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  • Neoadjuvant Olaparib Plus Carboplatin Reduces Residual Cancer Burden in BRCA1/2-Mutated, HRD+ TNBC

    Neoadjuvant Olaparib Plus Carboplatin Reduces Residual Cancer Burden in BRCA1/2-Mutated, HRD+ TNBC

    Triple-Negative Breast Cancer | Image credit:

    © peterschreiber.media – stock.adobe.com

    Neoadjuvant olaparib (Lynparza) in combination with carboplatin displayed promising efficacy in patients with BRCA1/2-mutated early triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) with homologous recombination deficiency (HRD), according to findings from the phase 2 ABCSG 45 (EUCT 2024-512821-10-00) presented during the 2025 ASCO Annual Meeting.1

    Findings from ABCSG 45 revealed that patients with disease harboring BRCA1/2 mutations who received the combination (n = 22) achieved a residual cancer burden (RCB) 0/1 rate of 77.3% (95% CI, 56.6%-89.9%); notably, all patients achieved RCB 0 status. Comparatively, patients with disease harboring BRCA1/2 who received docetaxel plus epirubicin and cyclophosphamide (TAC; n = 20) experienced a RCB 0/1 rate of 65.0% (95% CI, 43.3%-81.9%), with an RCB 1 rate of 5.0%.

    “In patients with [TNBC] with BRCA1/2 pathogenic variants, 6 cycles of neoadjuvant carboplatin plus olaparib were well tolerated and resulted in [RCB 0/1] rates of more than 77%,” Christian F. Singer, MD, MPH, said during the presentation.

    Singer is an oncologist in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology and Center for Breast Health at the Comprehensive Cancer Center of the Medical University of Vienna in Austria.

    Unpacking the Study Design and Baseline Characteristics

    ABCSG 45 was a prospective trial that enrolled Austrian patients with early invasive, HRD-positive TNBC.2 Key inclusion criteria included the presence of BRCA1/2 pathogenic variants or a Genomic Instability Score of at least 42 and a T-stage of at least T1c.1 Patients with locally advanced or inoperable disease were excluded.

    After undergoing a core biopsy, patients were randomly assigned 1:1 to receive olaparib via step-up dosing at 100 mg, then 200 mg, and 300 mg twice daily on days 4 to 19 of each cycle, then at 100 mg twice daily on days 4 to 19 of each cycle, in combination with carboplatin at an area under the concentration curve of 5 every 3 weeks, both for 6 cycles, or TAC.1 Patients in the TAC arm received 6 cycles of docetaxel at 75 mg every 3 weeks, epirubicin at 50 mg/m2 every 3 weeks, and cyclophosphamide at 500 mg/m2 every 3 weeks. After the completion of 6 cycles of neoadjuvant therapy, all patients proceeded to surgery.

    The primary end point was RCB 0/1 rate. Secondary end points included pathologic complete response rate, quality of life, and safety and tolerability.

    At baseline, the mean age in the overall population (n = 90) was 50.9 years (SD, 12.5). Most patients were positive for genomic instability (92.2%), had T-stage T2 disease (55.6%), and N-stage N0 disease (60.0%). The mean Ki-67 score was 72.1 (SD, 17.6).

    Further Efficacy Data and Safety Results

    Additional findings from the study demonstrated that the RCB 0/1 rate in the overall population of the investigational arm (n = 46) was 52.2% (95% CI, 38.1%-65.9%). Patients in the TAC arm (n = 44) achieved an RCB 0/1 rate of 70.5% (95% CI, 55.8%-81.8%).

    Patients with BRCA1/2–wild-type disease (n = 24) who received olaparib and carboplatin experienced an RCB 0/1 rate of 29.2% (95% CI, 14.9%-49.2%). Patients in the TAC arm (n = 24) experienced an RCB 0/1 rate of 75.0% (95% CI, 55.1%-88.0%).

    In terms of safety, common any-grade adverse effects (AEs) in the investigational arm included thrombocytopenia (91%), anemia (80%), neutropenia (74%), and leukopenia (63%). Common grade 3 or higher AEs consisted of neutropenia (43%), thrombocytopenia (30%), leukopenia (9%), anemia (7%), and fatigue (2%).

    Common any-grade AEs in the TAC arm included nausea (73%), fatigue (65%), and constipation (48%). Grade 3 or higher AEs were comprised of leukopenia (25%), neutropenia (18%), anemia (8%), diarrhea (3%), alopecia (3%), fatigue (3%), and thrombocytopenia (3%).

    “[Our findings show that] HRD and tumoral BRCA1/2 status may help to personalize treatment decisions in [patients with] early TNBC,” Singer concluded in the presentation.

    Disclosures: Singer received honoraria from AstraZeneca/MedImmune, Daiichi Sankyo, and Novartis. He holds consulting or advisory roles with AstraZeneca/MedImmune, Daiichi-Sanyko, Gilead Sciences, Novartis, and Sanofi/Aventis. He is on the speakers’ bureau for AstraZeneca/MedImmune and Novartis. He has received research funding from Amgen, Amgen, AstraZeneca/MedImmune, Myriad Genetics, Novartis, Roche, and Sanofi. He has received travel accommodations and expenses from Daiichi-Sankyo, Gilead Sciences, Novartis, and Roche.

    References

    1. Singer CF, Hlauschek D, Egle D, et al. Prospective randomized phase II trial to assess the efficacy and safety of neo-adjuvant olaparib/carboplatin (OC) in comparison to docetaxel/epirubicin/cyclophosphamide (TAC) in patients with early triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) with homologous recombination deficiency (HRD): primary results from the ABCSG 45 trial. J Clin Oncol. 2025;43(suppl 16):510. doi:10.1200/JCO.2025.43.16_suppl.510
    2. A clinical trial that examines whether the treatment with the medication olaparib in combination with the chemotherapy carboplatin is more effective than treatment with a standard chemotherapy (anthracycline/taxane-based) against a specific type of breast cancer (triple-negative) with a biologic characteristic (homologous recombination deficiency). EUclinicaltrials.eu. Updated January 15, 2025. Accessed August 14, 2025. https://euclinicaltrials.eu/ctis-public/view/2024-512821-10-00

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  • AI helps assemble ‘brain’ of future quantum computer

    AI helps assemble ‘brain’ of future quantum computer

    Quantum computing qubits are arranged in a grid in this artist’s illustration.Credit: Getty

    Artificial intelligence (AI) tools are increasingly helping scientists to write papers, conduct literature reviews and even design laboratory experiments. Now researchers can add optimizing quantum computing to the list.

    A team has used an AI model to calculate the best way to rapidly assemble a grid of atoms that might one day serve as the ‘brain’ of a quantum computer. To show just how quickly the model can re-shuffle the atoms, the team also used the system to create a tiny animation of Schrödinger’s cat. The work was reported last week in Physical Review Letters1.

    Study co-author Jian-Wei Pan, a physicist at the University of Science and Technology of China in Hefei, says the team became interested in using AI to speed up the building these ‘neutral atom arrays’ after one of his former students got a job in an AI laboratory. “AI for science is emerging as a powerful paradigm for addressing complex scientific problems,” he says. One of the big challenges in using arrays of atoms for quantum computing is working out how to rearrange them in an “efficient, fast and scalable manner”, Pan says. AI solved that problem for the team — and did it quickly.

    Playing with atoms

    Classical computers carry out operations using binary digits, or bits, encoded as a 1 or 0. Quantum computers use qubits, which can be put into a ‘superposition’, in which the two states — 1 and 0 — exist simultaneously. Calculations involve entangling qubits, which means that their states become linked.

    Google uncovers how quantum computers can beat today’s best supercomputers

    Researchers have been creating qubits with materials such as superconducting circuits, trapped ions and grids of neutral atoms, which are prized for their ability to maintain their quantum states over a relatively long time. To use the atoms as qubits, scientists trap them with laser light and then store quantum information in the energy levels of their electrons.

    The hope is that if you use enough atoms, a quantum computer will one day overcome the errors that often plague these systems — and eventually perform calculations that aren’t feasible for classical computers.

    Pan and his colleagues trained their AI model by showing it how various distributions of rubidium atoms could be nudged into a range of grid configurations using different patterns of laser light. Depending on the atoms’ starting locations, the model could then quickly work out the correct pattern of light needed to rearrange them into a selection of 2D and 3D shapes.

    An animated gif of rubidium atoms being moved around on a grid to form words and Schrödinger’s cat.

    An animation created with an AI-guided laser pattern depicts Schrödinger’s cat (version here slowed by a factor of 33).Credit: R. Lin et al., Phys. Rev. Lett.

    The researchers used their model to assemble an array of up to 2,024 rubidium atoms in just 60 milliseconds. By contrast, another group assembled about 800 neutral atoms last year2, but without the use of AI, it took an entire second. For the video of Schrödinger’s cat, the AI system directed laser light to move atoms to create the desired patterns. The atoms became visible when they emitted light in response to laser pulses.

    Scaling up

    Creating the right pattern of light, or hologram, that dictates how to arrange neutral atom arrays usually involves a slew of painstaking calculations. “And doing those calculations as you make the arrays bigger and bigger can take up a fair amount of time,” says Mark Saffman, a physicist at the University of Wisconsin–Madison. That’s why many of his colleagues “were really impressed by this work, as was I.”

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  • Pink Nails Nicki Minaj’s Viral Stiletto Challenge, Rapper Reacts

    Pink Nails Nicki Minaj’s Viral Stiletto Challenge, Rapper Reacts

    Nicki Minaj is raising her glass to Pink, who tried out the rapper’s viral stiletto challenge and absolutely knocked it out of the park.

    In a TikTok posted Thursday (Aug. 14), Pink balances precariously — with one leg crossed over the other in a low squat — on a small box atop of a dining table, somehow making it look easy as she casually takes a swig of beer. “Why my friends always wait till my third beer to make me do dumb s–t on TikTok,” she captioned the video.

    Minaj gave her stamp of approval by reposting the singer’s video on X, sharing pink heart and bow emojis.

    Pink is just the latest person to try the Queen of Rap’s absurdly difficult pose challenge, for which people — including Ciara, Dancing With the Stars‘ pro Witney Carson and Jenna Bush Hager — have been attempting to recreate Minaj’s one-legged squat in the 2013 video for her Lil Wayne collab “High School” while wearing high heels. It can’t be overstated how hard it is to pull off; one influencer reportedly broke her spine after falling while trying to do the pose on her kitchen island.

    Minaj herself also paid tribute to the trend earlier in August — but even she struggled to nail the position. Sharing a video of her attempts, the hip-hop titan wrote, “about that pose…. Ummm this Chanel dress was just a tad shorter than I thought & the thongs definitely didn’t help. Didn’t want to make it explicit.”

    Watch Pink set a new precedent by doing Minaj’s viral stiletto pose below.

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  • New Lens Hood Lets Photographers Use Filters on Popular Compact Cameras

    New Lens Hood Lets Photographers Use Filters on Popular Compact Cameras

    Photo accessory company Freewell Gear announced Real Lens Hood, a convenient and versatile lens hood built for some of the most popular all-in-one cameras on the market, including the Fujifilm X100VI, Leica Q3 43, Fujifilm GFX100RF, and Ricoh GR III (and GR IIIx).

    The Freewell Gear Real Lens Hood attaches to the end of the compatible camera’s built-in lens, accepts swappable filters, and features a flip-down design. The all-in-one solution also offers simplified filter control, enabling photographers to rotate the installed filter from the outside of the lens hood. This is particularly important when using a circular polarizing filter, as it ensures photographers can dial in the appropriate settings without having to stick their fingers inside the lens hood and touch the filter directly.

    Since each of the compatible cameras is slightly different, each Freewell Gear Real Lens Hood sports a slightly different design depending on the model. However, each of the hoods includes a flip-to-access design, touch-less filter rotation, a CNC-machined aluminum body, and an NFC-enabled lens cap that provides quick access to user manuals and support using a smartphone. In the case of the GFX100RF, the Real Lens Hood also comes in a silver version, perfect for the silver GFX100RF model.

    A modern silver and black camera with a large lens hood, shown from different angles. One photo shows it on a table, two photos show hands holding the camera outdoors, highlighting its design and wood grip.

    “The Real Lens Hood was developed to simplify the workflow of photographers using fixed-lens compact cameras,” says Harry Gwalani, CEO of Freewell Gear. “It combines elegance and efficiency — giving creators instant control without compromising the shooting experience.”

    Pricing and Availability

    The Freewell Gear Real Lens Hood is available now for $130 for the Fujifilm GFX100RF and Leica Q3 43 and includes a hybrid CPL/Black Mist filter. The version for the Ricoh GR III series cameras is $100, while the Fujifilm X100VI version is $70. Complete purchasing details and specifications are available on Freewell Gear’s website. All four Real Lens Hoods accept 49mm filters.

    Three sections show a camera with a flippable lens hood, an NFC lens hood cap for protection and easy access, and a close-up of the camera lens, highlighting its durable, portable aluminum build.

    Alongside its new Real Lens Hoods, Freewell Gear also makes other products for compatible cameras, including a wooden L-bracket attachment for the GFX100RF, a thumb grip with cold shoe mount for the Leica Q3 43, and both a wooden L-bracket and a thumb grip with cold shoe mount for the X100VI.

    
Image credits: Freewell Gear

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  • Jacob Bethell inspired by Ben Stokes after being named youngest England captain

    Jacob Bethell inspired by Ben Stokes after being named youngest England captain

    Jacob Bethell plans to take a leaf out of Ben Stokes’ book after being named England’s youngest-ever men’s captain in international cricket.

    The 21-year-old will lead England in three T20s against Ireland in Dublin from September 17-21.

    Bethell will break the existing record for an England captain, held by Monty Bowden, who was 23 years and 144 days old when he led a Test team against South Africa at Cape Town in 1888-89, and the Barbados-born all-rounder admits he does not have to look for inspiration in the role.

    “The big thing I’ve noticed with Stokesy is he leads with actions,” Bethell said on Sky Sports about England’s Test captain.

    “He’s always the guy who takes the precedents and takes the situation on himself. I’ll be looking to do that as much as possible.

    “Obviously he does that in a bit of a different way with bowling fast and stuff like that.

    “I’ll be trying to do that with bat and ball and in the field as much as possible. The biggest thing is trying to lead by example.”

    Bethell has received the opportunity as Harry Brook takes a breather following the ODI and T20 series against South Africa from September 2-14, the squads for which were also announced on Friday.

    Assistant Marcus Trescothick will step up as head coach in Ireland, with Brendon McCullum not making the trip, reprising the role he had in England’s white-ball tour of the Caribbean last winter.

    “Finding out, the first emotion is pride,” Bethell said of his appointment.

    “Captaining England is going to be an honour and I can’t wait to do it.

    “It will be a good challenge, I’m looking forward to it. I’ve done quite a lot of captaincy growing up in terms of Under 19s and age grade things.

    “It will be different captaining England obviously, but I like to think I read the game pretty well.

    “I’ll be looking to take what I do with my own game and just apply that to the captaincy.

    “We had a great series against West Indies at the start of the summer with Brooky as captain and I enjoyed every minute of that.

    “A 6-0 whitewash was kind of unbelievable. South Africa are coming here now and we’re looking to perform there as well.”

    All-format quartet Ben Duckett, Jamie Smith, Jofra Archer and Brydon Carse have also been taken out of the firing line against Ireland, giving them a rest in preparation for this winter’s blockbuster Ashes.

    Fast bowling duo Mark Wood and Gus Atkinson are not in any of the three squads as they start focusing on this winter’s tour to Australia, which gets under way on November 21 in Perth.

    Wood had knee surgery in March and missed the entirety of the Test series against India. It was hoped he would play some part against South Africa or Ireland but his competitive comeback may now not be until England’s white-ball trip to New Zealand in October and November, just before the Ashes.

    Uncapped fast bowler Sonny Baker has been rewarded for a string of encouraging showings in the past 12 months, included in the ODI squad to face the Proteas and in the group to face Ireland.

    National selector Luke Wright said: “The series against Ireland will provide him with the opportunity to further develop those skills on the international stage.

    “He has carried that form into this season in white-ball cricket with Hampshire and Manchester Originals and deservedly gets his opportunity.”

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  • GAP-CP: Gender, Age, and Presentation in Chest Pain

    GAP-CP: Gender, Age, and Presentation in Chest Pain


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  • Russia to launch 75 mice, 1,000 fruit flies on Aug. 20 to study spaceflight effects

    Russia to launch 75 mice, 1,000 fruit flies on Aug. 20 to study spaceflight effects

    Russia is preparing to loft a “miniature mouse hotel” into space.

    An inside view of the rodent-holding unit. (Image credit: Roscosmos)

    The Bion-M No. 2 biosatellite is being readied for its planned Aug. 20 launch atop a Soyuz-2.1b rocket from Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. Onboard are 75 mice and other specimens to be exposed to 30 days of radiation before a parachute-aided return to Russia.

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  • Bizarre 26-Million-Year-Old Fossil of “Shark-Whale” Discovered in Australia – SciTechDaily

    1. Bizarre 26-Million-Year-Old Fossil of “Shark-Whale” Discovered in Australia  SciTechDaily
    2. A cornucopia of tiny, bizarre whales used to live in Australian waters – here’s one of them  The Conversation
    3. Scientists Discover ‘Deceptively Cute’ Prehistoric Species That Looked Like a Pokémon  IGN
    4. Ancient Whale Discovery Offers Insight into Evolution  Editorji
    5. ‘Weird mash-up of whale, seal and Pokémon’: New ‘nightmare Muppet’ fossil sheds light on evolution; tiny  The Times of India

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  • China’s 2025 robot Olympics: Humanoids compete in football, races, and AI challenges

    China’s 2025 robot Olympics: Humanoids compete in football, races, and AI challenges

    China’s technological ambitions took center stage at the World Humanoid Robot Games, a three-day event that began on Friday in Beijing. This “Robot Olympics” brought together 280 teams from 16 countries to compete in a unique blend of sports and technical challenges, highlighting the nation’s advancements in artificial intelligence and robotics.

    Details about the event

    The competition attracted teams from countries like the United States, Germany, and Brazil, with 192 university teams and 88 private enterprises participating.

    Competitors used robots from Chinese manufacturers such as Booster Robotics, Unitree, and Fourier Intelligence. The diverse events ranged from traditional sports like table tennis and track to robot-specific tasks like sorting medicines, handling materials, and cleaning services.

    These challenges tested the robots’ agility, coordination, and problem-solving capabilities, reflecting their potential for real-world applications.

    Max Polter, a member of Germany’s HTWK Robots football team from Leipzig University of Applied Sciences, summed up the dual purpose of the games: “We come here to play and to win. But we are also interested in research.”

    “If we try something and it doesn’t work, we lose the game. That’s sad, but it is better than investing a lot of money into a product that failed,” he added.

    Robots in action

    The games were entertaining and insightful, with ticket prices ranging from 128 to 580 yuan ($17.83-$80.77). Spectators witnessed moments of brilliance and comedic mishaps.

    During football matches, robots frequently collided, with one match seeing four robots crash into a tangled heap. In the 1500-meter running event, a robot dramatically collapsed mid-sprint, eliciting gasps and cheers from the crowd.

    While some robots needed human assistance to recover, others demonstrated resilience by standing up independently, earning enthusiastic applause.

    Organizers emphasized that the games provided critical data for refining robots for practical uses, such as factory work. For instance, football matches tested robots’ ability to collaborate, a skill vital for assembly line operations.

    Also Read | Nvidia just taught robots to think, roam, and simulate reality: Here’s how

    China’s ambition

    China’s investment in robotics is driven by its aging population and the need to stay competitive in advanced technologies, particularly against the United States. The country has poured billions into developing humanoid robots, hosting high-profile events like the world’s first humanoid robot marathon, and opening retail stores dedicated to robotics.

    Looking ahead

    The World Humanoid Robot Games are more than a spectacle; they are a testing ground for technologies that could transform industries. While robots crashing and collapsing provided moments of levity, they also highlighted the steep learning curve ahead.

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  • Latest: Petrol price in Pakistan to remain stable – samaa tv

    1. Latest: Petrol price in Pakistan to remain stable  samaa tv
    2. Diesel price drops by Rs12 as petrol remains unchanged  Dawn
    3. Over Rs11 drop likely in diesel rate from August 16  Geo.tv
    4. Govt announces new fuel prices for next 15 days  Abb Takk News
    5. Pakistan maintains petrol price, slashes high-speed diesel by Rs12.84  Arab News

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