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  • Before Columbus: A 4,000-Year-Old Skeleton Reveals a Rare Leprosy Strain in the Americas – SciTechDaily

    1. Before Columbus: A 4,000-Year-Old Skeleton Reveals a Rare Leprosy Strain in the Americas  SciTechDaily
    2. 4,000-year-old Mycobacterium lepromatosis genomes from Chile reveal long establishment of Hansen’s disease in the Americas  Nature
    3. Ancient DNA reveals rare leprosy strain existed in the Americas for millennia  Phys.org

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  • DLA Piper advises Cantor Fitzgerald & Co. in US$253 million initial public offering of Oxley Bridge Acquisition Limited

    DLA Piper advised Cantor Fitzgerald & Co., as sole book-running manager, in the US$253 million initial public offering of Oxley Bridge Acquisition Limited.

    Oxley Bridge Acquisition Limited is a blank check company formed for the purpose of effecting a merger, amalgamation, share exchange, asset acquisition, share purchase, reorganization, or similar business combination with one or more businesses.

    The deal team was led by Partner Stephen Alicanti (New York) and included Of Counsel Christie Lehr (Raleigh) and Associates Andrew Wolfe and Alexander Grynszpan (both New York).

    DLA Piper’s global capital markets team represents issuers and underwriters in registered and unregistered equity, equity-linked and debt capital markets transactions, including initial public offerings, follow-on equity offerings, equity-linked securities offerings, and offerings of investments grade and high-yield debt securities.

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  • Zimmermann Resort 2026 Ready-to-Wear Runway, Fashion Show & Collection Review

    Zimmermann Resort 2026 Ready-to-Wear Runway, Fashion Show & Collection Review

    Over the last few weeks, Nicky Zimmermann has been spending time in Mykonos, where from June 16 to 17 she celebrated the opening of her namesake brand’s boutique and days later captured her Twisted Romance cruise collection in the Greek island’s picturesque laneways.

    “It was nice to have the connection between the store opening party and the collection, and there’s always a pirate bar in Greece somewhere,” she said, hinting at her collection’s overarching inspiration of melding nostalgia and fantasy into a lineup filled with romantic femininity, dramatic silhouettes and maritime nods.

    “I remember those pirate films that I would watch when I was a kid. They had incredible posters, the handsome pirate and the beautiful, gorgeous, sexy woman who would somehow become tangled in the story,” she said of her classic pirate movie and “Treasure Island” novel inspirations. “It was wanting to create that feeling of nostalgia, while bringing in an element that I could really relate to, which is the New Romantics.”

    The inspirations served Zimmermann well, as seen through her balance of playful, diaphanous gowns in hand-done watercolor “treasure map” print or white figure-hugging frocks with billowing sleeves. Despite the fantastical inspirations, nothing was too literal, further seen through breezy nautical striped or night shirt dresses; sharp “Rebellion Pirate” military jackets, and ruched corset tops atop frayed flutter blouses. Resort proved to be a strong play between the brand’s highly romantic codes with the grounded, such as structured, button-adorned jeans and wrapped balloon tops in denim, utilitarian drawstring layers and slouchy buckled boots.

    “There’s been very much a collaboration between my Paris atelier and the Sydney atelier, so I’ve got the two teams really working together. A lot of the denim, outerwear, suiting and drill pieces in this collection we’re working with the Paris team on and building it together with our very romantic, classic Zimmermann feel. It’s a nice combination, and is personally how I like to dress,” Zimmermann said.

    The designer said she travels to her new Paris headquarters every seven or so weeks and has been working with her teams there to continue building out Zimmermann’s jewelry, handbags and footwear. As seen throughout the cruise collection, her accessories continued to amplify the adventurous spirit while pushing forward reality-driven modernity.

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  • ‘Squid Game’ Viewership Falls In Season 3 Premiere

    ‘Squid Game’ Viewership Falls In Season 3 Premiere

    The premiere of Squid Game season 3 has drawn quite a bit of online buzz, as the hugely popular dystopian Korean drama returned for what’s billed as its final season. But it appears people weren’t quite as excited about it as they were about the previous season.

    Viewership for Squid Game’s third-season premiere on Netflix Friday was down compared to the season 2 debut. It averaged 1.6 million U.S. households, according to live-plus-three-day viewing data crunched by Samba TV, which provides TV technology for audience data and omniscreen measurement.

    That is a good number for Netflix, but it’s not as good as season 2’s debut. That drew just over 1.9 million households, giving season 3 a 17% decline from the previous season’s tune-in.

    Who Watched Squid Game Season 3?

    Notably, Samba found that Hispanic and Asian households were much more likely to tune into the program than the average house. It says Asian household viewership overindexed by 48%, whole Hispanic household viewership overindexed by 55% when compared to the national average.

    There’s good reason for that. While Netflix has tons of content, offerings featuring Asians in a leading role are in shorter supply—and it has more than other streamers.

    The reason for the popularity among Hispanics is less clear, though the original has a Mexican contestant and there was a very popular TikTok about how Mexicans would play the Squid Game.

    How Does Squid Game Season 3 Compare To Other Netflix Premieres?

    The 1.6 million for Squid Game is a solid number for the streamer. But it is not the best this year. Barely a week earlier, the series debut of The Waterfront, the soapy new family drama from the producer of Dawson’s Creek (Kevin Williamson), drew slightly better numbers. Waterfront drew 1.7 million households, according to Samba data.

    Another recent debut, Ransom Canyon, posted similar numbers. The western drama, starring Josh Duhamel and Minka Kelly, posted 1.5 million households in its debut. Netflix was clearly pleased, as it just renewed the program for a second season.

    Why Is Squid Game Season 3 Viewership Down?

    Viewership for Squid Game season 3 could have dipped for many reasons. As Samba points out, season 2 debuted on Netflix in the United States on December 26 last year—the day after Christmas, when many Americans have off work. They could just binge the show without distractions, whereas last Friday wasn’t a holiday and could have seen lower engagement simply because of that.

    Or, on the other hand, fans may have been waiting for the upcoming July 4 holiday to binge the show, taking advantage of the downtime.

    And others may have seen critical online buzz about the Squid Game season 3 ending that turned them off from watching the program.

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  • Apple Will Release At Least One More iOS 18 Update Before iOS 26

    Apple Will Release At Least One More iOS 18 Update Before iOS 26

    Before Apple releases iOS 26 this fall, the company will likely release iOS 18.6 this month. The company released the second public beta of that software on July 1 but it didn’t change much on the iPhones of developers and beta testers. While iOS 26 will bring a major redesign to iPhones, the latest beta is filled with bug and security fixes so developers and beta testers shouldn’t expect new features.

    Read more: iOS 26 Finally Lets Us Get Rid of the Abomination That Is the 9-Minute Snooze

    The download page for iOS 18.6 public beta 2.

    Apple/Screenshot by CNET

    Because this is a beta, I recommend downloading it on something other than your primary device. Because this isn’t the final version of iOS 18.6, the update might be buggy, and battery life may be affected, so it’s best to keep those troubles off your primary device.

    Note that the beta is not the final version of iOS 18.6 so more features could land on your iPhone when it is released. Apple will likely release iOS 18.6 to the general public this month but an exact release date is unclear. However, iOS 18.6 will likely be the last significant iOS 18 update the company releases before it makes iOS 26 available this fall. 

    Here’s what to expect from iOS 18.6 when it lands on your iPhone.

    This beta is all about security patches and squashing bugs

    If you’re a developer or beta tester, don’t expect much from this beta other than bug and security fixes. After downloading and looking into iOS 18.6 beta 2, I found no new features or noticeable changes. And that’s not surprising considering Apple’s iOS release schedule over the years.

    Apple announced iOS 18 at WWDC 2024 and released iOS 17.6 more than a month later in July. That update was filled with more than 30 important bug fixes and security patches but no new features. Apple recommended that everyone download the update at the time and it was the last major iOS 17 update before the release of iOS 18. 

    Apple did the same thing in July 2023 when it released iOS 16.6. When the tech giant released that update, it was focused on bug fixes and security patches; the next major iOS release was iOS 17.

    Apple is likely shifting gears and focusing more on iOS 26. In fact, the company has already released two developer betas of that iOS software in preparation for its fall release. 

    There will likely be more betas before iOS 18.6 is released to the public, so there’s plenty of time for Apple to add features or change others — but I wouldn’t count on new features. Apple has not announced when it will release iOS 18.6 but because iOS 17.6 and iOS 16.6 were both released in July of 2024 and 2023, respectively, I expect Apple to release iOS 18.6 this month. 

    For more on iOS 18, here’s what you need to know about iOS 18.5 and iOS 18.4, as well as our iOS 18 cheat sheet. You can also check out what you should know about iOS 26.

    Watch this: iOS 26 vs Android 16: Who Copied Who and Who Did It Better? | All Things Mobile


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  • Glen Powell Channels Arnold Schwarzenegger in ‘Running Man’ Trailer

    Glen Powell Channels Arnold Schwarzenegger in ‘Running Man’ Trailer

    Glen Powell will do anything to save his sick child in The Running Man, including joining the most twisted reality show known to man.

    Paramount Pictures dropped the first trailer for the dystopian black comedy based on Stephen King’s novel of the same name, which got turned into a film in 1987 starring Arnold Schwarzenegger.

    The film follows working-class Ben Richards (Powell), who becomes a contestant in the world’s most popular reality TV show, where the winner could walk home with a life-changing cash prize.

    The only catch? To win, each participant, referred to as “Runners,” must escape death for 30 days, while being hunted down by a group of professional killers—with their every move broadcast to billions of viewers.

    “I’m still here,” Ben says to a drone in the trailer, before flipping off the camera and screaming, “You s**t eaters.”

    Directed by Edgar Wright, known for his work on Shaun of the Dead and Baby Driver, the film features a stacked list of stars, including Josh Brolin, Michael Cera, Lee Pace, Colman Domingo, Katy O’Brien, and William H. Macy. Wright also co-wrote the script with Michael Bacall, who previously worked together on Scott Pilgrim vs. The World.

    In an interview with Empire, Wright shared that he purposefully looked for an actor with a “normal body,” as he didn’t want to cast someone with a Schwarzenegger physique—although he admits that Powell isn’t exactly the norm either.

    “He’s in better shape than you and I ever will be,” Wright said. “That was important, because this is not a remake. Ben is an out of work dad. He’s worked in construction.”

    Unfortunately, Ben isn’t getting the same well-paying gigs as before, which is a problem when you have to pay for your sick kid’s medical treatment while living under the hellscape that is American healthcare.

    The trailer is already turning out to be a hit, with fans of the book and 1987 film expressing their approval on social media.

    “I thought ‘oh no’ then it went nuts, and I was hyped,” one person commented on Reddit.

    An X user shared a similar sentiment, posting a gif of Elmo raising his hands in excitement with a wall of fire behind him, writing the caption: “This looks really fun!”

    The Running Man will hit theaters on Nov. 7.

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  • Gut microbiota signatures predict gestational diabetes in first trimester

    Gut microbiota signatures predict gestational diabetes in first trimester

    A new study has identified early-pregnancy gut microbiota signatures associated with the development of gestational diabetes mellitus, a metabolic disorder that carries substantial risks to both maternal and fetal health. The study, published in the American Society for Microbiology journal Microbiology Spectrum, provides new avenues for gestational diabetes prevention and management.

    Gestational diabetes is a prevalent metabolic disorder characterized by abnormal glucose metabolism, primarily in the mid to late stages of pregnancy. Early intervention for gestational diabetes can substantially reduce complications for both mother and baby. Gestational diabetes significantly increases the risk of maternal complications such as gestational hypertension, polyhydramnios, and cesarean delivery, while also posing long-term health risks for the fetus, including asphyxia at birth and increased susceptibility to obesity and diabetes in adulthood.

    In the new study, researchers from The Second Hospital, Southern Medical University, and the Third Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, all in Guangzhou, China, set out to identify gut microbiota dysbiosis that is strongly linked to the onset and progression of gestational diabetes that may serve as a critical early-warning biomarker. The scientists analyzed the fecal microbiota of 61 pregnant women during their first trimester of pregnancy using 16S rRNA sequencing. They then correlated these microbial profiles with oral glucose tolerance test results at 24-28 weeks of gestation and clinical delivery outcomes.

    The researchers discovered that there were significant differences in gut microbiota composition between those with gestational diabetes and women who had healthy pregnancies. Based on their findings, the researchers developed an early diagnostic model for gestational diabetes, based on genus-level markers, with high diagnostic precision.

    “These findings suggest that microbiota-based tools could enable early, non-invasive detection of gestational diabetes mellitus, offering new opportunities for prevention and personalized management,” write the study authors. “This research highlights the role of the gut microbiome in pregnancy and has important implications for improving maternal and fetal health outcomes.”

    Source:

    American Society for Microbiology

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  • New 3D Glacier Visualizations Provide Insights Into a Hotter Earth

    New 3D Glacier Visualizations Provide Insights Into a Hotter Earth

    Newswise — COLUMBUS, Ohio – As glaciers retreat due to a rise in global temperatures, one study shows detailed 3D elevation models could drastically improve predictions about how they react to Earth’s warming climate.  

    While only 10% of Earth is covered in glacial ice, these masses have far-reaching impacts on all the world’s ecosystems. Rapid melting can trigger natural disasters, and glaciers help to regulate the planet’s temperature and sea level and are sources of pristine fresh drinking water.

    To better differentiate between seasonal ice loss and that caused by long-term climate trends, researchers studied the fluctuating heights of three glaciers: the La Perouse Glacier in North America, the Viedma Glacier in South America and the Skamri Glacier located in Central Asia.

    Their analysis revealed that between 2019 and 2023, the Viedma Glacier (Argentina) and the La Perouse Glacier (Alaska) experienced consistent thinning, but the Skamri Glacier (Pakistan)  had been stable enough to experience a small net gain of ice, said Rongjun Qin, co-author of the study and an associate professor of civil, environmental and geodetic engineering at The Ohio State University.

    Measurements in this study were made using daily high-resolution images gathered by the PlanetScope satellite constellation, which researchers then used to create 3D reconstructions of how glacial ice flows evolved over time. By incorporating local and global climate data into these models to explore seasonal variations of glacier melt, the team essentially designed a way to monitor the behavior of glaciers across diverse regions.

    “This is something that we’ve been thinking about for a long time, because existing glacier studies have such sparse seasonal observations since it’s difficult to get data out of remote areas,” said Qin, who is also a core faculty member of Ohio State’s Translational Data Analytics Institute. “What we wanted to do is to use medium-to-high resolution data to broaden those capabilities and improve the accuracy of the 3D models generated from that data.”

    The study was recently published in the journal GIScience & Remote Sensing.

    According to the study, while many modern 2D tracking techniques can provide valuable insights into glacier flow, previous studies tend to capture only short-term snapshots or else offer observations without in-depth motion analysis or high-resolution 3D data. This team’s work may help scientists keep better track of seasonal climate issues like glacier melt and expand long-term observations of these masses, and their 3D model method also reveals new data about how quickly the glaciers react to changes in the weather.

    The Viedma and Skamri Glaciers, for example, exhibit a 45-day lag time in response to changes in local climate conditions like rain or snow. The La Perouse Glacier, however, was shown to react to changes almost immediately, meaning that its flow can very quickly become faster or slower based on how much precipitation it has accumulated.

    In another finding, researchers concluded that behavior differences in all three are driven by distinct environmental and climatic conditions, but suggest that both local and global factors, rather than any single one, are responsible for patterns in glacier motion dynamics worldwide.

    Such observations are vital to deepening our global understanding of glacier science, and with further improvements, this study’s algorithm could also be a useful tool for future disaster prediction and management, said Qin. Already, scientists have used similar systems to warn communities of natural disasters that would have led to tragedy.

    In all, researchers hope that supporting modeling works like this one will inspire more scientists to utilize satellite data to investigate other types of important environmental research questions.

    “Hopefully we can build on all sorts of applications that people are interested in with this,” said Qin.

    Shengxi Gui of Ohio State was a co-author. This work’s data was provided by PlanetScope.

    #

    Contact: Rongjun Qin, [email protected]

    Written by: Tatyana Woodall, [email protected]


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  • Ever-popular Kvitova bids farewell – Wimbledon

    1. Ever-popular Kvitova bids farewell  Wimbledon
    2. Wimbledon 2025 results: Petra Kvitova bids goodbye  BBC
    3. Kvitova’s Wimbledon career ends with loss to Navarro  WTA Tennis
    4. Iga Swiatek explains why she had to apologise to Petra Kvitova in the locker room after ’embarrassing’ mistake  thetennisgazette.com
    5. Wimbledon diary: Petra Kvitova takes the mic and Alexandra Eala flies the flag  Limerick Leader

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  • Understanding the Quality of Climate Finance – Climate Policy Initiative

    1. Understanding the Quality of Climate Finance  Climate Policy Initiative
    2. How far has the dial really moved in climate finance since COP29?  Eco-Business
    3. Climate Finance Needs a Conductor  thewire.in
    4. This Week’s Top Five Stories in FinTech  FinTech Magazine
    5. ‘Climate snub’  Business Recorder

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