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  • Ulinastatin for the treatment of severe acute pancreatitis: a systematic review and meta-analysis | BMC Gastroenterology

    Ulinastatin for the treatment of severe acute pancreatitis: a systematic review and meta-analysis | BMC Gastroenterology

    A total of 5,537 studies were extracted from the aforementioned electronic databases. After the removal of 1,032 duplicate records, 4,505 unique studies were available for the initial screening of titles and abstracts. After screening, 12 prospective and retrospective studies [9, 10, 19,20,21,22,23,24,25,26,27,28] were deemed eligible for inclusion in the analysis following the evaluation of the full-text articles. A total of 12 studies were included in the meta-analysis, comprising 1,244 participants (659 in the ulinastatin group and 585 in the control group) across different outcomes. A detailed overview of the search and selection process is depicted in Fig. 1.

    Fig. 1

    Study flow chart depicting the steps of synthesis of evidence from the literature

    The risk of bias of the included studies is enumerated in Table s2. In our analysis of the 12 included observational studies, Newcastle Ottawa Scale scores ranged from 3 to 6 out of a maximum of 9, indicating an overall moderate to high risk of bias. Specifically, most studies exhibited limitations in the “comparability” domain, with only three studies scoring 1 out of 2 stars, and none scoring full marks. Additionally, selection criteria were inconsistently fulfilled, with only five studies scoring ≥ 3 out of 4 stars. While the outcome assessment domain generally received 2 out of 3 stars across studies, the cumulative Newcastle Ottawa Scale ratings suggest that methodological limitations, particularly in selection and comparability, may have influenced the pooled estimates.

    Characteristics of the included studies

    Following completion of the search, 12 studies [9, 10, 19,20,21,22,23,24,25,26,27,28] were included for the quantitative analysis and data synthesis. Two of these twelve studies were from the same centre and author group. Both studies were included as they evaluated different therapeutic combinations and populations and provided relevant data for our analysis. Table 1 depicts the characteristics of the patients from the studies included in our meta-analysis.

    Table 1 Characteristics of the patients in the included studies

    Outcomes

    Mortality rate

    Data from seven studies were included in the analysis to estimate the pooled mortality rate in patients who were treated with ulinastatin when compared to standard of care (SoC) (Fig. 2). The pooled analysis of seven studies revealed a significant reduction in mortality risk, with a risk ratio of 0.36 [95% CI: 0.20, 0.65]. The heterogeneity was moderate (I² = 53%). Visual inspection of the funnel plot for mortality suggested asymmetry, indicating a potential risk of publication bias (Figure s1). A sensitivity analysis was conducting with two overlapping studies [20, 21], and the results were unchanged (Figures s2 and s3).

    Fig. 2
    figure 2

    A forest plot depicting the pooled mortality rate in patients with SAP who were treated using ulinastatin

    Duration of hospitalisation

    Data from four studies were included in the analysis to estimate the pooled duration of hospitalisation in patients who were treated with ulinastatin when compared to SoC (Fig. 3A). The pooled analysis of four studies revealed no significant reduction in the duration of hospitalisation (mean difference: 4.18 days [95% CI: −9.03, 0.68]). The heterogeneity was considerable (I² = 98%).

    Fig. 3
    figure 3

    Forest plots depicting pooled analysis data (A) Duration of hospitalization, (B) APACHE-II score, (C) White blood cell count, (D) C-reactive protein, (E) Time taken for disappearance of abdominal pain, (F) Tumor necrosis factor-α, (G) Interleukin-6

    Acute physiology and chronic health evaluation score

    Data from six studies were included in the analysis to estimate the pooled APACHE-II score in patients treated with ulinastatin compared to the SoC (Fig. 3B). The pooled APACHE-II score showed a mean difference of −0.11 (95% CI: −1.48, 1.26), indicating no significant reduction. The heterogeneity was considerable (I² = 97%).

    White blood cell count

    Data from three studies were included in the analysis to estimate the pooled WBC count in patients treated with ulinastatin compared to the SoC (Fig. 3C). The analysis showed a mean difference of −2.17 × 109/cu mm (95% CI: −2.86, −1.48), indicating a significant reduction in WBC count with ulinastatin treatment. The heterogeneity was low to moderate (I² = 29%).

    C-reactive protein levels

    Data from four studies were included in the analysis to estimate the pooled CRP levels in patients treated with ulinastatin compared to the SoC (Fig. 3D). The pooled CRP level showed a mean difference of −7.77 mg/L (95% CI: −11.31, −4.23), indicating a significant reduction with ulinastatin treatment. The heterogeneity was considerable (I² = 98%).

    Time for the disappearance of abdominal pain

    Data from four studies were included in the analysis to estimate the pooled time for the disappearance of abdominal pain in patients treated with ulinastatin compared to the SoC (Fig. 3E). The pooled mean difference was − 1.77 days (95% CI: −2.18, −1.36), indicating a significant reduction in the time to pain resolution with ulinastatin treatment. The heterogeneity was substantial (I² = 74%).

    Tumour necrosis factor-α levels

    Data from four studies were included in the analysis to estimate the pooled TNF-α levels in patients treated with ulinastatin compared to the SoC (Fig. 3F). The analysis showed a mean difference of −15.75 pg/mL (95% CI: −24.13, −7.37), indicating a significant reduction in TNF-α levels with ulinastatin treatment. The heterogeneity was considerable (I² = 97%).

    Serum IL-6 levels

    Data from four studies were included in the analysis to estimate the pooled serum IL-6 levels in patients treated with ulinastatin compared to the SoC (Fig. 3G). The pooled mean difference was − 16.82 pg/mL (95% CI: −29.31, −4.34), indicating a significant reduction in serum IL-6 levels with ulinastatin treatment. The heterogeneity was considerable (I² = 96%).

    Although the funnel plot for mortality demonstrated some degree of asymmetry, indicating possible publication bias, this finding must be interpreted with caution due to the small number of studies included. Formal assessments, such as Egger’s test, were not conducted as they are not reliable with fewer than 10 studies. (Figure s1).

    All outcomes were rated as having low certainty of evidence according to the GRADE approach. This was primarily due to the observational nature of the included studies, which automatically starts the evidence level at low. Additionally, several studies demonstrated a serious risk of bias, with common issues in the comparability domain. No serious concerns were noted for inconsistency, indirectness, or imprecision; however, the initial study design and risk of bias justified maintaining the GRADE rating at the low level.

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  • US Open 2025: Taylor Fritz v Novak Djokovic head-to-head & how to watch their round of 16 encounter live

    US Open 2025: Taylor Fritz v Novak Djokovic head-to-head & how to watch their round of 16 encounter live

    Taylor Fritz v Novak Djokovic, head-to-head:

    The quarter-final of the US Open 2025 will mark the 11th meeting between Fritz and Djokovic, with Djokovic having won on all previous 10 occasions.

    Shanghai Masters 2024, semi-finals:

    Djokovic win – 6-4, 7-6[6]

    Australian Open 2024, quarter-finals:

    Djokovic win – 7-6[3], 4-6, 6-2, 6-3

    US Open 2023, round of 16:

    Djokovic win – 6-1, 6-4, 6-4

    Western and Southern Open 2023, round of 16:

    Djokovic win – 6-0, 6-4

    Nitto ATP Finals 2022, semi-finals:

    Djokovic win – 7-6[5], 7-6[6]

    Paris Masters 2021, quarter-finals:

    Djokovic win – 6-4, 6-3

    Italian Open 2021, round of 32:

    Djokovic win – 6-3, 7-6[5]

    Australian Open 2021, round of 32:

    Djokovic win – 7-6[1], 6-4, 3-6, 4-6, 6-2

    Madrid Open 2019, round of 32:

    Djokovic win – 6-4 6-2

    Monte Carlo Masters 2019, round of 16:

    Djokovic win – 6-3 6-0

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  • AI has a hidden water cost − here’s how to calculate yours

    AI has a hidden water cost − here’s how to calculate yours

    Artificial intelligence systems are thirsty, consuming as much as 500 milliliters of water – a single-serving water bottle – for each short conversation a user has with the GPT-3 version of OpenAI’s ChatGPT system. They use roughly the same amount of water to draft a 100-word email message.

    That figure includes the water used to cool the data center’s servers and the water consumed at the power plants generating the electricity to run them.

    But the study that calculated those estimates also pointed out that AI systems’ water usage can vary widely, depending on where and when the computer answering the query is running.

    To me, as an academic librarian and professor of education, understanding AI is not just about knowing how to write prompts. It also involves understanding the infrastructure, the trade-offs, and the civic choices that surround AI.

    Many people assume AI is inherently harmful, especially given headlines calling out its vast energy and water footprint. Those effects are real, but they’re only part of the story.

    When people move from seeing AI as simply a resource drain to understanding its actual footprint, where the effects come from, how they vary, and what can be done to reduce them, they are far better equipped to make choices that balance innovation with sustainability.

    2 hidden streams

    Behind every AI query are two streams of water use.

    The first is on-site cooling of servers that generate enormous amounts of heat. This often uses evaporative cooling towers – giant misters that spray water over hot pipes or open basins. The evaporation carries away heat, but that water is removed from the local water supply, such as a river, a reservoir or an aquifer. Other cooling systems may use less water but more electricity.

    The second stream is used by the power plants generating the electricity to power the data center. Coal, gas and nuclear plants use large volumes of water for steam cycles and cooling.

    Hydropower also uses up significant amounts of water, which evaporates from reservoirs. Concentrated solar plants, which run more like traditional steam power stations, can be water-intensive if they rely on wet cooling.

    By contrast, wind turbines and solar panels use almost no water once built, aside from occasional cleaning.

    Cooling towers, like these at a power plant in Florida, use water evaporation to lower the temperature of equipment.
    Paul Hennessy/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images

    Climate and timing matter

    Water use shifts dramatically with location. A data center in cool, humid Ireland can often rely on outside air or chillers and run for months with minimal water use. By contrast, a data center in Arizona in July may depend heavily on evaporative cooling. Hot, dry air makes that method highly effective, but it also consumes large volumes of water, since evaporation is the mechanism that removes heat.

    Timing matters too. A University of Massachusetts Amherst study found that a data center might use only half as much water in winter as in summer. And at midday during a heat wave, cooling systems work overtime. At night, demand is lower.

    Newer approaches offer promising alternatives. For instance, immersion cooling submerges servers in fluids that don’t conduct electricity, such as synthetic oils, reducing water evaporation almost entirely.

    And a new design from Microsoft claims to use zero water for cooling, by circulating a special liquid through sealed pipes directly across computer chips. The liquid absorbs heat and then releases it through a closed-loop system without needing any evaporation. The data centers would still use some potable water for restrooms and other staff facilities, but cooling itself would no longer draw from local water supplies.

    These solutions are not yet mainstream, however, mainly because of cost, maintenance complexity and the difficulty of converting existing data centers to new systems. Most operators rely on evaporative systems.

    A simple skill you can use

    The type of AI model being queried matters, too. That’s because of the different levels of complexity and the hardware and amount of processor power they require. Some models may use far more resources than others. For example, one study found that certain models can consume over 70 times more energy and water than ultra‑efficient ones.

    You can estimate AI’s water footprint yourself in just three steps, with no advanced math required.

    Step 1 – Look for credible research or official disclosures. Independent analyses estimate that a medium-length GPT-5 response, which is about 150 to 200 words of output, or roughly 200 to 300 tokens, uses about 19.3 watt-hours. A response of similar length from GPT-4o uses about 1.75 watt-hours.

    Step 2 – Use a practical estimate for the amount of water per unit of electricity, combining the usage for cooling and for power.

    Independent researchers and industry reports suggest that a reasonable range today is about 1.3 to 2.0 milliliters per watt-hour. The lower end reflects efficient facilities that use modern cooling and cleaner grids. The higher end represents more typical sites.

    Step 3 – Now it’s time to put the pieces together. Take the energy number you found in Step 1 and multiply it by the water factor from Step 2. That gives you the water footprint of a single AI response.

    Here’s the one-line formula you’ll need:

    Energy per prompt (watt-hours) × Water factor (milliliters per watt-hour) = Water per prompt (in milliliters)

    For a medium-length query to GPT-5, that calculation should use the figures of 19.3 watt-hours and 2 milliliters per watt-hour. 19.3 x 2 = 39 milliliters of water per response.

    For a medium-length query to GPT-4o, the calculation is 1.75 watt-hours x 2 milliliters per watt-hour = 3.5 milliliters of water per response.

    If you assume the data centers are more efficient, and use 1.3 milliliters per watt-hour, the numbers drop: about 25 milliliters for GPT-5 and 2.3 milliliters for GPT-4o.

    A recent Google technical report said a median text prompt to its Gemini system uses just 0.24 watt-hours of electricity and about 0.26 milliliters of water – roughly the volume of five drops. However, the report does not say how long that prompt is, so it can’t be compared directly with GPT water usage.

    Those different estimates – ranging from 0.26 milliliters to 39 milliliters – demonstrate how much the effects of efficiency, AI model and power-generation infrastructure all matter.

    Comparisons can add context

    To truly understand how much water these queries use, it can be helpful to compare them to other familiar water uses.

    When multiplied by millions, AI queries’ water use adds up. OpenAI reports about 2.5 billion prompts per day. That figure includes queries to its GPT-4o, GPT-4 Turbo, GPT-3.5 and GPT-5 systems, with no public breakdown of how many queries are issued to each particular model.

    Using independent estimates and Google’s official reporting gives a sense of the possible range:

    • All Google Gemini median prompts: about 650,000 liters per day.
    • All GPT 4o medium prompts: about 8.8 million liters per day.
    • All GPT 5 medium prompts: about 97.5 million liters per day.
    A small black spigot spews a stream of water over a green grass lawn.
    Americans use lots of water to keep gardens and lawns looking fresh.
    James Carbone/Newsday RM via Getty Images

    For comparison, Americans use about 34 billion liters per day watering residential lawns and gardens. One liter is about one-quarter of a gallon.

    Generative AI does use water, but – at least for now – its daily totals are small compared with other common uses such as lawns, showers and laundry.

    But its water demand is not fixed. Google’s disclosure shows what is possible when systems are optimized, with specialized chips, efficient cooling and smart workload management. Recycling water and locating data centers in cooler, wetter regions can help, too.

    Transparency matters, as well: When companies release their data, the public, policymakers and researchers can see what is achievable and compare providers fairly.

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  • The man who changed the face of fashion

    The man who changed the face of fashion

    From the September 2025 issue of Apollo. Preview and subscribe here.

    In 1925, for the Exposition des Arts Décoratifs, the couturier Paul Poiret (1879–1944) moored three barges on the Seine near the Pont Alexandre III. Named Amours (presenting interior design work), Orgues (for fashion collections) and Délices (for perfumes and a restaurant), each represented a different part of the designer’s over-extended business empire. Looking back on the venture in the memoir he published five years later, Poiret considered it a colossal failure. Not only had he paid for everything himself, but the whole exhibition was the wrong kind of event for Parisians who could afford what he was promoting: ‘At the most, in the evening between 9 and 11, one saw a flood tide of concierges and workpeople who liked lights, a crowd, and noise.’

    The riverside extravaganza sank Poiret’s already faltering fortunes. The previous year, he had sold his fashion house, Maison Paul Poiret, to a finance group that allowed him to stay on as artistic director and had bought the rights to his name. In late 1925 he floated the interior design and perfume businesses he had held on to as public companies and sold 110 pieces from his art collection, including works by close friends and collaborators such as André Derain, Kees van Dongen and Raoul Dufy. Worse was to come: in 1928 he was forced out of Maison Paul Poiret altogether and Denise, his wife of 23 years and the most important inspiration and model for his designs, divorced him. A year later, he was declared bankrupt.

    Marrakesh evening gown (1924), designed by Paul Poiret. Musée des Arts décoratifs

    There’s more than a touch of irony then about the Musée des Art Décoratifs (MAD) devoting an exhibition to Paul Poiret in its year-long celebration of the centenary of art deco and the event that gave the style its name. Its chronological survey presents a mostly linear story of Belle Époque success on the ground floor, while the first floor is considerably busier, with multiple sightlines and sections that challenge visitors to pick a way through the displays of fine and applied art that now vie for attention with the clothes. Elsa Schiaparelli was exaggerating when she said of Poiret, ‘He died as Mozart died with not a single friend to follow his coffin’, but his failure in business allowed both contemporaries and successors to absorb his innovations or claim his legacy. MAD makes the point by presenting a selection of post-war ensembles from its own collection, some of which (an evening look from Yves Saint Laurent’s ‘Opéras – Ballets Russes’ of 1976, for instance, or a rose-inspired ‘Rochas’ gown of 2004 by Olivier Theyskens) seem closer to fancy dress than fashion.

    The opening displays make the nature of Poiret’s innovations clear. As you enter, to the far left is a row of outfits from the maisons he designed for before setting up on his own in 1903. Floor-length day and evening dresses for first Jacques Doucet and then Worth required the wearing of an S-bend corset and wide shoulders, even leg-of-mutton sleeves, to emphasise the narrowness of their waists even further. To the right – and closer to the entrance – is a group of four evening gowns made between 1907 and 1924. A ‘Joséphine’ dress (1907) is a long, Empire-line affair, as its name suggests, but the other three immediately take us into a 20th century where hemlines are rising and corsets are heading for the exit. All three, tellingly, were gifts from Denise Poiret, who inspired and modelled her husband’s most advanced creations such as the ‘Lavallière’ (c. 1910), displayed here in an ivory silk satin version embroidered with silver bugle beads. The blouson V-neck top falls open at the neck to reveal a contrasting purple silk that repeats at the sleeves and hemline; the waist is created by a ruched sash. For a 115-year-old outfit, it looks completely up to date.

    Les Choses de Paul Poiret vues par Georges Lepape (1911). Musée des arts décoratifs, Paris

    Poiret’s imperial phase, when he could do little wrong, was between 1909 and 1913. It began with Margot Asquith showing him her violet satin knickers when she came for a fitting and invited him to put on a teatime fashion show at her London residence, which happened to be 10 Downing Street; it ended with Poiret touring the United States at the invitation of department-store owners with Denise, an entourage of mannequins and 100 dresses in tow. This was the period when Poiret could still shape and reflect the tastes of those of his wealthy clients who, like the designer, had been bowled over by the Ballets Russes season of 1910 and by Schéhérazade as designed by Léon Bakst, in particular.

    The orientalism popularised by the pre-war Ballets Russes was picked up by Poiret in the form of the jupe-culotte (split skirt) and ‘harem’ pants, but it also represented an imaginative world the designer was reluctant to abandon when fashions changed. In 1911, the ‘Thousand and Second Night’ party Poiret hosted at home (also home to Maison Poiret) for 300 of the most fashionable people in Paris was one of his greatest successes. However, in 1919, when he opened Oasis, an exotically inclined nightclub with weekly costume parties (also chez Poiret), he had fallen behind the times. After the First World War, Diaghilev’s Ballets Russes, in contrast, mostly put aside its mistress-and-slave repertoire for crisp neoclassicism and costumes by the likes of Chanel. After being responsible for so many firsts – he was the first designer to launch a perfume; the first to have their work photographed for a magazine, by Edward Steichen, no less – Poiret was now failing to keep up. He disapproved of cubism (‘studio exercises and mental speculation’); the figure of the garçonne (‘cardboard women, with hollow silhouettes, angular shoulders and flat breasts’); and women who liked wearing beige or grey. Crucially, he was unwilling to scale up production or find a way of benefiting from the market in copies.

    Denise Poiret photographed at home in 1919 wearing the Mythe or Faune dress designed by her husband Paul. Behind her is Brâncuşi’s sculpture Maiastra (1912)

    When Denise left him, Poiret is said to have told the governess, ‘Make sure to tell Madame to take anything she wishes.’ This mostly comprised, in the words of her granddaughter, ‘trunks and trunks and trunks and trunks and dresses’. While Poiret was forced to sell nearly all his possessions after bankruptcy, Denise kept everything she owned in meticulous condition for the rest of her life, along with detailed descriptions about how it was meant to be worn. When she finally opened her trunks in the 1960s to those outside her small circle, it marked the beginning of the revival in Poiret’s reputation. Upstairs at MAD, we can follow Poiret pursuing one failed venture after another, but downstairs it is a quiet act of conservation that conveys the best of his legacy.

    From the September 2025 issue of Apollo. Preview and subscribe here.

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  • Lubiprostone shows promise in slowing kidney disease progression

    Lubiprostone shows promise in slowing kidney disease progression

    Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a major health issue worldwide. Many patients end up requiring regular dialysis to avoid kidney failure and stay alive. Despite the severity of the condition, there are currently no drugs available that improve kidney function. A research group led by Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine’s Professor Takaaki Abe has found a remarkable solution to treat patients with CKD by co-opting a drug typically used for constipation. This is the first time that this drug (lubiprostone) was shown to prevent the decline of renal function in patients with CKD.

    We noticed that constipation is a symptom that often accompanies CKD, and decided to investigate this link further. Essentially, constipation disrupts the intestinal microbiota, which worsens kidney function. Working backwards, we hypothesized that we could improve kidney function by treating constipation.”


    Professor Takaaki Abe

    To address this issue, the group conducted a multicenter Phase II clinical trial (LUBI-CKD TRIAL) at nine Japanese medical institutions, enrolling 150 patients with moderate CKD. This study evaluated the effects of lubiprostone on kidney function. The results showed that, compared to the placebo group, the decline in kidney function (defined as the estimated glomerular filtration rate: eGFR) was suppressed in a dose-dependent manner in patients treated with 8 µg or 16 µg of lubiprostone.

    The researchers also investigated the mechanism underlying how this effect occurred. They found that lubiprostone increases spermidine production, which improves mitochondrial function by promoting bacterial growth in the gut. The improved mitochondrial function was seen to exert a renoprotective effect – suppressing further kidney damage.

    Going forward, the research team has plans to validate the trial results in a larger population (Phase 3 clinical trial) and advance the exploration of biomarkers that predict treatment efficacy. Their goal is to provide each patient with CKD the optimal treatment plan tailored to their needs. This discovery has the potential to significantly transform the conventional approach to CKD treatment, which primarily focuses on reducing uremic toxins.

    These findings suggest a new therapeutic strategy in which laxatives suppress renal function decline. This strategy is expected to contribute to the development of treatments for not only CKD, but also mitochondrial dysfunction disorders. The results of this study were published in the scientific journal Science Advances on August 30, 2025.

    Source:

    Journal reference:

    Watanabe, S., et al. (2025). Lubiprostone in chronic kidney disease: Insights into mitochondrial function and polyamines from a randomized phase 2 clinical trial. Science Advances. doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.adw3934

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  • 18s Score Five To Beat Ospreys

    18s Score Five To Beat Ospreys

    Dragons Under-18s produced a five-try display to defeat Ospreys at Ystrad Mynach’s Centre of Sporting Excellence and secure their first win of this years’ Academy U18s Championship.

    Both sides were looking to bounce back following defeat against Cardiff but it was Dragons who started the brightest with a break from flanker Hadley Worgan leading to fly-half Kai Kinsey going close before captain Tiaan Hall went over.

    At a packed CSE Ystrad Mynach, Ospreys hit back as Alfie Selby’s breakout eventually lead to opposite wing Dylan Quin being put clear, beating a couple of defenders to score.

    Dragons U18s wing Ottis Mighten scored a hat-trick for the Under-17s side last week, but he turned provider here, with a superb slaloming run from his own 22 setting up scrum-half Jake Jenkins.

    Ospreys hit back as repeated pressure from their driving maul told with tight-head Josh Drew going over.

    After one wonder-try from their own 22m Dragons produced another on the stroke of half-time.

    Worgan turned the ball over before the ball was fed to Jack Cordy who set up a break from Ellis Anderson and wing Theo McKerrow before Cordy was once again the link to put Jenkins away under the sticks for his brace.

    Dragons U18s led 19-10 at half-time but it took a while for them to add a fourth try with the impressive Worgan and substitute Gethin Clarke both having tries disallowed before Hall was held up over the line.

    Eventually the fourth try came when Worgan spun out of a tackle before freeing McKerrow with the winger doing superbly to finish in the corner.

    Ospreys managed to reduce the lead with another try, again through the forwards, but after a good carry from Charlie Gregory, Dragons made sure of the win with Clarke going over.

    Dragons U18s defence coach James Benjamin said: “Really pleasing for the boys to get their first win of the season.”

    “We saw vast improvements from the Cardiff game and Scarlets game, especially in that contact area, and from my point of view defensively it was really pleasing.

    “The amount of times we were able to get crucial turnovers and that allowed us to gain field position on a day where the game was a bit dictated by the wind and then we were able to take some of those opportunities.”

    Next up, Dragons U18s travel to RGC on Sunday looking for back-to-back wins in the Academy U18s Championship.

    Dragons Under-18s: Ellis Anderson; Ottis Mighten, Jack Cordy, Charlie Gregory, Theo McKerrow; Kai Kinsey, Jake Jenkins; Rudi Creel, Tiaan Hall (c), Ciaran Beavis, Jake Sheppard, Elliot Beavan, Gethin Tudball, Hadley Worgan, Troy Raymond.

    Replacements: Benson Ngoshi, Harrison Flowers, Scott Crewe, Ashton Swain, Gethin Clarke, Felix Preece-Jones, Sam Morgan, Ryley Fussell.


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  • The deadly toll on journalists in the Gaza war | Global development

    The deadly toll on journalists in the Gaza war | Global development

    Over the past 22 months, the war in Gaza has become the most deadly conflict for journalists in history.

    Last week, five Palestinian journalists – Hussam al-Masri, Mariam Abu Dagga, Mohammed Salama, Ahmed Abu Aziz and Moaz Abu Taha – were killed in a double strike on Nasser hospital by the Israeli military, bringing the total number of journalists and media workers killed in this conflict since October 2023 to at least 189, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ). Other groups put the tally far higher.

    Just one week before, another four Al Jazeera journalists and two freelancers were killed by a targeted Israeli strike on their tent outside al-Shifa hospital in Gaza City. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said it deliberately targeted the Al Jazeera crew – the correspondent Anas al-Sharif, who had reported on the war since its outset, the reporter Mohammed Qreiqeh, the cameraman Ibrahim Zaher, and Mohammed Noufal, a crew driver and cameraman. The IDF claimed it had evidence that Sharif was a Hamas terrorist.

    The CPJ and other organisations say that this claim is part of a pattern of misinformation – along with other cases where slain journalists have been labelled as Hamas fighters or operatives – and is without credibility.

    The Israeli military has prevented international journalists from entering and reporting on the war, and has decimated Gaza’s own media community. Under international law, journalists should be protected civilians, yet the CPJ says that Israel is “engaging in the deadliest and most deliberate effort to kill and silence journalists that CPJ has ever documented”.

    “Palestinian journalists are being threatened, directly targeted and murdered by Israeli forces, and are arbitrarily detained and tortured in retaliation for their work. By silencing the press – those who document and bear witness – Israel is silencing the war,” the organisation said.

    The Gaza Media Center says that 238 journalists and media workers have been killed in the conflict. Photograph: Gaza Media Center/Anadolu/Getty Images

    Despite growing global condemnation and concerns over breaches of international law, Israel is continuing its military assault on Gaza and it is likely that more journalists will die as a result.

    The Guardian is printing the names of all the Palestinian journalists listed by the CPJ as having died as a result of Israeli military action since October 2023 as part of a day of action in condemnation of the killings and in solidarity with those journalists who remain, reporting on the war in Gaza.

    The names on this list not only constitute lost lives, futures and grieving families, but the loss of a generation of journalists killed doing their jobs in the most frightening and devastating of environments and whose bravery and dedication to covering this conflict cannot be replaced.

    This list will continue to be updated as more deaths occur. The CPJ list stands at 189. The Gaza Media Center and other Palestinian media groups put the numbers higher, at 238; the UN human rights office puts the figure at 247.

    Ahmed Abu Aziz

    Mohammed Salama

    Moaz Abu Taha

    Hussam al-Masri

    Mariam Abu Dagga

    Anas al-Sharif

    Mohammed Noufal

    Ibrahim Zaher

    Mohammed Qreiqeh

    Moamen Aliwa

    Mohammad al-Khaldi

    Ismail Abu Hatab

    Moamen Abu AlOuf

    • Journalist 9/6/25

    • East of Gaza City

    Ahmad Qalaja

    • Journalist 6/6/25

    • Gaza City

    Ismail Baddah

    • Journalist 5/6/25

    • Gaza City

    Suleiman Hajjaj

    • Journalist 5/6/25

    • Gaza City

    Hassan Abu Warda

    • Journalist 25/5/25

    • Jabalia al-Nazla

    Hassan Samour

    • Journalist 15/5/25

    • Bani Suhaila

    Ahmed al-Helou

    • Journalist 15/5/25

    • Khan Younis

    Yahya Sobeih

    • Journalist 7/5/25

    • Rimal, Gaza City

    Noureddine Abdo

    • Journalist 7/5/25

    • Tuffah, Gaza City

    Fatma Hassouna

    • Journalist 16/4/25

    • Gaza City

    Hilmi al-Faqaawi

    • Journalist 7/4/25

    • Khan Younis

    Ahmed Mansour

    • Journalist 7/4/25

    • Khan Younis

    Mohammed Mansour

    • Journalist 24/3/25

    • Khan Younis

    Hossam Shabat

    • Journalist 24/3/25

    • Beit Lahia

    Mahmoud Islim al-Basos

    • Journalist 15/3/25

    • Beit Lahia

    Ahmed al-Shayyah

    • Journalist 15/1/25

    • Khan Younis

    Ahmed Abu al-Rous

    • Journalist 15/1/25

    • Nuseirat refugee camp

    Mohammed al-Talmas

    • Journalist 14/1/25

    • Gaza City

    Saed Abu Nabhan

    • Journalist 10/1/25

    • Nuseirat refugee camp

    Omar al-Dirawi

    • Journalist 3/1/25

    • Zawaida, central Gaza

    Areej Shaheen

    • Journalist 3/1/25

    • Nuseirat refugee camp

    Hassan al-Qishawi

    • Journalist 2/1/25

    • Gaza City

    Ayman al-Gedi

    • Journalist 26/12/24

    • Nuseirat refugee camp

    Faisal Abu al-Qumsan

    • Journalist 26/12/24

    • Nuseirat refugee camp

    Mohammed al-Ladaa

    • Journalist 26/12/24

    • Nuseirat refugee camp

    Fadi Hassouna

    • Journalist 26/12/24

    • Nuseirat refugee camp

    Ibrahim Sheikh Ali

    • Media worker 26/12/24

    • Nuseirat refugee camp

    Mohammed al-Sharafi

    • Journalist 18/12/24

    • Jabalia refugee camp

    Ahmed al-Louh

    • Journalist 15/12/24

    • Nuseirat refugee camp

    Mohammed al-Qrinawi

    • Journalist 14/12/24

    • al-Bureij refugee camp

    Mohammed Balousha

    • Journalist 14/12/24

    • Sheikh Radwan, Gaza City

    Iman al-Shanti

    • Journalist 11/12/24

    • Sheikh Radwan

    Maisara Ahmed Salah

    • Journalist 30/11/24

    • Beit Lahia

    Mamdouh Qanita

    • Journalist 30/11/24

    • Gaza City

    Ahmed Abu Sharia

    • Journalist 19/11/24

    • Gaza City

    Mahdi al-Mamluk

    • Media worker 11/11/24

    • Gaza City

    Ahmed Abu Skheil

    • Journalist 9/11/24

    • Gaza City

    Zahraa Abu Skheil

    • Journalist 9/11/24

    • Gaza City

    Bilal Rajab

    • Journalist 1/11/24

    • Gaza City

    Amr Abu Odeh

    • Journalist 31/10/24

    • al-Shati camp

    Saed Radwan

    • Journalist 27/10/24

    • Gaza City

    Nadia Emad al-Sayed

    • Journalist 27/10/24

    • Gaza City

    Haneen Baroud

    • Journalist 27/10/24

    • Gaza City

    Tareq AlSalhi

    • Journalist 15/10/24

    • Nuseirat refugee camp

    Mohammed al-Tanani

    • Journalist 9/10/24

    • Jabalia refugee camp

    AlHassan Hamad

    • Journalist 6/10/24

    • Jabalia refugee camp

    Abdul Rahman Bahr

    Nour Abu Oweimer

    • Journalist 3/10/24

    • Nuseirat refugee camp

    Wafa al-Udaini

    • Journalist 29/9/24

    • Deir al-Balah

    Mohammed Abed Rabbo

    • Journalist 27/8/24

    • Nuseirat refugee camp

    Hussam al-Dabbaka

    • Journalist 22/8/24

    • Maghazi refugee camp

    Hamza Murtaja

    • Journalist 20/8/24

    • Rimal, Gaza City

    Ibrahim Muhareb

    Tamim Abu Muammar

    • Journalist 9/8/24

    • Khan Younis

    Mohammed Issa Abu Saada

    • Journalist 6/8/24

    • Khan Younis

    Rami al-Refee

    Ismail al-Ghoul

    Mohammed Abu Daqqa

    • Journalist 29/7/24

    • Khan Younis

    Mohammed Abu Jasser

    • Journalist 20/7/24

    • Jabalia refugee camp

    Mohamed Meshmesh

    • Journalist 15/7/24

    • Nuseirat refugee camp

    Mohamed Manhal Abu Armana

    • Journalist 13/7/24

    • Khan Younis

    Amjad Juhjouh

    • Journalist 6/7/24

    • Nuseirat refugee camp

    Wafaa Abu Dabaan

    • Journalist 6/7/24

    • Nuseirat refugee camp

    Rizq Abu Shakian

    • Media worker 6/7/24

    • Nuseirat refugee camp

    Saadi Madoukh

    • Journalist 5/7/24

    • Gaza City

    Mohammed al-Sakani

    • Media worker 4/7/24

    • Gaza City

    Mohammed Abu Sharia

    • Journalist 1/7/24

    • Gaza City

    Rasheed Albably

    • Journalist 6/6/24

    • Nuseirat refugee camp

    Ola Al Dahdouh

    • Journalist 31/5/24

    • Gaza City

    Mahmoud Juhjouh

    • Journalist 16/5/24

    • Gaza City

    Bahaaddine Yassine

    • Journalist 10/5/24

    • Gaza City

    Mustafa Ayyad

    • Journalist 6/5/24

    • Gaza City

    Salem Abu Toyour

    • Media worker 29/4/24

    • Nuseirat refugee camp

    Ibrahim al-Gharbawi

    • Journalist 26/4/24

    • Khan Younis

    Ayman al-Gharbawi

    • Journalist 26/4/24

    • Khan Younis

    Mohammed Bassam al-Jamal

    Mustafa Bahr

    Mohamed Adel Abu Skheil

    • Media worker 28/3/24

    • Gaza City

    Saher Akram Rayan

    • Journalist 25/3/24

    • Gaza City

    Mohamed el Sayed Abu Skheil

    • Journalist 18/3/24

    • Gaza City

    Tarek El Sayed Abu Skheil

    • Journalist 18/3/24

    • Gaza City

    Mohamed el-Reefi

    • Journalist 15/3/24

    • Gaza City

    Abdul Rahman Saima

    Muhammad Salama

    • Journalist 5/3/24

    • Deir al-Balah

    Mohamed Yaghi

    • Journalist 23/2/24

    • Deir al-Balah

    Zayd Abu Zayed

    Ayman al-Rafati

    • Journalist 14/2/24

    • Gaza City

    Angam Ahmad Edwan

    • Journalist 12/2/24

    • Jabalia refugee camp

    Alaa al-Hams

    Yasser Mamdouh el-Fady

    • Journalist 11/2/24

    • Khan Younis

    Nafez Abdel Jawad

    • Journalist 8/2/24

    • Deir al-Balah

    Rizq al-Gharabli

    • Journalist 6/2/24

    • Khan Younis

    Mohammed Atallah

    Tariq al-Maidna

    • Journalist 29/1/24

    • Gaza City

    Iyad el-Ruwagh

    Yazan al-Zuweidi

    • Journalist 14/1/24

    • Beit Hanoun

    Mohamed Jamal Sobhi al-Thalathini

    Ahmed Bdeir

    • Journalist 10/1/24

    • Khan Younis

    Shareef Okasha

    • Journalist 10/1/24

    • Deir al-Balah

    Heba al-Abadla

    • Journalist 9/1/24

    • Khan Younis

    Abdallah Iyad Breis

    • Journalist 8/1/24

    • Khan Younis

    Mustafa Thuraya

    • Journalist 7/1/24

    • Nasr village, Gaza

    Hamza al-Dahdouh

    • Journalist 7/1/24

    • Nasr village, Gaza

    Akram ElShafie

    Jabr Abu Hadrous

    Ahmed Khaireddine

    • Journalist 28/12/23

    • Beit Lahia

    Ahmad Jamal al-Madhoun

    • Journalist 24/12/23

    • Gaza City

    Mohamad al-Iff

    • Journalist 24/12/23

    • Gaza City

    Mohamed Azzaytouniyah

    • Media worker 24/12/23

    • Gaza City

    Mohamed Naser Abu Huwaidi

    Mohamed Khalifeh

    • Media worker 22/12/23

    • Gaza

    Adel Zorob

    • Journalist 19/12/23

    • Rafah

    Abdallah Alwan

    • Journalist 18/12/23

    • Jabalia refugee camp

    Haneen Kashtan

    • Journalist 17/12/23

    • Gaza Strip

    Assem Kamal Moussa

    • Journalist 17/12/23

    • Khan Younis

    Samer Abu Daqqa

    • Journalist 15/12/23

    • Khan Younis

    Ola Atallah

    Duaa Jabbour

    • Journalist 9/12/23

    • Khan Younis

    Shaima el-Gazzar

    Hamada al-Yaziji

    Hassan Farajallah

    • Media worker 3/12/23

    • Gaza Strip

    Abdullah Darwish

    • Journalist 1/12/23

    • Gaza Strip

    Montaser al-Sawaf

    • Journalist 1/12/23

    • Gaza Strip

    Adham Hassouna

    Marwan al-Sawaf

    • Journalist 1/12/23

    • Gaza City

    Mostafa Bakeer

    • Journalist 24/11/23

    • Rafah

    Mohamed Mouin Ayyash

    Mohamed Nabil al-Zaq

    Assem al-Barsh

    • Media worker 22/11/23

    • Gaza City

    Jamal Mohamed Haniyeh

    • Journalist 21/11/23

    • Gaza City

    Ayat Khadoura

    • Journalist 20/11/23

    • Beit Lahia

    Bilal Jadallah

    • Journalist 19/11/23

    • Zeitoun

    Mossab Ashour

    • Journalist 18/11/23

    • Gaza Strip

    Sari Mansour

    Mostafa al-Sawaf

    • Journalist 18/11/23

    • Gaza City

    Hassouneh Salim

    Abdel Rahman al-Tanani

    • Journalist 18/11/23

    • Jabalia refugee camp

    Amal Zohud

    • Journalist 18/11/23

    • Nuseirat refugee camp

    Abdelhalim Awad

    • Media worker 18/11/23

    • Gaza Strip

    Amro Salah Abu Hayah

    • Media worker 18/11/23

    • Gaza

    Yacoup al-Borsh

    • Journalist 13/11/23

    • Jabalia refugee camp

    Moussa al-Borsh

    • Journalist 12/11/23

    • Jabalia refugee camp

    Ahmed al-Qara

    • Journalist 10/11/23

    • Khuza’a

    Yahya Abu Manih

    Mohamed Abu Hassira

    Mohamad al-Bayyari

    • Journalist 2/11/23

    • Gaza City

    Mohammed Abu Hatab

    Majd Fadl Arandas

    Iyad Matar

    Imad al-Wahidi

    Majed Kashko

    Nazmi al-Nadim

    Yasser Abu Namous

    Duaa Sharaf

    Jamal al-Faqaawi

    • Journalist 25/10/23

    • Khan Younis

    Saed al-Halabi

    Ahmed Abu Mhadi

    Tasneem Bkheet

    Ibrahim Marzouq

    • Media worker 24/10/23

    • Gaza

    Mohammed Imad Labad

    Roshdi Sarraj

    • Journalist 22/10/23

    • Gaza Strip

    Mohammed Ali

    • Journalist 20/10/23

    • Northern Gaza

    Khalil Abu Aathra

    Sameeh al-Nady

    Issam Bhar

    Mohammad Balousha

    • Journalist 17/10/23

    • Northern Gaza

    Abdulhadi Habib

    • Journalist 16/10/23

    • Northern Gaza

    Yousef Maher Dawas

    • Journalist 14/10/23

    • Beit Lahia

    Salam Mema

    • Journalist 13/10/23

    • Gaza Strip

    Husam Mubarak

    Ahmed Shehab

    • Journalist 12/10/23

    • Jabalia refugee camp

    Hisham Alnwajha

    • Journalist 9/10/23

    • Gaza City

    Mohammed Sobh

    • Journalist 9/10/23

    • Rimal district, Gaza

    Saeed al-Taweel

    • Journalist 9/10/23

    • Rimal district, Gaza

    Ibrahim Mohammad Lafi

    • Journalist 7/10/23

    • Gaza Strip

    Mohammad Jarghoun

    • Journalist 7/10/23

    • Gaza Strip

    Mohammed al-Salhi

    • Journalist 7/10/23

    • Gaza Strip

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  • First One UI 8 beta arrives on Galaxy A36, A35, A55 and A54, Galaxy S23 series too

    First One UI 8 beta arrives on Galaxy A36, A35, A55 and A54, Galaxy S23 series too

    In early August, Samsung revealed the roadmap for One UI 8 beta rollout for older and mid-range devices. According to it, the Galaxy A36, A35, A55 and A54 would get it in September and, indeed, here comes the first beta.

    The Samsung Galaxy A36 is the newest model of the A-series (the A56 is suspiciously absent from the roadmap). The first beta for it has a build number A366EXXU4ZYHD and weighs 2.1GB. It’s available only to users in the US, the UK, Korea and India. You need to opt into the beta program using the Samsung Members app to get it.

    The Galaxy A35 and A55 should be subject to the same regional restrictions (it looks like the roll-out in India is ahead of the other regions). In the case of the Galaxy A55, you are looking for build number A556EXXUAZYH6 and a download of 1.9GB.



    One UI 8 beta update for the Samsung Galaxy A55

    One UI 8 beta update for the Samsung Galaxy A55

    The Galaxy A54 (but not the A34 for some reason) is also able to join the beta program – again, you need to sign up through Samsung Members. Then you can check for new updates and you should see One UI 8 beta.

    There’s more, of course. Unofficial dates suggested that the Galaxy S24 series would get the beta on August 13 – and that was right on the money.

    That same rumor said that the Galaxy S23 series will get the beta on September 8, i.e. Monday next week. However, it seems that the update has arrived a week early and the first reports of One UI 8 beta hitting Galaxy S23 models are already shared on the Internet.


    One UI 8 beta update for the Galaxy S23 series
    One UI 8 beta update for the Galaxy S23 series

    One UI 8 beta update for the Galaxy S23 series

    The Galaxy Z Fold5 and Z Flip5 are also on the calendar for September, but there’s no news on their update just yet. As for the Galaxy A56 and A34, who knows. Again, this is for the beta version – these two may catch up in time for the stable release.

    Source 1 | Source 2 | Source 3

    Samsung Galaxy A36

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  • De-escalation of dual antiplatelet therapy provides benefits in patients after coronary artery bypass grafting


    Notes to editor

    This press release accompanies both a presentation and an ESC press conference at ESC Congress 2025.  

    It does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the European Society of Cardiology.  

     

    Funding: The study was funded by the National Clinical Research Centre for Cardiovascular Diseases (NCRC2022001). 

    Disclosures: Doctor Yuan reports that all authors declare no relevant conflicts of interest. 

    References and notes: 

    1‘The TOP-CABG trial’ presented during HOT LINE 10 on 1 September 2025 at 14:21 to 14:31 in Madrid (Main Auditorium). 

    2Xenogiannis I, Zenati M, Bhatt DL, et al. Saphenous vein graft failure: From pathophysiology to prevention and treatment strategies. Circulation. 2021;144:728−745. 

    3Sandner S, Redfors B, Angiolillo DJ, et al. Association of dual antiplatelet therapy with ticagrelor with vein graft failure after coronary artery bypass graft surgery: A systematic review and meta-analysis. JAMA. 2022;328:554–562. 

     

    ESC Press Office
    Tel: +33 6 61 40 18 84   
    Email: press@escardio.org

    The hashtag for ESC Congress 2025 is #ESCCongress  

    Follow European Society of Cardiology News on LinkedIn

    Journalists are invited to become accredited and register here. 

    Check out the ESC Media and Embargo Policy. 

     

    About ESC Congress 2025 

    It is the world’s largest gathering of cardiovascular professionals, disseminating ground-breaking science both onsite in Madrid and online – from 29 August to 1 September 2025. Explore the scientific programme. More information is available from the ESC Press Office at press@escardio.org. 

     

    About the European Society of Cardiology

    The ESC brings together healthcare professionals from more than 150 countries, working to advance cardiovascular medicine and help people to live longer, healthier lives.


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  • Former FISU EC Member Dr. Byong-Jin YOU decorated

    Former FISU EC Member Dr. Byong-Jin YOU decorated

    Dr. YOU received the Order of Civil Merit, Cheong Stripe, for his contributions to higher education, internationalisation, and sports development.

    Former Myongji University President Byong-Jin YOU received the Order of Civil Merit, Cheong Stripes, on the 29 August. The Order of Civil Merit, the highest honour a private school faculty member can receive, recognises his contributions to national and social development in various fields, including education, research, university innovation, internationalisation, and sports diplomacy.

    Dr. YOU has distinguished himself not only in the educational field but also in the sports world. He has served as Executive Committee Member of the International University Sports Federation (FISU), member of the Organising Committee for the 2003 Daegu Summer Universiade, Chairman of the Korea University Sports Committee (KUSB), Vice-Chairman of the Korea University Sports Council (KUSF), Head of the Korean Delegation for the 2015 Gwangju Summer Universiade, Member of the Organizing Committee for the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics, and Vice Chairman of the Organising Committee for the 2024 Gangwon Winter Youth Olympic Games, contributing to the development of sports both domestically and internationally.

    A strong advocate of FISU values

    The International University Sports Federation’s President, Leonz Eder, sends his warm congratulations. “Former FISU EC member Prof. Byong-Jin YOU has always been a strong advocate of FISU values in Korea and has contributed significantly to both the World University Games and WUC being held in his home country. With his academic background and extensive network, he has helped FISU achieve a high profile in Korea.”

    Dr. YOU began his career as an educator in 1978 as a professor of business administration at Kwandong University. He served as president of Kwandong University and then as president of Myongji University, leading the development of higher education in Korea for over 40 years.

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