEO Aravind Srinivas on Decoder this week, the overall experience feels quite brittle.

    It’s easy to be a cynic and think the current state of products like Comet is the best AI can do at completing tasks on the web. Or, you can look at the last few years of progress in the industry and make the bet that the same trend line will continue.

    During our chat this week, Srinivas told me he’s “betting on progress in reasoning models to get us there.” OpenAI built a custom reasoning model specifically for ChatGPT Agent that was trained on more complex, multi-step tasks. (The model has no public name and isn’t available via an API.)

    Even with the many limitations and bugs that exist today, using Comet for just a few days has convinced me that the mainstream chatbot interface will merge with the browser. It already feels like taking a step back to merely prompt a chatbot versus interacting with a ChatGPT-like experience that can see whatever website I’m looking at. Standalone chatbots certainly aren’t going away, especially on smartphones, but the browser is what will unlock AI that actually feels like an agent.

    • What could have been for Substack: Before the newsletter platform raised the $100 million round it announced this week, two sources tell me that Vice founder Shane Smith approached Substack’s co-founders about acquiring the company. It’s unclear how far the talks progressed, though Smith also discussed the idea with potential financial backers. Substack’s leadership rebuffed his takeover interest but suggested he could invest in the round they just closed. It’s unclear if he did. Neither Smith nor Substack responded to my request for comment.
    • The end of reverse acquihires? While I was out on vacation, it was interesting to observe the intense backlash to the Windsurf/Google reverse acquihire. This pattern, where the founders of a buzzy AI startup parachute into the arms of Big Tech and leave the rest of their team to pick up the pieces, is nothing new. It’s an unfortunate byproduct of the antitrust scrutiny on Big Tech, which so far seems to have figured out how to acquire what it wants by leaving behind a husk of a startup and calling its payouts “licensing fees.” But given how Cognition messaged its rescuing of Windsurf’s remaining team (“every single employee is treated with respect and well taken care of in this transaction”), I wonder if the next AI startup founder will think twice before leaving their team behind.
    • Mira Murati’s new AI lab will have an enterprise angle. I feel confident in that prediction after seeing who her financial backers are for her new lab, Thinking Machines. ServiceNow and Cisco aren’t investing in a ChatGPT competitor. Given the level of talent she has managed to assemble, the industry will be paying close attention to whatever “multimodal AI” product the team releases in the coming months. Is there room for another Anthropic-like rival to OpenAI? We’re about to find out.
    • AI researchers can’t get US visas. NeurlPS, the premier AI research conference, has experienced such high attendance demand for this year’s event in San Diego that they’ve added a second location in Mexico to accommodate approximately 500 more people. The conference’s announcement states that there have been “difficulties in obtaining travel visas” for attendees wishing to attend the main US event. Yikes.

    Some noteworthy career moves

    • Zuckerberg’s new Superintelligence lab is getting considerably bigger. This week saw the addition of OpenAI’s Jason Wei and Hyung Won Chung, which means that Meta has now poached 5 of OpenAI’s 21 “foundational contributors” to o1. Augustus Odena and Maxwell Nye, co-founders of the Adept AI startup that Amazon reverse acquihired to kickstart its AGI lab, also joined, along with Mark Lee and Tom Gunter from Apple. Meanwhile, the entire team behind the voice AI startup PlayAI has officially joined (some companies are still small enough for Big Tech to acquire outright). And in what should be an ominous signal to everyone in the broader AI group currently undergoing DOGE-style interviews with Alexandr Wang’s new team, VP of Product Connor Hayes has moved over to run Threads.
    • Anthropic’s head of engineering, Brian Delahunty, joined Google Cloud to lead AI agent engineering. Meanwhile, Boris Cherny and Cat Wu returned to Anthropic after an alarmingly brief tenure in leadership roles at Cursor. Paul Smith is also leaving ServiceNow to be Anthropic’s first chief commercial officer.
    • Reddit CMO Roxy Young is leaving amid what appears to be a broader leadership reshuffling.
    • More brain drain at Tesla: This time it’s Troy Jones, head of sales for North America.
    • Astronomer CEO Andy Byron and HR chief Kristin Cabot (that couple from the Coldplay concert) have been put on leave pending an internal investigation.

    If you haven’t already, don’t forget to subscribe to The Verge, which includes unlimited access to Command Line and all of our reporting.

    As always, I welcome your feedback, especially if you have thoughts on this issue or a story idea to share. You can respond here or ping me securely on Signal.

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  • RSV vaccine to be offered to premature babies in Northern Ireland

    RSV vaccine to be offered to premature babies in Northern Ireland

    Getty Images A baby boy is sleeping on a white sheet. He is wearing a white sleepsuit and has a blue hospital wristbandGetty Images

    The new programme will cover infants born very prematurely and too early to benefit from the RSV vaccination given to their mothers

    A vaccination programme to tackle respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is to be extended to cover premature babies born in Northern Ireland.

    A long-acting injection is to be offered for eligible children from this autumn.

    RSV is a common, but highly infectious, respiratory virus that affects the breathing system, particularly in young children and older adults.

    It infects 90% of children by the age of two and is one of the leading causes of hospitalisation in the first year of life.

    An RSV vaccine has been available to pregnant women in Northern Ireland since last September and is offered from 28 weeks of pregnancy.

    The new programme will cover those infants born very prematurely and too early to benefit from the RSV vaccination given to their mothers.

    The single Nirsevimab injection offers about 80% protection and replaces Palivizumab, which gives 55% protection and is administered up to five times.

    It follows advice from the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation.

    Pacemaker Press A man is sitting at a table. He wears glasses and has a black suit on and a stripped tie.Pacemaker Press

    NI’s chief medical officer says there has been a decline in the uptake of childhood immunisations

    Chief Medical Officer Sir Michael McBride said: “Vaccinations have been extremely effective in eradicating diseases and protecting children and other vulnerable groups from serious illness and death.

    “Worryingly, we are now seeing a decline in the uptake of childhood immunisations.

    “Vaccinations offer children the very best start in life. Quite simply, if children aren’t vaccinated, they’re not protected.”

    Health Minister Mike Nesbitt said the new vaccine would strengthen winter preparedness in the health service and reduce pressures on GPs, emergency departments and hospital admissions.

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  • A Woman Catches Her Date in a Big Lie

    A Woman Catches Her Date in a Big Lie

    Photo-Illustration: Marylu Herrera

    In this week’s story, a woman who’s been dating a guy she met online realizes he hasn’t been completely honest with her: 47, single, New York

    6:30 a.m. I’m an assistant principal, so my body is set to this wake-up time, even though I’m not working at all this month. The first thought that crosses my mind is, Yay! I get to see Erik tonight. We only hang out on Wednesdays because he’s training for a marathon and trains super-early every morning except Thursday.

    9 a.m. Quickly look at my closet to see if I have anything to wear for tonight. I decide that I really want to turn it up, so I pull out a little black dress I’ve never worn before. I met Erik on Hinge about six weeks ago. There are a few issues — he lives on Long Island, for one, and he’s overly sexual (which I don’t mind but sometimes makes me wonder if he only wants me for sex). But I’m really into him and after a multiyear dry spell, it feels great to have a crush.

    I’ve never been married, but I’ve had a few long-term relationships that were fun while they lasted. I’d really love to find the one. In the words of Charlotte from Sex and the City, “I’ve been dating since I was 15! I’m exhausted! Where is he?”

    12 p.m. Earbuds ready, sneakers on, I head out the door to walk downtown, then over the Brooklyn Bridge, then back. Every day I try to get a long walk in. I love having summers off. I’m not exactly doing “nothing” — I’m volunteering at a food bank for a few nights each month, plus some one-off volunteer jobs. I also try to see friends and family members who I don’t have much time or energy for during the school year. I take as many trips with family as I can and just hang out the old-fashioned way — beach days, lazing around together, etc. Whenever I can get out of the city, I try to hike.

    Erik loves hiking too. It’s one of the many things we have in common, as well as a love of traveling, dive bars, Italian food, and being outdoors in general. Also, he works in business development and is in between projects right now, so we’re both work-free and living our best lives this summer.

    4 p.m. He texts, “I’m going to rampage you tonight.” I don’t think rampage is the right word. I don’t call him out on it. Did he mean ravage? Or wreck? Hmmm. He’s not the smartest guy I’ve ever dated. And yet, I’m still a little wet just thinking about it. Sex with Erik is next-level incredible.

    6 p.m. Quick call from my sister who thinks the fact that Erik only sees me on Wednesdays is a bright-red flag. I’m not sure. I know for a fact he’s training for a marathon and that it’s super-important for his physical and mental health, so I’m not going to weaponize it.

    9 p.m. We are back at my apartment after a nice little Italian dinner — dress looked great — and having sex. Our bodies fit so well together. I am practically screaming every time he goes down on me, and then again from the penetration. We both come and then take a shower together. It seriously feels like we’re in a movie — it’s all so hot and erotic.

    11 p.m. This is the second time he’s slept over, and I love it. We watch a little TV and cuddle, then we both pass out. He spoons me, while we sleep, for a lot of the night.

    DAY TWO

    9 a.m. I’ve been lying here, fake sleeping, simply enjoying being in bed with this hot man. Finally, he’s awake too.

    10:30 a.m. I know it’s very Love Island–coded but … he makes me breakfast. Avocado toast and scrambled eggs. Both are so good. I’m in charge of the coffee since he’s off caffeine right now.

    12 p.m. We are back in bed having sex. When I said Erik was sexual, I meant that he’s always hard and ready to go, very touchy, constantly trying to fool around. Like, even if we’re drinking at a dive bar, his hand is up my skirt trying to finger me. He’s also asked for nudes several times, but I’ve wisely, and unwaveringly, declined. I work in the school system!

    3 p.m. After a day of fucking (and a break for some food), it’s time for him to go back to Long Island. He has to get back to training tomorrow, and also he has some meetings and pitches coming up that he has to prepare for. Our little love bubble is over until next week.

    7 p.m. Washing all my sheets and cleaning up my apartment. Erik texts that he’s home and missing me already.

    9 p.m. We aren’t exclusive — we haven’t had the boyfriend-girlfriend talk yet, nothing even close. So I scroll the apps a little on my phone. There’s a guy who messaged me named Peter who says we went to college together. I am almost 50 years old so that was a long time ago, but he’s right and I vaguely remember him. We start chatting and talking about our lives and careers. It’s not very flirtatious, more like old friends reconnecting. He looks, how do I put this nicely: old. Erik, who is the same age as Peter, looks a million times better. But looks aren’t everything.

    DAY THREE

    10 a.m. I’ve barely had my second cup of coffee when Erik starts texting me for nude pics, and asking if I want to call him and “talk dirty.” He knows I don’t have work, so I try to come up with another excuse. I lie and say, “My parents and sisters are here!” Of course my parents and sister literally left for California today to visit another family member, but he’ll never put that together.

    12:30 p.m. Another text from him asking what I’m wearing. He says he’s horny and wants to see my pussy. It’s a little much. I’m glad he’s thinking about me, but it’s not my thing and he knows it.

    3:40 p.m. Get my nails done, then stop at a bookstore to pick up a beach read for an upcoming trip to Fire Island. My gay best friend is there all summer, and I always go for a few nights to witness his debauchery.

    5 p.m. A few more “show me your tits” texts from Erik. I get one as I measure my apartment for a new kitchen table; another one as I contemplate what’s for dinner.

    6 p.m. I decide to pick up sushi at a place I love, but it’s about 20 blocks away. I consider leaving my phone at home so I get a break from Erik’s texts, but luckily the only one I get is Pete from college asking if I’d like to have brunch some time. What a fucking Puritan in comparison to Erik. Brunch!

    9:30 p.m. Ready to turn my phone off, curl up to my new book, and have a quiet evening. I see that Erik has texted again but honestly, I don’t even want to read it. His energy is interrupting my Zen today. Do I have to cut this guy out of my life? The sex is so good, but man, he was fucking weird and aggressive today.

    DAY FOUR

    10:30 a.m. By the time I have coffee and do a morning Zoom about some summer volunteer work I’m interested in, I’m ready to open Erik’s latest text from last night. I’m already in a bad mood because I’m almost positive this guy is no longer for me, and that sucks. And then, when I see that he’s sent an unsolicited dick pic, I’m actually shook. I feel a mixture of “how fucking obnoxious to send me this” and also, if I’m being honest, “man, I love that D.”

    12:15 p.m. I keep looking at the pic, trying to figure out how to handle it. Do I break up with him over text? Do I try to explain that this behavior is inappropriate? Do I lighten up and have some fun? But then I look at the pic and finally shift my eyes from the actual penis to his hand that’s holding it, and I almost drop my phone. He’s wearing a wedding ring. It all hits me like a ton of bricks. This fucker is married! I cannot breathe.

    3 p.m. After feeling frozen for a few hours, I call my best friend from childhood who works in law enforcement. I ask her to do a deep dive on him on one of those background-check sites, and she found out he has three kids and a wife. Keep in mind, I very specifically and directly asked him if he was married when we met, and he said he was never married and had no kids. I’m literally shaking.

    7 p.m. After a long walk around the city, I decide to call him. He doesn’t pick up. I text him that it’s urgent he call me back. I wake home in silence, fuming and fighting back tears. When I come home, I kick my shoes off and just sit at my kitchen table, frozen.

    9 p.m. He calls back, the shady fucker. I confront him about all of it. He’s silent for a minute and then he says, “I don’t know what to say, I’m sorry.” I tell him that he’s a piece of shit and to never contact me again.

    11 p.m. I’m upset. I would never touch another woman’s man. I go to sleep feeling sick over it.

    DAY FIVE

    6 a.m. I’m awake even earlier than usual, spiraling a little. There’s a big part of me that wants to contact his wife. I don’t know what to do.

    9:45 a.m. I contact Hinge and report him as a fraud. I mean, I honestly can’t believe that he had his whole face on Hinge and wasn’t afraid for his wife or friends of theirs to see his profile!

    1:30 p.m. One of my best friends meets me in Central Park for an emergency walk and talk session. The main thing, I tell her, is that I feel really violated that I didn’t have the choice to sleep with a married man (someone else’s man). It goes against everything I stand for. The other thing is, I just feel sad for his wife and kids.

    4 p.m. One of my volunteer jobs is tonight. It involves feeding unhoused people, so I’m able to focus on good people and good acts of kindness, not that jerk.

    9 p.m. I come home, shower, put on cozy pajamas and text Pete back about that brunch. Not because I’m ready to move on so quickly but because he seems like a lovely, normal person and it’s hard to find single people my age.

    DAY SIX

    8 a.m. I wake up feeling a little better today, but I’m also now freaked out that this guy knows where I live and so much other stuff about me. I feel foolish for being so trusting.

    12 p.m. One of my summer goals was to learn Italian because I’m going to Italy with my sisters in the fall, so I take an online course. It’s hard and I’m terrible with languages. However, I do notice that I go two hours without thinking about Erik and the betrayal.

    3:45 p.m. Pete says he’s free tomorrow. He’s a doctor and has the day off. I try to find a way to tell him that I’ve just gone through hell with a guy I was dating, and I’m not in the best place for a “date,” but then I decide not to overthink it. We make a plan.

    8 p.m. I get a drink with my friend from the park yesterday. She’s concerned for me, I can tell. I’m embarrassed that I ignored the red flags. She promises me it could have happened to anyone and that it’s a good thing I’m optimistic by nature. That makes me feel like crying, because right now I don’t feel like I’ll ever be optimistic about a guy again.

    DAY SEVEN

    7 a.m. Again, I wake up a little less shook than the day before, and the day before that.

    9:30 a.m. I can’t help but go online and see what’s cooking. It’s just a habit by now, I guess. There’s one guy who I matched with a while ago, who sent a “how’s it going?” message. Something about his photos and profile seem too good to be true. I ask him if he wants to do a quick hello over FaceTime (so I’ll know he’s not a catfish) and he unmatches me. Jesus Christ.

    12:30 p.m. Pete chose a super-cute restaurant in the West Village for brunch, and I’m walking there now. It’s kind of nice showing up for a date when you really have no desire to date them. Takes all the pressure off.

    3:30 p.m. We actually had a great time! He was supersweet. He’s divorced and has teenagers and just seems really healthy, gentle, not toxic. I’m not sure I’m attracted to him, but we had a really great conversation and a warm hug good-bye. I think it’s an epidemic how fucked up these men are in our generation, but I will hold space for the fact that there are exceptions, and Pete might be one of them.

    7:30 p.m. Pete texts asking for a link to one of the places I volunteer. He wants to participate on his day off next week. I make a mental note about how nice it is to get a text about wanting to help people in need, rather than “show me your tits.” Hopefully that chapter is behind me, and happy days with nicer people are in my future.

    Want to submit a sex diary? Email sexdiaries@nymag.com and tell us a little about yourself (and read our submission terms here).

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  • How Star Clusters Age: The Pleiades, the Hyades, and the Orion Nebula Cluster

    How Star Clusters Age: The Pleiades, the Hyades, and the Orion Nebula Cluster

    The Orion Nebula Cluster, the Pleiades, and the Hyades are all open star clusters located near each other. They’re easily located in the night sky. The Pleiades, aka the Seven Sisters, and the Hyades are close together, and the ONC is a little further away below Orion’s Belt in the Orion Nebula.

    Researchers in Iran and Germany have used observations of all three, alongside computer modelling, to uncover a new connection between the three. They say that these three well-known clusters represent three different evolutionary stages of open clusters. Their results are in a paper in the Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society titled “Are the ONC, Pleiades, and Hyades snapshots of the same embedded cluster?” The lead author is Ghasem Safaei, from the Department of Physics, Institute for Advanced Studies in Basic Sciences, in Iran.

    “Most Galactic field stars are not formed in isolation; rather, they originate within star clusters (SCs) embedded in giant molecular clouds that are initially compact structures,” the authors explain in their paper. “The early evolution (first ≈10 Myr) of young, gas-embedded SCs is primarily dominated by the removal of residual gas from star formation, driven by feedback from massive stars through ultraviolet (UV) radiation, stellar winds from OB stars, and supernova explosions.” This loss of mass signals what’s to come for the clusters, as they gradually evaporate over time until the cluster association is lost and their stars become field stars.

    The Hyades, Pleiades, and the ONC shown in context. The three are in the same region of the sky, prompting astronomers to wonder if they’re connected somehow. Image Credit: Safaei et al. 2025. MNRAS

    The ONC, Pleiades, and Hyades are all open clusters, but they’re different ages with different stellar populations. The ONC is the youngest, only 2.5 million years old, and is an active star formation region. There are different estimates for its number of stars. Some say about 2,800, some say about 4,200 and some say as many as 10,000. The number is difficult to determine because the ONC is young and still contains clouds of gas and dust that birthed the stars, which can obscure its members.

    The Pleiades is older at about 100 million years. It contains about 1,059 stars, and is dominated by 14 hot young stars that are seen with the naked eye. Its stars are more loosely scattered than the ONC’s.

    The Pleiades, or Subaru in Japan, is an open cluster about 440 light-years away. It's the most obvious naked eye open cluster in the night sky. Image Credit: NASA, ESA and AURA/Caltech The Pleiades, or Subaru in Japan, is an open cluster about 440 light-years away. It’s the most obvious naked eye open cluster in the night sky. Image Credit: NASA, ESA and AURA/Caltech

    The Hyades is the oldest of the three. It’s about 700 million years old, has about 400 stars, and is more widely dispersed than the other two. About one-third of its stars are in the cluster’s extended halo, and astronomers think these stars are escaping the cluster. Eventually, all clusters ‘evaporate’ like this and generally only exist for several hundred million years.

    The Hyades cluster is the closest cluster to Earth. It's about 153 light-years away and contains hundreds of stars in a spherical grouping. Image Credit: NASA, ESA, and STScI. The Hyades cluster is the closest cluster to Earth. It’s about 153 light-years away and contains hundreds of stars in a spherical grouping. Image Credit: NASA, ESA, and STScI.

    The researchers used N-body simulations to study how clusters evolve. They started out with a young cluster that’s an analog of the ONC. They varied the parameters, including the total mass, the half-mass radius, and the core radius to see what combination generated the observed current ONC. “Additionally, we examine the cluster’s evolution over 800 Myr to determine whether it could reproduce the present-day properties of the Pleiades and Hyades along its evolutionary path,” the researchers explain in their paper.

    They found that due to rapid gas expulsion driven by the Milky Way’s tidal field, the simulated ONC suffered significant mass loss. About 100 million years into the simulation, the cluster retained only 47% of its initial 4,200 stars. After 700 million years, it retained only 9%.

    “These evolutionary stages closely match the properties of the Pleiades and Hyades, suggesting that an ONC-like cluster may have been their precursor,” the authors write in their research.

    “Our highly precise stellar dynamics calculations have now shown that all three star clusters originated from the same predecessor,” says Prof. Dr. Pavel Kroupa from the Helmholtz Institute for Radiation and Nuclear Physics at the University of Bonn, a co-author of the publication.

    The ONC, the Pleiades, and the Hyades are like snapshots from a family album. The ONC is the toddler, the Pleiades is the adult, and the Hyades is the grandparent.

    “From this we can learn that open star clusters seem to have a preferred mode of star formation,” said Kroupa in a press release. “It appears that there is a preferred physical environment in which stars form when they evolve within these clouds,” says the astrophysicist.

    The model shows that ONC likely had an initial mass of between 1200 and 2000 solar masses. It also showed that it’s initial population is between 4,000 and 5,000 stars, which lines up with the approximately 4,200 identified by some astronomers. The model also showed that to produce these three differently-aged clusters, they had to be a rich in binary stars. It also showed that mass segregation played an important role, where more massive stars “sink” toward the cluster’s center, while less massive stars gather on the periphery.

    This Hubble Space Telescope image shows the Trapezium Cluster, the most well-known part of the Orion Nebula Cluster. Since the ONC is young, there's still plenty of gas and dust that obscures its view. Image Credit: C.R. O'Dell and S.K. Wong (Rice University) and NASA/ESA This Hubble Space Telescope image shows the Trapezium Cluster, the most well-known part of the Orion Nebula Cluster. Since the ONC is young, there’s still plenty of gas and dust that obscures its view. Image Credit: C.R. O’Dell and S.K. Wong (Rice University) and NASA/ESA

    Overall, the model’s results agree well with the observed properties of all three clusters. “In this study, we successfully reproduced the dynamical evolution of the ONC, Pleiades, and Hyades, suggesting that the Pleiades may have been similar to the ONC about 100 Myr ago and will be similar to the Hyades around 700 Myr in the future,” the authors write.

    Over time, according to the simulations, clusters like the ONC can lose 85% of their stars, yet still retain a coherent structure, as Hyades shows. This is after passing through an intermediate stage that resembles the current Pleiades cluster. “Our simulations reveal substantial mass loss over time, with clusters losing 50–60 per cent of their mass in 110 Myr and 70–85 per cent in 794 Myr, consistent with the observed evolution of the Hyades,” the authors write.

    “This research gives us a deeper understanding of how star clusters form and develop and illustrates the delicate balance between internal dynamics and external forces such as the gravitational pull of the Milky Way,” said study co-author Prof. Akram Hasani Zonoozi.

    Many discoveries in astronomy concern distant objects, impossible to observe without powerful telescopes and modern equipment. But these three clusters are easily seen and located in the night sky, with the naked eye or maybe with binoculars. Anyone with access to the night sky in the right part of the world can observe these clusters and think about these findings.

    Our Sun was once a cluster star, but at almost five billion years old, it long ago left its cluster behind is just another field star, now.

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  • BSEK puts off automated paper checking

    BSEK puts off automated paper checking


    KARACHI:

    The results of the 2025 annual matric examinations will be declared by July 31, said the chairman of the Board of Secondary Education Karachi (BSEK), Ghulam Hussain Soho, on Friday. However, he added that in case of any unforeseen technical or administrative delay, results will be announced in the first week of August.

    Speaking to The Express Tribune, the BSEK chief said that nearly 180,000 students appeared in this year’s matric exams, making result preparation a logistical challenge. To address concerns of transparency and efficiency, he said that both manual checking and Optical Mark Recognition (OMR) systems will be used for assessment this year.

    Soho clarified that the previous software system, found to be both expensive and lacking transparency, has been scrapped after a review of its contract. A new, cost-effective system is being planned to streamline the process without compromising quality.

    The chairman further stated that OMR sheets will be used for compiling award lists this year, while from next year, all Class X exams and selected Class IX papers will be conducted using the OMR system to enhance transparency and expedite result processing. The goal is to complete result preparation within one month in the future.

    Chairman Soho also disclosed plans to revamp the existing mark-sheet, citing deficiencies in its design and quality. The BSEK will study mark-sheets from national and international educational boards to introduce a redesigned document that will feature improvements in weight, font size, colour scheme, security features, and overall design aesthetics, he added. The redesigned mark-sheet is expected to be introduced from next year to ensure both durability and protection against forgery.

    The chairman said that the BSEK is moving towards full digitisation of its services. An online portal is being developed, through which students will be able to easily access their personal data, forms, roll number slips, and examination results. He added that efforts are underway to automate all board operations.

    Chairman Soho revealed that the BSEK plans to make 70% of matric exam questions multiple-choice based in the coming years. This change aims to align students with the format of competitive entry tests such as ECAT and MCAT, enabling them to adjust to the testing pattern earlier and reducing reliance on expensive entry test preparation academies. This initiative, aimed at relieving financial pressure on parents and psychological stress on students, will be implemented after necessary approvals from the Inter Board Committee of Chairmen (IBCC).

    The BSEK has also decided to raise the passing marks to 40% from the upcoming academic year to improve academic standards and motivate students to work harder. Chairman Soho affirmed that all these reforms are part of the BSEK’s broader strategy to modernise examination systems and enhance transparency in line with contemporary educational standards.

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  • A link between gut bacteria and genes in colitis flare-ups

    A link between gut bacteria and genes in colitis flare-ups

    LOS ANGELES — Researchers have identified a gut-genetic interaction that could trigger an overactive immune response in the colon — offering one possible explanation for the pain and bleeding of ulcerative colitis, and why it behaves so differently from patient to patient. Their research is published Friday in the journal Science Immunology.

    Ulcerative colitis is a chronic disease that affects more than 1.2 million people in the United States, according to a 2023 study of medical claims data. It falls under the umbrella of inflammatory bowel disease, or IBD — a group of conditions that includes Chron’s disease and is marked by unpredictable flare-ups, long-term discomfort, and treatments that often work inconsistently.

    “This study demonstrates that it’s not just an imbalance of microbes in your gut or genetics that induce intestinal inflammation — but the interaction between the two,” said Hisako Kayama, an associate professor of immunology at Osaka University and co-senior author of the study.

    At the center of that inflammatory response is a protein called STING that helps the body recognize the DNA of bacteria and viruses and mount an immune response. Healthy people are able to keep this response under control with the help of a gene called OTUD3, which acts as a biological brake. But in some people, their OTUD3 gene variant leads that brake to fail — causing the immune system to treat harmless bacteria as a threat. Unchecked, the protein can drive chronic inflammation, particularly in the gut, which is home to many different types of “good” bacteria.

    The protein STING is very important in fighting bacterial infections, said co-author Dr. Kiyoshi Takeda, a professor of immunology at Osaka University. “But the problem is that the overactivation of STING causes inflammation.”

    To explore how this interaction plays out, the researchers studied mice bred specially to have a genetic vulnerability to colitis similar to humans. When feces from the ulcerative colitis patients was transferred to the colons of the mice, they developed more severe colitis symptoms than mice with a normal version of the gene. If they didn’t have the gene variant or the microbial trigger, the disease didn’t develop.

    In total, researchers used tissue and gut bacteria from 124 patients — including 65 with ulcerative colitis and 59 with colorectal cancer — plus 12 healthy people as controls.

    The culprit was a molecule called cGAMP, which is made by certain gut bacteria. In healthy mice, researchers know that OTUD3 helps break down excess cGAMP so the immune system doesn’t overreact. But in mice without a working version of that gene, cGAMP built up, overactivating STING and causing inflammation.

    The findings could help explain why some patients respond poorly to current ulcerative colitis treatments, which typically suppress the immune system as a whole. By pinpointing a single inflammatory pathway, the study opens the door to more precise, personalized therapies — especially for patients who carry this specific gene variant.

    Still, the researchers caution that any treatment targeting the STING protein directly must be used carefully, since suppressing it too much could leave patients vulnerable to infection. Alternative approaches, such as targeting cGAMP-producing bacteria, could allow STING to keep doing its job in the rest of the body while dialing down inflammation in the colon.

    The variant gene that colitis sufferers have is common. According to past genome-wide studies, it appears in about 53% of Europeans, 52% of Americans and 16% of Japanese people. Not everyone with it develops the disease, lending credence to the idea that it’s the interaction between genes and microbes that triggers inflammation.

    “This study is helpful in demonstrating a specific example — a genetic variant and a microbial signal — that leads to inflammation,” said Dr. Jonathan Jacobs, a gastroenterologist and microbiome researcher at UCLA who was not involved with the study. “That’s exciting,” he said, because it offers a clear mechanism that ties together many of the risk factors scientists have long observed in inflammatory bowel disease.

    Even if it turns out not many people are vulnerable to this particular gut-genetic interaction, he said, the research could lead to more personalized treatment. “It moves us closer to precision medicine,” Jacobs said.

    The shift toward more targeted treatment could make a world of difference for patients like Anderson Hopley, a volunteer with the Orange County and Los Angeles chapter of the Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation who was diagnosed with Crohn’s this year.

    “I know people who have medication that’ll work for a couple years, maybe even just a couple months, and then it kind of randomly stops,” he said. “They have to adjust everything.”

    Although Hopley has Crohn’s, not ulcerative colitis, he said the new study still resonates.

    “I think it’d be really nice to know what causes this,” he said. “Even if there’s not a cure yet, just having an answer — some clarity — would be a step in the right direction.”

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