Japanese space agency JAXA and Germany’s DLR have conducted what they say is the first collaboration between independently developed robots on the International Space Station.
The experiment took place last week and involved Japan’s JEM Inboard Portable Video Camera System Demonstration Unit 2 (Int-Ball2) and Germany’s Crew Interactive MObile companion (CIMON).
Int-Ball2 is a drone that flies inside the ISS. JAXA ground staff can control it remotely and use it to take photos that would otherwise require an astronaut’s attention.
CIMON, developed by DLR with help from Airbus and IBM, possesses AI-assisted voice recognition capabilities that astronauts can command to retrieve information. It also includes cameras that ISS crew can use to take hands-off snaps.
The two bots are the result of independent development efforts, and their designers did not envision them working together.
Astronaut Takuya Onishi with Int-Ball2 and CIMON – Click to enlarge
But last week, Japanese astronaut Takuya Onishi visited the ISS’s Columbus European Laboratory and spoke to CIMON, telling the bot he wanted to order Int-Ball2 to find an item in the Kibo Japanese Experiment Module. CIMON understood astronaut Onishi’s instructions, converted them into instructions for Int-Ball2, and transmitted them to the Japanese bot.
Int-Ball2 did as instructed, and streamed video of its quest back to CIMON, which displayed the live feed on its screen so Onishi could watch the bot work.
JAXA says this was the first time two robots independently developed by different organizations have worked together in orbit, and is chuffed that the experiment successfully achieved communication with the ground and between robots in orbit.
“The knowledge gained from this mission is expected to form the basis for efficient collaborative operations between astronauts and robots in future manned space activities,” JAXA enthused. ®
Elevated levels of lipoprotein(a) [Lp(a)] were associated with significantly increased risks for incident peripheral artery disease and carotid artery stenosis. Among patients with peripheral artery disease, those with high levels of Lp(a) (≥ 150 nmol/L) had a high risk of progressing to major adverse limb events.
METHODOLOGY:
Despite lifestyle interventions and therapies for lowering levels of cholesterol, a residual risk for major atherosclerotic complication persists.
Researchers analyzed data from a large prospective biobank (2006-2010) to investigate whether baseline levels of Lp(a) predict the risk for onset and progression of extracoronary atherosclerotic vascular disease — a combination of peripheral artery disease and carotid artery stenosis.
The UK biobank data included 460,544 individuals (average age at enrollment, 57 years; 54.2% men; 94.9% European) and followed them for a median duration of 13.6 years.
Data on baseline serum levels of Lp(a) were retrieved, with levels ≥ 150 nmol/L (about 70 mg/dL) defined as high.
The analysis assessed the incidence of peripheral artery disease and carotid artery stenosis and the progression to both the first major adverse limb event and first stroke.
TAKEAWAY:
Individuals with high levels of Lp(a) were older and more often men than those with normal levels of Lp(a) (P < .001 for both).
Each 75-nmol/L (35 mg/dL) increase in levels of Lp(a) was associated with a 1.18-fold elevated risk for incident peripheral artery disease and a 1.17-fold increased risk for incident carotid artery stenosis (P < .0001 for both).
Among patients with peripheral artery disease, those with high levels of Lp(a) had a 1.6-fold higher risk of developing major adverse limb events than those with normal levels of Lp(a) (P = .004).
IN PRACTICE:
“Participants with established atherosclerotic vascular disease and elevated Lp(a) concentrations may represent the ideal group to benefit from targeted preventive interventions,” the researchers noted.
“[The study’s] findings make a strong case to explore the effect of therapies to lower Lp(a) in participants with PAD [peripheral artery disease] and carotid stenosis towards the goal of slowing disease progression and reducing major complications of amputation and stroke,” they added.
SOURCE:
This study was led by Tiffany R. Bellomo, MD, of Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT, Cambridge, Massachusetts. It was published online on July 28, 2025, in Circulation.
LIMITATIONS:
Measuring Lp(a) using immunoassays may be inaccurate for individuals with large Lp(a) isoforms. This study lacked measurement of ankle-brachial index to define peripheral arterial disease. The analysis may not have accounted for all potential confounding factors.
DISCLOSURES:
This study received grants from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute and the National Human Genome Research Institute. One author reported receiving research grants and personal fees from several pharmaceutical and healthcare companies and holding equity in multiple healthcare data and biotech firms. The same author reported spousal employment at a pharmaceutical company.
This article was created using several editorial tools, including AI, as part of the process. Human editors reviewed this content before publication.
Tilta has just introduced their upcoming full camera cage for the DJI Osmo 360 that features a quick release design, multiple 1/4″-20 mounting points and a cold shoe mount, while still maintaining compatibility with DJI’s magnetic connector, full access to the battery door and memory card slot, and adding an extra layer of protection for your camera. So, let’s take a closer look at it!
The DJI Osmo 360 was released last week, and the least we can say is that it is a serious competitor to the Insta360 X5. Indeed, the compact DJI camera features two square 1/1.1″-type CMOS image sensors capable of capturing footage in up to 8K50 in panoramic video mode, and up to 5K60P in single-lens mode. The most significant selling point of the Osmo 360 for most users will probably be the very aggressive price tag starting at €479.99, which makes it less expensive than Insta360’s offering. We discussed DJI’s camera in-depth in our latest podcast here.
Back to our topic, Tilta is the first manufacturer to introduce their rigging solution for the DJI Osmo 360 with a full camera cage that will significantly expand shooting possibilities.
Tilta full camera cage for DJI Osmo 360. Image credit: Tilta
Tilta full camera cage for DJI Osmo 360 – features
The Tilta full camera cage for the DJI Osmo 360 is made entirely out of aluminum and, as its name suggests, wraps entirely around the camera. The cage features a quick-release design that allows you to quickly get the camera in and out when you don’t need it. However, the cage adds an extra layer of safety and protection when using the Osmo 360; it doesn’t obstruct the built-in screen/lenses, and it even comes with a silicone lens protector, which is handy since the lenses are not user-replaceable like the Insta360 X5.
Image credit: Tilta
On the cage, you’ll find multiple 1/4″-20 mounting points as well as a cold shoe mount to attach accessories or mount it to various types of things such as a car, bike, plane, boat, or whatever you can think of. Furthermore, the cage maintains compatibility with DJI’s magnetic connector.
On the side of the cage, you’ll find a detachable side panel to quickly swap batteries and change the memory card if the built-in 105GB of storage is not enough for your needs.
Price and availability
At the time of writing, there is currently no information about the pricing or availability of the Tilta full camera cage for the DJI Osmo 360.
For more information, please visit Tilta’s website here.
What do you think about this full camera cage? Have you been considering the DJI Osmo 360? Don’t hesitate to let us know in the comments below!
A retrospective US claims study found that adults with generalized pustular psoriasis (GPP) had significantly more healthcare visits and costs than patients with plaque psoriasis alone.
METHODOLOGY:
Researchers conducted a retrospective analysis of 633 adults with GPP between 2016 and 2019 in a US claims database, of whom 344 had comorbid plaque psoriasis and 289 had GPP alone.
They also assessed an equal number of 633 matched patients with plaque psoriasis.
Nearly 70% of the patients were women, 58.1% were aged 45-54 years, and 64.8% had commercial insurance. The median follow-up time ranged from 2.5 to 2.9 years.
Study outcomes were healthcare utilization and costs.
TAKEAWAY:
Patients with GPP demonstrated significantly higher median total visits than those with psoriasis alone (3 or 4 vs 2; P < .001), as well as increased outpatient/office visits (3 vs 2; P < .001) and laboratory use (2 vs 1; P < .05).
Only patients with GPP had inpatient visits (34 patients) and ICU visits (1 patient); 12 patients with GPP vs 1 patient with psoriasis had emergency room visits only.
Median total healthcare costs were $189 for all patients with GPP, $174 for those with GPP only, and $205 for those with GPP and psoriasis compared with $103 for those with psoriasis only (P < .001). Median outpatient/office costs were also higher for all patients with GPP ($180), those with GPP only ($168), and those with both GPP and psoriasis ($198) compared with those with psoriasis ($100; P < .001).
Emergency room costs ranged from $58 to $1490 for 12 patients with GPP compared with $160 for 1 patient with plaque psoriasis.
IN PRACTICE:
The greater costs for healthcare resource utilization “and associated costs for GPP versus plaque psoriasis underscore the need for improved long-term management of GPP,” the study authors wrote. Studies should evaluate the impact of new treatments on utilization of healthcare resources related to GPP, they added, noting that patients with GPP “traditionally receive medications intended for plaque psoriasis, which lack evidence of effectiveness for GPP.”
SOURCE:
The study was led by Mark Lebwohl, MD, Department of Dermatology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York City, and was published online on July 24 in the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology.
LIMITATIONS:
Possible miscoding in the claims database was a limitation, and the study period predated the FDA approval of spesolimab for treating GPP.
DISCLOSURES:
The study was funded by Boehringer Ingelheim. Lebwohl and two other authors disclosed receiving research funds, honoraria, and consulting fees from multiple pharmaceutical companies including AbbVie, Amgen, Arcutis, Avotres, and Boehringer Ingelheim. One author also reported receiving stock options from Connect Biopharma and Mindera Health and being editor in chief of the Journal of Psoriasis and Psoriatic Arthritis. Three authors are Boehringer Ingelheim employees.
This article was created using several editorial tools, including AI, as part of the process. Human editors reviewed this content before publication.
A member of the House of Lords urged ministers to crack down on Palestine Action at the request of a US defence company that employs him as an adviser.
Richard Dannatt, a former head of the British army, wrote privately to two separate Home Office ministers asking them to address the “threat” posed by the group after its activists targeted a factory in 2022.
The activists caused extensive damage to the factory which is run by Teledyne, a US multinational that sells technology for military, aerospace and other applications. Lord Dannatt has been a paid adviser to the company since 2022.
Dannatt’s involvement after the attack on the factory in Wales led to allegations heard later in court that the peer was “seeking to influence” the criminal investigation into the Palestine Action activists.
The police officer in charge of the investigation had told Teledyne executives that “it would not be wise to have a member of the House of Lords poking around in a live criminal case”, according to evidence heard in the trial of one of the activists.
Dannatt said he was completely unaware of the exchanges in the trial and said the allegations were “baseless”.
His actions on behalf of the company nonetheless demonstrate the value to companies looking to affect government policy of having a member of the House of Lords as an adviser.
Dannatt, 74, has sat in the Lords since 2011. He is now under investigation by the house authorities over two sets of allegations that he broke parliamentary rules that forbid lobbying. One allegation stems from undercover filming by the Guardian.
He has denied the earlier allegations, saying: “I am well aware of … the Lords code of conduct … I have always acted on my personal honour.”
In July this year, ministers banned Palestine Action, claiming it was involved in terrorism. Supporters of the group countered that the ban was absurd and draconian. The group is challenging the legality of the ban in court.
‘They need to establish what Lord Dannatt wants’
Two years ago, four activists were convicted of conspiring to damage Teledyne’s factory in Presteigne in Wales. They had broken into the factory to protest against the sale of military equipment to Israel.
They smashed windows and computer screens, drilled holes in the roof, sprayed red paint, and set off smoke grenades. Prosecutors told the court that the damage totalled more than £1m. The four activists were jailed for between 23 and 27 months.
While three of the activists pleaded guilty, the fourth went to trial. Transcripts of her trial were obtained by the Guardian and reveal allegations heard in court that Dannatt sought to interfere in the police’s investigation of the protest.
On 19 December 2022, 10 days after the action at the Welsh factory, Sgt Alex Stuart of Dyfed-Powys police, who was in charge of the investigation, sent an email to four of his superiors.
He had spoken with the general manager of the factory in the UK. She had told him that a senior Teledyne executive based in the US had “spoken to Lord Richard Dannatt about Palestine Action”.
Stuart wrote: “Lord Dannatt was chief of the army general staff. He’s now a life peer. He has an invested interest [sic] in this aspect of UK trade and investment, particularly military projects.
“Essentially there have been an indication that he wants this case to be explained and he wants to have some input on it. They haven’t explained exactly what he wants, however I have told them that it would not be wise to have a member of the House of Lords poking around in a live criminal case.”
He added: “I have explained that they need to establish what Lord Dannatt wants.” He wrote that if the peer was concerned in general about Palestine Action’s tactics, he should talk to senior police officers at a national level. “It’s not best placed for him to actively speak with an investigation team about the matter in the way that I think he wants to.”
Later that day, a DCI replied to Stuart: “The chief constable is aware of the case and has received an update. Whilst Lord Dannatt has every right to communicate with the force regarding matters of concern, it does not mean that the matters he raises receive the response that he may want.”
At the criminal trial in May 2023, James Manning, the barrister for one of the defendants, asked Stuart whether he was concerned that Dannatt was seeking to have some input into the case which at that stage was being investigated by the police as a live criminal investigation. Stuart replied: “Yeah, to a certain extent, yes.”
Manning then asked: “And you thought that that was inappropriate … and you told [Teledyne] as much?” Stuart replied: “Yes.”
Elen Owen, the prosecutor, told the court there was “absolutely no evidence” that Dannatt had tried to “influence” the investigation. “He was just asking for information and the email … chain makes it quite clear that the decision was made by the police that it would be inappropriate to, to make any contact with him and, and that was the end of the matter.”
The judge hearing the case, Rhys Rowlands, agreed with the prosecution that Dannatt was not relevant to the trial and thatthere was no evidence to suggest he had tried to interfere. His opinion was based on a decision about whether the police officer could be questioned about his concerns.He allowed the questioning to go ahead, though ruled Dannatt could not be named.
Dannatt described the officer’sallegations as “unfounded” and pointed to the judge’s view that he “had nothing to do with the trial”. He suggested the general manager may have sought to use his name to help present their case. Teledyne and the general manager did not respond to a request for comment.
Letter to Suella Braverman
On 22 December 2022, Dannatt had an online call with the factory’s general manager and another senior member of Teledyne. Dannatt told the Guardian that Teledyne had “contacted me to seek my assistance in raising concerns by the company to the government with regard to attacks on their premises”. He added: “They briefed me on the Palestine Action attacks, and I then agreed to write to the home secretary.”
In his letter, Dannatt declared his role “at the outset” as a paid adviser to the company, but said he believed “the threat from Palestine Action has more widespread implications for security and the economy within the United Kingdom”.
The letter to Suella Braverman was headed “General The Lord Dannatt GCB CBE MC DL”, addressed from the House of Lords.
He outlined the details of Palestine Action’s activities at Teledyne’s factory and at another factory run by a different arms company in Edinburgh.
Dannatt wrote: “The slow pace at which the British legal system has been working to take action against those involved in the trespass and criminal damage resulting from such ‘direct action’ has served to embolden Palestine Action and their continued recruitment drive for individuals who are prepared to commit arrestable offences.”
He told Braverman he would be “very grateful to receive assurance that the threat from Palestine Action is fully recognised by our security services and appropriate action [is] either planned or being taken”. He said he had “undertaken to brief the Teledyne main board in the United States that the threat from Palestine Action in the UK is being suitably addressed”.
Dannatt contacted the government again in September 2024 after “attacks on Teledyne facilities continued and the company asked [him] to raise their concerns again”.
In a letter to Dan Jarvis, the Labour security minister, Dannatt once again disclosed his role. Under the same letterhead, he said he would be “very grateful to receive assurance from the current government that the threat posed by Palestine Action continues to be fully recognised by our security services and that appropriate action is being taken.”
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BANGKOK — Asian shares advanced on Tuesday, following U.S. stocks higher after they won back most of their sharp loss from last week.
Investors appeared to have recovered some confidence after worries over how President Donald Trump’s tariffs may be punishing the economy sent a shudder through Wall Street last week.
At the same time, a stunningly weak U.S. jobs report Friday raised expectations that the Federal Reserve will cut interest rates at its next meeting in September, potentially a plus for markets.
This week’s highlights will likely include earnings reports from The Walt Disney Co., McDonald’s and Caterpillar, along with updates on U.S. business activity.
In Asian trading, Tokyo’s Nikkei 225 index gained 0.6% to 40,515.81, while the Kospi in South Korea jumped 1.4% to 3,192.57.
In Hong Kong, the Hang Seng rose 0.3% to 24,799.67. The Shanghai Composite index was up 0.5% at 3,602.13.
Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 jumped 1.1% to 8,759.90, while the SET in Thailand also gained 1.1%.
India’s Sensex was the sole outlier, losing 0.5% on concerns over trade tensions with the United States, with the Trump administration insisting on cutbacks in oil purchases from Russia.
India has indicated that it will continue buying oil from Russia, saying its relationship with Moscow was ‘steady and time-tested,’ and that its stance on securing its energy needs is guided by the availability of oil in the markets and prevailing global circumstances.
“Trump’s threats of ‘substantial’ tariff hikes on account of imports of Russian crude pose a quagmire for India,” Mizuho Bank said in a commentary. “Between exacerbated U.S.-imposed geo-economic headwinds and financial/macro setbacks from Russian oil advantages lost, pain will be hard to avert.”
On Monday, the S&P 500 jumped 1.5% to 6,329.94. The Dow Jones Industrial Average climbed 1.3%, or 585.06 points, to 44,173.64.
The Nasdaq composite leaped 2% to 21,053.58.
Idexx Laboratories helped Wall Street recover from its worst day since May, soaring 27.5% after the seller of veterinary instruments and other health care products reported a stronger profit for the spring than analysts expected.
The pressure is on U.S. companies to deliver bigger profits after their stock prices shot to record after record recently. Reports from big U.S. companies have largely come in better than expected and could help steady a U.S. stock market that may have been due for some turbulence.
A jump in stock prices from a low point in April had raised criticism that the broad market had become too expensive.
Tyson Foods likewise delivered a bigger-than-expected profit for the latest quarter, and the company behind the Jimmy Dean and Hillshire Farms brands rose 2.4%.
They helped make up for a nearly 3% loss for Berkshire Hathaway after Warren Buffett’s company reported a drop in profit for its latest quarter from a year earlier. The drop-off was due in part to the falling value of its investment in Kraft Heinz.
American Eagle Outfitters jumped 23.6% after Trump weighed in on the debate surrounding the retailer’s advertisements, which highlight actor Sydney Sweeney’s great jeans. Some critics thought the reference to the blonde-haired and blue-eyed actor’s “great genes” may be extolling a narrow set of beauty standards. “Go get ’em Sydney!” Trump said on his social media network.
Wayfair climbed 12.7% after the retailer of furniture and home decor said accelerating growth helped it make more in profit and revenue during the spring than analysts expected.
Tesla rose 2.2% after awarding CEO Elon Musk 96 million shares of restricted stock valued at approximately $29 billion. The move could alleviate worries that Musk may leave the company.
In other dealings early Tuesday, U.S. benchmark crude oil shed 9 cents to $66.20 per barrel while Brent crude, the international standard, gave up 8 cents to $68.68 per barrel.
The U.S. dollar was unchanged at 147.09 Japanese yen. The euro slipped to $1.1555 from $1.1573.
___
AP Business Writers Stan Choe and Matt Ott contributed.
Margaret Qualley, 30, has a simple trick for staying present.
In an interview with Cosmopolitan published on Monday, the actor spoke about keeping two phones and how it helps her stay unplugged.
“Cell phones are like cigarettes. I’m a big fan of airplane mode. Because opening your phone is also like going to work, you know? I don’t have any apps on my phone except Uber, texting, and Maps,” Qualley told Cosmopolitan.
That way, she feels less inclined to scroll while going about her day —like when in line at the grocery store — and more likely to stay present, she said.
“I’m just there, listening to people’s conversations. And I feel more immersed in my life,” Qualley added.
“The Substance” star keeps a second phone at home solely for checking social media.
“I have another phone at home that doesn’t have cellphone service — it just has WiFi, and I can look at Instagram. We are all definitely too plugged in,” she said.
In a May 2023 interview with The Standard, Qualley said she isn’t a big fan of social media. “I don’t have Instagram. I’m not really in that game. It’s kind of a lose-lose situation,” she said.
The actor has since created an Instagram profile.
A representative for Qualley did not immediately respond to a request for comment sent by Business Insider outside regular hours.
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Qualley is far from the only celebrity rethinking screen time and social media.
Actor Mia Threapleton, 24, said in May that her mother, Kate Winslet, made her write a pros and cons list for joining Instagram when she was 14.
“The cons completely outweighed the pros for me. That was quite a clarifying moment. Since then, the more time I spend in this world, the more I’m really happy that I don’t have it,” Threapleton said.
Some celebrities have chosen to forgo smartphones and other digital devices entirely.
In 2023, Christopher Nolan said that he finds modern technology distracting, so he doesn’t carry a smartphone.
“If I’m generating my material and writing my own scripts, being on a smartphone all day wouldn’t be very useful for me,” Nolan, 55, said.
Michael Cera, who acted in Greta Gerwig’s “Barbie,” said in 2023 that he wasn’t added to the group chat for the Barbie and Ken actors because he didn’t use a smartphone.
“I don’t have an iPhone myself. … I have a flip phone,” Cera said.
