🤖 Shuang Shuang, a humanoid robot, made headlines by participating in a high school graduation ceremony in Fujian, China.
🌍 China’s rapid advancements in robotics highlight its growing role in integrating technology into cultural events and everyday life.
🇺🇸 The United States, with companies like Tesla, competes fiercely with China in the development of humanoid robots, despite facing technical challenges.
🔍 The presence of robots at traditional ceremonies raises questions about the future of human-robot interactions and societal adaptation.
In a world rapidly embracing technological innovation, the sight of a humanoid robot participating in a high school graduation ceremony in China is emblematic of the startling pace at which robotics is integrating into everyday life. This event, featuring the humanoid robot Shuang Shuang, also known as ‘Bright’, took place during the 25th commencement ceremony at Shuangshi High School in Fujian, China. As the robot shook hands with a professor and received a ‘certificate’, it became a symbol of China’s burgeoning prowess in the field of humanoid robotics. But what does this mean for the future of human-robot interactions, and how is this development perceived on the global stage?
The Rise of Humanoid Robots in China
China is swiftly becoming a leader in the field of humanoid robotics, as demonstrated by Shuang Shuang’s appearance at a high-profile cultural event. This phenomenon underscores the country’s commitment to advancing its technological capabilities and integrating them into societal milestones. Shuang Shuang’s participation in the graduation ceremony was not just a display of advanced technology but also a testament to the growing acceptance of robots in public life. The event was met with enthusiasm and applause, highlighting China’s readiness to embrace these technological advancements.
The demand for humanoid robots in China is on the rise, driven by both governmental initiatives and private sector investments. This surge is part of a broader trend that sees robots, both humanoid and otherwise, becoming more prevalent in various sectors, including education, healthcare, and security. As the country continues to invest heavily in robotics, it sets the stage for further integration of these machines into daily life, potentially reshaping societal norms and expectations.
“Robot Jumps 41% Higher”: MIT’s New AI Outsmarts Human Engineers With Record-Breaking Design That Defies Gravity
Global Competition: The Race for Robotic Supremacy
The United States remains one of China’s most formidable competitors in the realm of robotics. Companies like Tesla, led by Elon Musk, are at the forefront of this competition. Tesla’s development of the Optimus humanoid robot, designed to perform household chores and potentially replace human workers, exemplifies the intense focus on robotics in the U.S. However, technical challenges have delayed Optimus’s release, illustrating the complexities involved in bringing such advanced technologies to market.
In addition to humanoid robots, the U.S. is also exploring the use of security robots in real-world scenarios. Robot dogs, for example, are being deployed to assist with security at high-profile locations like Mar-a-Lago. These developments highlight the diverse applications of robotics and the ongoing efforts by various nations to harness the potential of these technologies not just for economic gain, but also for societal benefits.
“These Robot Eyes See What We Can’t!”: Breakthrough Technology Lets Machines Outspeed Human Vision by Reacting to Blinding Light Five Times Faster
The Symbolism Behind Shuang Shuang’s Graduation
While Shuang Shuang’s participation in the graduation ceremony was visually striking, questions remain regarding the significance of the event. The robot’s receipt of a ‘certificate’ during the ceremony was symbolic rather than indicative of any academic achievement. This raises intriguing questions about the role of robots in educational settings and whether they can truly be integrated into such traditional institutions.
The lack of information about Shuang Shuang’s intellectual capabilities further complicates the narrative. Despite this, the robot’s presence at the ceremony represents a broader trend of automation and robotics intertwining with cultural and social events. The symbolism of the event may outweigh its practical implications, but it nevertheless marks an important step in the evolving relationship between humans and machines.
This Bizarre Electronic Ink Morphs in Real Time and Could Power a Whole New Class of Bendable, Wearable Devices
Looking to the Future: The Impact of Robotics on Society
As we continue to witness events like Shuang Shuang’s graduation, it becomes clear that robotics will play an increasingly prominent role in shaping the future. These machines are not just tools but potential partners in our daily lives, capable of performing tasks, assisting in education, and even participating in cultural ceremonies. The rapid advancements in robotics signal a future where humans and robots coexist more closely than ever before.
As China and other nations push the boundaries of what robots can achieve, we are left to consider the implications of these developments. How will society adapt to the presence of robots in traditional settings? What ethical considerations must be addressed as we invite robots into more intimate aspects of our lives? These questions will guide the discourse on the role of robotics in the coming years, inviting us to ponder the possibilities and challenges of a tech-driven future.
This article is based on verified sources and supported by editorial technologies.
In a disturbing case, Pakistani actress and model Humaira Asghar Ali was found dead in her Karachi apartment, with forensic experts saying she likely died between eight to ten months ago.Her body was discovered last week by a police team executing a court order to vacate the flat.According to Geo News, which cited the initial post-mortem findings, the body was in an “advanced stage of decomposition.” Facial muscles had deteriorated, fingers and nails were reduced to bone, and large parts of the body had no muscle tissue left. The bones reportedly began to fall apart when touched.Humaira had acted in several television serials and two films. She lived alone in an apartment in the upscale Defence Housing Society. The report also said that her internal organs had turned into a “black-coloured mass” and brain matter was entirely decomposed due to autolysis. Cartilage in the joints was gone, though no bone fractures were found. While the head and spine remained intact, the spinal cord was missing. Brown-coloured insects were reportedly present, especially in the hair, but no maggots were found.Because of the severe state of decay, experts were unable to determine the exact cause of death at this stage. However, DNA profiling and toxicology tests are underway and are expected to offer further insight.Initially, police said that her family refused to take the body. “Her family members have flatly refused to own her or take the body for burial,” DIG South Zone Asad Reza said, adding they claimed to have severed all ties with her two years ago. He said the case posed unusual challenges, especially since her death had gone unnoticed for such a long time and no neighbours appeared to have raised any concerns.Geo News later confirmed that her family received the remains on Thursday and transported them to Lahore by ambulance.
Baku is gearing up to host one of the most electrifying weekends on the F1 calendar, pairing high-octane racing with immersive music experiences at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix (19-21 September).
A Formula 1 weekend is not just the race on Sunday. It’s a festival celebrating speed, culture, and community that brings together the sights and sounds of music and motorsport, blending entertainment and epic experiences.
By day, fans in Azerbaijan’s capital can marvel at sheer speed as Formula 1 cars blast flat-out down the 2.2km main straight before being threaded through the tight, twisting old town section with its medieval castle walls.
By night, four-day ticket holders can swap the roar of engines for pulsing beats when Anyma – one of the world’s most innovative electronic music projects – and global sensation Martin Garrix take to the stage.
On Friday 19 September, fans will be transported into an otherworldly audio-visual odyssey courtesy of Anyma. The Italian-American producer, half of the famed Tale of Us duo, will blend melodic house, techno, ambient and classical motifs with dynamic real-time animations.
Futuristic lighting designs and evocative visuals will synchronize with ethereal soundscapes, turning the arena into a digital dreamscape that mirrors the city’s vibrant energy.
The spotlight then switches to global superstar Martin Garrix, who’ll deliver his world-famous anthems – think Animals, Scared to Be Lonely, In the Name of Love and Don’t Look Down – in concert on Saturday 20 September.
Don’t miss thrilling F1 action and world-class music together on the shores of the Caspian Sea.
Long-term exposure to trihalomethanes (THMs), specifically brominated compounds, and even at levels below current US regulatory limits, may increase the risk of chronic kidney disease (CKD), according to a large cohort study published in JAMA Network Open.1
The US Safe Drinking Water Act requires monitoring and regulation of nearly 100 contaminants.2 However, thousands of potentially harmful chemicals are still unregulated, and research has shown that nearly one-third of Americans have been exposed to unregulated contaminants, with Hispanic and Black communities disproportionately impacted. These substances enter groundwater and surface waters through industrial activities and consumer products, posing a hidden threat to public health.
The new prospective study included 89,320 women teachers and school administrators enrolled between 1995 and 1996, with CKD outcomes tracked from 2005 to 2018.1 Investigators found a significant exposure-response association between THM concentrations in community water supplies and CKD incidence, particularly for brominated THMs, which are not separately regulated under current standards.
Over the follow-up period, 6242 incident CKD cases were identified. Researchers estimated residential exposure by calculating time-weighted mean concentrations of 4 THMs, 3 brominated (bromodichloromethane, dibromochloromethane, and bromoform), and chloroform, using annual measurements from community water systems between 1995 and 2005. Median total THM exposure was 5.5 μg/L (IQR, 0.5–24.1 μg/L; 95th percentile, 57.8 μg/L). For brominated THMs alone, the median was 2.7 μg/L (IQR, 0.7–11.3 μg/L; 95th percentile, 30.0 μg/L).
Regulators and clinicians should re-evaluate potential nephrotoxic risks from commonly used water treatment methods, researchers suggest.
Image Credit: Dusan Petkovic – stock.adobe.com
Compared with those in the lowest exposure quartile (< 0.7 μg/L), participants exposed to brominated THM levels in the 75th percentile range had a 23% higher risk of developing CKD (HR, 1.23; 95% CI, 1.13–1.33). For those at or above the 95th percentile (≥ 30.0 μg/L), the risk increased by 43% (HR, 1.43; 95% CI, 1.23–1.66; P < .001).
Mixture analysis found that brominated THMs accounted for 52.9% of the observed CKD risk, followed by uranium (35.4%), arsenic (6.2%), and chloroform (5.5%).
The biological plausibility is supported by prior animal studies showing that brominated THMs, particularly bromodichloromethane, can cause proximal tubular damage and reduced glomerular filtration rate (GFR). These compounds are also more mutagenic when metabolized via glutathione S-transferase theta 1, an enzyme abundant in renal tissue, and may disrupt collagen scaffold assembly in the glomerular basement membrane.
Additional analysis revealed that chronic exposure to bromodichloromethane within California’s proposed public health goal range (5.8–16.3 μg/L) was associated with a 15% increased CKD risk compared with ≤ 0.2 μg/L, while exposure above 16.4 μg/L (≥ 95th percentile) was linked to a 32% increased risk.
“[Total] THM exposure in this study population was well below the regulatory limit (≤ 80 μg/L), suggesting that current policy may not protect against long-term risk,” the authors wrote. “In our study, brominated THMs were associated with the greatest CKD risk and emerged as the largest contributor in our mixture analysis. Brominated THMs are not separately regulated from [total] THM, although prior evidence suggests that they may be more nephrotoxic than chloroform.”
The researchers acknowledged limitations, including the inability to account for individual-level water use behaviors, filtration practices, or nonresidential exposures. CKD diagnoses were based on administrative data, and the cohort lacked biomarkers such as proteinuria or GFR measurements. The study’s strength lies in its longitudinal design, large sample size, and detailed residential exposure tracking, the study noted.
Based on the findings, the authors suggest that regulators and clinicians alike should re-evaluate potential nephrotoxic risks from commonly used water treatment methods, especially as the global burden of CKD continues to rise.
References
Medgyesi DN, Mohan S, Bangia K, et al. Community water trihalomethanes and chronic kidney disease. JAMA Netw Open. 2025;8(7):e2518513. doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2025.18513
Grossi G. Nearly one-third of Americans face unregulated contaminants in water, Hispanic, Black communities hit hardest. AJMC®. January 15, 2025. Accessed July 11, 2025. https://www.ajmc.com/view/nearly-one-third-of-americans-face-unregulated-contaminants-in-water-hispanic-black-communities-hit-hardest
Prince William got back on the horse (literally) after a huge controversy nearly derailed his summer.
On Friday, July 11, the Prince of Wales took part in the annual Out-Sourcing Inc. Royal Charity Polo Cup at Guards Polo Club, marking one of his favourite summer traditions.
The 43-year-old made a solo appearance as Princess Kate was noticeably absent from the sidelines for a second year in a row. However, his cousin Peter Phillips showed up to cheer him on, joined by his girlfriend Harriet Sperling.
Wearing his signature No. 4 jersey, the future king rode across the Windsor Castle backdrop with determination.
“Proud to be taking part in the Royal Charity Polo Cup today,” read a statement on Instagram. Now in its 14th year, the match continues to raise funds for organisations carrying out vital work across the UK and beyond.”
The high-profile match raises funds for 10 charities supported by the Prince and Princess of Wales, including Child Bereavement UK, the Anna Freud Centre, and East Anglia’s Children’s Hospices, and more.
Kensington Palace confirmed that this year’s event pushed total donations past $18 million.
The charity event followed controversy. In June, The Times reported that polo cup sponsor Minerva Mondejar Steiner allegedly tried to sell private access to the royals for $27,000. Upon learning of this, William’s charity foundation swiftly cut ties with Mondejar Steiner.
The Sun later reported that William’s estranged brother, Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, also cut ties with Mondejar Steiner.
William’s appearance comes just days after he and Kate reunited publicly for the French state visit, where they welcomed President Emmanuel Macron and his wife Brigitte to Windsor Castle.
Kate, who continues to pace her return to public life amid cancer recovery, is expected to attend the Wimbledon finals next.
Retail investors’ fingerprints are all over the stock-market rally since the tariff-triggered lows in April with high-flying meme stocks emerging as top performers. Goldman Sachs’ retail favorite basket, consisting of U.S. equities most popular among the retail community based on flows, hit an all-time high on Wednesday, overtaking the previous peak from the infamous GameStop trading mania of spring 2021. “Institutions have been the emotional ones, while retail investors have consistently added,” Mark Hackett, chief market strategist at Nationwide, told CNBC. “This has become something of a self-fulfilling prophesy, as the more that buying of dips has worked engrains the culture more, plus institutions are confused and frustrated, making shorting more difficult.” It’s not the original meme stocks like GameStop and AMC that are making a splash this time. Rental car company Avis Budget Group skyrocketed 123% in the second quarter and is up again by 12% in July. Autonomous tech firm Aeva Technologies popped a whopping 440% from April to June. “The market as we see it has increasingly become ‘GameStopified.’ The resilience of the retail [investor] cannot be discounted,” said James Cakmak, Clockwise Capital CIO, on CNBC’s “The Exchange.” “I think fund managers have to reevaluate the way they think about the market, valuations and momentum.” Robinhood surged 125% in the second quarter, while Coinbase more than doubled in price during the same period. The duo are in Bespoke Investment Group’s retail risk appetite basket, which also reached a record high Wednesday. “We’ve been keeping an eye on some proxies of retail sentiment as the market has surged towards and through all-time highs over the last month despite negative catalysts like trade,” Bespoke said in a note to clients. “This certainly looks like a blow-off top for risk-seeking investor sentiment!” A “blow-off top” is a chart pattern that often signals the end of a strong uptrend. Retail investors remain on a buying spree, while big Wall Street players such as hedge funds have been sitting it out throughout this year’s market turmoil, according to JPMorgan data. Smaller investors have injected $270 billion in net inflows into equity funds so far this year, the bank said. If buying power from this cohort remains robust, it could continue carrying the market in the second half of the year. “Led by retail investors, we envisage an equity buying flow of close to $500bn for the remainder of the year which would be enough to propagate equities by another 5%-10% into year end,” JPMorgan strategists said in a note to clients.
1School of Public and Allied Health, Division of Kinesiology and Physical Education, Prairie View A & M University, Prairie View, TX, USA
Corresponding Author:
Howard Bartee, Jr., Ed.D.
Prairie View A & M University
700 University Drive
Prairie View, TX 77446
[email protected]
770-314-4415
Howard Bartee, Jr., Ed.D. is an Assistant Professor of Health and Kinesiology-Sport Management at Prairie View A & M University in Prairie View, TX. His research interests include sports management and communication, sports analytics, and organizational behavior within the context of health and kinesiology. With nearly twenty-five years in higher education, Dr. Bartee has served in administrative capacities and previously taught sports management and sports administration courses at Houston Christian University in Houston, TX and Belhaven University in Jackson, MS. Dr. Bartee has further spearheaded initiatives related to sports career services, student advisement, and program and curriculum development.
ABSTRACT
In collegiate sports, the reputation of the head coach is important in urban and suburban America as the transfer portal era of college sports continues to evolve. Many young athletes are going through the decision-making process as they prepare to compete on the collegiate level. Athletes have overcome their circumstances to open doors to the field of college sports, but with the impact of coaching changes, coaching reputations, and the growth of the transfer portal in recent years, college sports has entered an era of mobility on the coach and player levels, during the post-Covid pandemic society in our global sports world.
Key Words: High School Sports, College Sports, HBCU Sports, Coaching, Transfer Portal
INTRODUCTION
College sports has evolved tremendously from the days of four-year scholarship opportunity commitments to now the transfer portal era of today’s sports paradigm. The transfer portal era refers to the ability of players to sign with one school this year and then transfer to another school the next year if another opportunity arises. Many forces are now influencing the expansion of college sports and which, in effect, draw attention to the reasons why the impact of who the head coach is and the student athlete decision making process, are now having an impact on where today’s student athlete is deciding to go on signing day.
From a practical viewpoint, while the college or university name plays a role in the decision-making process, when considering the student athlete decision, when considering the movement in player recruitment evolving over the past five years, the reputation of the coach along with the transfer portal and name, image, and likeness (NIL) opportunities are now playing a larger role in where students are attending across America. When considering the hiring of coaches like Deion “Coach Prime” Sanders at Jackson State University in 2021 and then his movement to the University of Colorado in 2023 and the growth of transfer portal in recent years, coaching changes and coaching reputations have evolved to a level where a ‘free agent” market, like professional sports includes, is now part of the everyday operations of college sports.
Thus, using sociohistorical and current perspectives and demographical information, the following questions guide this exploration:
What is the impact of the head coach in the pre-Covid transfer portal era (prior to 2020) and post-Covid transfer portal era (2020 to the present) on the NCAA Division I (FBS), NCAA Division I (FCS), NCAA Division II, and NCAA Division III levels of college sports?
What is the impact of the student athlete decision making process in the pre-Covid transfer portal era (prior to 2020) and post-Covid transfer portal era (2020 to the present) on the NCAA Division I (FBS), NCAA Division I (FCS), NCAA Division II, and NCAA Division III levels of college sports?
These questions provide the context for understanding how the impact of the head coach has evolved from the pre-Covid transfer era in 2020 to the present post-Covid era on the NCAA Division I (FBS), NCAA Division I (FCS), NCAA Division II, and NCAA Division III levels. These questions show how on each of these levels and even to the recruitment of graduating high school student athletes is much different in 2025 as compared to years past. Using the implications of contextual matters, these questions offer a wider understanding of the contextual impact of the head coach along with their reputation and the universities ability to compete in the transfer portal era of college sports with the appropriate academic and athletic resources, today and tomorrow in the changing landscape.
A View of the Impact of the Head Coach in the Transfer Portal Era of College Sports
Context matters when viewing the impact of the head coach and the student athlete decision making in the transfer portal era of college football, particularly given how the post-Covid transfer portal era is significantly different than the pre-Covid transfer portal era has evolved for student athletes selecting their colleges and universities. The competition that has become apparent is that many athletes are now choosing not only where they attend based upon the reputation of coach, as past studies show, but also now where they can build upon their name, image and likeness (NIL) as well as where they can have the abilities to play the sport they love. With the convergence of these concepts, entrance into the college ranks has been a detailed process from middle school to high school as many parents and student athletes embrace the process of going from youth sports to collegiate sports through the traditional way of the college choice process as outlined in past studies, like (1), (4), (5), and (7).
According to (2), the primary college choice model is the (3) model, which focuses on the “predisposition phase, the search process and the choice stage” (pp. 207-221). In this model, (3) explain the logical steps that a student would encounter in the decision-making process, including the following: (1) the predisposition phase focuses on whether or not the student would like to continue formal education; (2) the search process focuses on the consideration and selection of characteristics of higher education and (3) the choice stage focuses on developing choice criteria and selecting an institution to attend.
When looking at the (3) of college choice in more detail along with (2) study on the college choice process of male and female collegiate student athletes going to the next level, it has three primary components including: (a) creating a simpler yet more conceptual model as compared to previous models; (b) isolating and containing the college choice process within a manageable three-stage framework (predisposition, search, and choice) as described above; and (c) emphasizing stages that focuse more on the student rather than the institution. As a result, we see how student athletes are navigating to colleges and universities, that include those hired during the Coach Prime Era from 2020 to the present, those with previous college coaching experience or those coached with former NFL players.
As Table 4 shows, from the sampling of coaching hires, it was found that out of 25 coaching hires, 10 or 40% had NFL Playing Experience, had college coaching experience 13 or 52%, and had NFL Coaching Experience, 2 or 8%, excluding Coach Prime, thus the Coach Prime Effect on college coaching hires is part of the impact of today’s post Covid transfer portal era along with higher coaching salaries heading into the 2025 season, according to (10) in Table 5.
A View of the Impact of the Student Athlete Decision Making Process in the Transfer Portal Era of College Sports
In 2025, context matters, too, with regards to the head coach and student athlete decision making in the transfer portal era of college sports, specifically in football. During the past five years, following Covid in 2020, the transfer portal has become a major component of the college football paradigm. With the ability of players to become immediately eligible to play in most cases when they transfer, player movement has evolved to resemble the free agency model of professional football. Through a sampling of schools throughout the country, there has been an uptick in players entering the transfer portal from 2020 to 2024 that have impacted to the collegiate sports industry. Table 6 summarizes how this period has reshaped the sports paradigm.
As Table 6 shows from NBC Sports and On3.com, “there has been an increase from years 2020 to 2021 and then from 2022 to 2023. The 65% increase in 2020-2021, along with the 19% increase from 2022-2023, shows that the impact of the transfer portal is growing throughout the field of college football and in the student athlete decision making process” (9), (10), (11), (12), (13) and (14). The largest increase has been from the 2020 to the 2025 years as there has been a 418% increase in the number of transfer portal entrants as shown in Table 6 above from 786 entrants in 2020 to 4060 entrants currently in June 2025.
Table 7 shows the impact of when a high-profile coach leaves one college and moves to another college that student athlete’s decision making resulted in approximately 60 student athletes entering the transfer portal. This occurred when Deion “Coach Prime” Sanders took a head coach job at the University of Colorado and completed his work as head coach at Jackson State University. Coach Prime’s exit resulted in him achieving a Power 5 position in the Big 12 Conference. The resulting impact has also seen the hiring of other former athletes, like former Tennessee State University head coach Eddie George, recently moving to Bowling Green State University after having a measure of success with an Ohio Valley Conference Championship and postseason playoff appearance at Tennessee State University.
Though many well-known sports figures are arriving at colleges and universities, like Michael Vick at Norfolk State University (football), Desean Jackson at Delaware State University (football), Reggie Barlow at Tennessee State University(football), and Bill Belichick at the University of North Carolina (football), the student athlete decision making process of offers, commitments and signings continue to be a valuable part of the recruiting process as the world of college athletics in 2025 evolves into a stronger business model of NIL collectives, new administrative roles like Athletic Department General Managers, and a more active transfer portal era during the post-Covid era, thus requiring a broader contextual perspective.
Additionally, Coach Prime and the Colorado Buffaloes recently continued in their turnaround from a one win season in 2022, prior to his arrival, as they qualified for the Alamo Bowl with a nine win season in Year Two of the Coach Prime Era along with having a Heisman Trophy Winner, while Coach T.C. Taylor, the coach that replaced Coach Prime at Jackson State, just recently led them to a SWAC Championship and Celebration Bowl HBCU National Championship twelve-win, two loss season, though both schools were recently impacted by the transfer portal between 2022 and 2024, according to (6). Also, the Ohio State University football team won the first-ever 12 team playoff National Championship over the University of Notre Dame, with a fourteen-win, two loss season.
Shared Implications of Coaching, Student Athlete Decision Making and the Transfer Portal Era of an Evolving College Sports Model in 2025 and Beyond
In closing, since the first collegiate football game in November of 1869 between Rutgers University and the College of New Jersey (now Princeton University) until the most recent national championship between the Ohio State University and the University of Notre Dame in January 2025, the college sports model has been consistently focused on maintaining the balance between student and athlete. For many years, this balance was focused on a model of players going to school for an education through scholarship achievement and athletic competition. Though this still remains the primary focus, the transfer portal is now playing a stronger role on the student athlete decision making process as athletes have the flexibility to opt-out of their scholarships and transfer to other schools on a year to year basis, if they so choose. Moving forward, with a major $2.8 billion settlement coming in July of 2025, a shift in the model on all levels will see more fluidity as the impact of the head coach and who that person is, along with how valued a student athlete feels will become factors that influence where players play and whether or not they choose to enter the transfer portal and then go elsewhere. For example, according to (8), “more than 4,600 Division I athletes have entered their names in the NCAA transfer portal in the month of April 2025, in part because schools have been preparing for the expected roster limits in the $2.8 billion settlement”. Moreover, as new student athletes enter the college sports arena from high school, having knowledge of the NIL process, will factor into the how student athletes make college choices and it will also have an impact on how colleges and universities structure their athletic departments and, in many instances, run them like professional organizations as the transfer portal era continues.
REFERENCES
Adler, P., & Adler, P. (1991). Backboards and blackboards: College athletes and role engulfment. New York: Columbia University Press.
Bartee, Jr. H. (2011). The next level: Six erspectives on the college choice process of student athletes. United States: CreateSpace. ISBN-13: 978-1456377762
Hossler, D. & Gallagher, K. (1987). Studying college choice: A three-phase model and the implication for policy makers. College and University, 62, 207-21.
Hossler, D., Schmitt, J. and Vesper, N. (1999). Going to college: How social, economic, and educational factors influence the decisions students make. Baltimore, MD: John Hopkins Press.
Letawsky, N. (2003). Factors influencing the college selection process of student athletes: are their factors similar to non-athletes. College Student Journal, 37(4), 604-610.
Keith, J. T. (2023). Jackson state football transfer tracker: Who’s leaving via portal. Retrieved on April 10, 2025 from https://www.clarionledger.com/story/sports/college/jackson-state/2023/12/04/jackson-state-football-transfer-portal-tracker-tc-taylor/71799007007/
Mathes, S. & Gurney, G. (1985). Factors in student athletes’ choices of colleges. Journal of College Student Personnel, 26, (4), 327-333.
Murphy, D. (2025, April 23). Judge delays house settlement approval over roster limits. Retrieved on April 24, 2025 from https://www.espn.com/college-sports/story/_/id/44823761/judge-delays-house-settlement-approval-roster-limits.
NBC Sports Staff (2024, February 12). College football transfer portal tracker. Retrieved on April 22, 2025 from https://www.nbcsports.com/college-football/news/college- football transfer-portal-tracker.
On3. (2025). 2025 College football transfer portal. On3.com. Retrieved on June 23, 2025 from https://www.on3.com/transfer-portal/wire/football/
On3. (2024). 2024 College football transfer portal. On3.com. Retrieved on June 23, 2025 from https://www.on3.com/transfer-portal/wire/football/2024/
On3. (2023). 2023 College football transfer portal. On3.com. Retrieved on June 23, 2025 from https://www.on3.com/transfer-portal/wire/football/2023/
On3. (2022). 2022 College football transfer portal. On3.com. Retrieved on June 23, 2025 from https://www.on3.com/transfer-portal/wire/football/2022/
On3. (2021). 2021 College football transfer portal. On3.com. Retrieved on June 23, 2025 from https://www.on3.com/transfer-portal/wire/football/2021/
Talty, J. (2025, March 28). College football’s highest-paid coaches in 2025: Colorado’s Deion Sanders enters top 10 with amended contract. Retrieved on April 24, 2025 from https://www.cbssports.com/college-football/news/college-footballs-highest-paid-coaches-in-2025-colorados-deion-sanders-enters-top-10-with-amended-contract/
ISLAMABAD – Everyone wants faster internet, and the race is on. With mobile users constantly asking Which network is fastest?, the latest PTA report answersa big question about the two giants.
For Jazz and Zong, a neck-and-neck battle, and users across Pakistan are watching closely. Whether you’re streaming, gaming, or downloading, speed matters, and this showdown is far from over.
Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) revealed the latest Quality of Service (QoS) report for Q1 2025, and race for the fastest mobile internet excites many. While both networks surpassed the internet speed of Ufone and Telenor, the report revealed different results.
Jazz vs Zong Internet Speed
In download speed tests, Jazz stands above Zong in more than ten cities. Some cities show nearly 40Mbps downloading speed while remote areas show speed of around 25 Mbps.
With consistent speeds across majority of locations, Jazz has proven itself reliable choice under standardized conditions.
Zong also crossed 40.36 Mbps in some cities while speed was lower than 30 in other regions. These results suggest Zong may be the better option for users who rely on streaming, downloading, or heavy app usage in real-world conditions.
Ufone and Telenor Struggle
As Jazz and Zong raked in top places, Ufone and Telenor lagged behind in both testing categories. Ufone placed third or fourth in most regions. Telenor consistently ranked last across nearly all surveyed cities.
Either way, both networks far surpass Ufone and Telenor, reinforcing their positions as Pakistan’s leading mobile internet providers in early 2025.
Each summer, millions battle hay fever symptoms triggered by pollen; however, a new study offers a possible shortcut to relief.
Researchers at the International Center for Vaccinology at Kazakh National Agrarian Research University (KazNARU) have developed a nasal antibody that blocks allergic reactions to mugwort pollen in mice.
Published in Frontiers in Immunology, the study shows that a single antibody, delivered intranasally, can reduce inflammation and preserve lung function without affecting systemic immunity.
Hay fever is on the rise
Around 40% of people in Europe have hay fever. Pollen allergies are so common they feel like a seasonal norm; however, the impact is anything but small. Each year, hay fever leads to the loss of an estimated 100 million school and workdays. Rates of hay fever have been rising for decades, and the pace of this increase can’t be pinned on genetics alone. Hygiene, antibiotics, diet, air pollution and climate change are all likely contributors.
One allergen-specific immunotherapy (AIT), where patients are slowly desensitized to the allergen through repeated exposure over years. It doesn’t work for everyone, and the time and effort involved limit its use.
Recently, monoclonal antibody treatments have emerged as an alternative. These treatments typically involve injections and aim to stop allergic reactions by blocking either the allergen or the allergic response itself. However, they don’t target the site where most allergies start – the nose.
Mugwort pollen is one of the main triggers of hay fever in Central Asia and large parts of Europe. Until now, no study had tested the idea of delivering an allergen-specific antibody straight into the nose.
Nasal antibody treatment reduced hay fever symptoms
To develop the treatment, the team first immunized mice with mugwort pollen extract, triggering the mice to produce antibodies against the allergen. They then harvested spleen cells and fused them with cancer cells to create hybridomas – cell lines that could produce monoclonal antibodies indefinitely.
Of the five hybridomas created, one stood out: clone XA19. It showed a strong ability to block IgE, the antibody that triggers allergic reactions, from binding to the mugwort allergen Art v 1 in both human and mouse samples.
The researchers then tested XA19 in a mouse model of hay fever and asthma. Mice were sensitized to mugwort pollen to mimic allergic responses. Some of the mice were treated with intranasal XA19 just before each of the three allergen exposures. The researchers compared these with a placebo group and a group that hadn’t been sensitized.
Treated mice showed fewer signs of allergy: less nose rubbing, reduced ear swelling and preserved lung function. Tissue samples from the nose and lungs showed less inflammation and levels of IL-4 and IL-5, cytokines involved in allergy and asthma, were lower.
Blood IgE levels didn’t change, suggesting the antibody worked locally, not systemically.
“Our method acts immediately and locally at the lining of the nose, by neutralizing the allergen on contact. This ‘molecular shield’ not only prevents IgE antibodies from being activated, but may also reduce inflammation through other mechanisms, such as calming immune cell responses and promoting regulatory pathways,” saidsenior author Dr. Kaissar Tabynov, the director of the International Center for Vaccinology at KazNARU.
Modeling studies showed that XA19 likely works by binding directly to a defensin-like domain on the Art v 1 protein, blocking the sites where IgE would normally attach.
What this hay fever study means for future treatments
The results show that intranasal antibodies like XA19 could be a new way to treat hay fever – needle-free, fast-acting and tailored to a specific allergen. This is different from most current treatments, which are either systemic or rely on slowly building tolerance through months or years of exposure.
“This is the first time a monoclonal antibody designed to block a specific pollen allergen has been delivered directly into the nose and been shown to protect against allergy symptoms in the upper and lower airways,” said Tabynov.
However, the study used a small number of animals, only tested one dose and didn’t directly compare XA19 to standard immunotherapy. It was also not tested on humans.
Still, the results provide a strong proof-of-concept. “In the future, similar antibodies could be developed for other major pollen allergens, such as ragweed or grass,” said Tabynov. “This opens the door to a new generation of precision allergy treatments.”
“Before this treatment can be tested in people, we need to adapt the antibody to make it suitable for humans – a process called ‘humanization’ – and conduct additional preclinical safety and efficacy studies,” said Tabynov.
“If these are successful and provided we have adequate support, we could begin clinical trials in two to three years, though bringing it to market would likely take five to seven years. We are already planning for this transition and working on scaling up production.”
Reference: Tabynov K, Nedushenko I, Tailakova E, et al. Intranasal monoclonal antibodies to mugwort pollen reduce allergic inflammation in a mouse model of allergic rhinitis and asthma. Front Immunol. 2025;16, 2025. doi: 10.3389/fimmu.2025.1595659
This article is a rework of a press release issued by Frontiers.Material has been edited for length and content.
