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  • Spotted! Dua Lipa With Summer’s Trendiest Manicure

    Spotted! Dua Lipa With Summer’s Trendiest Manicure

    There’s a new trending nail motif in town—and it’s just on the dot for summer (pun intended). Meet the polka dot manicure, recently spotted on celebrities like Dua Lipa, Hailey Bieber, and more.

    For keen observers, the evidence of an imminent polka dot resurgence was visible in the fall/winter collections. From Isabel Marant to Fendi and Conner Ives, the ’80s print was spotted across dresses, bags, and even veils. Then the stars got involved. Singers Raye and Dua Lipa were sporting the sweetest polka-dot dresses by spring, while Katie Holmes stepped out in navy and white polka dot heels.

    Now, polka dots are popping up in the beauty sphere by way of our manicures. Celebrities such as Sabrina Carpenter and Addison Rae have been decorating their nails with dots in recent weeks.

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    Los Angeles-based pop star Lydia Night has also joined in on the fun, donning a contrasting polka dot set to attend Ascot. “I usually go for plain manicures because I play guitar. These nails are cute, funky, and classic—the perfect way to jazz things up,” she tells Vogue.


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  • ‘Lord of the Rings’ director backs long shot de-extinction plan, starring lost bird

    ‘Lord of the Rings’ director backs long shot de-extinction plan, starring lost bird

    WASHINGTON — Filmmaker Peter Jackson owns one of the largest private collections of bones of an extinct New Zealand bird called the moa. His fascination with the flightless ostrich-like bird has led to an unusual partnership with a biotech company known for its grand and controversial plans to bring back lost species.

    On Tuesday, Colossal Biosciences announced an effort to genetically engineer living birds to resemble the extinct South Island giant moa – which once stood 12 feet (3.6 meters) tall – with $15 million in funding from Jackson and his partner Fran Walsh. The collaboration also includes the New Zealand-based Ngāi Tahu Research Centre.

    “The movies are my day job, and the moa are my fun thing I do,” said Jackson. “Every New Zealand schoolchild has a fascination with the moa.”

    Outside scientists say the idea of bringing back extinct species onto the modern landscape is likely impossible, although it may be feasible to tweak the genes of living animals to have similar physical traits. Scientists have mixed feelings on whether that will be helpful, and some worry that focusing on lost creatures could distract from protecting species that still exist.

    The moa had roamed New Zealand for 4,000 years until they became extinct around 600 years ago, mainly because of overhunting. A large skeleton brought to England in the 19th century, now on display at the Yorkshire Museum, prompted international interest in the long-necked bird.

    Unlike Colossal’s work with dire wolves, the moa project is in very early stages. It started with a phone call about two years ago after Jackson heard about the company’s efforts to “de-extinct” – or create genetically similar animals to – species like the woolly mammoth and the dire wolf.

    Then Jackson put Colossal in touch with experts he’d met through his own moa bone-collecting. At that point, he’d amassed between 300 and 400 bones, he said.

    In New Zealand, it’s legal to buy and sell moa bones found on private lands, but not on public conservation areas – nor to export them.

    The first stage of the moa project will be to identify well-preserved bones from which it may be possible to extract DNA, said Colossal’s chief scientist Beth Shapiro.

    Those DNA sequences will be compared to genomes of living bird species, including the ground-dwelling tinamou and emu, “to figure out what it is that made the moa unique compared to other birds,” she said.

    Colossal used a similar process of comparing ancient DNA of extinct dire wolves to determine the genetic differences with gray wolves. Then scientists took blood cells from a living gray wolf and used CRISPR to genetically modify them in 20 different sites. Pups with long white hair and muscular jaws were born late last year.

    Working with birds presents different challenges, said Shapiro.

    Unlike mammals, bird embryos develop inside eggs, so the process of transferring an embryo to a surrogate will not look like mammalian IVF.

    “There’s lots of different scientific hurdles that need to be overcome with any species that we pick as a candidate for de-extinction,” said Shapiro. “We are in the very early stages.”

    If the Colossal team succeeds in creating a tall bird with huge feet and thick pointed claws resembling the moa, there’s also the pressing question of where to put it, said Duke University ecologist Stuart Pimm, who is not involved in the project.

    “Can you put a species back into the wild once you’ve exterminated it there?” he said. “I think it’s exceedingly unlikely that they could do this in any meaningful way.”

    “This will be an extremely dangerous animal,” Pimm added.

    The direction of the project will be shaped by Māori scholars at the University of Canterbury’s Ngāi Tahu Research Centre. Ngāi Tahu archaeologist Kyle Davis, an expert in moa bones, said the work has “really reinvigorated the interest in examining our own traditions and mythology.”

    At one of the archaeological sites that Jackson and Davis visited to study moa remains, called Pyramid Valley, there are also antique rock art done by Māori people – some depicting moa before their extinction.

    Paul Scofield, a project adviser and senior curator of natural history at the Canterbury Museum in Christchurch, New Zealand, said he first met the “Lord of the Rings” director when he went to his house to help him identity which of the nine known species of moa the various bones represented.

    “He doesn’t just collect some moa bones – he has a comprehensive collection,” said Scofield.

    ___

    The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Science and Educational Media Group and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content.

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  • The eSight Go with Roland Mattern, eSight Director of Marketing

    The eSight Go with Roland Mattern, eSight Director of Marketing

    Welcome back to New Insight with Veeral Sheth, MD!

    In this episode of New Insight, host Veeral Sheth, MD, MBA, director of clinical research at University Retina and Macula Associates, speaks with Roland Mattern, director of marketing for eSight, about the development and clinical potential of the eSight Go – a fifth-generation wearable low-vision device designed to enhance central visual function in patients with conditions such as macular degeneration, diabetic retinopathy, and Stargardt’s disease.

    Mattern recounted the story of eSight, which began as an engineer’s effort to help his sisters living with Stargardt’s disease. That original version evolved into a sophisticated device that uses a high-resolution camera, dual microdisplays, and proprietary software to project enhanced images onto the user’s functional retinal tissue. The eSight Go offers improved resolution, reduced lag, longer battery life, and a streamlined structure, preserving peripheral vision and optimizing cosmetic appearance.

    The conversation explained the importance of mobility and independence in low-vision rehabilitation. Mattern underscored the importance of preserving peripheral vision for spatial navigation while using the enhanced central image only when needed. This hybrid approach enables users to perform daily activities, from reading and facial recognition to cooking and commuting, without relying solely on caregivers.

    Sheth and Mattern explained why advanced visual aids like eSight often fall outside the awareness of retina specialists, despite high patient demand. Mattern explained eSight’s strategy to close this gap through conference presence, direct collaboration with practices, and a physician-friendly telehealth referral model. This approach includes free device trials and virtual coaching from experienced eSight Go users to help patients integrate the technology effectively and safely into their lives.

    Mattern also noted the next steps for eSight and the eSight Go, highlighting scaling efforts such as clinical trials, peer education, and the expansion of a national sales force. Each of these advancements is aimed at broadening access to a device which could restore meaningful visual function and independence to patients traditionally underserved by conventional therapies.

    Every episode of New Insight is available on HCPLive.com. Watch full episodes on our YouTube channel and listen wherever you get your podcasts.

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  • Kendall Jenner Is Bringing Back Tomato Girl Summer

    Kendall Jenner Is Bringing Back Tomato Girl Summer

    The summer season is officially here and thriving—and model Kendall Jenner has wasted no time heading out on a lavish vacation. This month, Jenner (and sister Kylie Jenner) headed to Saint-Tropez in France for a little R&R. Earlier this week, the siblings were spotted living their best lives, swimming in the ocean in their chic little day dresses. Today, however, Kendall was spotted doing a little shopping at the Chloé store with some friends, and her choice of a bright red minidress brought back one of the biggest trends of summer 2023: Tomato girl summer.

    A few seasons back, tomato-themed looks was all of the rage on the runways and with celebrities. The aesthetic revolved around wearing shades of tomato red and earthy greens and browns; you could say it was all about dressing as though you were growing on a tomato vine in some chic, well-manicured garden. Today, in Saint-Tropez, Jenner revived the look yet again, pairing a red shift dress with red flip-flops. (Someone loves a monochromatic moment.)

    Jenner on vacation in Italy in 2022.

    Photo: Getty Images

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  • SpaceX heads to $400bn valuation in share sale

    SpaceX heads to $400bn valuation in share sale

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    Elon Musk’s SpaceX is preparing to sell about $1bn of its shares in a deal that would value the rocket and satellite group at $400bn, according to people familiar with the matter.

    The sale of employee shares, known as a tender offer, would mark another large jump in SpaceX’s valuation. It was valued at $210bn in the middle of last year, but its valuation soared to $350bn in December when it carried out its most recent tender offer.

    The transaction reinforces SpaceX’s position as one of the most valuable private companies in the world. OpenAI was valued at $300bn earlier this year while TikTok parent company ByteDance was valued at more than $400bn in February.

    The valuation places SpaceX on par with the top 20 most valuable public companies in the S&P 500, ahead of groups such as Bank of America and Procter & Gamble.

    The latest deal, which was sent to investors earlier on Tuesday, would value shares at $212 each. SpaceX has signalled it will purchase some shares as part of the transaction, according to two people close to the matter.

    SpaceX purchased $500mn employee shares in December as part of its $1.25bn tender offer. The latest deal was first reported by Bloomberg.

    Musk’s companies — which also include Tesla, social media site X and artificial intelligence start-up xAI — benefited from the billionaire entrepreneur’s connections to US President Donald Trump following the election last November.

    Musk was one of Trump’s biggest backers, spending more than $250mn on his campaign, but a public spat last month has led to concerns about blowback for some of his businesses.

    The transaction suggests investors are looking past the risk of SpaceX losing government contracts, or even facing nationalisation, if Trump chooses to target the company.

    SpaceX was founded by Musk in 2002 with about $100mn he made from the sale of PayPal. He has said the company wants to revolutionise space travel by developing reusable rockets and making the human race “multiplanetary” by working on the technologies needed to make life possible on Mars.

    SpaceX did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

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  • PUBG mobile 3.9 update brings Transformers mode, now available for download – ARY News

    1. PUBG mobile 3.9 update brings Transformers mode, now available for download  ARY News
    2. PUBG Mobile KR 3.9 update with new Transformers mode now available for download  Moneycontrol
    3. BGMI 3.9 update release timeline, features and everything else we know so far  digit.in
    4. Optimus and Megatron roll out! — PUBG Mobile launches major new patch  EdexLive
    5. PUBG Mobile Update 3.9 Release Date  FreeJobAlert.Com

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  • Hadronic decays confirm long-lived Ωc0 baryon – CERN Courier

    Hadronic decays confirm long-lived Ωc0 baryon – CERN Courier

    A report from the LHCb experiment.

    Fig. 1. Average charm baryon lifetimes determined by the PDG in 2018, and the three lifetime measurements performed by the LHCb experiment in 2018 and 2019 (semileptonic), 2021 (prompt) and 2025 (hadronic). The coloured bands indicate the average of the LHCb measurements. Credit: LHCb Collab. 2025 LHCb-PAPER-2025-013

    In 2018 and 2019, the LHCb collaboration published surprising measurements of the Ξc0 and Ωc0 baryon lifetimes, which were inconsistent with previous results and overturned the established hierarchy between the two. A new analysis of their hadronic decays now confirms this observation, promising insights into the dynamics of baryons.

    The Λc+, Ξc+, Ξc0 and Ωc0 baryons – each composed of one charm and two lighter up, down or strange quarks – are the only ground-state singly charmed baryons that decay predominantly via the weak interaction. The main contribution to this process comes from the charm quark transitioning into a strange quark, with the other constituents acting as passive spectators. Consequently, at leading order, their lifetimes should be the same. Differences arise from higher-order effects, such as W-boson exchange between the charm and spectator quarks and quantum interference between identical particles, known as “Pauli interference”. Charm hadron lifetimes are more sensitive to these effects than beauty hadrons because of the smaller charm quark mass compared to the bottom quark, making them a promising testing ground to study these effects.

    Measurements of the Ξc0 and Ωc0 lifetimes prior to the start of the LHCb experiment resulted in the PDG averages shown in figure 1. The first LHCb analysis, using charm baryons produced in semi-leptonic decays of beauty baryons, was in tension with the established values, giving a Ωc0 lifetime four times larger than the previous average. The inconsistencies were later confirmed by another LHCb measurement, using an independent data set with charm baryons produced directly (prompt) in the pp collision (CERN Courier July/August 2021 p17). These results changed the ordering of the four single-charm baryons when arranged according to their lifetimes, triggering a scientific discussion on how to treat higher-order effects in decay rate calculations.

    Using the full Run 1 and 2 datasets, LHCb has now measured the Ξc0 and Ωc0 lifetimes with a third independent data sample, based on fully reconstructed Ξb– → Ξc0 (→ pK–K–π+)π– and Ω–b → Ωc0 (→ pK–K–π+)π– decays. The selection of these hadronic decay chains exploits the long lifetime of the beauty baryons, such that the selection efficiency is almost independent of the charm baryon decay time. To cancel out the small remaining acceptance effects, the measurement is normalised to the kinematically and topologically similar B– → D0(→ K+K–π+π–)π– channel, minimising the uncertainties with only a small additional correction from simulation.

    The signal decays are separated from the remaining background by fits to the Ξc0 π– and Ωc0 π– invariant mass spectra, providing 8260 ± 100 Ξc0 and 355 ± 26 Ωc0 candidates. The decay time distributions are obtained with two independent methods: by determining the yield in each of a specific set of decay time intervals, and by employing a statistical technique that uses the covariance matrix from the fit to the mass spectra. The two methods give consistent results, confirming LHCb’s earlier measurements. Combining the three measurements from LHCb, while accounting for their correlated uncertainties, gives τ(Ξc0) = 150.7 ± 1.6 fs and τ(Ωc0) = 274.8 ± 10.5 fs. These new results will serve as experimental guidance on how to treat higher-order effects in weak baryon decays, particularly regarding the approach-dependent sign and magnitude of Pauli interference terms.

    Further reading

    LHCb Collab. 2025 arXiv:2506.13334.

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  • Cardiometabolic Diseases Linked With Increased Dementia RIsk For Younger, Female Patients

    Cardiometabolic Diseases Linked With Increased Dementia RIsk For Younger, Female Patients

    Data in a study published in BMC Public Health showed that the correlation between cardiometabolic multimorbidity and dementia was stronger for younger patients and those who were female. Investigators said that more research and data will be needed for these specific populations to confirm the correlation.1

    Patients with a single cardiometabolic disease have an approximate 48% greater risk of developing all-cause dementia compared with those without a cardiometabolic disease. | Image Credit: Atthapon – stock.adobe.com

    “The findings of our study align with those of previous studies showing that cardiometabolic multimorbidity significantly increases the risk of dementia,” the study authors said.1 “However, these studies did not specifically distinguish the subtypes of dementia, relying on cognitive scale scores or using only incident dementia as the outcome measures.”

    Previous research has shown that cardiometabolic disease (CMD) is linked with dementia since CMD induces chronic systemic inflammation, causing proinflammatory molecules to cross the blood-brain barrier. This has investigators hypothesizing that there is a pathophysiological mechanism that links CMD multimorbidity with dementia, either with an inflammatory or metabolic marker, according to the investigators.1

    In recent data, investigators identified underlying neural mechanisms between obesity and cognition for adults, indicating obesity trajectories influenced brain morphology, function, and cognition: low-stable, moderate-stable, high-stable, increasing, and decreasing. Patients who were obese had a greater risk of developing age-related cognitive decline, vascular dementia, and mild cognitive impairment, among other neurodegenerative diseases.2

    In another study, investigators found that glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists, a known drug class used for diabetes, obesity, and cardiovascular diseases, were associated with statistically significant reductions in all-cause mortality. Because of the targets and indications of the medications, this could further link dementia with CMDs.3

    In the current study, investigators aimed to explore the association between CMDs and dementia for both the population and subset of patients—including those stratified by age, sex, smoking status, drinking status, ethnicity, education, moderate activity levels, and sleep—as well as explore the inflammatory and metabolic mediators that could play a role in the association.1

    Investigators in the UK Biobank were used, which included individuals enrolled from 2006 to 2010 at 22 centers in the UK. Detailed data were collected on demographic covariates, lifestyle, disease diagnostics, and blood tests. Patients with preexisting dementia or Alzheimer disease were excluded. For CMDs, investigators included heart disease, stroke, and type 2 diabetes, and dementia included all-cause dementia, Alzheimer disease, and vascular dementia. The primary outcome included all-cause dementia, and secondary outcomes included Alzheimer disease and vascular dementia.1

    Investigators included 287,748 people in the study overall, with 267,574 who did not have a CMD, 18,007 who had 1, and 2167 who had CMD multimorbidity. The median age of all individuals included was 58 years, and those with CMD multimorbidity were older than those who were CMD-free or had 1 CMD. Approximately 52.4% of patients were female. Patients who had 3 CMDs had the highest Townsend deprivation index and were more frequently former smokers. Hypertension was common across the groups and depression rates were higher for those with type 2 diabetes.1

    Over a median duration of 15.17 years of follow-up, 5057 patients experienced all-cause dementia, with 2353 having Alzheimer disease and 1048 having vascular dementia. Further, the incidence rates per 1000 person-years were 1.01 in the CMD-free group compared with 5.84 in the CMD multimorbidity group for all-cause dementia, 0.49 and 1.63 for Alzheimer disease, respectively, and 0.18 and 2.51 for vascular dementia, respectively. After accounting for variables, patients with a single CMD had a 48% greater risk of developing all-cause dementia compared with those without a CMD.1

    As for the subgroup analysis, most groups did not differ from the main analysis, except for age, sex, moderate activity duration, and sleep duration, according to the investigators. They reported positive correlations between CMD multimorbidity and all-cause mortality and Alzheimer disease for patients who were younger than 60 years or female. Further, for all-cause dementia and vascular dementia, there was a significant increase in risk for patients who slept less than 6 hours a night or had a low duration of moderate activity.1

    “The broader age range in our study may capture a more diverse genetic and environmental landscape, potentially highlighting the role of genetic factors in younger individuals,” the study authors concluded.1 “A substantial amount of data indicates that interventions during middle age are crucial, but some risk factors originate at the societal level and persist throughout one’s life.”

    READ MORE: Neurology Resource Center

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    REFERENCES
    1. Zhang J, Huang X, Ling Y, et al. Associations of cardiometabolic multimorbidity with all-cause dementia, alzheimer’s disease, and vascular dementia: a cohort study in the UK biobank. BMC Public Health. 2025;25(1):2397. Published 2025 Jul 7. doi:10.1186/s12889-025-23352-5
    2. Gallagher A. Data Show Neural Mechanisms Between Obesity and Cognition. Drug Topics. April 10, 2025. Accessed July 8, 2025. https://www.drugtopics.com/view/data-show-neural-mechanisms-between-obesity-and-cognition
    3. Gallagher A. GLP-1 Therapy May Reduce Dementia Risk. Drug Topics. April 8, 2025. Accessed July 8, 2025. https://www.drugtopics.com/view/glp-1-therapy-may-reduce-dementia-risk

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  • Microsoft Patches ‘Wormable’ Critical Flaw, Discloses ‘Whopping’ Number Of Bug Fixes

    Microsoft Patches ‘Wormable’ Critical Flaw, Discloses ‘Whopping’ Number Of Bug Fixes

    The 130 CVEs (Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures) disclosed in Microsoft’s monthly release of security fixes includes a remote code execution flaw that ‘definitely’ should be prioritized for patching, writes Trend Micro’s Dustin Childs.

    The huge quantity of CVEs (Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures) disclosed by Microsoft Tuesday includes a critical-severity remote code execution flaw that should be given a high priority for patching, according to a Trend Micro researcher.

    The flaws received patches as part of Microsoft’s monthly release of software bug fixes, unofficially known as “Patch Tuesday.”

    [Related: 5 Things To Know On The SafePay Ransomware Group]

    Microsoft released fixes for a total of 130 CVEs on Tuesday, a “whopping” number of patches for a single month, wrote Dustin Childs, head of threat awareness for Trend Micro’s Zero Day Initiative, in a blog post.

    As usual, the patches address vulnerabilities that affect numerous Microsoft product categories including Windows, Office, Azure, .NET, Visual Studio, Windows BitLocker, Windows Hyper-V and Microsoft Edge.

    Among the highest-risk flaws is a Windows remote code execution vulnerability (tracked at CVE-2025-47981) that “many will be talking about” in the security community for a number of reasons, Childs wrote in the post.

    That’s because the flaw “allows remote, unauthenticated attackers to execute code simply by sending a malicious message to an affected system,” he wrote. “Since there’s no user interaction, and since the code executes with elevated privileges, this bug falls into the wormable class of bugs.”

    Additionally, Microsoft “gives this [flaw] its highest exploitability index rating, which means they expect attacks within 30 days,” Childs wrote. “Definitely test and deploy these patches quickly.”

    The vulnerability has received a severity rating of 9.8 out of 10.0.

    In total, 10 of the newly disclosed vulnerabilities patched in the software updates Tuesday are rated as “critical” issues in terms of severity, he noted.

    Other critical vulnerabilities disclosed Tuesday include remote code execution flaws affecting Microsoft Office, SharePoint and SQL Server.

    Those flaws include a SharePoint remote code execution vulnerability (tracked at CVE-2025-49704) with a severity rating of 8.8 of out 10.0, as well as a SQL Server remote code execution vulnerability (tracked at CVE-2025-49717) with a severity rating of 8.5 out of 10.0.

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  • Advances in very-high-energy astrophysics – CERN Courier

    Advances in very-high-energy astrophysics – CERN Courier

    Advances in Very High Energy Astrophysics: The Science Program of the Third Generation IACTs for Exploring Cosmic Gamma Rays, edited by Reshmi Mukherjee and Roberta Zanin, World Scientific

    Credit: World Scientific

    Imaging atmospheric Cherenkov telescopes (IACTs) are designed to detect very-high-energy gamma rays, enabling the study of a range of both galactic and extragalactic gamma-ray sources. By capturing Cherenkov light from gamma-ray-induced air showers, IACTs help trace the origins of cosmic rays and probe fundamental physics, including questions surrounding dark matter and Lorentz invariance. Since the first gamma-ray source detection by the Whipple telescope in 1989, the field has rapidly advanced through instruments like HESS, MAGIC and VERITAS. Building on these successes, the Cherenkov Telescope Array Observatory (CTAO) represents the next generation of IACTs, with greatly improved sensitivity and energy coverage. The northern CTAO site on La Palma is already collecting data, and major infrastructure development is now underway at the southern site in Chile, where telescope construction is set to begin soon.

    Considering the looming start to CTAO telescope construction, Advances in Very High Energy Astrophysics, edited by Reshmi Mukherjee of Barnard College and Roberta Zanin, from the University of Barcelona, is very timely. World-leading experts tackle the almost impossible task of summarising the progress made by the third-generation IACTs: HESS, MAGIC and VERITAS.

    The range of topics covered is vast, spanning the last 20 years of progress in the areas of IACT instrumentation, data-analysis techniques, all aspects of high-energy astrophysics, cosmic-ray astrophysics and gamma-ray cosmology.  The authors are necessarily selective, so the depth into each sector is limited, but I believe that the essential concepts were properly introduced and the most important highlights captured. The primary focus of the book lies in discussions surrounding gamma-ray astronomy and high-energy physics, cosmic rays and ongoing research into dark matter.

    It appears, however, that the individual chapters were all written independently of each other by different authors, leading to some duplications. Source classes and high-energy radiation mechanisms are introduced multiple times, sometimes with different terminology and notation in the different chapters, which could lead to confusion for novices in the field. But though internal coordination could have been improved, a positive aspect of this independence is that each chapter is self-contained and can be read on its own. I recommend the book to emerging researchers looking for a broad overview of this rapidly evolving field.

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