A proposal for new telescope design from astrophysicist Professor Heidi Newberg at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute could change the way astronomers search for habitable, Earth-like planets
Professor Newberg’s team’s latest research, published in Frontiers in Astronomy and Space Sciences, suggests that replacing the traditional circular telescope mirror with a long rectangular one could make it far easier to detect Earth-like planets orbiting nearby stars.
Life beyond Earth
Earth is the only known planet to support life, as its conditions make life possible, especially the presence of water; however, these conditions could exist on other worlds. Scientists believe that the sun, like stars, is the best target for finding habitable planets, as it offers the right balance of stability and longevity for life to evolve.
Out of the hundreds of billions of stars in our galaxy, only about 60 sun-like stars lie within 30 light-years of Earth. These are the perfect candidates in the search for potentially habitable exoplanets.
Imaging challenges: Changing and improving telescope designs
Detecting an Earth-like planet near one of these stars is difficult. Even under ideal conditions, the Earth is about a million times dimmer than the star it orbits. Without extremely high-resolution imaging, the two objects blur into a single point of light, making it impossible to detect the planet directly.
Telescopes need to collect light over a considerable distance, at least 20 meters, at infrared wavelengths to separate such closely spaced objects in space. Infrared light is key because Earth-like planets emit most of their detectable energy at these wavelengths, particularly around 10 microns. Unfortunately, no current space telescope, including the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), comes close to this capability. JWST’s mirror is only 6.5 meters wide.
Current alternative options
Some scientists have proposed using formations of multiple small telescopes that work together like a much larger one. Others have considered using a “starshade” to block the light from a star so the planet can be seen more easily. However, these approaches require either ultra-precise positioning or the deployment of multiple spacecraft, both of which are beyond the reach of current technology.
Newberg’s team offers a more practical solution. Instead of a large circular mirror, they suggest a rectangular one measuring one by 20 meters. This shape would provide the telescope with the necessary resolution in one direction to distinguish planets from their host stars. By rotating the mirror to align with the direction of the planet-star separation, astronomers could scan the entire sky for nearby Earth-like planets.
This design could detect about half of all Earth-sized planets orbiting sun-like stars within 30 light-years, and this in under three years. It also avoids the major technical hurdles of the other proposals. The telescope would still need to be in space to prevent image distortion from Earth’s atmosphere, but the rectangular mirror would be much easier to launch than a giant circular one.
Creating another Earth?
If the design performs as expected, scientists could quickly identify dozens of promising planets. These worlds could then be studied for signs of life, such as oxygen-rich atmospheres produced by photosynthesis. In the long term, the most promising candidates could even be visited by robotic probes.
Tencent’s HunyuanWorld-Voyager can generate a spatially consistent 3D scene from a single photo, without relying on traditional 3D modeling pipelines. The system combines RGB and depth data with a memory-efficient “world cache” to produce video sequences that reflect user-defined camera movement.
With Voyager, users upload a photo and specify a camera path through the scene. Voyager then generates a continuous video simulating the camera’s motion, aiming to simplify the creation of virtual 3D environments without extensive modeling or technical setup.
At the core is joint RGB and depth (RGB-D) video generation. The depth information helps Voyager estimate distances in the scene and avoid common errors when objects are viewed from unusual angles.
Video: Tencent
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Memory for 3D worlds
Voyager’s “world cache” saves previously seen and generated regions of the scene, updating as the camera moves. When hidden parts of the environment reappear, the system restores them from the cache. Redundant data is removed to optimize memory, keeping long camera paths stable and geometrically consistent.
Tencent trained Voyager on a large dataset of real videos and Unreal Engine scenes, each labeled with estimated camera poses and metric depth. This approach helped the model learn how cameras move through real spaces and how objects look from different angles.
Benchmark performance and direct 3D output
Tencent says Voyager achieved high scores in multiple categories on the WorldScore benchmark, including camera control and spatial consistency. A practical benefit of generating RGB and depth video together is that the system can output direct 3D reconstructions – like point clouds or Gaussian proxies – with less need for post-processing.
Tencent reports that Voyager can also extract 3D objects from single images, analyze depth in video, and transfer styles while preserving geometric structure. The code and inference weights are publicly available. Tencent lists 60 GB GPU RAM as the minimum for 540p output.
Building on HunyuanWorld 1.0
Voyager is designed to complement HunyuanWorld 1.0. HunyuanWorld 1.0 focused on semantic, layered 3D mesh representations with mesh export and interactivity, but faced challenges with exploration range and occluded areas. Voyager addresses these with RGB-depth coupling and the world cache, making longer, more consistent camera paths possible. The two systems are meant to work together: HunyuanWorld 1.0 is best for exporting meshes, while Voyager focuses on stable video and 3D scene generation. HunyuanWorld 1.0 has been available in a “Lite” version since August, Voyager is now being released.
Recommendation
Competing systems target different use cases
Other systems take different approaches. Google’s Genie 3 targets interactive worlds where users trigger “world events” via text. Google says scene consistency lasts a few minutes, but access is currently limited to a research preview.
Mirage 2 from Dynamics Lab also offers browser-based interactive demos with keyboard and text input. While these systems focus on live gameplay, interactivity, and robot training, Voyager is aimed at video production and 3D content pipelines.
A French judge has ordered that French actor Gérard Depardieu stand trial in a criminal court on charges of rape related to accusations by actress Charlotte Arnould, French media reported on Tuesday.
The decision comes some seven years after Arnould officially brought rape charges against the actor in 2018.
The actress, whose father was an old friend of the actor, accuses Depardieu of raping and sexually assaulting her twice in his Paris mansion in the summer of 2018 after she went to him for acting advice.
The criminal court is France’s highest level of court reserved for crimes carrying sentences of more than five years, if the accused is found guilty.
News of the trial comes four months after a Paris court found the actor guilty of sexual assault and gave him a 18-month suspended sentence related to his behavior towards two women on the set of the film The Green Shutters in 2021.
That trial marked Depardieu’s first time in court against a backdrop of at least 20 public allegations of sexually inappropriate behavior against him, dating back decades, although many allegations have only come to light in recent years.
Depardieu continues to deny all the allegations made against him.
A set of bones belonging to sauropods, as long-necked dinosaurs are called, found in the municipality of Ibirá in the state of São Paulo, Brazil, reveals that the region was conducive to a bone disease that was fatal to these animals.
Supported by FAPESP, the researchers found signs of osteomyelitis, a bone disease that can be caused by bacteria, viruses, fungi, or protozoa, in the fossils of six individuals from the Cretaceous period, approximately 80 million years ago.
The bones show no signs of regeneration, suggesting that the animals died with the disease still active, probably as a result of it. The study was published in the journal The Anatomical Record.
“There have been few findings of infectious diseases in sauropods, the first having been published recently. The bones we analyzed are very close to each other in time and from the same paleontological site, which suggests that the region provided conditions for pathogens to infect many individuals during that period,” says Tito Aureliano, the first author of the study and a researcher at the Regional University of Cariri (URCA) in Crato, in the Brazilian state of Ceará.
One of the lesions was confined to the marrow. The other bones, which were also found between 2006 and 2023 at the Vaca Morta site, have lesions that extend from the marrow to the outer part. These lesions have a spongy texture, indicating vascularization in the region. This texture differentiates the lesions from other pathologies that can affect bone tissue, such as osteosarcoma and bone neoplasia, two types of cancer.
There were no signs of healing, which is when the bone tissue lost in the lesion is replaced by new tissue. This sign of regeneration is quite common in the fossil record of bones affected by bites from other dinosaurs.
Analysis
The study was supported by the Institute for the Study of Parasitic Hymenoptera in the Brazilian Southeast Region (HYMPAR), which is a National Institute of Science and Technology (INCT) supported by the National Council for Scientific and Technological Development (CNPq) and FAPESP.
At IEHYPA-Sudeste, which is coordinated by Angélica Maria Penteado Martins Dias, a professor at the Federal University of São Carlos (UFSCar), researchers analyzed the bones using a scanning electron microscope (SEM) and a stereomicroscope.
Three previously unknown manifestations of osteomyelitis were identified in the fossils. One set contained small protrusions, bone elevations, or “bumps” in a circular shape.
Other protrusions had a pattern similar to fingerprints and were elliptical in shape. Finally, a third set had round, wide marks that were larger than all the others. “These lesions could connect with muscles and skin and become exposed, oozing blood or pus,” explains Aureliano.
It was impossible to determine exactly which bones were analyzed; however, it was known that one was a rib and the rest were from the lower limbs of small and giant species. It was also not possible to identify the cause of the infections.
In a 2021 study published in Cretaceous Research, researchers described the first case of bone infection caused by a blood parasite resulting in osteomyelitis. The bones in that case were from a small sauropod species, Ibirania parva, which was found in the same location as the fossils analyzed now.
The region, known as the São José do Rio Preto Formation – because it encompasses the municipality of the same name – had an arid climate with shallow, slow-moving rivers and large pools of standing water. In these environments, many dinosaurs became stuck and died, producing fossils.
“This environment probably favored pathogens, which may have been transmitted by mosquitoes or by the water itself that was ingested by the fauna, which included dinosaurs, turtles, and animals similar to today’s crocodiles,” says Aureliano.
The author also points out that the evidence provided by the study may be useful for future paleontological and archaeological work because it presents different manifestations of the same disease in bones and differentiates it from others.
ULAANBAATAR (Mongolia) – New Zealand coasted to an 85-54 victory over the Philippines to clinch the remaining outright ticket to the FIBA U16 Asia Cup 2025 Quarter-Finals, Tuesday at the Buyant Ukhaa Sport Complex.
The Junior Tall Blacks zoomed to a 17-5 start and held their counterparts to just a single-digit output until the 6:33-mark of the second frame, as they completely had their way the rest of the match.
Hardly challenged, the charges of Coach Ben Sheat went on to finish as the no. 1 team in Group B with a perfect 3-0 card, enabling themselves to advance to the last eight directly, joining Australia, China, and Japan.
Their next opponents will be the winner between Group B’s second-ranked team in Iran and the no. 3 finisher in Group C, to be fought by hosts Mongolia and Malaysia later at 19:00 local time at the MBank Arena.
Liam Keogh top-scored for New Zealand with 17 points and 7 assists. Lawson Pryor supplied 15 points and 6 rebounds as the tandem played key roles in their aforementioned start into the eventual blowout.
Marco Sula made 11 points while Lincoln Wilson tallied 10 points and 14 rebounds for his first double-double. Noah Duncan also came through with 10 as a total of five players finished in double figures for the NZ boys.
That solid balanced attack was something that Gilas Youth could only hope to emulate as Jhustin Hallare and Jhello Lumague were the team’s only sources of offense with 13 and 11 points, respectively.
The Philippines finished third in the group with a 1-2 record, and will face the second-best team of Group A in Bahrain in the Qualification to Quarter-Finals on September 4 at the MBank Arena.
Piero Hincapie wants to leave his mark in north London and revealed it took just one conversation to know that N5 was the place to take his career to the next level.
The Ecuadorian defender has joined us on a year-long loan from Bundesliga outfit Bayer Leverkusen, becoming the eighth signing of a busy summer transfer window.
Piero didn’t need any convincing from our head coach, Mikel Arteta, and sporting director Andrea Berta that Emirates Stadium was the place to be in 2025/26, and is keen to make a name for himself as quickly as possible.
“It only took one conversation to make me feel sure about the decision that I was taking. I’m over the moon.” Piero said in his first interview, which you can watch by pressing play on the video above!
“I want to gel as best as I can with my new teammates and have a good season.
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Piero Hincapie: His story so far
“I always want to win trophies for this club, to make a name for myself, and to leave a mark. I want to get off to a good start quickly and that’s the most important thing.”
Piero left home at a young age to pursue his footballing dreams, first departing his hometown of Esmeraldas for Independiente del Valle at 14 before heading to Argentina at 18 and then onto Germany a year later.
The 23-year-old has thrived at Leverkusen, winning the Bundesliga, DFB-Pokal, and German Supercup in a memorable four years.
Piero played alongside former Gunner, Granit Xhaka, and our new signing revealed conversations he’s had with the Swiss international in the past about Arsenal.
He said: “We’d speak a lot but not about [Arsenal]. However, I asked him about Arsenal at one point, and I queried him about how things were here.
“He spoke wonders about the club and how he felt during his spell here. I loved the conversation that we had at that point, and it wasn’t that recent. He did send me a message recently, though. He always spoke well of the club.”
Read more
Transfer window 2025: Former Gunners on the move
Comfortable playing both centre-back and left-back, Piero has represented his country on 46 occasions, captaining them twice. Ahead of the international break, Piero gave a flavour of what we can expect from him for the season ahead.
He said: “I think I can bring a lot of courage. I do my job well. I want to show my qualities as I’ve been doing for years. I want to give so much for this club.
“My best position is centre-back. I’ve played many games at full-back as well, but I think I’m best at centre-back. As for my qualities, I’m pacey and I like carrying the ball forward as well as being a leader on the pitch.”
Read more
The best photos from Piero Hincapie’s first day
Copyright 2025 The Arsenal Football Club Limited. Permission to use quotations from this article is granted subject to appropriate credit being given to www.arsenal.com as the source.
Totally 1,774 subjects were initially enrolled, including 1,082 HCs, 290 AQP4 antibody positive neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorders (AQP4 + NMOSD) and 402 multiple sclerosis (MS) cases. Fourteen HCs, 6 AQP4 + NMOSD and 6 MS were excluded due to a history of other CNS disease. Three HCs, 6 AQP4 + NMOSD and 5 MS were excluded due to poor image quality. Finally, 1,734 subjects, including 1,065 HCs (age = 45 [31, 54], median [interquartile range, IQR] female percentage = 566/1,065), 278 AQP4 + NMOSD (age = 43 [31, 53] years; female percentage = 256/278) and 391 MS (age = 34 [27, 42] years, female percentage = 264/391) were included in this study (Table 1).
Brain and spinal cord spatiotemporal atrophy subtypes in AQP4 + NMOSD and MS
Three AQP4 + NMOSD atrophy subtypes were identified (Figs. 1 and 2 and Additional file 1: Fig. S1): (1) cortical atrophy subtype (NMOSD-C, n = 87, 31.3%), with gradual atrophy of cortical, subcortical and cerebellar GM, spinal cord and brainstem across all stages; (2) spinal cord atrophy subtype (NMOSD-SC, n = 58, 20.9%), with gradual atrophy of the spinal cord, brainstem, subcortical, cerebellar and cortical GM across all stages; and (3) cerebellar atrophy subtype (NMOSD-CE, n = 26, 9.4%), with gradual atrophy of cerebellar GM and WM, and brainstem in early stages, and subcortical and cortical GM, cerebral WM and spinal cord in late stages. Additionally, 107 (38.5%) AQP4 + NMOSD were “normal-appearing” (NMOSD-NA).
Fig. 1
SuStaIn subtypes of AQP4 + NMOSD and MS. a, Ternary plot showing the probability of each individual to be classified in a subtype. Dots are labeled by final subtype classification. b, Averaged z-score mappings of brain and spinal cord volumes for each disease and its subtypes. The positive Z-score, indicating atrophy compared to healthy controls, is used for visualization. c, Brain and spinal cord regional mapping of differences (T value) between one subtype and all other subtypes using OLS linear models with adjustment for SuStaIn stage. AQP4, aquaporin 4; NMOSD, neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorders; MS, relapsing–remitting multiple sclerosis; NMOSD-C, cortical atrophy leading subtype of AQP4 antibody positive (AQP4 +) NMOSD; NMOSD-SC, spinal cord atrophy leading subtype of AQP4 + NMOSD; NMOSD-CE, cerebellar atrophy leading subtype of AQP4 + NMOSD; MS-C, cortical atrophy leading subtype of MS; MS-SC, spinal cord atrophy subtype of MS; MS-DGM, deep gray matter atrophy subtype of MS
Fig. 2
SuStaIn stages of AQP4 + NMOSD and MS subtypes. Progression of each subtype through SuStaIn stages. Each image is a mean of individuals classified for the listed stages. Here stages from 1–20 are displayed, comprising a majority of subtypeable cases (224 out of 268 for MS and 168 out of 171 for AQP4 + NMOSD). AQP4, aquaporin 4; NMOSD, neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorders; MS, relapsing–remitting multiple sclerosis; NMOSD-C, cortical atrophy leading subtype of AQP4 antibody positive (AQP4 +) NMOSD; NMOSD-SC, spinal cord atrophy leading subtype of AQP4 + NMOSD; NMOSD-CE, cerebellar atrophy leading subtype of AQP4 + NMOSD; MS-C, cortical atrophy leading subtype of MS; MS-SC, spinal cord atrophy subtype of MS; MS-DGM, deep gray matter atrophy subtype of MS
Three MS atrophy subtypes were also identified (Figs. 1 and 2 and Additional file 1: Fig. S1): (1) MS-C subtype (n = 72, 18.4%), with gradual atrophy of cortical and subcortical GM, cerebral WM and brainstem in early stages, and spinal cord, and cerebellum in late stages; (2) MS-SC subtype (n = 115, 29.4%), with gradual atrophy of the spinal cord, brainstem, subcortical GM, cerebral and cerebellar WM, cerebral and cerebellar GM across the stages; and (3) Deep gray matter atrophy subtype (MS-DGM, n = 81, 20.7%), with gradual atrophy of subcortical GM, cerebral WM and GM, brainstem, cerebellar WM and spinal cord across all stages. Additionally, 123 (31.4%) MS cases were “normal-appearing” (MS-NA).
Subtype stability and stage progression of AQP4 + NMOSD and MS subtypes
In AQP4 + NMOSD (Fig. 3c), 20 (20/28, 71.4%) individuals exhibited the same subtype at both baseline and follow-up or progressed from NA to a subtype. Disease stability after excluding individuals classified as NA at baseline and follow-up was found in 80% of cases (12/15).
Fig. 3
Clinical and MRI characteristics, stability and stage association of AQP4 + NMOSD and MS atrophy subtypes. a Clinical characteristics of atrophy subtypes. b MRI characteristics of atrophy subtypes. c Subtype stability and stage progression of NMOSD and MS subtypes using longitudinal scans. d Clinical and MRI associations of atrophy stage. AQP4, aquaporin 4; NMOSD, neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorders; MS, multiple sclerosis; NMOSD-C, cortical atrophy leading subtype of AQP4 antibody positive (AQP4 +) NMOSD; NMOSD-SC, spinal cord atrophy leading subtype of AQP4 + NMOSD; NMOSD-NA, “normal-appearing” AQP4 + NMOSD; NMOSD-CE, cerebellar atrophy leading subtype of AQP4 + NMOSD; MS-NA, “normal-appearing” MS; MS-C, cortical atrophy leading subtype of MS; MS-SC, spinal cord atrophy subtype of MS; MS-DGM, deep gray matter atrophy subtype of MS; WMH, white matter hyperintensity; CVLT, California Verbal Learning Test; Brief BVMT, Visuospatial Memory Test-Revised; PASAT, Paced Auditory Serial Addition Test; SDMT, Symbol Digit Modalities Test; COWAT, Controlled Oral Word Association Test; EDSS, Expanded Disability Status Scale
In MS (Fig. 3c), 30 (30/33, 90.9%) individuals exhibited the same subtype at both baseline and follow-up or progressed from NA to a subtype. Disease stability after excluding individuals classified as NA at baseline and follow-up was found in 84.2% of cases (16/19).
Clinical and MRI features of AQP4 + NMOSD and MS atrophy subtypes
In AQP4 + NMOSD (Fig. 3a and b), compared with NMOSD-NA, NMOSD-C had higher EDSS score, lower COWAT score, larger choroid plexus volume, and lower FAs of cerebral WM and brainstem. Compared with NMOSD-NA, NMOSD-SC had a higher number of relapses, lower BVMT score, larger choroid plexus volume, and lower cerebral WM-FA. Compared with NMOSD-NA, NMOSD-CE only had lower brainstem FA. In between atrophy subtype comparisons, NMOSD-C showed lower COWAT score than NMOSD-SC and NMOSD-CE. NMOSD-SC showed lower BVMT score than NMOSD-C. NMOSD-CE had higher cerebellar GM-fALFF than NMOSD-SC. Details are found in Additional file 1: Supplementary Results. Additional analyses by stratifying patients according to their primary clinical syndromes were presented in Additional file 1: Fig. S6. Preliminary subgroup analyses showed similar trends with the main findings when the NMOSD patients were stratified by optic neuritis and myelitis, indicating weak associations between these clinical syndromes and specific atrophy subtypes.
In MS (Fig. 3a and b), compared with MS-NA, MS-C had lower PASAT and SDMT scores, and larger choroid plexus volume. Compared with MS-NA, MS-SC had a higher number of relapses, higher EDSS score, lower PASAT score, longer disease duration, larger choroid plexus volume, and lower FAs of cerebral WM, cerebellar WM and brainstem. Compared with MS-NA, MS-DGM had higher EDSS score, lower PASAT score, longer disease duration, larger choroid plexus volume, and lower cerebral and cerebellar WM-FAs. In between atrophy subtype comparisons, MS-SC had a higher number of relapses, and lower cerebral and cerebellar WM-FAs compared with MS-C and MS-DGM, while MS-C had lower SDMT score than MS-SC. Details are found in Additional file 1: Supplementary Results.
Stage associations in AQP4 + NMOSD and MS atrophy subtypes
In AQP4 + NMOSD, no differences in stages were observed among NMOSD-C, NMOSD-SC and NMOSD-CE. Atrophy stage in NMOSD-C was correlated with EDSS score (R = 0.25, p = 0.0031, pFDR = 0.022), number of relapses (R = 0.18, p = 0.047, pFDR = 0.21) and choroid plexus volume (R = 0.20, p = 0.0072, pFDR = 0.041) (Fig. 3d).
In MS, no differences in stages were observed among MS-C, MS-SC and MS-DGM. Atrophy stage in MS-C was correlated with age (R = 0.20, p = 0.014, pFDR = 0.39), disease duration (R = 0.45, p < 0.0001, pFDR < 0.0001), relapse (R = 0.35, p = 0.0026, pFDR = 0.0095), WMH volume (R = 0.24, p = 0.0027, pFDR = = 0.0095) and choroid plexus volume (R = 0.43, p < 0.0001, pFDR < 0.0001). Atrophy stage in MS-SC was correlated with disease duration (R = 0.16, p = 0.014, pFDR = 0.039), EDSS score (R = 0.15, p = 0.022, pFDR = 0.057), PASAT score (R = −0.21, p = 0.032, pFDR = 0.074), SDMT score (R = −0.38, p = 0.035, pFDR = 0.079), WMH volume (R = 0.17, p = 0.0063, pFDR = 0.020) and choroid plexus volume (R = 0.23, p = 0.00036, pFDR = 0.0014). Atrophy stage in MS-DGM was correlated with disease duration (R = 0.18, p = 0.026, pFDR = 0.065), EDSS score (R = 0.16, p = 0.041, pFDR = 0.088), PASAT score (R = −0.25, p = 0.014, pFDR = 0.039), SDMT score (R = −0.48, p = 0.0044, pFDR = 0.015), WMH volume (R = 0.29, p = 0.00020, pFDR = 0.00085) and choroid plexus volume (R = 0.36, p < 0.0001, pFDR < 0.0001) (Fig. 3d).
Disability worsening and relapse of AQP4 + NMOSD and MS atrophy subtypes
Here, we reported the step-wise backward Cox regression findings (final model by “autoReg” package in R, see Table 2 for details). In AQP4 + NMOSD, NMOSD-CE showed relatively reduced EDSS progression (Hazard Ratio [HR] = 0.11, 95%CI [0.01, 0.99], p = 0.049) and relapse (HR = 0.13 [0.03, 0.69], p = 0.017). In MS, a late stage had a slightly increased risk of disease phenotype conversion from relapsing–remitting MS to SPMS (HR = 1.03, [1.00, 1.06], p = 0.045). No association of disease subtypes, stages, age or sex was observed for the follow-up EDSS worsening or relapse of MS. A summary of AQP4 + NMOSD and MS atrophy subtypes were provided in Fig. 4.
Table 2 Univariate and multivariate cox proportional-hazards regression for follow-up disability worsening and relapse in NMOSD and MS
Fig. 4
A theoretical model summarizing brain and spinal cord atrophy subtypes in AQP4 + NMOSD (a) and MS (b). Atrophy varies along the axis of disability, relapse, cognition decline, age and disease duration (vertical axis in the diagram) in different AQP4 + NMOSD and MS subtypes. Atrophy varies along a spatiotemporal dimension (horizontal axis in the diagram), such that an individual can be described by their fit along one of at least three trajectories. The text indicates the clinical characteristics of each subtype. The text in bold reflects major clinical differences between subtypes, while normal text reflects MR-related characteristics that differentiate subtypes from normal-appearing individuals. AQP4, aquaporin 4; NMOSD, neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorders; MS, multiple sclerosis; NMOSD-C, cortical atrophy leading subtype of AQP4 antibody positive (AQP4 +) NMOSD; NMOSD-SC, spinal cord atrophy leading subtype of AQP4 + NMOSD; NMOSD-CE, cerebellar atrophy leading subtype of AQP4 + NMOSD; MS-C, cortical atrophy leading subtype of MS; MS-SC, spinal cord atrophy subtype of MS; MS-DGM, deep gray matter atrophy subtype of MS; WM, white matter
Treatment response to DMT among AQP4 + NMOSD and MS atrophy subtypes
For response to DMT regarding relapse, in AQP4 + NMOSD (Fig. 5), response rates were 78.6% (11/14) for NMOSD-NA, 38.5% (10/26) for NMOSD-C, 27.3% (3/11) for NMOSD-SC and 60.0% (3/5) for NMOSD-CE. NMOSD-C (p = 0.015, pFDR = 0.046) and NMOSD-SC (p = 0.010, pFDR = 0.046) had lower response rates compared with NMOSD-NA. In MS, response rates were 78.6% (11/14) for MS-NA, 77.8% (14/18) for MS-C, 37.9% (11/29) for MS-SC and 42.9% (9/21) for MS-DGM. MS-SC had a lower response rate than MS-NA (p = 0.013, pFDR = 0.038) and MS-C (p = 0.0078, pFDR = 0.038). MS-DGM had a lower response rate compared with MS-NA (p = 0.037, pFDR = 0.055) and MS-C (p = 0.027, pFDR = 0.054).
Fig. 5
Treatment response to DMT regarding the disease relapse and physical disability worsening (EDSS worsening) among AQP4 + NMOSD and MS atrophy subtypes. AQP4, aquaporin 4; NMOSD, neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorders; MS, multiple sclerosis; NMOSD-NA, “normal-appearing” AQP4 antibody positive (AQP4 +) NMOSD; NMOSD-C, cortical atrophy leading subtype of AQP4 + NMOSD; NMOSD-SC, spinal cord atrophy leading subtype of AQP4 + NMOSD; NMOSD-CE, cerebellar atrophy leading subtype of AQP4 + NMOSD; MS-NA, “normal-appearing” MS; MS-C, cortical atrophy leading subtype of MS; MS-SC, spinal cord atrophy subtype of MS; MS-DGM, deep gray matter atrophy subtype of MS; DMT, disease-modifying therapy; EDSS, Expanded Disability Status Scale
For response to DMT regarding EDSS worsening, in AQP4 + NMOSD (Fig. 5), response rates were 85.7% (12/14) for NMOSD-NA, 84.6% (22/26) for NMOSD-C, 54.5% (6/11) for NMOSD-SC and 100% (5/5) for NMOSD-CE. No statistical difference among AQP4 + NMOSD subtypes was observed. In MS, response rates were 85% (17/20) for MS-NA, 85.7% (18/21) for MS-C, 53.3% (32/60) for MS-SC and 73.3% (22/30) for MS-DGM. MS-SC had a lower response rate than MS-NA (p = 0.012, pFDR = 0.035) and MS-C (p = 0.0086, pFDR = 0.035).
The literature search and screening process for this study is detailed in Fig. 1. Initial searches identified 696 Chinese and 2,006 English articles, plus 8 from conference abstracts/references, totaling 2,710. After removing 895 duplicates, title/abstract screening excluded 1,567, and full-text review excluded another 165. Ultimately, 83 articles were eligible for data extraction. Of these, 77 cases were excluded for being non-HCC or duplicates. Finally, we gathered a cohort of 373 HCC patients with available graft rejection information, of whom 254 had relatively complete individual data. For transparency, the number of patients with relatively complete data and graft rejection information for each publication, together with the Web Link, is provided in Additional file 2: Table S1, while details on variable-specific missing data status (Complete, Completely missing, Partially missing) are summarized in Additional file 3: Dataset S1.
Literature quality assessment
A total of 83 studies were included: 46 case reports (55.4%), 32 case series (38.6%), and 5 cohort studies (6.0%), assessed using design-specific checklists. Case reports exhibited strong reporting quality, with 32 (69.5%) rated as high quality, 10 (21.7%) as moderate, and 4 (8.7%) as low. Key strengths included clear demographic descriptions (95.7% yes for Q1) and clinical timelines (93.5% yes for Q2). However, case reports demonstrated complete demographic/timeline reporting but had critical gaps in diagnostic documentation and adverse event tracking. Common limitations included inconsistent documentation of diagnostic methods (45.7% no for Q4) and adverse events (52.2% unclear/no for Q7). Case series (n =32) exhibited moderate to high quality: 22 (68.8%) rated high, 7 (21.9%) moderate, and 3 (9.4%) low. Strengths included clear reporting of demographics, clinical information, and outcomes (>90.0% yes for Q6, Q7, and Q8), as well as statistical methods (96.9% yes for Q10). Here, “statistical methods” only referred to basic descriptive statistics, not advanced analytical designs. However, 43.8% of the case series lacked clear inclusion criteria (Q1), and 25.0% failed to ensure consecutive participant inclusion (Q4). Among five cohort studies, none were low quality; two (40%) were moderate due to insufficient follow-up information and inadequate handling of loss to follow-up (Q9, Q10). Overall, most studies (68.7%) across designs met high-quality thresholds, supporting methodological rigour for evidence synthesis. Detailed quality assessments are provided in Additional file 4: Table S2-4.
Clinical characteristics of HCC patients with peri-LT ICIs use at our center
Thirteen male patients were included after screening in our center, with a median age of 52 years (IQR: 50-55 years). All patients received ICIs prior to LT, with 84.6% (n = 11) of them using anti-PD-1 agents. Specifically, 38.5% (n = 5) of patients were treated with sintilimab, and 53.8% (n = 7) received ICIs as first-line therapy. The median number of ICI cycles administered was 2.5 (IQR: 2.0-4.0 cycles), and the median washout period between the final dose of ICIs and LT was 67 days (IQR: 35-154 days). Regarding non-ICI treatment measures, 61.5% (n = 8) of patients underwent surgery, 69.2% (n = 9) received TACE, and 76.9% (n = 10) were treated with TKIs, of which lenvatinib was used in 53.8% (n = 7) of cases. Notably, none of the patients experienced graft rejection following LT. During the follow-up period, 38.5% (n = 5) of patients experienced tumour recurrence, with a median recurrence-free survival time (RFS) of 270 days (IQR: 150-390 days). One patient (7.7%) died, and the median overall survival (OS) time was 270 days (IQR: 150-390 days). Detailed patient characteristics are provided in Additional file 5: Table S5. After integrating with literature cases, a cohort of 386 patients with graft rejection data and 267 with complete data was obtained.
Global and regional distribution of included cases with peri-LT ICI Use
This global cohort study analyzed 386 HCC cases related to Peri-LT ICI use, as indicated in Fig. 2A and B and Additional file 6: Table S6. The overall distribution of cases is as follows: 66.3% (n = 256) were from Asia, primarily from China, followed by the Americas (n = 96, 24.9%), Europe (n = 31, 8.0%), and Africa (n = 3, 0.8%). At the national level, China reported the highest number of cases (n = 235, 60.9%), while the USA had the second-highest (n = 93, 24.1%). In terms of literature sources, 79.0% (n = 305) of cases originated from English databases, 17.6% (n = 68) from Chinese databases, and 3.4% (n = 13) from unpublished studies. Regarding study type, cohort studies accounted for 45.3% (n = 175) of cases, case series constituted 43.3% (n = 167), and case reports made up 11.4% (n = 44).
Graft rejection outcomes by ICIs treatment phase and subgroup analyses
In terms of graft rejection, 71 cases (18.4%) experienced rejection, with 17.5% (n = 54) occurring in the Pre-LT ICIs group and 22.1% (n = 17) in the Post-LT ICIs group (Fig. 2C, Additional file 6: Table S6). Notably, there was no statistically significant difference in graft rejection rates between the two groups (Fig. 2D, P = 0.351). However, significant differences were observed in the distribution of ICI medication phases across variables, including country, region, and study type (all P < 0.001, Additional file 6: Table S6). For instance, Pre-LT ICIs usage was predominant in Asia (n = 219, 70.9%) and cohort studies (n = 175, 56.6%), while Post-LT usage was more common in Europe (n = 18, 23.4%) and case series studies (n = 59, 76.6%). Subgroup analyses showed no significant differences in graft rejection rates between Pre-LT and Post-LT ICIs groups across various countries, regions, literature sources, or study types (all P>0.05, Additional file 7: Figure S1 A-D).
Further analysis of patients who experienced graft rejection revealed significant differences in rejection severity and mortality between the Pre-LT and Post-LT ICI groups. As shown in Fig. 3A, patients in the Post-LT group had a higher proportion of graft loss/dysfunction (n = 8, 47.1%) compared to the Pre-LT group (n = 14, 25.9%), while the proportion of complete recovery was significantly lower in the Post-LT group (n = 2, 11.8%) than in the Pre-LT group (n = 31, 57.4%). This indicates that graft rejection tends to be more severe in the Post-LT setting. Consistent with this finding, Fig. 3B demonstrates that the proportion of patients in whom graft rejection directly caused death was substantially higher in the Post-LT group (n = 8, 47.1%) compared to the Pre-LT group (n = 10, 18.5%).
Fig. 3
Graft rejection outcomes in pre-LT/Post-LT ICI use and the relationship between washout period, half-life counts and graft rejection rate in pre-LT ICIs treatment HCC patients. A, B The bar plots illustrate the differences in graft rejection severity (A) and death events caused by graft rejection (B) between Pre-LT and Post-LT use of ICIs, with results indicating significant differences (p < 0.05) in both aspects, showing higher severity and death rates in Post-LT cases. C, D The bar plots present the differences in graft rejection between patients with washout periods of ≤30 days versus >30 days (C) and half-life counts of ≤1.5 versus >1.5 counts (D), both revealing significant associations (p < 0.05) between these factors and graft rejection risk
Clinical characteristics of HCC patients receiving pre-LT ICIs
We examined patients who received ICIs before LT. This section includes a total of 204 patients with detailed records, as shown in Table 1. The cohort comprised 131 patients (64.2%) aged ≤60 years and 47 patients (23.0%) aged >60 years, with the majority being male (n = 158, 77.5%). HBV was the leading etiology (n = 95, 46.6%), followed by HCV (n = 19, 9.3%), ALD (n = 8, 3.9%), and MASH/MASLD (n = 8, 3.9%). Tumor characteristics showed that 21 (10.3%) patients met the Milan criteria, while 134 (64.2%) exceeded these criteria. Twenty-six (12.7%) presented with a single tumor, whereas 93 (45.6%) had multiple tumors. ICIs were administered to all patients, with anti-PD-1 therapy being the most common (n = 154, 75.5%), followed by anti-PD-L1 (n = 22, 10.8%) and combination therapies (n = 9, 4.5%). The distribution of ICI cycles among patients is as follows: 11.8% (n = 24) received 1 cycle, 59.3% (n = 121) received 2-10 cycles, and 18.1% (n = 37) received more than 10 cycles. The median washout period was 48 days (IQR: 22–113 days), with 35.3% (n = 72) of patients experiencing a washout period of ≤30 days. The median half-life count was 2 counts, with 27.0% (n = 55) having a half-life of ≤1.5 counts. Other treatments included surgery (n = 38, 18.6%), radiotherapy (n = 6, 2.9%), chemotherapy (n = 19, 9.3%), and LRT (n = 145, 71.1%). TACE was performed in 56.9% (n = 116) of patients, local ablation in 15.7% (n = 144), and TKIs in 70.6% (n = 144). Immunosuppressive regimens included Basiliximab induction in 46.6% (n = 95) of patients, with maintenance immunosuppression consisting of MMF (n = 169, 82.8%), mTOR inhibitors (n = 82, 40.2%), CNIs (n = 179, 87.7%), and corticosteroids (n = 141, 69.1%).
Table 1 Baseline characteristics and graft rejection comparison in HCC patients receiving pre-LT ICIs
Risk factor analysis for graft rejection in HCC patients receiving pre-LT ICIs
We investigated the differences between patients with graft rejection and those without among the 204 cases, as shown in Table 1. Of these, 44 experienced graft rejection and 160 did not. Significant differences were found in variables including ICIs (P=0.048), ICIs target (P=0.013), ICIs cycles (P=0.011), washout period (P=0.004 median; P=0.011 categorical), half-life counts (P=0.003 median; P<0.001 categorical), other treatments (surgery: P=0.036; LRT: P=0.006), and Basiliximab (P=0.026). Patients with a washout period ≤30 days had a 33.3% rejection rate, versus 15.2% for >30 days. Those with ≤1.5 half-life counts had a 41.8% rejection rate, versus 14.8% for >1.5 counts. These are shown in Fig. 3C and D.
For washout period, a duration >30 days was linked to a lower risk of graft rejection (OR=0.36, 95% CI: 0.18–0.72, P=0.004), consistent across models: Model 1 OR=0.35 (95% CI: 0.17-0.70, P=0.003), Model 2 OR=0.38 (95% CI: 0.18-0.78, P=0.008), Model 3 OR=0.40 (95% CI: 0.18-0.86, P=0.019), Model 4 OR=0.37 (95% CI: 0.17-0.77, P=0.008), and Model 5 OR=0.36 (95% CI: 0.17-0.75, P=0.006); Model 6 showed marginal significance (OR=0.42, 95% CI: 0.16-1.11, P=0.071). See Fig. 4A.
Fig. 4
Multi-model validation and nonlinear relationships of washout period and half-life counts with graft rejection risk in pre-LT ICIs treatment HCC patients. A, B Association between ICIs washout period (A), half-life counts (B), and the risk of graft rejection across various adjustment models. The reference groups were a washout period of ≤30 days and half-life counts of ≤1.5. Models were adjusted as follows: Model 1 included age and gender; Model 2 added etiology, tumor number, and Milan criteria to Model 1; Model 3 included ICIs type, target, and cycles in addition to Model 1; Model 4 incorporated surgery, radiotherapy, chemotherapy, LRT, TKIs, and bevacizumab into Model 1; Model 5 added basiliximab, MMF, mTOR inhibitors, and corticosteroids to Model 1; and Model 6 combined all the variables from Models 1-5. (C, D) Dose-response relationships were evaluated using restricted cubic spline analyses for the washout period (days) (C) and half-life counts (n) (D), demonstrating unadjusted models (upper panels) and models adjusted for age and gender (lower panels)
Similarly, half-life counts >1.5 were linked to lower rejection risk (OR=0.24, 95% CI: 0.12-0.50, P<0.001), confirmed across all models: Model 1 OR=0.22 (95% CI: 0.10-0.47, P<0.001), Model 2 OR=0.21 (95% CI: 0.09-0.46, P<0.001), Model 3 OR=0.26 (95% CI: 0.11-0.60, P=0.001), Model 4 OR=0.19 (95% CI: 0.08-0.43, P<0.001), Model 5 OR=0.21 (95% CI: 0.09-0.47, P<0.001), and Model 6 OR=0.26 (95% CI: 0.08-0.72, P=0.010). See Fig. 4B.
The subgroup analysis (Additional file 8: Figure S2) showed consistent trends: longer washout periods (>30 days) and higher half-life counts (>1.5) were generally linked to lower rejection risk across age, gender, etiology, and other subgroups. Restricted cubic spline analyses further explored dose-response relationships (Fig. 4C–D). The unadjusted analyses showed significant overall associations for washout period (P=0.027) and half-life counts (P=0.040) with no evidence of nonlinearity. After adjustment for age and gender, overall associations remained (P=0.037 and P=0.044), still showing no nonlinearity (all P>0.2).
Prognostic factors affecting RFS and OS in HCC patients receiving pre-LT ICI Treatment
This study examined prognostic factors influencing RFS and OS in 204 patients who underwent Pre-LT ICIs Treatment. The median follow-up time for these patients was 325 days (IQR: 120-486 days). Forty-one patients (20.1%) experienced recurrence after LT, with a median RFS of 325 days (IQR: 22–113 days). Additionally, 23 patients (11.3%) died after LT, with a median OS of 48 days (IQR: 22–113 days). These results are presented in Table 1.
Univariate Cox analysis identified several variables significantly associated with RFS and OS (see Additional file 9: Table S7). For RFS, radiotherapy (HR=2.51, 95% CI: 1.03–5.38, P=0.043) and TACE (HR=2.97, 95% CI: 1.40–7.16, P=0.004) were significant. Basiliximab use was also linked to increased recurrence risk (HR=2.17, 95% CI: 1.09–4.50, P=0.028). For OS, corticosteroids (HR=12.17, 95% CI: 1.67–1549.2, P=0.007) and graft rejection (HR=5.17, 95% CI: 2.21–12.24, P<0.001) were significant predictors. Kaplan-Meier curves showed that graft rejection did not significantly impact RFS (Log-rank P=0.476, Additional file 10: Figure S3 A-B) but was associated with lower OS (72.6% vs. 94.2% at 1 year; 72.6% vs. 90.9% at 2 and 3 years; Log-rank P<0.001, Additional file 10: Figure S3 C-D).
Clinical characteristics in recurrence HCC patients receiving post-LT ICIs
The baseline characteristics of patients who experienced HCC recurrence after LT and were treated with ICIs are outlined below. This analysis included 63 patients with detailed data. The cohort was predominantly male, accounting for 73.0% (n = 46) of the patients. Regarding age distribution, 55.6% (n = 35) of the patients were aged ≤60 years, while 33.3% (n = 21) were >60 years. HBV and HCV were the most common etiologies, constituting 12.7% (n = 8) and 19.0% (n = 12) of cases, respectively. ICIs were primarily administered as non-first-line treatment (n = 57, 90.5%). Anti-PD-1 agents were the most prevalent (n = 46, 73.0%), with nivolumab being the most frequently utilized (n = 29, 46.0%). Most patients (n = 25, 39.7%) received ICIs between 1 and 5 years after LT. Notably, PD-L1 expression on the graft was evaluated in a subset of patients, with low PD-L1 expression noted in 22.2% (n = 14) of cases and high PD-L1 expression in 6.3% (n = 4) of cases. Recurrence or metastasis was most commonly observed in the liver (n = 22, 34.9%) and lungs (n = 31, 49.2%). TKIs were administered to 71.4% (n = 45) of patients, with sorafenib being the most common (n = 33, 52.4%). Immunosuppressive agents were given to the majority of patients, with CNIs being the most frequently used (n = 46, 73.0%), followed by mTOR inhibitors (n = 28, 44.4%) and MMF (n = 24, 38.1%). During follow-up, 47.6% (n = 30) died after recurrence. The median OS time following recurrence was 566 days (IQR: 321-990 days).
Analysis of risk factors for graft rejection in recurrence HCC patients receiving post-LT ICIs
Among the 63 patients receiving ICIs after LT, 13 experienced graft rejection while 50 did not. As shown in Table 2, when comparing patients with and without graft rejection, the two groups were similar across most characteristics, including demographics, etiology, ICI-related factors, HCC recurrence features, and immunosuppressive agent use, with no significant differences noted. However, a significant difference was found in graft PD-L1 expression (P<0.001, Fig. 5A). In the low PD-L1 group, graft rejection incidence was 0%; in the high PD-L1 group, it was 100%. Patients with low graft PD-L1 expression were significantly less likely to develop rejection than those with high expression (OR=0.19, 95% CI: 0.08–0.43, P<0.001, Fig. 5B). This association remained significant across six multiple logistic regression models, adjusting for different confounding factors. As shown in Fig. 5B, the ORs and 95% CIs consistently indicated lower rejection risk with low PD-L1 expression, with all P values <0.05 (Fig. 5B). This consistency highlights graft PD-L1 expression as a robust predictor of rejection in this population.
Table 2 Baseline Characteristics and Graft Rejection Comparison in HCC Recurrence Patients Receiving Post-LT ICIs
Fig. 5
The Association between Graft PD-L1 Expression and Graft Rejection Rate, and the Impact of Graft Rejection on OS after Recurrence in HCC Patients Receiving Post-LT ICIs. A Bar chart comparing the proportion of graft rejection across different PD-L1 expression categories. B Forest plot displaying OR with 95% confidence intervals for graft rejection risk according to PD-L1 expression levels across different adjustment models. High PD-L1 expression served as the reference group. Low PD-L1 expression consistently demonstrated strong protective effects against graft rejection across all models (all p < 0.05). Models were adjusted as follows: Model 1 included age and gender; Model 2 adjusted for etiology; Model 3 included time from LT to ICIs; Model 4 included liver recurrence and time from LT to recurrence; Model 5 included TKIs and LRT; and Model 6 adjusted for MMF and mTOR inhibitors. C, D Kaplan-Meier curve and corresponding survival probability table comparing OS after recurrence between patients with graft rejection and those without it
Risk factor analysis for OS in recurrence HCC patients receiving post-LT ICIs
The analysis of OS following recurrence in HCC patients receiving Post-LT ICIs identified several potential risk factors, as detailed in Additional file 11: Table S8. Univariate Cox regression analysis indicated that MASH/MASLD etiology (HR = 13.56, 95% CI: 1.20–98.78, P = 0.038), a treatment interval exceeding five years from LT to ICIs (HR = 0.06, 95% CI: 0.00–0.80, P = 0.032), and TACE treatment (HR = 0.24, 95% CI: 0.03–0.92, P = 0.035) serve as significant predictors of OS. Other variables, including age, gender, HBV/HCV etiology, ICIs type, and time from LT to ICIs, did not show significant associations with OS (P > 0.05 for all). Interestingly, even graft rejection, which has been associated with poorer OS in the Pre-LT ICIs group, did not exhibit a significant association. The Kaplan-Meier curves also revealed no statistically significant difference in OS between patients with and without graft rejection (77.8% vs. 75.3% at 1 year; 64.8% vs. 65.2% at 2 years; 0.0% vs. 54.3% at 3 years; Log-rank P = 0.143, Fig. 5C-D). Nonetheless, the curves suggested a possible trend toward reduced survival in the rejection group at later timepoints, which may reflect limited sample size.
Kanto Celebration makes the original Gen 1 Pokémon the focus this week in Pokémon Go.
There’s a rotating set of Kanto Celebration Timed Research quests throughout this Pokémon Go event, along with a Kanto Celebration Collection Challenge waiting to be conquered!
Don’t forget to get out the Kanto Celebration research tasks and sizable bonuses list either. The XP Celebration quest is continuing throughout this event.
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‘Kanto Celebration Near and Farfetch’d’ quest steps and rewards
Kanto Celebration: Near and Farfetch’d is the first Timed Research quest running throughout this Pokémon Go event. It will be available until Wednesday 3rd September at 10am (local). Once this time passes you’ll no longer be able to collect its rewards and it will be replaced with the Kang You Dig It quest.
So let’s take a look at the Kanto Celebration: Near and Farfetch’d Timed Research quest steps. Just be wary of spoilers!
‘Kanto Celebration: Near and Farfetch’d’ Step 1 of 1
Catch 50 Pokémon – 5000 XP
Use 10 Razz Berries to help catch Pokémon – 25 Mega Venusaur Energy
Use 10 Pinap Berries while catching Pokémon – 25 Mega Charizard Energy
Use 10 Nanab Berries while catching Pokémon – 25 Mega Blastoise Energy
Spin 5 PokéStops or Gyms – 10 Ultra Balls
Rewards: 5000 XP, 5000 Stardust and a Farfetch’d encounter.
First Partner Collection Challenge Pokémon list
First Partner Collection Challenge is part of the Kanto Celebration event in Pokémon Go. This means you have until Sunday 7th September at 8pm (local time) to earn its rewards. (Remember to claim them after you’ve completed the Collection Challenge!)
Keep in mind that six of Pokémon in this Collection Challenge can only be obtained through evolution and getting them through any other means, such as trading, will not count towards First Partner.
Here’s all of the Pokémon in the First Partner Collection Challenge and how to get them:
Bulbasaur – In the wild or event-exclusive research task (Catch 5 Bulbasaur, Charmander or Squirtle)
Ivysaur – Evolve Bulbasaur using 25 Bulbasaur Candy
Venusaur – Evolve Ivysaur using 100 Bulbasaur Candy
Charmander – In the wild or event-exclusive research task (Catch 5 Bulbasaur, Charmander or Squirtle)
Charmeleon – Evolve Charmander using 25 Charmander Candy
Charizard – Evolve Charmeleon using 100 Charmander Candy
Squirtle – In the wild or event-exclusive research task (Catch 5 Bulbasaur, Charmander or Squirtle)
Wartortle – Evolve Squirtle using 25 Squirtle Candy
Blastoise – Evolve Wartortle using 100 Squirtle Candy
Rewards: 100 Mega Venusaur Energy, 100 Mega Charizard Energy and 100 Mega Blastoise Candy.
Kanto Celebration field research tasks
Here are the Kanto Celebration field research tasks in Pokémon Go:
Catch 5 Bulbasaur, Charmander or Squirtle reward – Bulbasaur, Charmander or Squirtle encounter
Use 5 Berries to help catch Pokémon reward – 10 Poké Balls, five Great Balls or two Ultra Balls
Evolve a Pokémon reward – One Rare Candy
Mega Evolve a Venusaur, Charizard or Blastoise reward – 10,000 XP
Spin 5 PokéStops or Gyms reward – 10 Mega Venusaur, Charizard or Blastoise Energy
August in Pokémon Go is coming to a close with the Sunkissed Shores event and the release of Dondozo! There also levelling changes coming soon.
You can now catch Dynamax Pokémon through Max Battles. First, however, you need to visit Power Spots to collect Max Particles and complete the To the Max! quest.
Don’t forget to try out Routes, Gift Exchange and Party Play while you’re hunting down rare Pokémon, fighting in the Go Battle League or competing in PokéStop Showcases.
Kanto Celebration bonuses
Double XP from spinning PokéStops.
Mega Evolution duration tripled.
One guaranteed Candy XL from evolving Pokémon.
Surprise encounters from Go Snapshot!
Evolving an Ivysaur into Venusaur will teach it Frenzy Plant (Grass-type Charged Attack).
Evolving a Charmeleon into Charizard will teach it Blast Burn (Fire-type Charged Attack).
Evolving a Wartortle into Blastoise will teach it Hydro Cannon (Water-type Charged Attack).
Kanto Celebration wild Pokémon encounters
Here are the Pokémon appearing more frequently in the wild during Kanto Celebration:
Bulbasaur
Charmander
Squirtle
Weedle
Pidgey
Abra
Slowpoke
Gastly
Chansey
Magikarp
Snorlax
Kanto Celebration pay-to-play quest
$4.99 or the equivalent pricing tier in your local currency.
Non-refundable and can not be purchased using PokéCoins.
Can gift to players you’re Great Friends or higher with.
Rewards include Dynamax Articuno, Dynamax Zapdos and Dynamax Moltres.
By Ryder Cup Europe On September 2, 2025 10:00 UTC
Luke Donald has named Alex Noren as his fifth and final Vice Captain for the 2025 Ryder Cup which will be played at Bethpage Black, New York, USA from September 26-28, 2025.
Noren was a key part of Team Europe’s 2018 victory at Le Golf National in Paris, France, securing two points from three matches – including a memorable 40-foot putt on the 18th green to defeat Bryson DeChambeau 1up in the final Sunday singles match, as Europe triumphed 17½-10½ over the United States.
The 43 year old Swede joins brothers Francesco and Edoardo Molinari, Thomas Bjørn and José María Olazábal in Donald’s completed backroom team as Team Europe aims to retain the Ryder Cup in New York.
Noren said: “It was a big shock when I found out. I didn’t expect it at all. I want to bring a good attitude to the team room. Bring some knowledge. I’ve been in this game a long time.
“This Ryder Cup is going to be one of the toughest ones to win because of where it is. It’s going to be a very tough crowd, but I think that can feed our players as well.
“All of us who are part of the team have played a lot in America, so we’re used to the fans, we’re used to the courses, the course setups.
“We don’t get to be part of team events that often. We all know how much it means for everybody who’s part of it, and who has played on it and we’re looking forward to it.”
Captain Donald said: “I’m really delighted to announce Alex Noren as our final Vice captain. Alex brings a lot to the table, he is obviously a Ryder Cup player himself, having played in 2018 in France, and he has played on both the DP World Tour and the PGA TOUR at very high level.
“I am excited to have him on board with the team and he just couldn’t have been happier, more honoured, to take the role.
“He will do everything that he can to help the team. He’s a humble guy, it’s never about Alex. It’s always about the team and I just think he has great characteristics, which will be vital for his role as a Vice Captain.
“I love Alex’s demeanour, his work ethic, how he goes about things. He prepares as well as anyone when it comes to his golf. And you know that is important.
“There’s a bond there with some of the Scandinavian players on our team, but he gets along so well with everyone. He is a good friend of mine, we practise together at the Bears Club where other players who are going to be on that team also practise. So he has a great familiarity with a lot of the guys and I think that’s really useful.
“It’s full steam ahead now. I’m extremely excited to have everything in place, the last pieces of the puzzle. The team is set, the VCs are set, and we’re ready to go.”
Outside the Ryder Cup arena, Alex Noren has claimed 11 DP World Tour titles, most recently at the Betfred British Masters last month, a tournament he won for the second time.
Noren has also been a consistent and dependable presence for Team Europe in professional team competitions, contributing to multiple victories across different formats. He made his debut at the Royal Trophy in 2010, followed by appearances in the Seve Trophy (2011) and World Cup of Golf (2011, 2016), proudly representing Sweden on the global stage. He played a key role in Europe’s victory at the 2018 EurAsia Cup, setting the tone for a standout year in team golf.
Later that season, Noren earned his place at the 2018 Ryder Cup in Paris – a career-defining moment. He contributed two points from three matches, teaming up with Sergio Garcia for a commanding 5&4 win over Phil Mickelson and DeChambeau in the Friday foursomes, before the pair lost 3&2 to Bubba Watson and Webb Simpson on Saturday. Noren then secured a memorable 1up victory over DeChambeau in the Sunday singles, helping seal Europe’s emphatic win.
His most recent team appearance came at the 2023 Hero Cup, where he once again played a valuable role in Continental Europe’s victory.
